Colonoscopy Experience
“But First, Are You Experienced?”
A colonoscopy is the most dreaded and despised initiation rite of arriving at your 50’s. But, humbling as it may be, it has been found to identify 65% of pre-cancerous polyps in women.
So a colonoscopy experience can have redeeming features. A colonoscopy is like an advanced sigmoidoscopy. The most painful part of the procedure for me was the preparation. I had to drink a witches brew of a laxative that caused me to spew orange-colored burning water like a fire hose from my anus for 5 hours straight. During this time I wasn’t allowed to eat (as if I’d want to). I could only drink water. By the time I headed into the doctor’s office I was pretty loopy, and my butt hole—pretty droopy. But I had that strange clean tingly feeling inside. I had lost about 50 pounds of excretion.
Once you get to the doctor’s office you sign in, change into one of those robes where your butt hangs out into the wind. Then you are escorted into a room of nurses staring at a large television monitor in anticipation of the next big show. They insert an I.V. into your arm and in the next movement your wife is driving you home. You get the really odd feeling that you were abducted by space aliens who inspected your rectum and stole your memory. Or you were date-raped by camera.
However troubling the colonoscopy experience is, a multi-center study found fecal occult blood testing and sigmoidoscopy identified more than 70 percent of advanced pre-cancerous polyps in men, but would have missed detection in 65 percent of women with the same condition.
Women’s pre-cancerous polyps tend to grow deeper in the colon, beyond a flexible sigmoidoscopy’s reach, so a colonoscopy is the preferred screening method for women, according to an article in the May 19 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
A colonoscopy is the most invasive of the three main diagnostic procedures. The colonoscopy requires insertion of a lighted tube into your rectum while a group of giggling nurses watches the show and videotapes the highlights.
Maybe it’s good that we don’t remember it.
August 12th, 2005 at 2:22 am
Ahh—the old butt-cam! At age 57 I had managed to put off a visit to the doc longer than I probably should have, so I went for it a couple of months ago. It really isn’t too bad—I’ve had lots worse things happen while under medical supervision. The laxative didn’t taste THAT bad and, while I was ready for the worst, (I cancelled band practice that night since the bathroom I was prepared to use is off the garage where we practice and I didn’t think the boys would enjoy the sound track if I had to, um, leave in the middle of a song) I only had 2 spirited grunt sessions of about 10 minutes each. (I’m tempted to say that’s because I’m not as full of crap as the author—- see my response to “Surfing USA”)
I was awake during the procedure—sort of. They put some pain-killer in the IV and then the doc inserted another syringe into the tube—”OK,” he says, “Here comes the ‘brain champagne!’” They ran the butt-cam up into me and when it was all the way in the doc nudged me, asking if I wanted to watch the show on the way out. It looked a lot like the picture above, tho he did find and nip out one polyp (which turned out to be non-cancerous) with this little remote-controlled jaws thing. For me the worst part happened when I got home. You see—in order to expand the colon so the camera can navigate they have to fill it up with air and you can’t leave until you pass some gas. I just passed a little and got out of there because I had to go to work in a few hours. I was really hungry after not eating for 36 hours but also so full of gas that all I could do was lay on the bathroom floor like a stink-bug—-with my butt-hole elevated as high as possible—- and moan. Eventually gravity did it’s thing and the air escaped in a grand trumpeting overture, a salute to the Gods of Internal Medicine, if you will. After that I felt fine, and look forward to my next encounter. ( 5 years for me, since they found a polyp.) If you’ve been putting it off just schedule one—it’s a grand feeling knowing that you don’t have colon cancer.
July 3rd, 2007 at 5:07 am
My colonoscopy was excruciatingly painful and one of the absolute worst experiences of my life. I was screaming and thrashing during the procedure, shouting repeatedly at the doctor to stop. Instead he put me in restraints and continued the colonoscopy while I was restrained. It was traumatic beyond belief and it has taken me years to get over it. This was called a “routine colonoscopy” by the way. There is a myth going around that colonoscopies are not painful. That is not true. If they were not painful, they would not be done under pain-killing drugs like Demerol, and drugs like Versed (whose purpose is to make you forget—obviously they want you to forget something!) Colonoscopies can be extremely difficult to go through and anyone who is telling you otherwise is not being totally honest. It may not be possible to always avoid a colonoscopy if you have a medical reason to have one, but I would strongly suggest having it under general anesthesia or at least having a witness in the room who will advocate on your behalf with the doctor so you won’t be traumatized like I was. And if there is any way you can avoid having this procedure, do so. Not a day goes by that I don’t remember how awful it was and I totally regret having it. I would have the preparation every day of my life before I would have another colonoscopy.
July 7th, 2007 at 11:13 am
I recently underwent a colonoscopy and endoscopy (sedated) for the first time at the age of 34 (female). My GE has been trying to diagnose why I have chronic diarrhea and lower abdominal cramping (1.5 years). And yes, I tried all sorts of elimination diets prior!
The doctor’s office (pre-visit) and later the hospital (for the actual procedure) were amazing. I was slightly worried about being sedated as I’ve never been through that before but it all went very smoothly. Everyone explained everything in detail and gave me information sheets. There was nothing left to “guess” and I felt very comfortable during the whole procedure and also about asking questions. I gathered information from the internet, including
Wikipedia, to better inform myself about what would happen and why. I will briefly tell you what happened (along with helpful pointers):
—> The day before the procedure I started the Halflytley Bowel Prep Kit I had obtained from the pharmacy the week before. For the clear liquid diet I stuck with Sprite all the way. Right about 2 hours after taking the 2 tablets at noon, the first BM came along. From there, and all throughout drinking the solution every 10 minutes as others have mentioned, I had dozens of pure watery BMs. I vomited once, which can be expected, and also felt quite gassy throughout. This is where I want people to take note: your bum is not used to this many BMs, nor wiping all the time. Even the wet bathroom tissues were painful. I would suggest asking for advice and using a diaper/nappy cream if possible…you really do need a barrier as I was literally in tears due to pain on the outside. It took til 2 days after for me to recover just from this. I was never further than 10 steps from a toilet because the BMs come on suddenly and exit quickly. Plan on being stuck in and getting through this in once piece. This was by far the worst part of the colonoscopy. By the next morning I had only 1-2 small watery BMs just before the procedure.—>For women: I suggest take a urine sample container home with you before you start the above preparation. The morning of the procedure I had to give a urine sample and was just about fresh out of anything remotely resembling urine as I had emptied myself all too well with the above. I wasn’t allowed anything to drink at all after midnight and nothing on the morning of the procedure and apparently you give the urine sample as they take a pregnancy test minutes before.—>Upon arrival at the hospital clinic, I checked in and had a short wait before a nurse did the prep work. She got me into a gown (complete with sockies and a warm blanket) and inserted an I.V. with electrolytes. I had never had an I.V. and I was surprised at how painless it was. Another short wait and I walked into the colonoscopy room.—>For the procedure my GE doctor came from his office to the hospital, and in the room with him was a colonoscopy tech and a nurse. I was introduced to everyone, they explained what they were doing, I signed some paperwork and moments later I was sedated. I felt nothing and never stirred during. Upon waking (I believe it was about 40 minutes later), my doctor greeted me and told me that everything looked fine, but he did take 4-5 biopsies to send off for further analysis. I was wheeled into the recovery room where I was given fruit juice. The nurse was very good to me and explained to my husband and I about the follow up—-what to eat and when and when to go back in for the results. She was there to make sure I could sit up properly and had me sit for a while before standing. Be aware there is quite a lot of air to expel afterwards and this was encouraged by the nurse. Though I was a little bit groggy within the hour I felt just fine and had my first meal in 2 days.—>When I left the hospital I had a follow up sheet to take home with all the instructions and appointment information and also 10 color images on a sheet of paper from the colonoscopy and 6 from the EGD (esphagogastroduodenoscopy) or endoscopy exam. They are absolutely fascinating and this whole experience has helped educate me in how my entire digestive system works.—>I just found out today that my biopsies came back normal so I’m going back in 2 weeks for the Pillcam (especially for small intestine viewing). I will write about this after the procedure and results are back.
