Colonoscopy - Looking for tips and advice
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi All,
Looking for some advice. I've had a turbulent few weeks after coming out of hospital (went in due to blood loss, severe abdominal pain and dehydration) and getting worse from the cocktail of antibiotics they gave me in hospital because they thought I had infectious colitis. Numerous stool tests showed no infection and I'm thankful to my GP who prescribed me steroid enemas as these helped almost immediately. I then became constipated and my GP suggested I stop the enemas and take laxido which I have done. It's now a week since stopping the enemas and the bleeding is back. I've still got some enemas left so I have started taking them again. This isn't the first time Ive had a flare up, I had quite a bad in in June last year but it settled after a month so my Dr didn't take it any further. Since then I had minor symptoms, passing mucus, pus slight blood but Dr just put down to fissures but I now think that probably wasn't the case given this most recent flare.
Although I was told in hospital by the GI I would have a colonoscopy within 1-2 weeks (the GI I am under strongly suspects ulcerative colitis but at the time didn't want me to start treatment until the colonoscopy) the waiting list is upto 8 weeks but I rung the department up today and they given me an appointment for the 10th March.
Pleased to finally have an appointment but now I am really nervous about having it done, only because of my symptoms which are severe lower and left side abdominal pain (like burning and a heavy kind of feeling) and passing blood and mucus. I'm worried firstly that the prep will aggravate my symptoms making the bleeding worse and secondly that having the scope will worsen the bleeding / cause more problems.
The prep they said I would be given is moviprep - has anyone else got experience with using this prep?
They've given me the option to either be sedated or to use gas and air. I'm inclined to go for the gas and air because I want to be alert enough to get my diagnosis. Has anyone else got experience of not being sedated for a colonoscopy?
Any tips and and advice will be really, really appreciated
Lou
0 likes, 13 replies
bustergut1 louloub
Posted
Hi loulouburman for my very First colonoscopy in Aug 13 I was not sedated & I think because it turned out I was severely inflamed I personally found it to be very uncomfortable. But the advantage was I saw my red sore colon on the screen & heard what they were saying to some degree. After that I always had sedation. Only you can decide. They Should come to see you after the procedure & give you feedback. If not ask to have feedback. My diagnosis of ulcerative colitis was immediate & I heard the doctor & assistant say that & agree with each other. Sometimes perhaps it's not so straightforward I guess to diagnose?
louloub bustergut1
Posted
Thanks for responding. I know I am a bit torn whether to go for sedation or not, because it's my first one and I want to know the diagnosis I think I might just go for the gas and air so I now what's going on. Thanks for the tip on asking for feedback, will definitely do that.
cjb106 louloub
Posted
Me again! Good to hear you have a date.
I've had three - A flexi-sigmodiscopy and two colonoscopies and I never have sedation. First time I wasn't sure what to expect so prep nurse put a line in in case I decided I needed something but it was fine as have been the later two procedures. The added bonus is that you can go alone and the whole thing is over a lot quicker - paperwork aside in and out in less than an hour.
The Movieprep shouldn't make your symptoms worse. It will just clear the colon of faeces so the endoscopist can get a good look at it and where any problem areas are. If you are bleeding and passing mucus that will likely continue but I don't see any reason why it would get worse.
Coincidentally, the topic came up in conversation yesterday with a friend, a recently retired nurse with 40 years experience. We were talking about why some people seem to breeze through medical procedures which other people find difficult. We talked specifically about colonoscopies (she has worked in endoscopy depts) and she is of the firm belief that a lot is to do with fear and the way the body tenses in response. If the body and mind are tense you are more likely to have a poor experience than if you are relaxed. Does that make sense? So if you opt for no sedation but take a few puffs of Entonox, you should feel relaxed but still alert and able to follow the procedure on screen and ask questions.
Different health trusts will vary in their procedures but bear in mind the endoscopist may also be the GI consultant and he/she will have a long list of colonoscopies to perform so won't have time for a full consultation afterwards. The doctor just popped into the recovery room long enough to give me a diagnosis of ulcerative colitis and a prescription for meds with an appointment for an office consultation a few weeks later. By then he/she will have the results of any biopsies and blood tests and you should be able to see photographs of where the problem areas in the colon are. That few weeks may be enough on the right meds to get your symptoms under control. Good luck.
louloub cjb106
Posted
Hi Again,
I was hoping you'd respond
yes pleased I've got a date now. The first date they gave me was the 24th March but I rung up and asked if they had anything earlier. Glad I asked because an appointment had become available on the 10th.
