First time Colonoscopy - My experience

Tests and investigations
1

Hi, I thought i'd share my experience with others, esp those going through it for their first time. When i was told the news, i was so worried and had lots of questions I didn't know what to think at first. So i'm hoping sharing my experience will help others, even if it's just one person. I'll be as graphic as I can, because these are the things people don't tell you. So if you don't want gory details, don't keep reading smile

I'm a 25 yr old female going through this for the first time (first hospital experience too). I have procedure tomorrow, and today i'm taking my \"prep\". One down one to go so far today...

I've been given MoviPrep. I've heard a lot of people talking about the taste. You're given 4 packets of powder. 2 A's and 2 B's, you mix you one A and one B with a litre of water...and drink it all within an hour. Then drink another 1 litre of water within the next hour.(then repeat later in the evening or in the morning)

The first glass wasn't bad at all, kinda of citrusy. But the other glasses were hard to swallow, mostly because you have to drink so much of it!

I found drinking the litre of water in the next hour quite difficult, i all i felt i was doing was drinking and drinking!

The MoviPrep kicked in just as I was finishing the last glass. It didn't come on all of a sudden, my tummy was rumbling and I thought it might go to the bathroom just incase. And well, it does it job and everything comes out, literally in a liquid form.

There is no pain, just \"water\". And quite a lot of it...I'd suggest preparing your bathroom to make things easier. I stocked up on wet wipes, magazines, scented candles and a bottle of water so you can carry on with part two, because you wont be going anywhere for a while. I even took my laptop with me and put it on a stool to browse the internet. You'll get bored more than anything.

You'll mostly get random episodes of water coming out very quickly, so just stay where you are. You will feel the need, it won't come unexpected.

After around 35 minutes I felt ok enough to leave the bathroom, to rest on the bed and watch tv. I had to go again after 30 minutes, again it was just water.

Now thats the worst of it over smile. Now because i drank all that water, i'm now needing to pee every 20 mintues. But i'm now comfortable resting in my bed.

I have do this all again in about 6 hours time now, so i'll report back after the 2nd round.

Hope this helps. smile

2

Hi again,

So it's now the morning of my colonoscopy. I took my later litre of solution at 6pm last night, and it kicked in just before 7pm. It was the same as the first time, just a little bit less. But i still spent around 40min in the bathroom, drinking my additional litre of water.

I was comfortable to leave the bathroom about 7.40, i just walked around in the next room to stretch my legs. But i'd suggest only venturing about 10 feet from the bathroom as you'll need to run back in about 10 minutes time. Don't worry you'll feel it! After that, I was able to leave the bathroom for 20 minutes, i just sat in the next room again waiting. After your 2nd or 3 rush back to the bathroom, the times get larger apart. I didn't have to go again for another hour. Then I was comfortable enough to go to sleep, I stayed up till 11pm just incase, but I could of went to sleep around 10pm.

I woke up around 2.30am for the bathroom(which isn't unusual for me, so you might sleep through the night). Then I slept all the way through to 8am.

It's now 10am here, and i'm still having a tiny little bit coming out, but it's only when i go to the bathroom, there is no rushing at this point.

The only thing is i am starving!! since i've not ate anything for 36 hours now, i feel quite weak. And my mouth waters everytime i see food on tv. Yesterday just before the 2nd round, i was feeling really sleepy, which is a common side effect.

So for the day before, and the day of the op. I'd suggest just stocking up on some tv shows or films to keep you going, while you rest in bed/sofa where ever you feel more comfortable.

Will report back after my procedure this evening.

3

Hi again,

So it's now the day after my colonoscopy.

I think i said in my last post that it was still passing a little water in the morning (yellow in colour). I spoke with the nurse and this is a 100% normal. So if this is happening to you, don't worry.

So I checked in to the in-patient unit at 2pm, and was shown to a small room. The nurse came in and took my blood pressure/heat beat and weight and asked me some questions about my history and if i'm allergic to anything.

I was then given a gown an slippers and asked to take of any jewellery. You need to be naked under the gown, but you get to take your underwear off at the last minute.

The dr then came in and explained the procedure to me and i signed a consent form.

I waited another 20 minutes and I was called, the nurse asked if i'd like to use the bathroom before going in, which i did and then I walked to the theatre down the hall.

In the room, there was a nurse, the dr and the anesthesiologist. I was asked to lie on the bed, and they put the thing on to monitor my blood pressure, and little clip on your finger and some pads around my chest to monitor my heart beat.

