Colonoscopy Question

Posted by dbchip @dbchip, Mar 17 5:07pm

I had my first Colonoscopy at 51 (average no family risk factors). I was good and I was told to come back in 10 years for another. Fast forward I was due for one this year and opted for Cologuard screening instead. It came back abnormal and now I need to follow up with a Colonoscopy. I was on the fence in the first place and should have done Colonoscopy. Now my anxiety is up and I am not trying to go down the rabbit hole about this. I feel fine and have no GI symptoms to speak of. I have read a lot about false positives (my PCP told me 13%) and I have suffer in the past from hemorrhoids/fissures. Anyone else have this experience that they can share? I just wished now I would have gone with my first instinct and just gotten colonoscopy.

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susanmaria | @susanmaria | Mar 19 12:41pm

In reply to @dbchip "What did they give you pre-anesthesia?" + (show)

A warm blanket (for real). It helped me relax.

cheyne | @cheyne | Mar 19 3:43pm

Hi,
I have had 4 top to bottoms and each time the medication to evacuate the bowels is worse than the procedure. I did all 4 without sedatives and can only say after the last one, no more. I'll be taking the sedative in future, the last one was a ripper, literally and caused excrusiating pain when the stomach contents got into the wound. I happen to be fill of polyps from top to bottom and have had a piles opp many years ago. I have had a different Dr do the procedure each time and it becomes interesting with the varied opinions I have gotten, from cancerous to nothing of interest found and still nothing thankfully. The first few times it was interesting getting to see, feeeel and hear it all while discussing it with the Doc, obviously not the throat ones! I make sure to take an antihistomine before the procedure as the first one I had a blocked nose and ended up with the hefty nurse trying to hold me down from my bucking and twisting. You gotta breathe.
Cheers

mrmacabre | @mrmacabre | Mar 19 4:24pm

In reply to @dbchip "I had no polyps on my last one. Just hoping I don’t have any this time..." + (show)

He removed a couple of small ones the second time 'round, which again were benign. I'm not due for another one for 10 years.

mrmacabre | @mrmacabre | Mar 19 4:26pm

In reply to @susanmaria "My colorectal surgeon/doctor prescribed a medication consisting of 12 (prescription) tablets and plenty of water during..." + (show)

Same here.

verol65 | @verol65 | Mar 20 11:27am

In reply to @mrmacabre "I had my second colonoscopy done about a year ago, as well as an upper endoscopy..." + (show)

I understand that there can be issues for some people with the pills. Not everyone should take them.

mrmacabre | @mrmacabre | Mar 20 1:15pm

In reply to @verol65 "I understand that there can be issues for some people with the pills. Not everyone should..." + (show)

For me, I'd take them every time over having to drink that liquid that smells like vomit. Swallowing a dozen pills and drinking a quart of water in a hour's time is an easy thing to do.

verol65 | @verol65 | Mar 23 8:11pm

In reply to @mrmacabre "For me, I'd take them every time over having to drink that liquid that smells like..." + (show)

To tell the truth, if my doctor gave me the choice of doing it with pills, I would do it to. The liquid he prescribes (Nulytely) does not taste so bad (not pleasant either), but it gets me extremely bloated for at least 48 if ot 72 hours.

cookiepic | @cookiepic | Mar 24 3:19pm

I just had my colonscopy on Wed. I always did the terrible drink with mirolax and ducolax pills. My one question has anyone experienced stomach discomfort for a few days? I do have gastritis and thought the prep might have caused this discomfort. Other then this l have no other issues. I've already went to the bathroom with no problem. No pain or blood.

Lisa Lucier, Moderator | @lisalucier | Mar 24 10:15pm

In reply to @cookiepic "I just had my colonscopy on Wed. I always did the terrible drink with mirolax and..." + (show)

Hi, @cookiepic - I've had several colonoscopies and endoscopies with the same necessary prep. Each time I've had a bit churny gut for a couple of days.

Have you had another colonoscopy with a different prep, cookiepic? If so, which prep was best for you in terms of how your stomach felt afterward?

cookiepic | @cookiepic | Mar 25 12:06am

In reply to @lisalucier "Hi, @cookiepic - I've had several colonoscopies and endoscopies with the same necessary prep. Each time..." + (show)

I've had 3 others with the same prep. I didn't have gastritis with those. I was diagnosed with gastritis in July of 2024 with an endoscopy. I have bad anxiety and l think my nerves get the best of me. I decided to call the doctor and spoke with his medical assistant. She said it has nothing to do with colonscopy as it came out good other then finding a very small diverticulosis area. My concern after Googling to much is reading about perforated colon. She told me with that the pain so very bad that you can't stand up. I think my anxiety isn't helping either. I've gone through 3 colonscopy before this and my anxiety didn't get so bad. Maybe it's getting older. I don't know.