Dysautonomia and Procedure involving Sedation

shirljk,
I never have anesthesia for colonoscopies. You have to ask ahead, but many doctors will oblige. It is a little uncomfortable, but much better than wasting a whole day recovering. It is also more interesting. I always get the full tour, watching the screen and asking questions. I've watched them hot flare and cold flare polyps, with no sensation. The discomfort is when they move the probe into the small intestine. You can have Fentanyl, if you want it. I don't know how great, or if there is a risk in using cologuard instead, But I can say from experience about GI cancer, don't risk it. I recommend the tour.

Yes, many years ago I had a colonoscopy like that, and I got to watch while just lightly sedated. I actually found it rather interesting and entertaining (no doubt the light sedation enhanced that).
I had one about a year ago, and that time I was pretty much "out", not remembering anything. Disappointing, LOL.
The takeaway here is, I think, that you can request to have the lighter sedation of you're nervous about something heavier, and it really shouldn't be painful at all.
Really, the worst thing about the procedure is the prep--having to drink all that nasty bowel cleanser.

sanDGuy,
I have to agree about the prep. But would add that you don't have to have any sedation at all. So you don't even have an anesthesiologist. And the gastroenterologist has to be a little more gentle. I'm not nervous about anesthesia. I just don't want to waste a whole day on a thirty minute procedure. I've had the upper endoscopy without anything. It''s a less than five minute procedure. I'll never have it with anesthesia, but I don't recommend it because you feel like you are choking.

Thank you for your input. Very helpful for me to make my decision.

Thank you!

Work with the anesthesiologist if you can, it has been reported that having a colonoscopy and cleansing has helped people with healing from long covid, as you are eliminating many of the strands of covid that thrive in the gut. They are actually testing doing fecal transplants to cure long covid. It seems everything starts with the gut, and completely eliminating everything in the gut and introducing balance and healthy flora helps cure long covid. Plus you MUST make sure you do not have colon cancer! There has to be a way. I have experienced a colonoscopy where they obviously did not give me enough sedation, and I was awake the whole time watching the process on the doctor's screen and felt everything, you can survive a colonoscopy without anesthesia. Ask about that as well.

I had a colonoscopy once and it was a good experience (not the cleaning part pain). It was some kind of light sedation. I felt suspended in a dark room. I felt nothing except a little cramping three times. I saw nothing and heard nothing except during the third time, I heard the doctor say, "give her a little more." And that was it. I did not remember feeling groggy afterwards.

I’m not an expert, but I actually had 18” of my colon removed due to severe diverticulitis. You don’t want that, so have the procedure without anesthesia. You need to set that up with your gastro doctor ahead of time. It’s not a painful procedure, so I think you’ll be fine. You could probably just take some Valium or something to keep you calm. Don’t skip the colonoscopy, it could save your life. Cologuard is only on occasion or possibly every other time you have a colonoscopy if you don’t have many polyps, but I would definitely have that colonoscopy. I wish you well!

I also have problems with anesthesia so years ago (when I was 55). I had both an Upper AND Lower Endoscopy done at the same time and was fully conscious. They gave me some pain medicine and a mild relaxer. The lower colonoscopy was a breeze and the upper was uncomfortable but tolerable. Best wishes!