My Colonoscopy experience! A 26 year olds account!

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Colonscopy:

I was terrified, none of my friends my age had undergone the procedure or could offer any useful advice, so I turned to the internet for comfort, endlessly researching night after night, only to be left worked up and a nervous wreck by the time the colonscopy day came around... So here's my account, hope anyone searching and trying to relate can find some use in this post. I'm a 26 year old female who's suffered severe, almost instant, diarrhoea over the last 5 years, mis-diagnosed a number of times and exhausted with test after test. The colonoscopy was the most accurate and beneficial test where my diagnosis was concerned and I recommend it to anyone suffering with GI issues.

Prior to the actual Colonscopy, you'll be called in for a pre-op meeting where you will be given laxatives (I was given Moviprep) and told to follow a strict diet starting 3 days before the procedure.

My Colonscopy was scheduled for a Friday, so my prep began Tuesday. The diet for Tuesday and Wednesday consisted of a high carb-low fibre diet, eg. White bread, rice, lean meats. (Generally bland colourless foods). This was difficult at first as everything was bland but it's paramount you keep your meals simple.

When Thursday approached, following breakfast at 8am, I began a liquid fast for the remaining day. Again colourless liquids such as water, clear soup, fizzy drinks etc. That evening I took my first dose of Moviprep. I decided to add hot water to the mixture and let it cool enough to drink it. The hot water made it tastes a little like lemsip lemon flavour at first which wasn't so bad. It's a salty lemony taste. But as you make your way through the 1st litre the taste becomes unbearable. I found as it cooled down it made me gag with every sip. Try to drink it in half glasses followed by a half glass of water to wash the taste away.

Shortly after I finished my first litre an hour later, the tummy rumblings began followed by quick dashes to the bathroom. If you live in a busy household I suggest you cordon off the bathroom for your prep or there are bound to be a few accidents. Or if you can't do so, perhaps finding a vacant toilet in a less crowded relative's/friend's house, or a hotel would be best. Moviprep literally has you glued to the toilet.

After 3 hours I prepared my second litre of Moviprep and gulped it down half glass at a time. I tried to mix 7up fizzy drink into one of my half glasses which tasted a little better but there was so much more to drink so i just left the rest of the moviprep as it was. By this stage my bum was sore. I suggest being well prepared with sudocream after every bowel movement if possible. By the end of the second litre my bowel movements were yellow and watery. You should be able to see the bottom of the toilet bowl through the substance. Don't worry the yellow colour is bile. My bum was so sore at this point but I could not stop going. My diarrhoea last 2 hours after the second litre of Moviprep. When I thought I was done, I had a warm shower and applied sudocream to my bottom before trying to get some rest. The sudocream really helps to heal overnight, which is essential as you don't want a camera going up an already sore bottom.

After 5 hours sleep I awoke at 5am to have a final glass of water, followed by a few more dashes to the bathroom. My procedure was scheduled for 8.30am but I was extremely worried I would soil myself if I left my bathroom. It seems the last of the moviprep was somewhere in my bowels still and the glass of water had aggravated it in the morning.

I eventually called a taxi and reached the hospital at 8am and rushed straight to the toilet on the ward. Don't worry about having diarrhoea at the hospital, it's nothing to be embarrassed about, you've just had 2 litres of laxatives forced down you its expected!! Just be prepared with wet wipes to clean yourself as it will stop any further soreness. The doctor performing the Colonscopy was running late so for the next two hours I dashed to the bathroom while I waited. I was secretly glad he was late as I feared I wouldn't be able to control my bowels when he was examining me. So the extra time allowed me to clear out the remaining moviprep from my bowels. If you want to avoid this perhaps have your last drink of water more than 3 hours before your appointment time.

Once I was prepped I was escorted into the theatre, where two nurses put the catheter on the back of my hand and tubed me up ready for oxygen. The sedatives and painkillers started kicking in fairly quickly and I felt relaxed. Next thing I know I'm rolled over on to my side and the procedure has begun. The camera is inserted in your bottom which can be alarming and painful at first but then the sedative really kicks in and it all becomes hazy. I'm pretty sure I fell asleep at one point and was awoken when there was a sharp pain in my bowels as it was filled with air. The air helps to inflate the bowel so the camera can see better, it causes momentary discomfort. If you are having biopsies taken that can be painful, I had a few and I was able to watch it being done on the screen, which made everything seem more real to me. If you're an anxious person I do not advise this! As quickly as it started the procedure was over and I was trolley off into the resting room. Biopsies caused a lot of bleeding and the paper underwear were soaked with my blood which can be scary at first but it's expected when they've just removed parts of your bowel.

All in all it wasn't half as painful as I had thought it would be. It was manageable discomfort and the part that caused the most discomfort was the MOVIPREP. However it's important to take the full dosage no matter how vile the taste, as this means a clear bowel for a successful colonoscopy the FIRST time around. You do not want to be sent away on the day and told to reschedule as you'd have to go through the special diet followed by moviprep all over again. Good luck to anyone preparing for a Colonscopy, it's really not as scary as it seems.

