Colonscopy really worried

Dear Dan - with me it worked about an hour and twenty minutes after taking (1pm to 2pm) and over the next 2 and a half hours I had a lot of watery motions (sorry for the graphic detail) I then took a second lot 6pm to 7pm and I had the same thing for 3 hrs. I slept all through the night, had nothing in the morning and the test was 8.30 am. I lost about a kilo but that is water loss and it was back on again and more in 24 hrs because I was very hungry once the test was over. You must, must, must drink plenty of water, and whatever else they allow (mine allowed apple juice and lemonade too) until you go to sleep or until two hours before the procedure. But follow the specific instructions on your prep. Mine was Moviprep. It's a real bore, but it's not as bad as gastro-enteritis because it definitely stops a few hours after you take the last bit and you don't feel ill like you do with gastric flu. Some people feel a bit wobbly and a bit nauseous but my stuff didn't make me feel anything. The big thing is to drink the stuff slowly and normally, maybe they a straw. If you panic and gulp it down it will make you feel sick because it is quite sweet (mine was). I made mine up the night before and kept it in the fridge. Having it very cold makes a difference to the taste and it is less bad. Bit like the difference between warn and cold lemonade. You will feel a bit bloated although I didn't get stomach cramps and the modern stuff gives you plenty of time to get to the loo provided you are indoors. You need to use a cream or Vaseline on your behind. If you do that you won't get sore. I recommend wet wipes and not usual toilet paper because it's wiping with that lots of times that makes you sore. I find the laxative bit more annoying than the actual test but you can eat and drink normally after the test although you may be a bit gassy and loose for a day or two, but nothing unmanageable. They should give you a number to call if you get any unusual symptoms above those you might expect with having the trots! Most of us having the test are used to the bowel being a pest so we are more familiar with running to the loo anyway. Hope that helps even if it is a bit graphic. D. PS - if you are on meds then read the stuff they give you as to what not to take and when to take your regular meds.

Thanks for the concise details. I'm already nauseous will this make it worse? My plan was to just down rather than drinking it slowly? I've been given the wonderfully named Klean prep

Will there be blood after the procedure when I go to the toilet? I'm hoping to get my haemorrhoids banded that was the original reason for referal but no one mentioned that

Hi Dan! May I ask how old you are if its not too rude? I am early 60s. I was very worried about the stuff because I am on powerful heart meds and there was the usual warning things on the packet but nothing actually was that bad. I expect they have to cover themselves. I think whether it will make you feel nauseous is a very individual thing. It didn't with me. And they are the same kind of laxatives. When I had the first test in the 90s they gave you this really vile stuff which was like a nuclear weapon lol but the modern ones have electrolyte things inside to keep your electrolyte balance right so they make me feel much less bad than the earlier meds did. I suggest you try and think of it like a sweet drink you had as a kid and not the evil fluid. I drank mine watching a film on the TV. A glass every 15 minutes. I also had swigs of water in between. It doesn't stay in your stomach very long and you can feel it move into the gut after a bit. Everyone on here seems to react differently to the taste. I didn't find it awful - just too sweet. I took a pantaloc tab for a couple of days to keep my stomach acid down but check you are allowed that and don't take any antacids near to when you take the stuff unless they say it's ok. I have the dreaded piles too but the specialist said they didn't warrant banding or injection. I have never had blood afterwards and I have had it three times but I gather from others that if you have polyps then snipping them can cause blood spotting for a few days. There is obviously a risk of some bleeding given the procedure but it has never happened to me. I didn't have polyps. They tell you what amount of blood is acceptable. The second one I had was because I was bleeding from the bowel but in fact it all stopped after the test, as did the IBS curiously. If your main problem is nausea, have they thought of a gastroscopy just to check your stomach? Now I have a REAL PHOBIA about that one but in fact I have had it four times over my life and that wasn't bad either, much to my surprise. The gag reflex I feared lasts about a second. My BP went sky high before the first of those. I was in super funk, but it was nothing in the end.

I'm 40. Of course it's ok to ask

I had endo 2.5 years ago and now my gp says they'll only do one every 5 years. Not sure if that's true or whether he's trying to save the surgery money. Ironically I found the endo no big deal at all apart from the nasty stuff they spray that makes you gag..I need another as not normal to feel sick and pain all the time. I'm not buying anxiety that's a lazy diagnosis

I already take diazepam so I'm kinda worried the sedative they give won't work. As long as I'm out of it I'm ok but from what I read you are only dozy and feel everything. Lots of people say it's like having their guts ripped out which is what bothers me.

