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Colonoscopy Prep is pure torture!

True Savior said:
You can't eat for 24 hours? Whaaat?
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This for me was the way worse part than the "cleaning out", all you can have is basically Jello and after your 5th cup that day, it's not satisfying or filling anymore.

Two tips that make this process so much easier to manage:

1) Your cleansing is only as bad as you make it, aka don't eat like it's your last meal the day before otherwise you will just have that much more to get out of you. Definitely don't go overboard on dinner and the less snacking, the better.

2) Schedule your appointment as early in the morning as possible!! Yeah this might be obvious to most, but the day of (at least if you're going under anesthesia) you cannot have anything at all save for a few sips of water at most.
 
Lord Morairty007 said:
I am only 2 cups of 8 oz.in. Am I doing this right by chugging it?

I'm only 25 years old and this is one of the most unpleasant things I have ever gone through.

tenor.gif
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Yeah, I hated the prep for both of mine, left me in a state for weeks. The side effects of the liquids you take can really mess you up a lot more than the procedure itself. The procedure is slightly uncomfortable, especially as the camera moves around inside. I'd imagine it would be pretty torturous without all the anaesthetics.


With that said, having a camera down the throat was the single worst experience.
 
I was also 25 when I did this. The taste was the worst part, so bad that after about 8 glasses going into the 9th I projectile vomited for the first time in my life at least 2 glasses of it. The shitting part wasn't that bad it didnt hurt just sat there pissing shit out of my ass for like 7 hours.

Mousnis said:
Is it though?
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Yep, they give you the shit that killed Michael Jackson, and you wake up and its done.

True Savior said:
You can't eat for 24 hours? Whaaat?
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No solid foods for the 2 days before the procedure, Only water, broth, or jelly.
 
I had it done 3x last year; i was 25 as well. Got diagnosed with ulcerative colitis :(

I have to get one done every year now.
 
I had one about two years ago or three. I was either 20 or 21. I screwed up the prep and drank it all for nothing. And also, the second time I couldnÂ’t eat all day :(
 
Yeah, it's pretty bad. My mom had to do it recently and it actually touched off a cascade of problems. But... while looking up if there were alternatives, apparently someone's working on "food bars" you eat in lieu of the fasting and drinking. Hopefully those make it to market soon.
 
yagal said:
I rather have 10 colonoscopies than one gastroscopy.
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I did one with just some shitty spray on my tongue (I had the flu and they didnt want to give me any kind of sedative). It was something else.

JustSurvive said:
This for me was the way worse part than the "cleaning out", all you can have is basically Jello and after your 5th cup that day, it's not satisfying or filling anymore.
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Aren't most surgeries 8-12 hours though (fasting)? Cause of the anesthesia. I did a few already and never needed 24 hours. Or is it the poop?
 
What's the prep? Making you chug an ungodly amount of some nasty substance?
What's the usual procedure, all I know is they put you to sleep and shove roto rooter up you that blasts you with air leaving you with mean farts for a few days or something.
 
The prep was easy. I can go a day without food every now and then, especially if I have Gatorade.

Unfortunately I ended up getting extremely sick after my colonoscopy and had to say in the ICU for a few days. Somehow bacteria got through my intestinal wall.
 
I have one coming up in October to see if I have any reoccurrence of ulcers due to Crohns a year after surgery. Good luck OP.
 
studyguy said:
What's the prep? Making you chug an ungodly amount of some nasty substance?
What's the usual procedure, all I know is they put you to sleep and shove roto rooter up you that blasts you with air leaving you with mean farts for a few days or something.
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The prep is a lemon-limey flavored jug which make you a human poop jet. You get to catch up on Netflix or reading, because quite frankly, if you leave, you're just gonna come back in 15 minutes.

As far as the procedure, what I remember of it, was, probably my GI retracting the scope, but I'm pretty sure he was trying to pull off a Tiger Knee with that joystick looking thing.
 
Mousnis said:
Is it though?
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Stupid easy. I was having severe unknown cramping in my colon and did 2 weeks of multiple flushes(at least 4, twice back to back) and a CT scan before the colonscopy was ordered. This was last month.

The ONLY difficult part I found of any of this(besides my pain I was dealing with) was the 24 hour liquid-only diet. Which was really not a big deal at all, just hard to handle when others are eating though.

Honestly, the prep was nothing. Shitty aftertaste for sure, but you flush for several hours and that is about it. I was knocked out for the procedure and less than an hour after I went under I was awake and feeling great. (Though still drowsy from the anesthesia).

Fixed my pain. I wish I went right to the colonoscopy step from the beginning. I would easily do it all over again tomorrow if ordered, it really is nothing.
 
