I am having a diagnostic colonoscopy next week...

[Contrary1]

I got my instructions in the mail today. I freaked when I saw the prescription for the pre-exam cocktail was for 4 liters! I have to drink 8 ounces of the stuff every 15 minutes until it's gone.

I guess the good news (?) is that it comes with 5 different flavor packets... orange, lemon-lime, cherry, pineapple, and citrus-berry. Geez, no margarita?

Yuck.

Is there anybody out there who has had one of these tests that can clue me in on what to expect?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

1. My mom says they're no fun.

Sorry I can't offer more than that.

I turn 49 this year. My grandma died after her colon cancer spread to her liver. My doc says I need to start having them when I'm 50.

I plan to stay 49 for awhile.

Good luck! :hug::hurts::hug:

[Skittles]

3. GOG you get yo' ass to the doc PROMPTLY when you turn 50

or I WILL be kicking it, you hear? I am 50 and have a physical next week; I'm sure the suggestion will come up and now I'll be thinking, well, if I'm harping on Goddess I better not be a hypocrite about it myself, ya know?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

15. Uh oh!

I'd better not mess with Skittles!

:toast:

[bluethruandthru]

26. Get the test now!

My Dr. recommends earlier than 50 if there's a family history. I had one earlier this year and it wasn't bad at all. I had two friends..both female and both under 50 get colon cancer. One didn't make it. Go now!

[Breeze54]

2. I did but it was due to gall bladder attacks and

they were looking for the reason. I chose the Lemon-Lime drink! :P
I had explosive (you know what) afterwards and cramps but I was OK.
They said they didn't find any problems. I had given birth a few weeks
before the attacks began and I was rushed to the ER by ambulance 12 times!!
The procedure was uncomfortable but not that bad. Fear not.
The dentist is worse, in my book. ;)

[BrotherBuzz]

4. The actual colonoscopy is a piece of cake compared to the prep

Just go with the flow during the exam. The drugs they administer during the procedure are actually kinda cool, and you will remember nothing of it, if you choose to.

[Breeze54]

6. What drugs? They're supposed to give you drugs??

:wtf:

Those bastids!!! :grr:

[begin_within]

8. A sedative or two

Fentanyl is one, I think.

[BrotherBuzz]

10. They are mild, but very effective drugs

As I said, go with the flow and enjoy the procedure. Wish I could say the same for the gallon of foul tasting Tri-Lite™ you have to drink.

[Breeze54]

11. Enjoy the procedure?? WTF??

Well, I wouldn't know about the drugs!

They didn't give me any! :grr:

Damn!!! :rofl:

[begin_within]

5. You can get one called MoviPrep that's only 2 liters instead of 4.

Ask your doctor if you can change it to MoviPrep. You might want to check to see if it's covered on your prescription plan, as it costs about $60 if it is not covered.

Whichever one you use, plan to spend the whole day in or near the bathroom. You'll have diarrhea for about 6 to 8 hours or longer. You won't be able to go anywhere because you will need to stay near a toilet. You might want to have someone close to you to get what you need, etc. during this time. The actual colonoscopy is much easier than the preparation.

[qdemn7]

7. Been through it twice...

Do not eat anything substantial before you have to start drinking the "cocktail". Whatever goes in, has to come out. One time they did it for me I was in overnight and they fed me before hand, sort of pointless. The second time they did it as an outpatient. In the morning out by afternoon. I drank the stuff at home.

Make SURE the stuff is chilled, it tastes bad enough cold, warm it's horrible. It sort of tastes like "bad" alka-selter.

If you have a sensitive anus get some baby wipes.

They may give a final enema AFTER the cocktail and before the procedure.

When you get ready to have the procedure, the MD may ask you if you want to stay awake through the procedure or got to sleep. I choose sleep both times.

Unless they find anything, ie polyps, requiring removal, there is no pain or bleeding.

Afterwards it's back to a normal life. May take you a couple of days to have a bowel movement, depending on what and how much you eat.