I’m sorry for anyone who had a less than comfortable experience and strongly advice taking this issue up with your healthcare provider.
Whatever your reason for needing/wanting/being referred for a colonoscopy and endoscopy (and I’m well aware there are risks in this type and many other types of procedures), please be aware that the procedure can go very smoothly and you can gain vital information in diagnosing.
August 8th, 2007 at 6:29 am
I just had a colonoscopy and it was a horrific experience. I explained to the doc that I had experienced previous bad reactions to sedation, but they insisted on sedation anyway. Let me be brief: this was the most painful and horrifying experience of my life; I previously donated bone-marrow and it wasn’t as bad as the colonoscopy…........the drug “versed” didn’t work and they kept giving me more and more of it until I stopped breathing….........this despite my telling them that I wanted the colonoscopy without sedation (and they are done that way).........never, never again.
August 24th, 2007 at 12:48 am
I’m glad that so many people had a positive colonoscopy experience: I certianly did not. “Conscious sedation” as administered my the endoscopist didn’t work and in my case was ineffective and dangerous….this was handled badly and I nearly was hospitalized because of it…....at least the doctor assured me that I would get no bill for the incomplete colonoscopy due to their errors….My advice to anyone would be: get a virtual colonoscopy, it is done without drugs and is painless…you don’t need a dangerous chemical lobotomy with sedatives to get a virtual….true, if you have polyps, you might need a regular colonoscopy, but avoiding an awful regular colonoscopy….....check out the web and this site….too many people are really having terrible experiences with the conscious sedation and with regular colonoscopy…....google “colonoscopy warning” and see how many people have had awful colonoscopy experiences…..particularly with the date-rape drug versed….......
September 5th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
My colonoscopy was a painful nightmare and it was because of the “conscious sedation”...if you want these terrible drugs and aren’t haunted by amnesia and being forced “not to remember the pain”, go ahead and have a colonoscopy with “conscious sedation” I was given midazolam despite my request for no sedaion, it was like a straight jacket, I was forced to endure terrible pain while the nurse kept telling me that I would not remember a thing…...they don’t give adequate dosed of painkiller drugs because they give you a drug like midazolam hoping that you won’t remember the abuse. Fortunately they had to terminate my colonoscopy due to my screaming; I’m still haunted by the horrible nightmares of that day….and so are a lot of other people…get a virtual colonoscopy and then if you need a conventional one, get it done with adequate doses of painkiller or with anaesthesia (propofol)......midazolam (versed) is a bad drug and is used in most colonoscopies….....and they don’t care how badly you are treated or how much main you have because they think that “you won’t remember a thing”..........think again
September 17th, 2007 at 3:16 am
colonoscopy is farr from a “drive-thur” procedure…................it’s a horrible, and very painful test….often done by uncaring practitioners who relay on the “amnesia drugs” so that they can treat you like a piece of meat…...........................get a virtual….....
October 6th, 2007 at 2:30 am
as Lisa explained it, my procedure (today actually) was exactly the same. I was under total sedation, none of that “conscious sedation”. I did not know anything while the actual colonoscopy was going on. I woke up and did not feel groggy at all and it has been painless, with the exception of the raw anus from all the wiping. As Lisa pointed out, the moist ass wipes did not help at all either. I’m sorry to hear that so many of you had nightmarish ordeals with this. Sounds like you should have demanded total anesthesia.
October 11th, 2007 at 9:21 am
I’m amazed others had this experience. I had a colonoscopy at a teaching hospital. I was given Versed and Demerol. . .felt fairly relaxed until I was crying with pain and asked for more drugs. I could n’t receive any because my blood pressure was low. The doctor who was probably supervising my doctor kept saying, “release some gas,” and I’d say, “How?” I was afraid if I tensed and released gas the camera would pop out. Later I understand Sr. Doctor was telling Jr. Doctor to release gas to help the situation. Noone held my hand. The nurse was oblivious. I didn’t forget it. My recovery time was 15-20 minutes and I was able to walk over to a restroom and get dressed because obviously I hadn’t enough drugs to make me all that drowsy. Later I rested, but I too doubt I’ll have one again. Oh, the report says, “patient had good toleration of the procedure.” I’ve yet to complain to the hospital, but I will.
October 12th, 2007 at 9:25 am
I had an endoscopy of my esophagus and stomach a few years ago with Demerol and Versed and it was a wonderful experience. I went from the procedure room to recovery in the blink of an eye, no memory whatsoever and no hangover at all. I left the hospital 20 minutes later like nothing had happened. Given that experience, I was hoping for the same when I had my first colonoscopy today. No such luck. I am a post-hysterectomy patient with adhesions and my colon apparently took a lot of detours. It felt like the Dr (tiny Asian woman) was sticking a broom handle in there. I was kind of sleepy but the sharp turns the scope made really hurt. I had not a bit of trouble expressing myself but it did not seem to matter, the pain meds were not increased. It seems that I was not given Versed and afterwards, I was really disappointed at that. When I looked at the report they gave me it reads: Meperidine 100mg IV and Meperidine 3 mg IV. That’s Demerol twice, no Versed. I believe the 3mg was supposed to be Midazolam (Versed) which my husband had during his procedure last week. He had only the fuzziest memory and reported no pain. Yes, I know girl innards are lots more complex and crowded, but still… Anyway, the good news was I didn’t even have any polyps, no biopsies and mild diverticulosis. I am very grateful for that info and I hope in five years when I have another colonoscopy, there is a better method of sedation/pain relief. As an aside, one nurse was training another in the procedure room and I honestly believe she grabbed the Demerol twice instead of the Versed. But it’s done and like childbirth, I’ll forget…..yeah, right!