The anesthesiologist then but a needle in the back of my hand, which pinched a little but i'm not scared of needles. He then injected something in. I asked if that was going to make me sleep and he said it was something he puts in before? He then connected a tube into the back of my hand like a drip, and i was asked to turn on my left side, and they fluffed my pillow up for me lol. He said i might feel dizy but I was lying there on my side, with my fluffed up pillow just getting comfy and that's the last thing i remember!

I was wheeled back to my private room, and started waking up, and they asked my to climb back into the bed. I'd been in there for 45 minutes.

The dr was there when I was walking up, you feel completely feel a little drowsey and I was nonsense to the dr, kinda like when your a teenage and your drunk and try to have a serious conversation with your parents.

Which was a little embarrassing, he told me to let out any gas i had, but i didn't feel like i had any and didn't feel bloated. I was just telling him about my job and how i like chocolate croissants, and that i sometimes like to have a kinder hippo in bed at night when i watch ugly betty. I also asked if i could have another colonoscopy because i enjoyed it and how i didn't feel violated at all *cringes*.

I started feel normal again after about 20 minutes, and the dr came back to tell me I had the all clear and it's IBS i have, but he took biopsies just incase but he's pretty sure they will come back clear. They even gave me some photos of my colon!

After that they brought me in two sandwiches and a drink. All in all i'd been out for about an hour and was allowed to go home. I felt ok going home, although u do have that constant feeling of just woken up, where yours looking around to just check everything out and your not 100% sure where things are etc, a little dazed maybe, but fine.

My partner took me home and i watched movies had some food and went to bed.

Today i feel fine, no pain nothing, the odd tinge in my tummy but thats nothing unusual if your going because you have ibs/crohns.

For me the worst part if def drinking moviprep, and the embarrassing chat to the dr when i was coming too.

So that was my experience. I hope this helps put your mind at rest if your worried. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I'd be more than happy to help.

4

Thank you so much for sharing your experience. I was told today that I need to have a colonoscopy and I'm a bit bewildered. Have never had any hospital treatment before so didn't know what to expect until I read your post. Thanks again.

5

Hi,

I also have my fist colonoscopy on monday :s. Im honestly terrified. Your post is very helpfull. It just concerns me that so many people report bad pain ect whilst having it done, even when theyve had sedatives. I really hope that i will just fall to sleep and just wake up without noing whats happening. I am prone to panic attacks and im worried i will have one there. . Thanks for your post it was really well written, and went into great detail. The first post thats made me feel better about it x

6

@Dinky, I'm glad you found my post useful and I hope everything went well.

@joanne. I'm sure you will be fine. I also sometimes get panic attacks, but don't be embarrassed explain to your dr/nurse if a certain things triggers it and they can work around. I was having a panic attack because i had to drink the moviprep a few hours before the op and didn't want to travel in case I had an "accident" when travelling , so they kindly let me do the moviprep the day before. I can honestly say, the movi prep was the worst part.

I've heard of some people experiencing pain (only when awake for the procedure, which has been described as bad wind. Why not ask if you have the option to be put under fully if you experience pain. For me having "options" makes me a lot more relax.

Let me know how it goes

7

Yeh I would much prefer to be put under completly. Just so i dont need to worry about pain. I will definelty talk to them and see what they say. I just get panic attacks when im so nervous...like i will be monday morning. I cant control it. So unfortunetly theres not much they can do to avoid it, other than sedate me quickly !!

My main conercn is that i get epic stomach pains as it is, and this inflation they do sounds like it will hurt.

I will post once Ive had it done, and let everyone know my experience aswell.

Thanks againx

8

If you find something that helps when you get nervous..maybe listening to music, or even talking to someone to take your mind off it. When i get panic attacks I tell my partner i'm having one, and we talk through it...it helps take my mind off it a little, it's worse suffering in silence.

I hope they allow you to be put under, even knowing you can will put you at ease. I'd give them a phone today (if you can) and speak to someone at the in-patient, ask them if you will be asleep or not. If not, ask if you can. The sooner you know, the more at ease you'll be.

When I woke up I didn't have any pain at all from the inflation, but i've read people feel bloated and pass a large amount of gas. The inflation part won't hurt (if you're awake), the only pain (if there is anyway) is when the tube passes round the corners, but you may be able to watch this on a tv screen.