It's reassuring to hear you have gone through the procedures without sedation. My family keep saying sedation is best but I kind of want to be aware of what's going on and be alert afterwards when they give me a diagnosis. Even better if I can get out of there a bit quicker too!
Yes what you and your friend have said about being less tense and relaxed makes sense. I've heard it said that there's a strong connection between the brain and gut so if you feel fearful and tense your gut is probably going to tense up to. I might try learning some relaxation techniques before I have the colonoscopy done. I have had a gastrostomy before with no sedation and I was fine not painful at all. My concern with the colonoscopy though is I'm already in quite a bit of pain so will that make my bowel tense up automatically, I don't know.... maybe a few breaths of the Entonox will help with that.
Did you have any of the colonoscopies during a flare up?
It's typical too my appointment with the GI is on the 7th, 3 days before the colonoscopy so I'm not sure if that's the wrong way round but I'm not going to cancel it because I'm sure appointments with a GI are like gold dust.
cjb106 louloub
Posted
If you’ve had a gastroscopy without sedation I think you’ll be fine with the colonoscopy. No horrible gag reflex to worry about.
I had all three procedures done during flares. I could see two distinct area of inflammation and ulceration but felt no pain as the instrument passed by them. Biopsies were painless too.
View the pre-procedure appointment as your first opportunity to discuss your symptoms with an expert. Hopefully he or she can put your mind at rest. Once you are in the system and have a formal diagnosis, you should be monitored regularly to see how you are reponding to treatment. I see a consultant once a month during flares including the steroid taper period then every three months when in remission.
louloub cjb106
Posted
Thank you, that's reassuring. Will definitely go through my symptoms in the pre - procedure appointment. I've decided not to have the sedation, I want to see how my colon looks so I can understand what's going on. I think that will help me.
Struggling to get symptoms under control at the moment, I have started taking the predsol enemas again. Not sure if it's what I'm eating that's not helping although I'm eating very little, just well cooked veg, bananas, yoghurt and fish. Do you find any particular food helps you in a flare up?
I've started taking omega 3, tumeric and l glutamine as well because I've read that they are anti inflammatories. I'm a bit skeptical when it comes to supplements but at this stage I'm willing to try. Do you find any particular supplements helpful?
cjb106 louloub
Posted
Yes. I have to say I find the whole thing fascinating. Of course, I wish I didn’t have the wretched disease but as I’m stuck with it I want to do whatever I can to know and understand what is happening inside my body and what I can do beyond drug therapy to manage the condition. It may sound odd but seeing and understanding how the colon works, being able to ask the endoscopy team questions there and then has helped me a lot. The procedure take around 30-40 minutes so there’s plenty of time to ask questions.
Ultimately, UC is an autoimmune disease, the immune system, which defends the body against disease, decides that healthy cells are foreign. No-one seems to know why this happens. My consultant is of the opinion that chemical additives in food may be the culprits. That makes a lot of sense to me if the chemicals are changing the composition of otherwise healthy cells and the immune system detects that. If that is the case then it’s not so much WHAT food but HOW it’s produced and processed. I am also a lifelong vegetarian so eat mostly fruit and vegetables. I try to avoid wheat, dairy, refined sugar products and packaged foods wherever I can.
IBD often co-exists with IBS so, for a patient in remission, it can be hard to determine which of those conditions is responsible for a temporary bout of diarrhea. You find yourself praying there’s no blood, that it isn’t another flare beginning.
I DO find that eating plain potato, jacket or mash - no fats or oils - is very good for calming the colon. Like everything to do with diet, “experts” seem to disagree on whether such starchy foods help or aggravate inflammatory conditions. My consultant thinks that potatoes and rice do help and my experience seems to corroborate that.
I’ve heard people praising turmeric as an anti-inflammatory but haven’t tried it other than as a spice in a mild curry. I take a multi-vitamin plus B12, Vitamin D and glucosamine but those are for general purposes to make up for any vegetarian dietary deficiencies, lack of sunshine in winter and to keep by joints healthy.
