Thank you, everyone, for the kind responses. I appreciate them. Still waiting to schedule the next step.
Bumping up this thread to share this article from todayâs NY Times â basically focused on wider use of the FIT test for individuals who are not at high risk:
Key points:
-
Health care systems like Kaiser Permanente and VHA are now mailing out FIT tests to patients, rather than colonoscopy screening reminders
-
US Preventative Services Task Force will likely update its guidelines this year to lower the age of routine screening for colon cancer to age 45
-
A study found that Cologuard home testing was less effective than most other methods as well as being much more expensive than FIT
From that page:
My update: about a month after my first colonoscopy, I got one of the test kits in the mail from my insurance company. I just tossed it.
I did make it in for the second colonoscopy, to remove the polyp on the appendiceal orifice. The doctor couldnât take it out in one piece, so I get to go back yet again, in May (a third colonoscopy within 12 months!), to make sure it is all gone. But the biopsy showed that the pieces that were removed were still precancerous, so that was good news.
A tangential note: my insurance wouldnât pay for Suprep again so soon, so I tried Golytely. Letâs just say that I think I would pay out of pocket to use Suprep again.
1 Like
Has anyone used Sutab for prep instead of the more traditional Suprep?
I have my first colonoscopy in a couple of weeks and the doctorâs office is trying Sutab for the first time when I am scheduled. I do not do well drinking yucky stuff so having the prep in a pill form sounds much better.
Sutab was only approved by the FDA in November.
While you donât have to drink the foul tasting prep, you still have a good amount of water to drink. If you are good with water, it might be a nice option for you. I donât know the pill size, but remember with the old pill prep, people said the pills were quit large and swallowing so many in a short period was difficult.
Water wonât be a huge problem. I am used to drinking almost 70 ounces over 2 hours when I play pickleball. Hopefully everything will go smoothly.
1 Like
Gastroenterologists âsuggestâ screening starting at age 45 (versus the stronger ârecommendâ starting at age 50), ârecommendâ colonoscopy or FIT, and âsuggestâ other screening methods if colonoscopy or FIT is refused or not suitable:
Just finished my colonoscopy and used Sutab. Worked very well. Yes, you have to drink a lot but it sure beats drinking the salty slime that I had to use before. It still takes effort and yesterday was a long day but Iâm good for a while. Glad itâs behind me, literally.
4 Likes
Here we go:
https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/18/health/colorectal-cancer-screening-45-wellness/index.html
2 Likes
USPSTF page here:
https://www.uspreventiveservicestaskforce.org/uspstf/recommendation/colorectal-cancer-screening
- A grade: The USPSTF recommends screening for colorectal cancer in all adults aged 50 to 75 years.
- B grade: The USPSTF recommends screening for colorectal cancer in adults aged 45 to 49 years.
- C grade: The USPSTF recommends that clinicians selectively offer screening for colorectal cancer in adults aged 76 to 85 years. Evidence indicates that the net benefit of screening all persons in this age group is small. In determining whether this service is appropriate in individual cases, patients and clinicians should consider the patientâs overall health, prior screening history, and preferences.
Included is a discussion about various screening methods.
I have been doing Cologard and after reading this, may check into doing FIT as well, each year in between, even if I have to pay.
I have been avoiding colonoscopies because I am allergic to polyethylene glycol (not all preps have this but most do) and the one time I did prep years ago for a sigmoidoscopy, I had constant low blood sugars severe enough that I could not drive.
Maybe I should consider one of the preps that donât have polyethylene glycol. I will talk to my doctor about a FIT in between Cologard. Thanks to this thread for the info.
2 Likes
FIT is relatively inexpensive, so it may be worth considering yearly, whether or not you do any other screening with multi year intervals.
But note that if FIT or FIT-DNA (Cologuard) finds something, a colonoscopy is indicated, so you would need to find a non-PEG prep in that case.
1 Like
And I would have to stay away from any carbs, including juices and jello etc. due to the blood sugar issue.
Chicken broth worked magic for me. No blood sugar issues for me, I just hate sweet liquid stuff with a passion. 
2 Likes
Great idea!
1 Like
Make sure it is clear and does not have any solids, and you will be fine! I made my own and filtered it through cheesecloth. No issues and no complaints from my doc.
1 Like
Just a heads up - i drink a lot of coffee w/milk. Donât like black. So on colonoscopy prep days had no coffee. Crushing migraine from caffeine withdrawal by afternoon (throwing up, etc.). So just a tip to keep up your regular caffeine dose during prep day - donât need anything else to make it even worse! lol
1 Like
I had my first colonoscopy last year. The gastroenterologist who was overseeing the procedure, which was actually being done by a couple of gastro fellows, was saying FIT tests were useless.
Not sure I would trust GI surgeons on this, since FIT and Cologard both affect their practices. So I looked up some studies. One in the Jama Network Diagnostic Accuracy of Fecal Immunochemical Test in Patients at Increased Risk for Colorectal Cancer: A Meta-analysis | Cancer Screening, Prevention, Control | JAMA Internal Medicine | JAMA Network
This site also had good things to say about annual FIT FIT Beats All Other Screening for Effectiveness and Cost | Fight Colorectal Cancer
Regardless, having an annual FIT between Cologardâs is better than nothing at all and better than Cologard alone. I am not going to have a colonoscopy unless I really need to for reasons stated above, so adding an annual FIT is a net positive for me.