Mousnis said:
Is it though?
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It is. They hit me with some sedatives and/or painkillers about 15 minutes before the procedure which calmed me right down. They wheeled me into the room, and aside from the awkwardness of having a nurse or whatever wipe my butt with alcohol or disinfectant or something, I had a pleasant time talking with the people that would be assisting about Wii Sports bowling. Then the doctor came in, said "Let's get started" and they hit me with the anesthesia. Some time later I spent 20 groggy pain-free minutes in a bed, got dressed, and had my brother take me to get a sandwich. I've had haircuts more unpleasant than the actual procedure.
 
It looks like I might be in for one of these after all, just set up an appointment for Aug 29th with the same Gastro-whatever they're called that has treated both of my parents.

I don't think I'll have a problem with the prep it's just the procedure itself that freaks me out especially cause I have really bad anxiety. Just to be sure, they don't actually pop anything up your ass before they knock you out, right? Even if you're pain-killer'd up? I'm getting knots in my stomach just thinking about it but if I'm asleep before they start putting anything up there then whatever.
 
WordAssassin said:
It looks like I might be in for one of these after all, just set up an appointment for Aug 29th with the same Gastro-whatever they're called that has treated both of my parents.

I don't think I'll have a problem with the prep it's just the procedure itself that freaks me out especially cause I have really bad anxiety. Just to be sure, they don't actually pop anything up your ass before they knock you out, right? Even if you're pain-killer'd up? I'm getting knots in my stomach just thinking about it but if I'm asleep before they start putting anything up there then whatever.
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I was out like a light before anything (other than a wipe) touched my ass. No tube, no enema, just dreamless sleep.
 
Hazmat said:
I was out like a light before anything (other than a wipe) touched my ass. No tube, no enema, just dreamless sleep.
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That is extremely reassuring, thank you!

And thanks again to everyone else who's been sharing their experiences, it's helping calm my nerves a lot (that's how stupid my anxiety is - I merely have an appointment to asses if I need a colonoscopy and yet I'm already stressing out)
 
WordAssassin said:
That is extremely reassuring, thank you!

And thanks again to everyone else who's been sharing their experiences, it's helping calm my nerves a lot (that's how stupid my anxiety is - I merely have an appointment to asses if I need a colonoscopy and yet I'm already stressing out)
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I woke up half way through mine as they were turning a corner... It was painful.
 
I had one done while I was living in Japan. Turns out they don't knock you out. I was awake the whole time. Same thing for an endoscopy, which I also had done. Yep, not fun. Not fun at all. But it was cheep so...yeah. I now know what tentacle rape feels like.
 
WordAssassin said:
That is extremely reassuring, thank you!

And thanks again to everyone else who's been sharing their experiences, it's helping calm my nerves a lot (that's how stupid my anxiety is - I merely have an appointment to asses if I need a colonoscopy and yet I'm already stressing out)
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Glad I could I help! I was a a basket case before mine (at 24). Two things on the day calmed me down:

1. I asked one of the nurses in the prep area if they have a lot of complications and she said "Everyone I've seen have a serious complication was very, very sick when they came in here. And you're not."

2. Another nurse came around and said "Hi, I'm the lady with the drugs." I don't know if she gave me a sedative, a painkiller, or both, but it brought me to a nice normal mellow. Not a hint of anxiety after that.
 
Nostremitus said:
I woke up have way through mine as they were turning a corner... It was painful.
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I've had this concern but I've been put under maybe 2-3 times in my life and I've never woken up I don't think, so I'm hopeful this doesn't happen to me. (To be fair though one of those times was for my appendix so I'm pretty sure they do everything possible to keep you asleep for that. The other time was for my wisdom teeth) I'm also relatively sure the problem is in my lower intestine so unless they always check your whole gut out just to be sure I hopefully won't need to be on the table for very long. Unless it's a situation where they find the problem and instead of making me come back for another appointment to fix it, they just fix it right then (assuming it's something simple like a polyp or fissure or tear that they can zap).

Did they put you back under, or did you have to stay awake for the rest of the procedure? I've heard of people waking up but just being in a total drugged out haze, I'd prefer to be put back to sleep though...

Hazmat said:
Glad I could I help! I was a a basket case before mine (at 24). Two things on the day calmed me down:

1. I asked one of the nurses in the prep area if they have a lot of complications and she said "Everyone I've seen have a serious complication was very, very sick when they came in here. And you're not."

2. Another nurse came around and said "Hi, I'm the lady with the drugs." I don't know if she gave me a sedative, a painkiller, or both, but it brought me to a nice normal mellow. Not a hint of anxiety after that.
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Your #1 is the thing that's been keeping me sane right now honestly. My girlfriend looked up what bloody stool that requires immediate medical attention looks like and told me that mine looks nothing at all like it, (she's a saint for looking for me, aside from anxiety I'm also a massive hypochondriac) so I probably have something relatively benign going on in there.
I'm just anxious now that my appointment is ~2 weeks away because my mind goes "you better hope that whatever's wrong doesn't get bad enough to kill you in those next two weeks" but I just need to tell that part of my brain to shut the fuck up. Anxiety fucking sucks, I can't wait to start therapy to get it under control -__-
 
WordAssassin said:
I don't think I'll have a problem with the prep it's just the procedure itself that freaks me out especially cause I have really bad anxiety. Just to be sure, they don't actually pop anything up your ass before they knock you out, right? Even if you're pain-killer'd up? I'm getting knots in my stomach just thinking about it but if I'm asleep before they start putting anything up there then whatever.
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Nah, man. It was a little weird getting wheeled into the room, but the sedative went in the IV (felt a little cold) then I woke up in recovery. I was out that fast.
 