A youngster! I can only tell you my personal experience. The first time with the old meds I felt so bad from the laxative I didn't care what they did and the only thing I remember is falling off the trolley which everyone including me had a fit of giggles over. The second one on better meds I do remember even tho I was sedated. I did not feel like being ripped apart. As the camera went up the first side (the sigmoid colon) I felt some pressure. It wasn't pain but I did feel definite pressure. As he turned the corner to go across the lateral colon and distal side I felt nothing more. Withdrawing the camera feels quite natural as it's like passing a motion if you feel anything at all. This time, I was away with the fairies and only felt slight pressure. I asked the consultant how long he had been up there and he asked me how long I thought and I said three minutes. He said 15 minutes. Shows what the sedatives do. With the other one we were mentioning. I had to have 6 of those over 10 years. One I have no memory of (the first); four I have some memory of but it felt very quick and the last was a bit more troublesome though nothing that dreadful. They should take a history of your meds and I would discuss your point about whether your usual NED might lessen the effect of the sedative although I suspect it won't make any difference. So, with me, the sedatives work differently with me on different occasions but they have always been enough. I read the "ripped open" posts too which are genuine and distressing and in one case looked like medical malpractice to me but I have never had that feeling and I don't know any of my friends who have either and when you get to 60 all your mates have had this! Some of my friends have said they did not like the sigmoidoscopy which just goes up the one side, I suspect this is because the pressure stays because the camera never turns the bend. Personally I find the GP exam with a light by far the worst. Good luck! D.

Thanks. Your comment about being a youngster made me laugh

I've not been bad last few days. Saw the gp who said takes few weeks to get to normal

Problem is naysea is worse than ever and today out the blue lots of blood for no reason

Hi Dan. You have to report the blood symptom particularly if there was a lot of it even if it does not occur again over the weekend. I'm sorry you are in the wars with all of this again. I'm a bit torn as to whether to suggest you actually should go to A and E. It might be worth ringing your colonoscopy unit but don't leave it longer than the weekend at the most.

Yes I was thinking it's cos of the haemorrhoids buts it's been a while now. I've been going a lot but it was just out the blue. It does feel sore but I thought this would end when I had them banded. You think something is wrong?. I've not had biopsy back yet

Just been again now didn't want to. Wanted to heal but not as much blood as before. Should I see my gp or have to be the colonscopy unit?

It's only when I use toilet tissue

Hi Dan! I think it is the piles if it is on the tissue and if it is sore. Depends what you mean by a lot of blood. If it is more than a teaspoon then I would go to the GP if it has not stopped by Monday. Of course loo paper is like blotting paper and can make it look more than it is. I use wet wipes (the loo kind). They are much much kinder than ordinary loo paper - however many ply. Try some Germaloid ointment too. Banding doesn't always work. I had thought when you first wrote that it was blood in the water of the loo and that's a different story. I was worried it might be renewed bleeding from the site of the original bleeding but this sounds more like piles which is a relief. If that is the source the GP won't do much anyway. It's only if something has gone wrong from the colonoscopy, and blood on the tissue sounds much more like piles. I might ring the colonoscopy unit on Monday just to run it past them.

Thanks

Its not more than a tea spoon it's just dry bright red. I'll see how it goes. It always seems to coincide with feeling really nauseous

I hope so mate

Let me know how it goes. I always say afterwards to my mates that the worst thing was the laxative cos it's a whole day with a lot of loo time. But beforehand I convince myself that it's the procedure that will be awful. But like you and the endoscopy it's always been a bit of a non-event. Good luck, Dan! D.

Thanks. I'm trying not to think about it need to occupy my mind. I'm really anxious about it. I just need to be strong and not bottle it. As I said in just concerned with the pain I don't want to tell them to stop cos it's too uncomfortable

I think we all know there is a line being making a properly informed choice and gnawing at something until you can't leave it alone. I always go into that bit. Then you feel exhausted and scared. Truth is anything could happen to any of us any time but the overwhelming statistical likelihood is that you will be laughing about this afterwards like with the endoscopy. Good luck anyway, Dan. I do understand the fears because I had similar ones myself and do each time even though experience proves them groundless. That's being human for you. D.

Thanks. You've been really helpful

I'm starting too freak out already and it's only Monday night

When is your day for the procedure and what time?

9am Wednesday

Mine was 9 am last Thursday. The laxative day rather takes care of the nerves as you busy elsewhere (I found my equivalent of your today the worst day for worrying). On the morning you will be occupied getting there and hoping you do not need the loo again. I never have in fact. After that it is all over quite quickly and I was eating eggs on toast in a cafe an hour and a half after the procedure and still wanted lunch two hours later. The day before the laxatives is the worst because you are waiting for things to happen. I went out and bought too much sparkling water and soda etc which is now blocking up my fridge. Once the laxative starts you are much more swept along by events or I was anyway and my blood pressure dropped back from very high as it became more boring than anything else. My BP went up again about half past eight to five to nine but after the procedure when I was back about 9.30 it fell back to completely normal. It's no point saying "don't worry" because of course you will, as I did although I feel rather foolish about it all now. D. I'll be thinking of you.

Thanks

Will it my bowels be clear by 9am? I don't want to still be going when I'm at the hospital

They should be. They can time the newer meds quite accurately now. Mine shut up after I went to bed and didn't trouble me again. I've had the procedure 3 times and always think I will need to go at the hospital but I never have.