I’ve had them and so has H…it wasn’t bad, but the whole prep solution tasted awful and of course the whole “getting it all out” is very messy. Whoever is getting a colonoscopy gets full dibs of the guest bathroom…we learned that the hard way, when D was using the guest bathroom to get ready and H was on the couch in the living room and had to go…he practically broke down the door to the bathroom, startled D as he came bursting in…so if you can, set aside a designated restroom.
Also, keep the bathroom well stocked with wipes and toilet paper. The first time I had a colonoscopy I had to shout for one of my kids to bring me more toilet paper.
If you’re using wet wipes: make sure they’re flushable. The last thing you want to deal with while prepping for a colonoscopy is a clogged toilet.
My gastroenterologist loves telling his colonoscopy story. He was running to the bathroom and tripped…he wasn’t hurt, but let’s just say he didn’t get to the bathroom on time and it got messy. But, he said his wife was a real saint with the cleanup…
Needless to say his grandkids love this story…
My BIL who has a wonderful sense of humor says his prep was like Tchaikovsky’s 1812 overture (the part with the cannons)…my son who was still pretty young at the time didn’t know what he meant. So I played the cannon part for him and he was falling over laughing. He was at the prime toilet humor target age…
Normal polyps, no. You wouldn’t even know they did it except they tell you and give you pretty pictures in a lab report.
However, H had a large polyp - more like a tumor - removed. It was 2.5" big. There wasn’t any pain involved, but he did pass a fair amount of blood throughout the day. (think of a normal menstrual day for a woman each month) The doctor said for him it was to be expected because of the location of the mass. I think if it had been higher up, it wouldn’t have been as much. Also note that H’s mass is NOT common. It would have been cancer had he waited 6 months, though he never had any symptoms
There is absolutely no pain afterwards. Potential for bleeding exists if the polyp was very large or blood thinners were not discontinued. For most people, there is zero discomfort associated with the actual procedure, unless you are awake during it, and even that varies person to person.
ETA: I should clarify that there is absolutely no pain associated with polyp removal. If the colon was ruptured, hemmoroids irritated, or other unrelated complication, the patient could certainly experience pain.
No pain when they removed the pre-cancerous polyp they found at my first screening a few weeks after I turned 50 (the recommended age then). If it were me, I would go for the colonoscopy ASAP. To get it over with as well as for the peace of mind. I had no family history and no risk factor, and I’m so glad I went. I have an online running friend who was diagnosed with late Stage III colon cancer at 45.
@prezbucky - you already have good answers on the pain question (none at all, at least if small), but on the “flushable” wipes - around here we’ve been psa’d to death to drive home the fact that even if it says “flushable”, DO NOT flush the wipes! Your septic tank or city sewer system will thank you.
And having recently gone through it, IMO the worst part was not the prep itself but the lack of sleep due to the timing of everything. I think my Fitbit said my longest actual sleep was just about an hour, right before it was time to get up.
I had the Miralax/Ducolax prep (if you google it, you’ll see the info sheet from pretty much every major medical center so you can compare the tricks & tips). Since I’m not normally a Gatorade drinker (the recommended liquid), I did a trial run a few days before with a single dose of Miralax. Just so I didn’t get any nasty surprises when it came to the real thing. Couldn’t taste it at all!
I read that most people in Europe don’t use a sedative when undergoing colonoscopy, so I didn’t either. That seemed to shock the doctors and nurses, but they let me go ahead without it. It was perfectly fine except at the end when I could feel the scope poking around near the inside of my waist for a minute or two at the end of the procedure. I won’t use a sedative next time, either.
Well I still remember being out for my colonoscopy ten years ago and feeling it was the best sleep with wonderful dreams. So I will do that again when I have my next one this year.
In my experience (10 years at an Endoscopy Center as a RN), it’s kind of 50/50. I’ve had patients refuse sedation and do the procedure just fine and dandy. I’ve had patients come out of that saying “Don’te EVER let me do that again!” And another group of patients mid-procedure saying “Oh hell no, I’ve changed my mind. Give me something!”
My facility was ok with someone choosing to go without sedation. But everyone was required to get an IV placed. Reason being, a)in the event of an emergency, we can adminster life-saving medications, and b)if someone changes their minds, propofol can be given IV with immediate results.
I’ve seen every possible situation. In ten years, you see it all. It’s one of the few areas of life that I can say I definitely know more than the average person. And yet, people with zero training/education/experience will try to tell me that based on their one experience, they know more than doctors and nurses. Sigh…
Yes, I remember they had an IV in my hand and told me it was in case I changed my mind about the sedative. I don’t remember them saying anything about a life threatening situation!
I went without the sedative (10 years ago) and chose the same the second go around. Talked my dad into it also. We both were fine. I was required to get the IV and I think they had the anesthesiologist in the room. Got a bill for the sedative and had to call to state I didn’t get sedated and they wiped the charge. The charge for the sedative would have been 5x the cost of the procedure itself.
Definitely felt a bit of tug and a bit of pull at times, but nothing beyond mild discomfort. I was able to walk out and drive myself home immediately after the procedure.
My doctor said after the first (for which I was out) that I should always elect to be out. Apparently, I have a couple of sharp twists and turns which would be very uncomfortable/painful. I suspect this is part of the reason people have such different experiences.
Our GE clinic requires a designated driver no matter what. What if sedation becomes a necessity during the procedure? It is a non-negotiable, just like the IV line.
Like mainelonghorn, I’ve known several people under age 50 diagnosed w/late stage colon cancer - note: these were very healthy runners. My opininon - if given the option to get the test earlier, I’d do it. The discomfort of a colonoscopy prep is NOTHING compared to the discomfort of 6 months of chemo.