[TreasonousBastard]

9. Had it done twice, and the night before...

is hell with that crap. No flavor is good, but I think the pineapple is the worst-- got that from the VA, and probably because it was all that was left after the other hospitals hit the warehouse. They tell you not to mix it with gin.

You get VERY HUNGRY, but the last quart of that shit is tough to get down. Pretend it's gravy, if you can.

The worst part was when I got to the hospital and got hit with the aroma of free donuts and coffee the VFW had by the front door. FREE! But you can't have one.

The procedure itself is no big deal, and they might put you out, or just sedate you a bit. Either way there's no pain involved and the worst thing is a little bloating from the air they pump in to inflate the colon. (You're so cleaned out, though, that your farts don't smell.)

If you're lucky, you'll be mostly awake and watch it on the TV. The high point with mine was when I saw a piece of mushroom I ate two days earlier that was just sitting there.

They were not amused when I asked for the tape.

[cynatnite]

12. Geez, I can well imagine the conversations at your house after showing it...

:rofl:

[Contrary1]

14. Hahahaha...

Maybe I can sneak a fart bomb into the exam room, just to speed them up a bit.

[cynatnite]

16. Nope, won't happen...

Gas may escape during the procedure, but the smell won't be with it. :)

[petronius]

18. You will definitely be delivering fart bombs in the recovery room,

it's pretty funny as you wake up...

Seriously, the procedure, and the prep (IMO), is no big deal. When I was prepping, I just sat on the toilet with a wireless laptop for a few hours - it was actually more pleasant than DUing from the couch and having to get up for the bathroom every couple of hours. ;)

Just make sure you have some nice soft TP, or even those pre-moistened wipey things. Also, you may be allowed to eat gummy bears or something similar during the fasting period - check with your doctor..

Good luck!

[doc03]

13. I'm getting mine on the 17th.

[SoCalDemGrrl]

17. I had one in December '05 -the prep is hell but I'm glad I did it

because a neighbor of mine died from colon cancer. She was only 49.
we were at a neighborhood party during the time she was receiving treatment
and she said to me "please do me a favor and get a colonoscopy". I did follow her advice
and thank God everything was OK,
but she died 6 months later.

Very sad.

Anyone over 50 or with symptoms should get it done.

I would highly recommend getting put under, and during the
prep don't wear any underclothes, pajamas, designer jeans, etc.
that cant get stained because you might have an "accident".


:blush: :blush:

[Adsos Letter]

19. Drink the stuff cold...

...and, if it goes like mine did, you won't be aware of much of anything after the drugs hit.

Important to get these tests done, though we balk at it.

[Katina]

20. as you've seen, the best advice is the baby wipes or wet wipes with aloe

you're going to need them from the prep. Also try to eat a more bland diet and low fat food for a couple of days before prep, definately avoid high acid foods like tomatoes, sauerkraut or citris fruit. The procedure is over before you know it and it't the right thing to do for your health.
Good luck & bottoms up! (pun intended) :beer:

[LeftyFingerPop]

21. I've had 2 of them, and here's my advice...

1) As you have read, the prep is the hardest part. The colonoscopy itself is very very easy.

2) Drink the stuff chilled, through a straw, small but frequent sips. It's not horribly bad...it doesn't taste the best, but you will be able to get it down.

3) Sit on the toilet while you are drinking it...just get it done and over with and don't think about it, just do it. You will poop your brains out, but then the prep is all over, and you can relax and look forward to the good drugs they will give you during the procedure.

4) The second one is much easier, because you know what to expect, and you realize it's really not too big of a deal.

5) Good luck, and congratulations for taking care of yourself.

[NewWaveChick1981]

22. Had my baseline colonoscopy when I was 40.

My mother is a colon cancer survivor (ten years now! :woohoo:), and my dr. recommended my first one at age 40. Had to drink the nasty stuff, and no matter how it's flavored, it's gross. But if you down it quickly, it's not as bad. Stay near the bathroom since the "cocktail" is designed to clean you out. :)

The colonoscopy itself is no big deal compared to the prep. I hope everything turns out well for you. :hug:

[Deep13]

23. Having the same thing in two weeks.

They are giving me an intraveneous sedative so I will be in la-la land.