October 12th, 2007 at 10:05 am
Oh, one more suggestion for those with an upcoming prep to get through. Invest in a couple of boxes of the expensive Kleenex, the super gentle ones. These are much easier on your poor abused tushie than the best TP. A tube of Desitin diaper rash cream is also well worth the money. I lost 3 lbs with the prep and my jeans felt loose, so that was fun.
November 24th, 2007 at 8:58 am
God help you if you agree to colonosco[y with the “amnesia” drug versed (midazolam” and tiny doses of painlikker (demerol or fentanyl)......it’s worse than childbirth and they treat you like a crybaby
December 16th, 2007 at 2:03 am
Can you eat a steak two days before a colonoscopy?
January 3rd, 2008 at 5:46 pm
I’m, 54 with a terrible family history of colon cancer, and I think that I have IBS with constipation. I have a pretty severe phobia about seeing doctors and getting any type of test in general, but due to recent bleeding and changes in bowel habits, a friend who is a nurse suggested that I at least find a doctor and get a diagnosis. Truthfully, I have been avoiding this because I know that a colonoscopy will be recommended, and although I can certianly understand the need for one (2 first degree relatives with the disease), I have been too scared to see a doctor or even discuss the test. Recently, my nurse friend asked me to be her “designated driver” and accompany her for her colonoscopy at a local hospital….an added benefit might be that I would become less fearful of the procedure….....she explained that they use “conscious sedation” and IV painkillers, so the test is a breeze. Well, I was in the recovery room while she was having the test done (a routine screening) and I could hear her crying and occasionally screaming “stop, it hurts too much”.....listening to her suffer was awful; I asked one of the nurses (who happened to be one of the ones that do the sedation) why she was in such agony and why they were letting her suffer so..the answer was: “because of the drugs that she was given, she won’t remember a thing”! I told her that this was barbaric and that the dose of the painkiller was obviously too low; again I was told that her suffering didn’t matter because the drug Versed that she was given would cause amnesia of the event. My friend was still sobbing and crying when they wheeled her into the recovery room, but she was sort of dazed and didn’t know exactly what had happened, but that it was something awful. Now she is haunted by by nightmares of this “simple, diagnostic procedure”..........I asked the doctor why he didn’t stop the procedure and his answer was again: “she won’t remember”.......another nurse told me that the drugs don’t work on about 10% of the patients; the “amnesia” isn’t total and that some doctors are just too rough because they rely on the “amnesia” factor….....My own doctor told me 2 weeks ago that she wants to schedule me for a colonoscopy; I related this story and she said that it should not happen, but sometimes the exam under “conscious sedation” is a nightmare and that, indeed, some GI docs are rough….although she also said that men are easier to scope since we have straighter colons…her nurse called with a colonoscopy date for me (a virtual colonoscopy isn’t good enough), which I cancelled; the experience that I witnessed was just awful..and my poor friend feels traumatized, violated etc. by the event….......I’m scared to death of getting this exam; my doc said that she could have the colonoscopy done with a different anesthesia drug, but couldn’t be 100% sure that it would not be painful….....anyone else hear of a really painful colonoscopy????????
January 5th, 2008 at 9:38 am
Hi Ed,
Considering your family history and the symptoms that you explained, I would recommend seeing a doctor as soon as possible. The fear of feeling pain during your colonoscopy may be over-rated—especially by the many who have contributed to the comments on this blog. I’ve had a colonoscopy and never felt a thing, at least I didn’t remember feeling anything. My wife had one and never felt a thing. The worst part of my experience was the night before—during the “cleansing” period.
But if you have bleeding, constipation, and a bad family history, you might want to get a colonoscopy as soon as possible. Otherwise, they may have to cut out part of your colon and make you wear a bag for the rest of your life. I’d take a gamble on a colonoscopy any day as insurance against having to change a poop bag for the rest of my life.
I wish you luck and pray that you have the courage to face this colonoscopy crises and do it. Consider the alternative.
—Bill
February 1st, 2008 at 11:26 am
I underwent my first colonoscopy today and it was by far, the worse experience of my life.
First, I was given a list of drugs that I wasn’t supposed to take and I told the doctor’s office the name of every prescription drug I take. One drug that I take is Xanax. They knew this one month ago. No one warned me what would happen.
I took the pills instead of the solution for the prep. It didn’t really work and when I arrived at the hospital this morning for the colonoscopy, I told the nurse it didn’t seem that the “cleansing” was as substantial as what I’d heard it would be. She didn’t pay much attention to me.
As I’m in the room being prepped for the procedure, she gets me ready for the IV and said “oh, you take xanax” and this was the first that I’d heard there could be a problem with the sedation.
I got into the room for the procedure and a huge guy shoves the scope up my backside. This is without benefit of any sedation or pain killer. He’s not a doctor – I don’t know what he is other than he is manhandling me and I’m screaming, begging them to stop.
It took one hour and 15 minutes of hell to complete this exam. The only one with any compassion was a female nurse who kept giving me more versed, with absolutely no effect. She was breathing with me, trying to help my pain.
In the end, I find the “test” really didn’t do much at all. The doctor said I didn’t have cancer, but since my colon wasn’t “cleaned out” I had to come back in two years to make sure I didn’t have polyps.
Excuse me – so what did I go through this for?
