Painful colonoscopy
Posted , 102 users are following.
Having had many operations in the past plus chemotherapy I can say without any hesitation that my colonoscopy carried out at Nottingham City Hospital was the most painful experience I have ever endured. It was sheer agony throughout and even though I wrote to complain afterwards the only response was \"that I had the correct amount of sedative-3mg. of Midazolam and I did not complain at the time.\" If they treated animals in this manner they would be sued for cruelty.Finally my friend who lives in Bournemouth has had to colonoscopies in the past both done under general anaesthetic. So why can't every hospital offer this alternative?
19 likes, 450 replies
tracey1302 Guest
Posted
susan13348 tracey1302
Posted
Hi Tracey, I had one three weeks ago and both sedation and pain relief had no effect on me, I wanted to die the pain was so bad. Then two weeks later had to have a CT Colonoscopy,(yes more prepping again). That too was abandoned because it was very unpleasant but I may have been able to tolerate it apart from the fact that as quick as the scope put air in, it was leaking out my anus again. The radiographer said I had to clench my buttocks together, yes for 25 minutes whilst in pain! Impossible to do, so I told them to stop. They did do 2 scans but said they were pretty useless as not enough air in bowel to see properly. Don't know what will happen now as I will not have either procedure again. The diagnosis is severe diverticulosis with a narrowing of the bowel. My philosophy now is either operate and chop it out, or I'll cope with it on my own. Lost all faith in the NHS I'm afraid, Sue
Charlie_2018 tracey1302
Posted
Hi Tracy I had both the camera up and down in 2015. I decided to have no sedation and it was the most painful experience of my life. I have suffered from internal bleeding to why I had the procedure done. I've had a baby since and I've got the bleeding back again.
I did have an appointment on the 27th December which I cancelled because they wouldn't do it under general anesthesia. My GP is requesting that I go through it again to which I am seeing him tomorrow to discuss it. I'm absolutely terrified of having to go through it again and the NHS don't take that into consideration.
I recently underwent a colposcopy and I wasn't ask if the doctor could take biopsies, she just went ahead with No anaesthetic or my consent. I was told to hold my breath. It was absolutely appalling. I contacted the local private hospital and they can do the procedure under general anesthesia next week. That easy and quick at a cost of £3000. For a procedure that takes about an hour for both to cost that much is shocking. I definitely have lost faith in the NHS. I'm sure I won't put myself through either again.
I hope you have recovered from your awful experience.
craig84609 Charlie_2018
Posted
I feel for you both. It is hard enough to be sick, but then to be battered by your doctor. I have always had sedation and even then have come out of it during the test and I was screaming it was so bad. I have severe bowel disease and that made it so much worse. I don't know what to tell you other than if I were in your shoes I would get the general or at least sedation. I wish you luck and hope you feel better soon.
woody78041 Guest
Posted
Ok, my first colonoscopy--7 or 8 yrs. ago--no problem at all...no discomfort, I was out of recovery in 15 minutes; piece of cake. My 2nd, 5 yrs. ago--no pain, but the doctor couldn't get the scope in...he'd get it in partially and the gas in my colon would push it back out (with no discomfort I could actually feel in sliding in and out--it was rather comical--the nurses ask me to 'break wind' a few times, I tried, but I just couldn't fart. The doctor complained that I rectum was costing him too much time, so he gave up and I was later given the CT scan.
Now, only a few months ago I attempted to have my third. The hospital has rules. They demand that I have someone to drive me home. They asked how I got there and how I planned to get home...the bus, I said (it's a very simple, quite short, nearly doorstep to doorstep journey). Nope. Can't have the procedure without a ride home--because of the fabulously light sedation generally given...so, I was told that I could have it done, but without sedation at all. The waitlist is forever long, so I went commando.
Now here is some of what I wrote to the bowel department about that experience:
I had extreme pain, the discomfort ‘conscious sedation’ is meant to relieve. That pain was torturous. I’m sure it was worse than the pain ISIS inflicts upon captured soldiers. The pain felt rather like a balloon blown-up to the point of bursting...I felt as if my internal organs were about to explode.
That pain had me clinging to the rails on the gurney and just plain screaming. I screamed so loudly from that unbearable torturous pain that I'm sure the entire freaking hospital heard me--and everyone in the waiting room threw down their old magazines and ran for the exits.
Astonishingly, neither the physician nor assistants recognized that unbearable degree of intense pain. They told me to stop it. They told me stop acting like a baby. They told me to try and 'break wind'...well, let me tell ya, I broke so much wind that I had a Level 5 hurricane going one...I could easily have set a world record taking the gold medal in the Olympic Sumo Farting--All Around competition. And it had no impact on the pain at all--none--it made zero freaking difference.
Now, I'm looking for a private clinic to perform the procedure. Truthfully though, I'm afraid to have Propofol--to get put out like a light--while they're snaking my drain. Pain means something, it's the body telling the brain that it is being hurt and a remedy for that hurt must be quickly found in order to avoid some kind of serious injury--and I don't want to wake up and find that I bled-out 'cause the plumber ignored the smell of raw sewage and pushed until the septic tank ruptured.
So far the only answer I've been given for my indescribable Reservoir Dogs pain is that "a little carbon dioxide is pumped into colon to inflate it 'a little bit' and you (I) must be overly sensitive." I s**t you not. Now, to go through with another attempt, I've decided to ask the rectal team to just kill me before hand and solve the problem once and for all.
claire85065 woody78041
Posted
Sounds like mine... utterly barbaric.