[readermostly]

24. I've had Crohn's Disease for over 20 years, so I've had lots of these.

The one in April showed dysplasia, so they repeated it again recently, and I'm waiting for the results to see if I will need extensive surgery.

The colonoscopy is pretty much a breeze, due to the anesthsia. The prep is no fun, though. Just stay close to the potty after the first hour of drinking the stuff. LOL I used the orange package the last time, and the taste wasn't so bad.

Wishing you much luck with your procedure next week. The best part is that it will be over with, and you can eat again right away.

[Contrary1]

25. Thanks for the advice.

I hope your results come out good or negative, or whatever word they use to indicate that no surgery is required.

I have had a couple of mild symptoms of something or other, and my GP pushed for the diagnostic rather than the screening. He assured me that he suspected nothing serious, but I'm not sure I buy that.

A friend did point out to me last night that they most likely scheduled me quickly because I have had cancer. That may be all it is.

Anyway...time will tell.

Good luck to you too. :hug:

[Hell Hath No Fury]

27. Had one done last year...

for a suspected cancer check.

The prep sucks. Make sure you stay near the bathroom once you get going with it. I had a small bottle of something that I put into a large glass of water, followed by the gallon of cherry flavored stuff. I had fasted for two days prior to the proceedure, so by the time I got through half of the cherry stuff, I was already completely cleaned out. (My instructions said either finish the gallon or stop if you are passing nothing but clear "water".)

For the scoping itself, I went in at 9:00am, and had my vitals taken and a IV line inserted into the back of my hand for the drugs they were going to give me. Once inside the examination room, I received Demerol (a painkiller) and Fentadyne (?) (a kind of waking anesthesia that generally gives you amnesia about the proceedure) in my IV line. I was VERY relaxed and drifted off just as the proceedure began. I did have some pain when they were going around the big curve of the colon -- a nurse stands next to you and presses down on your abdomen to help guide the scope around the bend. I "woke up" at that time and told them it was hurting and they gave me a little hit of the IV cocktail and I drifted off again. I have what they call a redundent colon -- lots of extra footage that twists this way and that -- so it took a very long time for them to reach the end where it meets the small intestine. By that time, I had again woken up and was watching the monitor as they tok a small biopsy of some suspicious cells. I stayed aware for the remainder of the time, and was cleaned up and returned to the staging area to recover.

For the remainder of the day I was a little out of it -- if I had been smart, I would have just gone home and slept it off instead of trying to do anything. I was ravenous after the proceedure and ate like a pig as soon as I could. My tummy was okay with it, in spite of the drugs I'd had.

All in all I was completely comfortable with what had happened and had a good experience. The outcome was an okay one -- no cancer, but the slight possibility I could be looking at Crohn's in the future.

Make sure to ask them about what drugs they are going to give you -- and make sure it is a painkiller and the anesthesia. I've heard some stories about doctors using only the anesthesia and counting on the memory loss it can cause for you to forget you were in such pain.

I hope yours is as painfree and unremarkable as mine was. You'll do just fine! :hi:

On edit: I read a few posts up thread that reminded me of two important points. If you are at all older or have any sort of weakness or illness, I would recommend having someone near you when doing the preop -- it can take a LOT out of you, in more ways than one. When my 75 year old Mom had hers done, it wiped her out completely -- luckily I was there to help her with changing her nightgown and gettinmg in and out of the bathroom. Also, about the TP situation -- when prepping for a prior barium x-ray, my ass got seriously chapped and downright painful from all the pooping, even with using baby wipes. So when I prepped for the colonoscopy, I used paper for a bit and then just hung my ass over the edge of the tub and used the hand-held shower sprayer to rinse myself off. (Where's a bidet when you need one!) I worked like a charm and I had zero butt chapping. :)