February 26th, 2008 at 11:32 am
Hello. I just had my colonoscopy today. I am 22 years old and the emergency room told me I needed one. I didn’t feel very comfortable with the doctor who did this, and the staff has been so incompetent. So I had been told by a lot of people that you are fully out. I was even told my a nurse that I would be out. The most I would feel was some pressure. Well I’ll tell you this was the worst pain I have ever had in my life. They barely sedated me. I was awake for the whole experience, crying, and telling them that it hurt. But the doctor didn’t care. They acted unphased. They acted like nothing was going on and that this is the normal reaction. But I was told that I would be under. It has caused me some emotional damage. It was terrible, and it was worse that the doctor didn’t even care. I found him to be rude, rushed, and unprofessional. I plain on complaining, but I don’t know what else I can do so that this never happens to anyone else. Thank you
March 10th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Versed is given for colonoscopies so that the patient will remain imobile and not remember how roughly they were treated…it’s not given “just to relax you”, it’s given so that the GI service can do the max numberof scopes per day (max profit) and they want the patient’s to “remember nothing”...so that they tell other patients that it wasn’t so bad…..........sorry…...I have participated in too many of these to ever let anyone in my family have a colonoscopy with the terrible drug versed…..ask your GI doc…...write on the consent form: “no versed” and watch how quickly they go from being “your friend” to getting pissed that you are an informed patient
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:26 am
I just had my first colonoscopy last week at age 53. I had 50 hours of clear fluid diet beforehand. I took a Fleet Phosopho-Soda Oral Laxative the two mornings before the afternoon procedure. I was allowed to mix the solution with juice or orange pop. It wasn’t the greatest tasting, but tolerable. Best thing was it was only about 3/4 cup of liquid each time.
The first time after taking the laxative, I tried to leave the toilet often and wipe often, which as everyone says, makes it quite painful down there. After the cleansing was done the first time, after taking a bath, I smeared vaseline around the area, which really kept the pain down.
For the second day/time, I generously lubricated the whole area with vaseline again first, before taking the solution, and stayed on the toilet for 4 hours! I brought books, a laptop, etc. to pass the time. I was also fortunate that my hubbie stayed home that day to drive me and he brought me liquids to drink in the bathroom periodically. There was very little soreness this way.
They gave me Valium as sedation. I woke up screaming during the colonoscopy and started fighting the doctor. She asked me to stop screaming and that it was almost over. They must have given me more Valium because I lost conciousness right away. I estimate it was about 10 seconds that I was awake and experiencing the worst pain in my whole life. I have never given birth though!
My doctor came to the recovery room shortly after the procedure and told me that there were no polyps and therefore no cancer. I tried to tell her that I remembered screaming, but I didn’t get a response other than we’ll do this again in 5 years. I thought that maybe I dreamt the whole thing, but I saw the documentation that they had left in my room and it noted that I woke up screaming with pain.
A few days later, I phoned the doctor’s office to discuss this. The nurse suggested that next time, I ask for more Valium than usual so that this doesn’t happen again. The nurse said that mine was an abnormal reaction.
I’m glad that I didn’t read this site before I had my procedure.
I am writing this to give helpful suggestions for others.
April 14th, 2008 at 6:54 am
Chalk up one more violated patient who will NEVER EVER NEVER have Versed again. I didn’t give consent for conscious sedation in the first place and naturally would never have given permission. I was poleaxed with this drug and it enabled them to proceed with other things (GA) which I had specifically declined, along with any drug that would “incapacitate” me. My girlfriend who is a nurse told me that I must have been belligerant, that VERSED is a patient control drug. I wasn’t belligerant, just knowledgable about my body and how it responds to anesthesia drugs. I said NO, which is being belligerant to medical people? She won’t allow VERSED to be used on any of her family. Isn’t that just ducky? A NURSE won’t have VERSED, but it’s OK to force patients to endure the nightmare of VERSED for the staffs’ own twisted reason!
April 24th, 2008 at 7:21 pm
Im a 52 year old male… and had my first colonoscopy yesterday. I am reporting so others who will have the procedure for the first time will gain some insight into how their experience may be. I have just read a lot of comments above that would make me feel very uneasy and nervous about going thru it. I am happy to report that my experience was not bad at all. The hardest part was the PREP, not the actual procedure itself. It’s hard to deal with all of the bathroom visits for fear of having an accident or ruining some furniture, etc. I also had a fear of having to GO while on my ride to the hospital… then what? Here’s my report:
PREP… I followed the diet recommendations outlined by my doctor that is pretty common for this type of thing… 7 days out stop taking any iron supplements, anti-inflammatories, etc. 3 days out begin a low residue diet. 1 day prior stay on clear liquids, no red dye etc. Surprisingly, I didn’t have any problems with hunger just being on liquids all day. Then when the laxatives start you don’t have time to think about it. I followed the MAGNESIUM CITRATE prep, which involved taking 15 oz. of the stuff at 7pm the night before the procedure along with plenty of fluids… at least 24oz. over the next 2 hours (my appointment was for 9am). The Magnesium Citrate is a very strong lemony tasting clear drink that isn’t too bad as first, but it gets hard to drink a lot of it. I found I had to continually follow it up with another liquid chaser… or sometimes mixed it with Sprite or Sparking Water. I drank the 15 oz. slowly along with the other liquids over about an 1 1/2 hour period. Then, about an hour or so after that get ready to be off to the races for the rest of the night. You have to continually go to the bathroom. You’ll find your stools will go from a very loose brown (like traditional diarrheah)... to a more and more liquid discharge with each bowel movement. I’d say I made about 15-20 trips to the toilet during this “bowel blowout”. Nervous about sleeping, I stayed up with no problem till about 1am. Woke about 4am with no “accidents”. The treatment calls for another 15 oz. of Magnesium Citrate 4 hours before the scheduled procedure. Since my stools were already completely liquid… yellowish to clear I figured I’d skip this 2nd dose. I began to drink more liquids. My visits to to toilet continued to be the same (I figured that there were no solids left in my system so what was the point of taking more of that crap that would just make be blow like a rocket ship… esp. during my car ride to the hospital). I was right, there was no reason to take it. NOTE: I’ve seen many comments on the web where people ask this question. Do I need to take the next dose (of whatever laxative that they’
re taking if my stools are already clear? Many people think they DO need to take it. I think they don’t and by doing so I think it only makes the whole PREP process more of a burdon. Also, it is normal for the morning “clear stools” to be somehwat cloudy. I forget what it is, but is is completely normal… comes from the stomach overnight.
AT HOSPITAL: I checked in, and waited in the waiting room till I was called. I was then taken to my room and asked to disrobe and put on a gown which opens in the back. The nurse then came back she asked me to lay on the bed and I was covered by a sheet. She took a history, blood pressure, etc. and she inserted an IV (painless). She also told me that they would be giving me a sedative (mix of Versed and something else which I forget). I waited till they were ready to move me to the room where the procedure would take place. When they were ready (about 15 mins), they rolled me to the room. Once there another nurse come in and got me ready (put the blood pressure cuff on my arm, sensors for the EKG, a clip for my finger to monitor my pulse, and a loose fitting hose that fit around my face with 2 spots that fit into my nose and supplied oxygen… and the IV.). Then the doctor came in and explained the procedure and why it’s important to do it. He then gave me a paper to sign giving my consent to the procedure. He left and then they administered the IV and asked me to lay on my left side so they could have access to my butt. We were ready.