Freezasaurus said:
Nah, man. It was a little weird getting wheeled into the room, but the sedative went in the IV (felt a little cold) then I woke up in recovery. I was out that fast.
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That's how it was for my appendix, they told me to count backwards from 15 or 20 and I remember thinking "I've heard so many people talk about this I'm totally gonna make it to 1" and the next thing I knew I was waking up in recovery.

Steeped in a Sea of Games said:
It could be worse. I have to have a scope shoved up my penis once a year. Your piss burns for days.
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Holy Jesus fuck, PLEASE tell me they numb the fuck out of you and put you under for that?
 
Indrid Cold1 said:
I had a thread about this too OP lmao. I'll link it, I got some funny replies.

Someone told me to get a supply of wet wipes in beforehand, because dry bog roll would chafe your arsehole to hell and back, and that was up there with some of the best advice I've ever had in my life.

http://m.neogaf.com/showthread.php?t=1012951
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Yep, I didn't use wet wipes and that was by far the worst part of the whole experience. Even worse than constantly gagging as I got halfway done with the giant jug of that drink.
 
Ah shit OP, I just had my first (and hopefully last) this past August and the combo og essentially fasting/shitting your guts out is pretty brutal.

At least for the procedure itself, you should be fairly doped up and the first meal you eat after should be pretty cathartic.
 
WordAssassin said:
That's how it was for my appendix, they told me to count backwards from 15 or 20 and I remember thinking "I've heard so many people talk about this I'm totally gonna make it to 1" and the next thing I knew I was waking up in recovery.



Holy Jesus fuck, PLEASE tell me they numb the fuck out of you and put you under for that?
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Nope. They rub a little bit of numbing jelly, but I can always feel everything. The scope is a little wider than a pencil btw. Camera up into the bladder the first time, second time they used an attachment with clippers to cut off a tumor and then cauterized the wound closed with a burning wire. Not fun.
 
I have Crohn's disease and had a colonoscopy last year. The prep was pretty unpleasant, but a day off work munching on jelly babies was alright (as long as they weren't the red ones).

The actual procedure was OK - lots of sedatives and a screen to watch where the camera is going, it's pretty fascinating. Apparently I have some tight corners which made things a little bit uncomfortable, and afterwards you do some wicked farts.

The nurse made me a cup of tea once I'd come down from the sedation, that was nice of her.

Slightly rambling post as I had an operation done today on my complex perianal fistula and I'm still coming down off the general anesthetic. That stuff is pure joy.
 
WordAssassin said:
I've had this concern but I've been put under maybe 2-3 times in my life and I've never woken up I don't think, so I'm hopeful this doesn't happen to me. (To be fair though one of those times was for my appendix so I'm pretty sure they do everything possible to keep you asleep for that. The other time was for my wisdom teeth) I'm also relatively sure the problem is in my lower intestine so unless they always check your whole gut out just to be sure I hopefully won't need to be on the table for very long. Unless it's a situation where they find the problem and instead of making me come back for another appointment to fix it, they just fix it right then (assuming it's something simple like a polyp or fissure or tear that they can zap).

Did they put you back under, or did you have to stay awake for the rest of the procedure? I've heard of people waking up but just being in a total drugged out haze, I'd prefer to be put back to sleep though...



Your #1 is the thing that's been keeping me sane right now honestly. My girlfriend looked up what bloody stool that requires immediate medical attention looks like and told me that mine looks nothing at all like it, (she's a saint for looking for me, aside from anxiety I'm also a massive hypochondriac) so I probably have something relatively benign going on in there.
I'm just anxious now that my appointment is ~2 weeks away because my mind goes "you better hope that whatever's wrong doesn't get bad enough to kill you in those next two weeks" but I just need to tell that part of my brain to shut the fuck up. Anxiety fucking sucks, I can't wait to start therapy to get it under control -__-
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I know what it's like. I waited three weeks for my appointment with my GP-recommended gastroenterologist, and then it was another month until the procedure. I was a wreck, but in retrospect, if they thought I needed immediate care they would have sent me to a hospital, where the turnaround would be a day or so.

You are probably fine. And you're going to have a mildly unpleasant outpatient procedure to confirm that.
 
I had to do it so often that i can tell you that there are huge differences depending on what stuff you get and where you have to do it (different doctors/hospitals = different rules).
 
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