On the day of the colonoscopy I was a bit nervous about the procedure but pretty much everyone I asked said the prep was the worst part, so I was a little more relaxed about it on arrival to the hospital.
I was given 2mg of sedation and 25mg Pethidine, neither of which made any difference to me at all. I was told I wouldn't remember the procedure, but I tell you now I will never EVER forget it. I'm getting emotional just typing this.
That 20 minutes that the scope was inside me was the most horrific pain of my entire life. It felt like I was being tortured. On a scale of 1-10 it was a 20. I was screaming in pain, both from the scope and the seemingly gallons of air they were pumping inside me. It felt like they were trying to burst my intestine. I was absolutely drenched in sweat. At one point I thought he was pulling the scope out but then he drove it back in without warning. I kept screaming at the Dr to stop but he wouldn't- in fact he was pretty much silent throughout the whole thing and it was only the nurse/assistant next to me who's hand I was gripping that tried to talk to me and calm me down.
When the colonoscopy was finally over the Dr moved to the other side of the room with his back to me. The assistants started to wheel me out and I actually said 'Thank you' to the Dr, even though he had put me through hell I thought that maybe my bowel was extra sensitive and I should still thank him for doing the procedure. He completely ignored me.
I went into recovery for 20 minutes, the entire time not able to move even slightly with severe bloating and pain. They asked me to get up and walk to the changing area which took an incredible amount of effort as I felt I couldn't bend or move in any way. As soon as I got to the changing area I realised I had to go to the loo and try to get some of this gas out. I sat down on the toilet and expelled some pretty big wind, then immediately came over severely nauseous, dizzy and having cold sweats. I ended up lying on the floor crying my eyes out in pain.
When I finally managed to get back to the changing area it took a lot of time for me to get dressed, then I sat with a cuppa and a biscuit, in a state of shock. As soon as I saw my husband I burst into tears.
On the way home after passing much more wind, I started to feel a bit better. I ate a little, but halfway through my meal the pain started again and I was back on the bathroom floor, literally writhing in pain, shaking from head to toe. After an hour of this and it only getting worse, my sister called 111 who sent an ambulance. By the time it arrived the pain had lessened considerably, although I hadn't passed wind in that time so god knows what that pain was. I was terrified there was damage to my colon or worse.
The next morning I felt like I'd been beaten up inside. All my belly was aching, with some sharp pains here and there. If I breathed in too deeply it hurt. I had to turn over in bed in stages as I couldn't just roll over. It basically felt like I'd done an extreme workout or a lot of sit ups. Never again am I allowing that to happen to me.
mary05274 Guest
Posted
Hello I had Colonoscopy 2 days ago ,and it was agony specialist nurse did procedure at Gartnavel hospital Glasgow .She had to stop procedure due to this ,also other than 2nurses assisting, another nurse walks in room before procedure began and went to a room behind me ,she was not on report I asked today as I called with questions one was why she was there, was told nurses walk in and out all the time.(don't think so) anyhow yesterday I had a lot of blood in bowel movement which was upsetting, called back to hospital was adviced to go to hospital or doctors .No biopsy No removal of polyp so why so much blood ,they suggest it maybe to do with hemorroid , maybe !!!! I have one at opening of anus still in tact ,so upset not had bowel movement today worried as no explanation given on both question .Still very upset by this experience thanks for reading ??
e_mavis38 mary05274
Posted
Hello. If you passed a lot of blood you should have gone to A&E. I passed some blood in November 2016 on a Saturday. My son was away and my hubby has Alzheimer's disease. My son came home the Sunday evening and told me to get an appointment with my GP. he told me that I should have gone to A&E, I passed blood for 18 hours and black stools for 5 days. He sent me to AMU that night at the hospital. They told me passing black stools could mean that you are bleeding higher up possibly in your stomach, I had a gastrocopy followed by a CT scan, the consultant said a CT scan doesn't pick up anything below 2 cms so I had a gastrocopy but under a general anaesthetic, it found i had Angio displasia which are damaged blood vessels in the wall of my colon right by where the small bowel joins the colon by your appendix area so very far down in the colon, they corterised those, but I was told they were age related and could recur.
I was told any more bleeding I must go straight away to A&E.
If you don't know what caused your bleeding and it recurs and is a lot after my experience I would go to A&E. My hubby has Alzheimer's disease and he was at home when I was bleeding so I couldn't leave him alone, he is in a care home now so if I passed blood again like I did I would definitely go to A&E
They might have caused dome damage to your bowel with it happening after the procedure.
Hope this helps
shirley96582 Guest
Posted
Never again!!
i had a colonoscopy yesterday having been told it would be mild discomfort- what a lie! The prep was grim though i managed to drink the 2 litres of moviprep by gagging it down, then spent 5-6 hours on the loo.
arriving at 8.15 for an 8:30 appointment i sat till just gone 9am to be taken in, with others who arrived after me being taken in first- they thought i hadn't arrived apparently.
they took my details and rushed me into the appointment and put the canula in my right elbow joinf, bit senseless when trying to administer sedative. they gave pain killer and sedative and started immediately and that was the start of the agony. i felt nauseous and as if i had been punched in the stomach and it just got worse. i heard him ask for more sedation but it had no effect at all and i had tears in my eyes when it finished. i thought it would be worth it if it detected any cancer signs but i can honestly say i will never go through such a barbaric process again!