PROCEDURE: It wasn’t actually explained to me, but I had thought that I was going to be completely out and unaware during the procedure (as a result of the sedative mixture, but that was not the case. I was aware and able to talk during the whole procedure. I heard them speaking to each other (I agreed to have a couple of nursing students observe). I have to say that it was not bad at all. I did have a couple of times that I had some severe pain, but it was manageable and each time it was short lived. All in all it was not as bad as I thought it might be. I’d say the whole thing lasted about 20 minutes. It went quickly in my mind. The doctor immediately told me I was completely fine, no polyps, nothing.
RECOVERY ROOM: I was moved to another regular room to recover. In my mind I could have hopped off the bed right away and split. But, I needed to be monitored for 30 minutes. I was happy to do so knowing it was all done and I was healthy. It’s a nice feeling and you think it was worth going thru all of this for the great peace of mind. After about 10 minutes I was offered some juice and cookies. They tasted GREAT! After 30 minutes I was allowed to get dressed and my wife was called in from the waiting room to see me. We were given some paperwork with the results of the test and we left.
AFTER THE PROCEDURE: I felt a little drowsey (from the medication), but otherwise fine. I wasn’t even starving, but figured I should eat (celebrate). We went to a restaurant for lunch. My stomach felt great… no pains, no growling, etc. I was just a bit sluggish. When I went home (now about 5 hours after the procedure), I started to get very tired. I think it was a combination of the lack of sleep the night before, and the sedation medication. I slept like a rock till I was woken up after a couple of hours. I functioned ok for dinner and then began to get very tired again. I went to be early and slept (as SOLID as I can remember).
MORNING AFTER: I slept till 8 am this morning. I still think I slightly feel the effects of the sedation medication, but not much. Otherwise, I feel great. No ill effects. I have to say that the procedure is not bad at all. I would heartily recommend it to those over 50 who haven’t had it done. Those who are about to have one… please relax. While some above seem to have not had the same experience… most of my friends and relatives have had the same experience as me… it’s easy. GOOD LUCK TO ALL.
April 27th, 2008 at 6:04 am
I’m a 54 year old male, who just had a screening colonoscopy. I requested no sedatives (they said I really would “need to the sedatives to take the edge off”). When wheeled into the procedure room, I asked the doctor, a very experienced gastroenterologisc, whether he would be comfortable doing the procedure with no sedatives. He said he would hook me up, but would not start the flow unless I requested it. Anyway, the procdure was a piece of cake, even with no sedatives. Yeah, it felt like bad gas a couple of times, but it actually hurt more after I left, until I cut a 20 second fart, which relieved the pain. Everyone is different, but from what I understand males often have straighter colons and can often avoid the sedatives. Incidentally, they removed a very small 2mm polyp, which the GE said could have become a problem in 10 years. It was a very powerful and positive experience to have been able to watch the screen through the entire procedure and see the wonderful body that God has has designed for us, from the inside!
May 18th, 2008 at 6:42 am
I can’t believe the stories I am hearing here. I have IBS-D. Have had this for 10 years and I was upset that my family doctor never had any answers or help for me. I finally decided to see a GI doctor and the first thing out of his mouth is that I need a colonoscopy. I heard good stories from everyone. ‘I wouldn’t remember it’ and ‘you won’t feel anything’ Well, that wasn’t the case at all. The prep wasn’t easy but I kept thinking…if this was the worst part, it’s not THAT bad. It’s no picnic, but it’s tolerable. The procedure, however, was insane. I was given my IV and was taken into a room where the procedure would be done. I joked with the doctor and asked if I was his very first patient ever and he said he’s done over 5000 of them. The nurse inserted the medication which I assume was Versed but I don’t know what else. I remember (but not very well) screaming and moaning with pain. They could not finish the procedure. I found out later that they had given me 3 doses of medicine where they usually give only 2?? The doctor said that was the legal amount he was able to give me and they had to stop the procedure and the doctor informed me that I will need to go to a hospital to have this procedure done where an anastesiologist(sp?) would be available. I asked the doctor how often this happens….he said he encounters it about 10 times a year or almost once per month. I am still trying to recall the procedure and I don’t know if I’ll be able to go back to do another one of these procedures. After reading all these posts, I feel deceived. I’m 37 pre-menopausal female.
May 22nd, 2008 at 6:31 pm
I just turned 55 and have a family history of colon cancer nd since I’, a nurse, I figured that it was time for the colnoscpy. I did evrything that I was told to do; I relaxed and have seen many f these procedures….the doc doing the scope is someone who I have known for years..it was the WORST ecperience of my life…...she gave me the :mac of versed (amnesia drug so that you won’t remember and fentanyl )painkiller…but I screamed my head off and they had to stop the procedure….I would NEVER recommend that ANYONE get this AWFUL and hideous procedure..get a virtual first and if you have polyps; have them removed inthe OR under general anesthesia…....I’ll never stop having nighmares of this procedure and I tell all of my patients about my experience…........
June 1st, 2008 at 1:53 am
Natalie and Susan C…. Unfortunate that your procedures didn’t go well. To those who are agonizing over their first, I think that is not the norm. As I stated above, mine went easy as pie.
Susan… one thing I don’t understand. You are a nurse and therefore understand heath issues. For those with a history of colon cancer in the family it is recommended to have a colonoscopy when youre 40 (or even earlier). For those who don’t have a family history of cancer, recommended to have the 1st one at age 50. [Basically, insurance will cover it under these parameters]. Of course, it’s your body and you can do what you want, but as a nurse I was surprised when you said you “figured it was time” at age 55. That’s just too long to wait (again, this is for those reading this forum that are looking for guidance). tho What I don
June 14th, 2008 at 7:12 am
I just had my first colonoscopy at age 40, after 2 years of putting it off. I was having chronic abdominal pains and after every other kind of test came back normal, I knew had to make the inevitable appointment and get the “butt” exam overwith. I guess it was the horror stories I’d heard from everyone about the procedure, in addition to the fear of them finding something bad. Well, everyone was right- the preparation is the worst part of it. I had to take 4 laxative pills and drink 14 doses of Miralax with a half gallon of Gatorade which I could barely keep down. (I will never drink Gatorade after this, that’s for sure!) The day of the procedure was a piece of cake. The medical staff was orderly and professional. They answered all my questions and made me feel comfortable. The only pain I felt was the IV going in my hand and the gas cramps afterward. They gave me a drug that put me to sleep in less than 20 seconds and after what seemed like a nice short nap, I was up and about- didn’t remember a thing! The test came back completely normal and I’m not due for another for 10 years. The best part is- 3 days later, I have never felt better! I guess all my system needed was a “colon cleanse”!