I'm sorry but not surprised to hear that your symptoms keep returning. If this is UC then I suspect it's going to need a period on oral steroids (plus possibly mesalazine (5-ASA) to get things under control and even then that may take some weeks or even months depending on the extent of the disease. Just a few more weeks now and you'll have a diagnosis and can start an informed treatment programme. Keep posting and I'll try to answer any questions you have.
louloub cjb106
Posted
It's strange isn't it why the body suddenly decides to attack itself. I have hashimotos thyroiditis which is also an auto immune disease, I wonder if you have one auto immune disease whether or not you may be disposed to other auto immune diseases.
I was also vegetarian for 15 years but started to introduce fish a few years ago. Other than that I don't eat any other meat and have thought I've always eaten pretty healthily lots of fruit and veg etc. That's interesting what you're consultant has said about chemical additives being the culprit, it wouldn't surprise me there's more and more added into food these days. I often wonder what they put in those pre washed bags of salad to make them last so long....
Since this flare up I've quit gluten to see if it helps but I am still having dairy in the form of yoghurt because it seems gentle on my stomach. I didnt think of mashed potato and rice, I'll have to try them. It's early days I suppose and it will probably be trial and error to see what might aggravate my flare or not.
I'm giving the tumeric and fish oil ago just to see if it might help somewhat.
I know, the fact that it's come back after stopping the predsol makes me think more and more that it is likely to be UC. Yes, just a few more weeks and I'll have my diagnosis, I'm holding onto that.
Thank you for the moral support and experienced advice, I really appreciate it.
kelly58419 louloub
Posted
GI Lou,
I've been addicted to nicotine gum for nearly 2 yrs and I first had my symptoms wen I stopped taking the gum with severe diarrhea etc..I'm now taking them again and haven't had any symptoms since end of December, not even a stomach ache. Not suggesting you take nicotine but I did read that nicotine seems to help UC. I haven't been diagnosed but they think its crohns colitis. I don't take any medication and feel 100% fine now I'm worried about stopping the gum. Srange I know as u would think nicotine aggregates it. I'll hve my results next week. I'll let you know wat my doctor says as I've decided against medications.
louloub kelly58419
Posted
Hi Kelly,
That's interesting about nicotene. I just had a look at the crohns uk website and it also mentions that nicotene patches have helped people with ulcerative colitis. It said the following:
"It increases the adherent surface mucus in the large intestine which is reduced in UC. The mucus acts as a protective barrier to the mucosa which may be damaged by bacteria and breakdown products in the intestine.
It may have an inhibiting effect on the inflammatory response of the body.
It may relieve proximal constipation
Studies have shown an improvement in symptoms of patients using nicotine patches."
That's good news that you haven't had symptoms since December. Yes let me know how you get on with your results and what the Dr says.
kelly58419 louloub
Posted
Hi Lou
I had a Colonoscopy done yesterday and im afraid my experience weren't too pleasent. I also had the movie prep. People react differently. I don't think it would aggregate your symptom's but I got sick after taking it and didn't sleep too well due to nausea. Be warned that it will come out like a yellow liquid. This is normal.
The Colonoscopy I had yesterday and once again every one is different. I would recommend sedation as I was wide awake during it. Unfortunately I felt pain during it so I had to keep changing positions. I've had it done before with no pain. I never really got a diagnosis. It could be crohns colitis but Ive had biopsies taken so I'll know next week. I thought they could tell straight away but she said we doing biopsies to see wat it is.
louloub kelly58419
Posted
Hi Kelly,
You have my sympathy, must have been horrible for you being sick as well as coping with the results of the prep.
Sounds like the colonoscopy was painful for you, did you have gas and air? I'm not sure I want to be sedated but then I'm already in pain so the colonoscopy is probably going to be painful too. Was wondering if the gas and air would alleviate the pain.
That's a shame you didn't get a diagnosis straight away, hopefully next week you will know more and they can treat you then.
Thanks
Lou
kelly58419 louloub
Posted
All I had was the sedation as its the main method used. You could always ask your friend to be there wen results ate given. U also are given an endoscopy report which details it. If you already have pain I would ask which is better for that. I was given more sedation for the pain. I don't know if people with inflammation would feel it more because I was fine yrs ago.