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8 Replies

  • Posted

    thanks zara for sharing your experiance-----it so nice and helpful tomorrow i have a colonscopy i have a problem from since long time upset stomach--- i have visited to different docs but they think i am pshcyo-------they run for blood test such as cbc blood test tyroid test,ultrasounds,and they put there hands up and say it to me that i have ibs-------few months back i start my treatment in Japan  s i am new here i found a friendly docs my biggest problem is i burp alot after my gall bladder surgery i request him for endoscopy which he didnot want but i insist to sying please please to the doc finally one month ago i have endoscopy which is clear no thing ound bad in endoscopy i request to the doc tht on mean time while they are doing enoscopy they will do for colonscopy which he reject he say to me ist he will do endoscopy then if he think that i need colonscopy he will go for it long story short after my endoscopy doc say to me i didnot need colonscopy but on my insist the docs say that in his clinic they didnot do that and he also mention that 6 years back i have laprascopy in which my surgon will check my stomach every ting for infection etc so i didnot need it but i talk to my friend he know a doc which is doing colonscopy 3 week ago i go to tht doc and i request for colonscopy on my request he say me ok so i have tomorrow the colonscopy i am to much afraid i do 2 days holidays from my work which is really bad for me no work no money------but more then that since from today morning i have a loose motions with out drinking any medicine of hospital for motions i use 3 days yogurt don,t know why i have diarehha----------worried about colonscopy results i m 30 year old male 
    • Posted

      Hi Haider I'm glad you came across my account before you go in tomorrow. Apologies for the errors I wrote the account shortly after I had been discharged from the hospital yesterday, with sedatives still flowing through my system!

      I also had an endoscopy and a sigmoidoscopy which came back normal. But these procedures do not examine the entire bowel. The colonoscopy will go the entire way around your large and small intestines! So eventhough you are already experiencing diarrhoea I would still advise completing the entire laxative prep that the doctor has given you as this will flush out all the toxins from your bowels. Remember the bowel is a very long organ, there's a lot to be cleared out even if you cannot see it. Also whatever you do, do not eat after the time your doctor has stated. I know it's difficult but be strict with your prep and you will be feel relieved once it is done.

      It's normal to be worried about the procedure and results, but I promise you it will be worth it. You will feel better to have a clearer picture of what is going on inside your body. Best of luck to you Haider and do let me know how it goes.

    • Posted

      thanks zara but i will say to you from last three days i am eating yogurt and cookies i don,t know i don,t think so that i have some thing remaining in my stomach------before using the liquid of the doc which they give me to take that in one glass of water i have a dairrhea---------i have dairrhea after so many year feel worried bcoz i didnot use the medicine which doc give to me and before that i have dairrhea--------------Well i wake up now bcoz its morning here in urgling sound in Japan now worried and with gurgling sounds in stomach------like 30 mins i will have to leave home bcoz in hospital they weill give me liquids to drink then they will check my stool if its fine for colonscopy or not till when my stool didnot clear they will give me iquids in hospital-------but i  don,t think so i take long time for cleaning my colon bcoz there is nothing inside as i pass three times loose motion yesterday and after taking the liquid i awake like 1:30 am and have loose motion and now gurgling sound going to toilet so i have pass 5 times already mean there is no thing hope every thing go fine 
    • Posted

      The way to check is if your stools are like yellow water. You should be able to see the bottom of the toilet bowl through the stools. If they aren't clear then yeah the hospital could give you more laxatives. Don't worry, ask a nurse/doctor once you are in the hospital if you are not sure. I hope it goes well for you today.

    • Posted

      thans zara i come back from my colonscopy now alot of patients i was afraid of dangerous disease they check my bp hell to much up 144/99----osh nurse will ak from me 

      u have bp i say bcoz of fer and lot of thinkings---long story short they give me sedation but i am not sedatied and when i go to colonscopy room they inject me again though its my ist time my eyes is open i stil remember my eyes is open and i see my colon on screen after colonscopy i go to doctor room and he say to me my colonscoy is totaly normal i discuss about ibs ith him but i can not go there its to far that why i reffer my self to another doctor near here to me home------i must say now i am relax even now i didnot ever see my stool its black or white or un digested vegetables in that----------endoscopy is clear and colonscopy is clear other blood tests are clear now i have to focus on my burps thanks once agai zara 

    • Posted

      That's great news that your bowel is normal, it rules out any inflammatory bowel diseases! Yeah it could be IBS. What you could do is monitor the types of food you eat and what triggers the symptoms.

      I advise testing one food at a time. Maybe cut out gluten to begin with. This helped me to ease my symptoms. And definitely look into probiotics!

    • Posted

      zara i use lot of medicine nothing work for me only imodium work for me good-----i have a Gi doc near to my home but in his clinic he do endoscopy one month ago he has done my endoscopy and for further colonscopy i go to another clinic which is to far from my home when my colonscopy is finished when the dctor show me the colon pics i request him to reffer me again to the doctor who do endoscopy for me thats why he reffer me again------i am sure i have an ibs and acid reflux problem since from when i have done gall bladder surgery---------i have work from tomorrow bcoz of my colonscopy i didnot go for work 2 days no work no money but i prefer my health----i will try to go to the doctor on saturday and discuss about some good medicine for my burps problem and also my ibs problem-----but i notice that recently before my colonscopy i eat ice cream and yogurt which give me loose motion i already notice sausages and yougart nugguts will make me stomach problem worse and trying to notice the food which will trigger my anxiety worse thanks again zara,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,where ru  from r u from pak
    • Posted

      Me too, I have to take imodium atleast once a week. But recently I've been drinking yakult after my morning breakfast and at night after my last meal and it has helped to soothe my stomach a little. Have you tried probiotics before?

      Yes try to cut out yoghurt and the foods that are affecting you and see how you feel. Perhaps you have intolerances to a few foods. I've found that wheat/gluten is very difficult for me to digest so I avoid that completely. After my colonoscopy I've been having soups and smoothies and that gas helped me digest my food.

      I'm from the UK haider.

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