June 20th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
I am recovering from a horrible colonoscopy experience. It matches every one of the negative stories on this site, so I won’t go into details except to say I have a VERY CLEAR memory of the entire procedure. The most difficult part was the sense of being inhuman and ignored. Neither the nurse nor the doctor nor any of the aftercare personnel had the least interest in my pain ( I was crying heavily by the end), and I gather that that is because they are all under the impression there is not going to be any memory. I feel that those doctors who are so insistent on us having this procedure MUST become aware of the 10% who have bad experiences, must learn to screen for those persons, and must offer alternatives either to the sedation or the method. I am probably going to switch doctors because of this and will do everything in my power to avoid hospitals for the rest of my life since I have done pretty well so far (I am 64) without them.
June 27th, 2008 at 11:21 am
hehe.. This page about bowel movement and colon cleansing.html is good too.
July 1st, 2008 at 10:40 am
To the Boomer Blog ; in re. : TBT - The Big Test – Colonoscopy.
1. In terms of a test, it’s NBD - no big deal! A paper cut would be more
discomfort! It’s a breeze. (Caveat: you must have the right doctor, the
right prep and the right sedation!)
2. In terms of health: colonoscopy can reduce colon cancer prevalence to
almost zilch; IF you get colon cancer because you never got a colonoscopy,
you have about a 5% chance of living six months or longer, and that’s with
some major oncological intervention.
I’m not a bettin’ man, but 5% survival rate is bad odds in anyone’s book.
Now for the test info.
It’s a breeze. I arrived at the doc’s clinic at 8:30 am and was back home
at 11:15 am and by noon I was lying back watching DVDs and eating
oatmeal raisin cookies and drinking ginger ale! No pain, no gas, no gas pain, just a little high from the anesthetic. I followed the advice: no driving (no car use) and no operating heavy machinery (like turning on the dishwasher or using a clothes iron – and I didn’t miss the use of either one.)
First.. get the best doctor! I found the best one but I don’t if I can/should write his name here, but if you’re in St. Petersburg, Florida, look for a doctor who has an office on 49th Street North whose last name begins with K! He’s fantastic and so is his staff—and his endoscopy clinic is next door to his practice office. (This doctor will even answer an email! I emailed him on a Wednesday night at 11:00 pm and I got an answer back at 11:10 pm; saw his nurse the next day – Thursday, and did my prep Sunday and had my test Monday. Kewl or what?!
)
Now… talk to doctor about sedation. I wanted to go bare, so to speak.. no sedation. I wanted to watch the procedure on the monitor. Doc suggested sedation so that he could do a better job. Follow doc’s recommendation!
I have an M.A. degree; he has an M.D. degree.
I had the benefits of the doctor’s ARNP - certified nurse anesthesist who administered MAC Sedation—which is monitored sedation—using the
IV drug propofol (Diprivan). You’re alert times 3 at about 1 minute after
opening your eyes. Propofol has a fast clearance rate. You do not feel groggy: you feel a tad high, but you also feel as if you’ve had eleven hours of restful sleep at a five star hotel in Antigua.
You awaken and then visit with the doctor—who gives you color laser pictures of your colon and explains what he found (in my case, a-ok.)
After 15-30 mins, home you go!
The prep: no, it is NOT bad. In fact, without getting graphic, I had four magazines to read and wasn’t in the bathroom long enough to even read one article. Worst part of prep: worrying about the prep before you have it!
Prep: Dulcolax 5 mg. pills, ii or iii two nights before prep day, at bedtime.
Day before prep day: eat enough, but make it light—oatmeal cookies,
cereals, etc. Think “easy to digest” and you’ll be fine. Stay well hydrated.
Night before prep day: Dulcolax 5 mg. pills iii or ii at bedtime.
Prep day morn… gatorade.. (no red, orange or purple.. green, yellow and clear are ok.) Lots of water..lots of gatorade… lemon jello..
1:00 pm… Fleet Phosphosoda Saline Laxative – UNflavored… do not get flavored! Get UNflavored. Take entire 1.5 oz (45 ml) (3 tablespoonfuls)
in glass of water. Chug bottle of gatorade a few mins later… Expect
phosphosoda to work 6-8 times for 2 minutes each time… beginning in about 30 mins and ending 3 hours after it starts working. Big deal.
Forget the magazines – you won’t be sittin’ there long enough to read an article.
I surfed the net, talked to a graduate school buddy on the phone, and wrote a letter to a friend.
Gatorade.. lots.. gives you so much sugar that you are not hungry that day or the next morn, ergo.. no headache and no hunger; gatorade also provides electrolytes you lose from the prep.
at 9:00 pm… dose 2 of Fleet Phosphosoda. I am 5’10” and 145#, so
I took just 30 ml (2/3 of the little 1.5 ounce bottle) (1 oz.) (2 tablespoonfuls). Started working in 22 mins. Worked 4 times.
Drank more water and more gatorade.
And yes, all that water and gatorade.. you will pee more… but no big deal..
urine production increases – and proves you are well-hydrated!
by 11:00 pm prep was done. Total trips: 8 first time, 4 second time.
Is this true for just me? No. I asked two friends of mine (twisted as I am—we compared notes) and their experiences were virtually the same, and we had the same doctor!
11:05 pm… watched a DVD, went to sleep…
next morn… got up ..showered… did not awaken at all during night…
sat on the toilet – no go – empty… so no worries about the trip to the clinic.
Arrived at clinic… paperwork, IV (totally painless), asleep from Diprivan,
woke up… talked to doc… left with friend who drove (you cannot drive yourself because of anesthetic).
Ok… so this rambles a bit, but I was 50 (that was last year) and when
you’ve taken a step toward your own good health and are then qualified to pontificate and preach to tho Colonoscopy Club.
Pontification privilege:
Ok guys … and ladies… get that test done! If you’re between 25 and
50, please get the test done. There IS an easy and comfortable way to have it done. Forget the “camera pill”—at least for now—if the camera
sees a polyp you get to come back for a regular colonoscopy anyhow!
And… there is a good chance there’ll be a polyp in folks aged 50 and older.
Then… ask doc about fiber daily (metamucil is great); folic acid 800 mcg.;
calcium and vitamin D; enteric aspirin 325 mg.; and a good sense of humor! Laughter, before, during and after a colonoscopy, is good therapy, too.
Good health, fellow Boomers!
—30—
July 1st, 2008 at 10:00 pm
Just left the clinic after having my first colonoscopy at 49. Not sure why there have been so many bad experiences. I’ve had haircuts worse than what I just experienced!