Best bet is, just ask them to knock you out

But if i didn't know what had happened I would of said they didn't touch me at all.

x

9

Hi elle, thanks for sharing your experience i will be doing a colonoscopy in a few days and i was a little worryd about it i've done upper gi endoscopys more then a few times but never done the colonoscopy (:

 

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Hi m

11

Thank you sooooo much for this. I was told I need to have one. Sooooo terrifying. Reading your post calmed my nerves alot.

12

Hi Elle. Lovely Name. I had my first colonoscopy last Friday, the 10th. I did it without sedation or pain medicine and the experience was nowhere as bad as other medical procedures I had as a child. It was rough about 3 times but it wasn't near bad enough to stop. I gasped in pain but I told the doc "do what you need to do". I never had such strong pain that I had no problem enduring it indefinitely. I actually told the doc, "if you need to pump air just do it" at the bend. I wanted him to see where he was going. Once he got to the end of the colon he saw that the prep left a thin layer of yellowish stool which he had to clean it. That process felt weird but very comfortable. The extraction was a weird sensation but it was over quickly. The recovery was two passes of gas and I was done. I will have it again sober in 3 years time. I will need to go back in 3 years and I think the prep will include an "enema until clear" or a full colonic because the previous prep was too slow and not enough to clear the colon residue on the walls.

13

My husband and I are about to have our first colonoscopies! I really found your post helpful and enlightening!!! Thanks to you, I'm not so worried about this now. 😀 I will share this post of yours with my husband to ease his mind.

14

It generally is much worse in your mind than in reality. One tip though: when the tube is first inserted, try and push out (which feels the wrong thing to do) and not clench in (which feels the right thing to do). If you clench in the muscles tighten and it is much less comfortable. Usually it feels a bit odd until the first bend when it mysteriously becomes much less trouble: anyway - good luck and I hope it's an "all clear"!

15

Ella, Thank you Ella for the info. I am schedule for a colonoscopy April 7. I was reading your info about it. It is the first one I have ever done [ kind of scared about it}. After reading your experience it doesn't sound to bad.  Thank you Joe J.

16

Excellent, just what I wanted to hear. I'm going in for my first on the 21st March; reading about experiences does take the scare out of it. Its the laxative and fasting that scares me!!

17

Hopefully all these little tricks and hints will help someone else while going through the process of preparing for a colonoscopy. I'm having mine done tomorrow and it will be my 3rd colonoscopy. I started the Moviprep 30 minutes ago and have finished my second 8 oz. glass. I made sure to chill it as recommended and I added a little Crystal Lite to it. It didn't really taste that bad but I have been hydrating all day long with chicken boullion, popsicles, lemonade and green jello so the added liquid volume was more difficult the second 8 oz glass. I'm halfway through but have to repeat it again at 6 a.m. in the morning. I had some Zolfran for nausea left in my medicine cabinet from a previous total knee replacement and took that with my second dose. Hopefully the last two 8 ounce glasses won't make me nauseaus.

I know that being really hydrated is very important for kidney function and for visualization of the lower intestine so it's imperitive that anyone doing this prep follow the instructions to the letter. I was hungry earlier but now that I have so much liquid sloshing around in my stomach, food is the last thing on my mind. I haven't begun to feel like using the bathroom but oh yeah, I know that's coming very soon. I'm prepared with magazines and the softest toilet paper on the market. I also have some zinc oxide and witch hazel pads on the ready in case my bum gets real sore.

18

one thing I want to add to my post is that I heated up a cup of chicken broth and took little spoonsful in between gulps of Moviprep. That helps instantly to take away that awful lemon flavor.

19

Hi Elle,

Thanks for your post. I have my first colonoscepy on Monday, 9/12/2016, at 11am. I wanted to ask you a question about the day after. How did you feel the day after your procedure? We're you able to go out to do everyday errands? I have a 2 hour therapy appointment the following day and wanted to know if I should cancel it or not. We're you still dizzy or sleepy your day after? Did you have gas and/or diarrhea? I totally don't want to embarrass myself in therapy the day after procedure and i was thinking I should cancel my appointments the day after. Please reply.

Best,

Patricia

20

Elle_25.  I can really sympathize with you when it comes to colonoscopies.  The colonoscopy was fine itself.  It was the preparation that I never want to do again.  I remember feeling quite well the next day but I think I rested a lot that next day.  Maybe take a day to yourself without a lot of people in it OK?