Afib/tachycardia and colonoscopy

A joke?

I’ve had colon cancer with resection in 2005 age 63. No chemo or radiation. No further problems, placed on a 3 year colonoscopy schedule. I had my last one in 2022.
I have a history of A-fib!
In Jan 2023 I had a Watchman placed in my heart. After the 3 months, I had a TEE image and the doctor said I needed no further warfarin! After taking it for 20 years, I could finally eat salads. What a positive change!
I’ve had valve repair in 2000, pacemaker, and ablation of the AV node. A new CRT pacer was placed in 2018 which has leads to both an atrium and ventricle.
(They decided on a Watchman after I had an abdominal bleed.)

Yes, a joke. I would be interested in how you make out with the assessment. I hope it goes well for you.

Thank you! I really appreciate the support. Here’s hoping no afib or tachycardia during it all. And, of course, a negative result.

All went very well. 3 small polyps probably benign. No Afib or tachycardia. Hospital staff sensitive and alert to my concerns.

Thank you all for advice and comments.

Hi, I'm new here, first post. I've had a long history of atrial arrhythmias, more recently paroxysmal A-Fib, for which I take metoprolol ( 150mg/day and a low dose of diltiazem to keep the heart rate under control. I also take losartan and chlorthalidone for high blood pressure. I have had several colonoscopies in the last few years and more to come as I am in the surveillance period for stage II colon cancer ( had right side colectomy in 2022).
I've always been instructed by the outpatient center nurses where my colonoscopies are done to take my blood pressure and rate control drugs ( all except the diuretic) with a sip of water before I leave home for the procedure- they've always been in the AM.
It may well be that you will get the same instructions to take your sotolol and metoprolol as usual in the morning the day of your colonoscopy, so you are covered. The surgery center/ doctor's office should have a list of your medications, and should specifically instruct you about taking them the day of your colonoscopy. If for some reason they don't you should contact them for instructions.
I also take Eliquis ( as I imagine you do with the A-Fib) and they should provide you with instructions about that as well. Interestingly enough, they have instructed me only to withhold the morning dose of Eliquis the day of the colonoscopy, but take it later after the colonoscopy. Your instructions may vary, but you need to ask if they don't tell you.
Best of luck with everything. I'm 76, so up there in years as well.

Thanks for your comment, marybird. This is a dated conversation now, and I was providing guidance to another asker. It is always the best advice to consult the team providing specialized care and diagnostics about medications of all kinds. As individuals, our circumstances are varied, meaning some require protocols that are more stringent with medications than others. The medical teams do need to be apprised of those circumstances, and of current prescriptions and regimens, as you say.

There is a “lighter” prep now for older and others who may benefit. You may want to ask about it - worked just as well and didn’t result in any dehydration- which effects heart rates.

At 86 my GI basically said I was too old for another colonoscopy (because of dangers of anesthesia). I have earlier kept up with the procedures, always had polyps ,which have always been benign. With afib and GERD I am going with that for now.