Due to family history ( my Mom was diagnosed with colon cancer last year, which has spread to her liver, and lungs…her test was done in the ninth year since the previous one).
As others have said, the prep was the crappiest part. I also had to drink the Gatorade/Miralax cocktail, 64 ounces total. I was well prepared with plenty of reading material, and even moved the TV in our bedroom for viewing from the master bath. Didn’t want to miss any of that Detroit Tigers game. I sent the wife out for dinner with her friend, partly because she felt guilty eating in front of a starving man, and I really didn’t want to expose her to what I thought might be the sounds of a symphony orchaestra coming from the john. The Gatorade concoction finally hit after glass number 3 of 8. I spent the next 7 hours in and out of the can, to a point where I was blowing straight Gatorade thru. Seriously, straight Gatorade. Not a pleasant experience, but I kept busy with the reading and ballgame.
So far, the worst part was realizing that 8 out of 10 TV commercials are for restaurants, torture to someone who hasn’t had a bite in over 30 hours.
My appointment was for 9:30 am. We arrived at 9. Lucky for me, the biggest coward ever, the guy ahead of me was late, so I didn’t have much time to dwell on the unknown. They rushed me right in. By 9:10, I was already laying on a bed in my cute little gown with an IV in my arm. I do remember watching the TV as the doctor drove the camera around an endless cave, and just a little bit of fiddling around my backside. Guess they took out a couple of small polyps, but I never felt a thing. Never any pressure or the feeling of anything inside. Then, it was over. The wife came in, I was given a little can of 7 -up, and told I needed to pass some gas for 10 or 15 minutes (no problem there!). Then I got dressed, and a nurse whisked me to the front door in a wheelchair to my wife waiting to drive me home. In and out in a hour. What a refief! A beeline to McDonalds, and I am home writing this. I’ll be back in 5 years.
July 9th, 2008 at 1:01 am
I have had 4 tests so far, today being the latest. I was shocked to read how bad the tests so many people have had to deal with. I have woken up on two test before but went back under fast. My doctor this time around had talked to me about it. He told me some people they cannot keep under, so they have to have an anastesiologist put them under. I never woke up during the entire test.
Also, since I can not drink the nasty stuff for the prep the night before and morning of, my doctor also told me there were pills to take. Pills??? No chugging down the other stuff? Give em to me! So I took 4 pills with 8 ounces of water ever 15 minutes for an hour the night before and again the morning of. I will say that the last 4 pills were the hardest, but that was just me. Being able to drink plain water was great, I got all cleaned out and it was not bad at all. By far the best prep I have ever had.
My last test was one year ago. I was clean andno polyps. But because my brother had colon cancer and I had some bleeding and pain in my left side, I had to have the test again. They found 2 polyps and a few other things going on. I will know if the polyps are cancerous next week, and will go see a different doctor about some other werid thing I have going on now. But even with my worst test, I still have them again. I would reather get the polyps out fast, then let the cancer spread cause I different want the test. The pain of the colon cancer will be much worst then a really bad colonoscopy. And you may just save your life.
July 9th, 2008 at 10:43 am
There are certainly a lot of scary entries on this site and since I’d read it before my own colonoscopy, I was apprehensive. Well, I’ve just completed the experience and I can write something reassuring.
My prep involved no special diet except clear liquids only on the day prior. This was followed by Movi-Prep the night before and morning of. The Movi-Prep is hard to drink, especially if you’re already a bit bloated with liquids from your clear liquid diet (I had had a “last meal” of a liter of chicken broth)—so if I did it again I’d let myself get empty and thirsty before starting. It took 5 hours for the stuff to kick in for me, which meant I was up on the john in the middle of the night. But other than that it was really quite gentle—no serious cramps or discomfort. Based on having read this site, I was well coated with petroleum jelly before the gusher started, and that prevented any diaper rash. I got a lot of reading done while letting nature take its course.
I see that some people are put on low fiber diets the week prior to the MoviPrep. I wasn’t, and apard from the one day of liquids I went into the process with my usual boatloads of raisin bran. I think this may have helped—I doubt if you want to start MoviPrep with some kind of constipation blockage that has to be blown out. But in spite of all my fiber, by the end of the second dose my stools were as clear as urine.
The procedure itself went fine. The versed didn’t put me out totally and I did feel the scope a bit—like moderate gas pains—but it was not traumatic. Certainly more pleasant than other minor surgeries like wisdom teeth. Recovery was quick and, apart from a long nap, I functioned pretty normally the rest of the day. People had to remind me not to drive because I felt no impairment.
July 23rd, 2008 at 7:32 am
I elected to have this done without the dubious benefits of “conscious sedation”......nothing other than amnesia drugs to make you foret a painful experience frequently done as quickly and as roughly as possible. Awake and aware (and in pain), I was able to make them slow down and take their time to do the exam properly….and yes, I had polyps. If I had agreed to the drugs, I’m sure that they would have found nothing and that I would be haunted by the amnesia experience…........many patients are realy hurt by versed/conscious sedation…and I’m a nurse and ashamed to say that the “standard of care” regarding colonoscopy is often patient abuse…”let them suffer; they probably won’t remember a thing”.....not for me….
July 30th, 2008 at 6:54 am
i had a colonoscopy yesterday and there was nothing bad about it all. i had 150 mcgs of fentanyl and 8 mg of versed. i felt nothing and in fact i am having a hard time believing it even happened! around 20 minutes after it was over i was ordering a coffee and a pastry at a nearby shop, went home and slept 3 hours. that’s it.
August 13th, 2008 at 12:21 pm
Wow, I, too, am shocked by some of these stories. Had my first colonoscopy yesterday and it was a piece of cake! The prep was yucky and messy, but you live through it. A bit of advice to those who think they may not be able to drink all eight 8-ounce glasses of the lovely liquid, one glass after another (10-15 minutes apart). My appointment for the exam was at 1:00pm, so I was instructed to drink four 8-ounce glasses from 6:00-7:00pm the night before, and the remaining four glasses at 8:00am the next morning (day of exam), finishing the drinking at 9:00am. When you’re prepping, it’s a MUST that you stay close to the bathroom! Enough said. The test itself was a NO BRAINER. Arrived at the “colonscopy factory” at 12:30pm, filled out the paperwork, and changed into the hospital gown. This place had me put on two gowns, one frontwards, one backwards; all body parts were well-covered! Was put in a comfortable hospital bed and given a warm blankie. An IV was started, and after about 20-30 minutes, I was wheeled into the procedure room. I was asked to turn on my left side, and a very nice nurse introduced herself to me and said she was going to start the sedation medication (it goes in your IV). She said, “This works fast, so you may feel a little dizzy at first”. I felt slightly dizzy for about five seconds, then fell fast asleep. I did wake up for about 10 seconds, and in living color, was able to get a glimpse of my colon right there on the monitor which was about 12 inches from my face. I then fell right back to sleep. Next thing was the nurse gently shaking my shoulder, telling me it was a done deal. My doc was standing by to tell me the great news: a clean bill of health (and a clean colon!) Was wheeled back to the recovery area, given a choice of water or apple juice, relaxed for about 45 minutes, then was given the okay to head home. BOTTOM LINE: I agree 110% with folks here who are saying that the doctor you choose is extremely important. My doctor was fabulous and if anybody in the San Francisco Bay Area is looking for a referral, I can give you a great one. PLEASE get this test done if you are over 50 and avoiding it! It just might be a life saver. There’s nothing to fear about this exam! (And sincere apologies to those who went through such an unnecessary bad experience. That should NOT be happening!)
