I have a Colonoscopy very soon. Should I be sedated or not?

I had one last week and chose sedation. I have to say, it hurt. The medical staff were so lovely though; they're obviously used to people yelping. 

(I had abdominal Sepsis and so my bowel was very inflamed so this may well have made a difference. )

My prep tip (it's nowhere near as bad as you think it's going to be):

- low res/ no meat/diet a full five days before 

- drink the moviprep through a straw

- three sucks at a time (too much can make you gag)

- suck on a lemon immediately after

- drink clear cordial (elderflower is good)

- drapolene stops your butt getting sore

- wet toilet tissue

Best of luck. 

Hi James - it might hurt. Generally if you are relaxed most people just feel pressure at the first bend if the gut and it is pretty painless after then. But shape of gut, individual tolerance of pain AND painful conditions can make a difference. Sedation can assist with three things: sometimes I find it assists with all three and sometimes with just one or more. It can relax you which means you are not tightening inward which closes the muscles - pushing out a bit (like going to the loo) obviously makes the gut more easily entered; it can affect your perception of time which means it seems a much shorter time than it actually was; and sometimes it means you don't have much memory of it at all. I have had it when it made little difference (I'm not sure they got the canula in properly); once when it just made me less bothered and the last time when it all seemed over in two minutes. If you have an existing inflammation in the gut I would have it just in case the area is tetchy. Best of luck! David.

YES!!!!

Hullo, James:

I just had my third one, and yes, I highly recommend being sedated, especially since you are already having pain.

When I went through my first colonoscopy, they tried putting me under twilight anesthesia.  When the doctor inserted the colonoscope, I had a lot of pain, and they had to continue giving me an extra 25 cc's until I did go "under".  Those first few minutes seemed to last forever.  I've discussed this with a couple other people, and one of them also took the general anesthesia route, too.  

As to being in pain afterword, my biggest issue was with unexpelled gas.  (I had no pain from the procedure itself.)  I went home, took an over-the-counter gas relief tablet, and went to sleep for several hours.  When I woke up again, I had very little pain.  Hopefully, with your ileum issue, you will have very little pain, either.

My biggest post-op issue has been with diarrhea.  My procedure was 07-August; today is 10 August and I'm still not regular.  I hope this doesn't happen to you.

Good luck with this!  Let us know how it goes.

 

Yes, and ask for the maximum dose, as you are already in pain.  I had sedation for the 1st one, and apart from a vague memory of crying out once, I remember nothing.  The 2nd time, like someone else, I think they got the canula wrong and it had no effect (apart from a badly bruised and swollen hand lol!!!).  But because of the location of my diverticula they could not proceed and the endoscopist had the sense not to try. Ethermail is dead right - everyone is different depending on their condition.  By the way, it takes a week or 2 for your bowels to get back to normal after the prep and procedure.  Your insides have taken a bit of a battering both chemically and physically.  Good luck

Hi everybody.

Thank you so much for responding.

Just relaxing now after having said colonoscopy with sedation. Luckily it felt like it was over in 3 minutes which is great.

No pain at all for me.

There were no signs of any issues at all inside my colon and terminal ileum but they took 4 biopsies to hopefully see what the colonoscope couldnt see to help find out why I am in pain sometimes.

Thanks for the best wishes. You are all very kind.

Much love,

James x