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Colonoscopy medication causes severe sickness

Posted , 5 users are following.

ssphotog
ssphotog

Hi, please help :-) 

Every so many years my dad has to have a colonoscopy to check for cancer. this has been going on around 20 years now. five times i think. to cut a long storey short it never has worked properly. because a few minutes after he's taken medicine moviprep, picolax) he's violently sick, sicks up what he's drunk and his bowels pretty much dont move. 

He tells local GP everytime that it wont work, but it falls on death ears... he's got to the stage where he's saying he'd rather not bother. obviously none of us want him to stop doing it.

anyway this happened again last week, so they didnt even try to do colonosopy. 

This week they're saying try Senokot?

this issue is what ever the medication even if he took calpol, when he takes something on an empty stomach he's sick. there's no if buts or what evers about it, no maybe next time he'll be alright, medication on empty stomach = violent sickness

bare in mind, he's a Farmer, nothing will faze him, he's about as resilient as they come... but with taking a tablet of any form without food, he's sick as can be.... 

he's very good at stressing this to his GP,  its really not in his nature to admit or winge about an issue..

does anyone have a solution please? 

can you get an injection for the medication? drip? 

what would happen if he did all the pre medication diet and prep, but still took the medication with some food? 

Thanks very much for your time :-) 

Shaun

1 like, 12 replies

12 Replies

  • jan48389
    jan48389 ssphotog

    Posted

    I'd suggest your father contacts the hospital where the procedure is to be done for advice and

    reassurance. I was able to eat, albeit a bland diet, virtually up to the time I took senakot and picolax. 

    Jan

    • ssphotog
      ssphotog jan48389

      Posted

      Thanks Jan, 

      he's also been speaking to the hospital, them and his GP seem to have mixed views lol but have both told him not to eat at all. 

      he's been told, he cant have anything regardless, 

      i was thinking someone on here might pop up and say 'they did' and was assuming he should just have a little food when he takes it, he hasnt tried that before, but he tends to think if he did have a little food when taking the medication, he wouldnt be sick... he doesnt know for certain, but does know what ever other tablets he's ever tried on an empty stomach makes him sick... 

      even if he woke up in the night with a headache and wanted a painkiller, he'd have to eat with it... 

      Thanks very much for your reply :-) really appreciate it

  • babs49935
    babs49935 ssphotog

    Posted

    He needs to insist on a GA. if they can do the procedure in Spain and USA they can do it here. It's so wrong that he has to go through that every time. 
    • ssphotog
      ssphotog babs49935

      Posted

      Thanks, they finally offered a GA for him to try for the first time last week, we assumed that would work. but he still couldnt have it done. as was sick soon as he took medication the night before, so his system wasn't cleaned out ready for it... :-( 

       

  • jacqueline01135
    jacqueline01135 ssphotog

    Posted

    Don't suppose anyone has suggested that he has  an annenoma which is done

    at the clinc before the camera job. There is also a laxative which is fairly efficient

    and tastes quite nice , 

    • ssphotog
      ssphotog jacqueline01135

      Posted

      Thanks very much for this, mum wondered this, going to call and ask actually tell. really appricate it :-) 
    • jacqueline01135
      jacqueline01135 ssphotog

      Posted

      No probs, someone can usually suggest something that hadn't 

      ocurred to you  I can just see you all smiling nowcheesygrin

  • ruth88255
    ruth88255 ssphotog

    Posted

    I would strongly urge your father to take someone with him to listen both to GP and hospital, where they can stress the issue of sickness. I was very polite understating a problem, someone noticed, realised I was very very ill, suggested I answered the doctor louder, said it twice, even stood up, did a twirl before sitting down again, to be noticed. These days in fear of missing something out I want the GP to hear, definitely take on board, I write it down all the issues all the anxieties. 

    I do hope your father finds his voice to make them offer an alternative medication in order that exams can take place. They can be very unpleasant with NO sickness at all.

    shout louder! PLEASE.

    • ssphotog
      ssphotog ruth88255

      Posted

      Thanks Ruth, ive been telling him, he needs to kick off to get noticed. its really not like him. i'll go in with him and do it... Thanks, id been thinking it, its nice to know it does help, none of us are usually like that, but its what ever works... Thanks
  • jofos
    jofos ssphotog

    Posted

    Hello  Your dad is not alone in this issue.  My heart goes out to him.  I recently had to undergo endoscopy (both ends in one day) and it has been discovered that I am actually highly allergic to one or more of the active ingredients in picolax. The sypmtoms were akin to salt poisoning and caused a serious imbalance - I had drank loads of fluid (in excess of the recommended).    The picolax solution actually burned my throat, heading into my stomach and this could be seen on the camera.  I have been told by the hospital that there are alternates which are generally oil based rather than salt based.  good luck to your dad.
    • ssphotog
      ssphotog jofos

      Posted

      Thanks, sorry to hear about your burning, i  Hope the oil based alternatives work for yourself and we'll ask for them... thanks 
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