August 14th, 2008 at 12:33 am
I had my first colonoscopy yesterday. And after reading all the comments on the web I was scared to death. There was no need for my anxiety. I took the 4 dulcolax tablets followed by the miralax/gatorade mix. I did get the nausea and vomiting from drinking so much but it was over quickly. The actual procedure was easy. I was given propofol and slept through the entire procedure. At no point or time did I feel anything. I woke up shortly after being taken back to recovery. Perhaps the reason people have had different reactions is due to different physicians using different types of anesthesia. If your gastroenterologist doesn’t use propofol I would find another gastro. With so many people having colon and rectal cancer I recommend everyone have this procedure done to SAVE YOUR LIFE! Carolyn Jones who played Morticia on The Addams Family was diagnosed with colon cancer at 51 and died two years later at 53. Farrah Fawcett has anal cancer. There is nothing to be afraid of. It might just save your life!
August 14th, 2008 at 3:11 am
I am one of those who did have a bad colonoscopy experience. It was not the prep or the procedure itself, but how I felt afterwards. Everyone had told me the prep was the worst part, but I would do the prep everyday of my life for the rest of my life rather than feel like I felt when I “woke up” after it was over. For starters, I had requested & expected to be awake for the procedure, and it was NEVER explained to me that the meds I would be receiving (Versed & Fentanyl) would not make that possible. Yes, I did sign a consent form, but the only thing that stands out in my mind is the description of the risks involved in the procecure. I have since requested a copy of the form to see how “Conscious Sedation” is described. I am 99.9 % sure that the word “amnesia” was never mentioned…we shall see. When I awoke after the procedure, remembering nothing, the first thing I said was, “I was supposed to be awake!” Then I remember the nurses snapping at me that I “should have said something” about my intollerance to pain medication when asked if I had any allergies. (Since WHEN is that an “allergy” ?) I was extremely dizzy, nauseous, angry, and depressed, but sent home being told to “sleep it off.” I wrote a letter to the Endo Center (which was pretty toned down compared to how I really felt about my negative experience), but received no reply. I called the center to ask to speak with the nurse present during the procedure to give me more details about it, but that call was never returned. I cannot begin to tell you how upsetting this has been to me. It haunts me every day that my mind was “stolen” from me without my permission…it was sneaky to the point of being unethical. There is a reason they don’t tell you about the true reason Versed is given- it’s for the doctors benefit only. It has caused me severe emotional pain, from which I may never totally recover. Surely they must know that some patients find amnesia upsetting (ESPECIALLY when not forwarned). You would think they would have at least tried to justify their actions, but I guess I was nothing more than a “procedure” to them…not even a “patient”, and definitely not a “person.”
August 24th, 2008 at 1:25 am
Turns out I was 100% right…
I received a copy of the consent form I signed for my recent colonoscopy. There is only one single sentence regarding sedation :
“I consent to the administration of conscious sedation as may be considered necessary or desirable in the judgement of the attending physician.” There is NO EXPLANATION of what that entails. To a lay person who has not had any surgeries in 20+ years (and has never even heard of drugs that cause amnesia), “conscious” means awake & REMEMBERING; “sedation” means relaxed. In my opinion, the doctor was morally/ethically obligated to explain that I would not remember the procedure, since I specifically requested to be AWAKE, and was told I would be able to “watch the screen.” My right to patient autonomy was not honored. Shame on sneaky medical professionals who deceive patients this way. You have lost my trust.
September 6th, 2008 at 11:33 am
Hi Polly…..I can understand that you were upset over the anethesia used for your colonoscopy; you’ve made that very clear. But nowhere in your posts do you say anything about how grateful you are that your test was normal! Was that at least a huge relief? A dear friend of mine, age 50, and one who has always taken care of herself, scheduled her colonsocopy one week after her 50th birthday, and went in with high expectations for a clean bill of health. We were all shocked to hear that the tumor they found is cancerous, and she’s now undergoing chemo. Her prognosis is good, it was found early thanks to the colonoscopy. I really don’t think the type of anethesia used during her exam even entered her mind. So while it’s certainly your right to be outraged about the “sneaky medical professionals” you dealt with, you should also thank your lucky stars that a colonoscopy was available to give you a clean bill of health. I’m sure colon cancer would “haunt you” for days longer than what you experienced with your exam. I mean no disrespect, but my friend’s diagnosis is still raw with me, and it seems that all of us who come out of this exam with the “all clear” should breath a huge sigh of relief. Best to you.
September 10th, 2008 at 12:02 pm
Amnesia drugs like Versed are often given in a “backdoor” fashion (excuse the pun) to the poor patient who is often dehydrated and nauseated from the prep etc….........then reports to the endoscopy center, feeling pretty sick and is badgered to sign a conscious sedation consent…........only to get the MAX dose of Versed (a date-rape benzodiazepine) which usually caused amenisia of the terrible event…...........under the guise of “a mild sedative”....I’m an RN (graduated in 1980) and I have a LOT of experience with these drugs….I would NEVER let a member of my family get VERSED for anything….......it’s a TERRIBLE drug and deserves to be banned…......
September 11th, 2008 at 9:23 am
I finally found a doctor who would do a colonoscopy without the amnesia drug Versed; I have the WORST family history and bad symptoms, but I have had a HORRIBLE previous experience with the haunting amnesia of Versed and would never get it again; not for an reason…....I finally saw a GI doc who said: “your big issue with not getting a colonoscopy (13 years overdue) is problems with “conscious sedation?” I’ll do it without Versed, or any sedation if you want; we have had a LOT of complaints from patients who got Versed…......I almost fainted; everyone else told me that