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AWAKE for colonoscopy

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Crohn's Disease
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Posted 1/13/2009 10:20 PM (GMT 0)
I've had several scopes through the years, but the first one was the most memorable. This was before we found out that I had Crohn's so I was running through ALL the tests. Therefore, I had a liquid diet on Saturday, chugged a gallon of Golytely on Sunday for the procedure on Monday, which didn't work. For this scope, the nurse was injecting the meds into my IV the /same/ time the doctor was going in. Yeah, I felt everything. shocked I was clutching the sides of the gurney, biting my lip, crying and NOT having a good time of it. I distinctly remember the dr. saying, "It's not that bad, they're aren't any nerve endings, I don't know what your problem is." And then she stopped rooting around and said, "You're too swollen, even with the child probe I can't get in there or I might perforate your bowel." So, we'll send you off till tomorrow for the small bowel series (Tuesday) and the barium enema (Wednesday). But, she left me blown up with the gas, and since I couldn't eat anything, I couldn't stand up right. So painful. I went home and cried. In fact, at one point I asked my wife to go find a straw to stuff up my backside so I could get the gas out. I didn't actually do that, but I seriously thought about it. I was bent double with the gas pain. Then came the next two days of fun, and then I snapped, said I wasn't doing any more tests and went to get something to eat. shocked 5 days of no food and pain makes me cranky.

Every other one has been completely knocked out. I refuse to do anything else. I did have a different gastro who wanted a good look from top to bottom, and I did come too briefly when they were stuffing the camera down my throat but went back under.
Posted 1/13/2009 11:56 PM (GMT 0)
If you wake up with versed and fentanyl, the best thing to insist on is profofol. The only draw back with this, is, they need
an anesthesiologist to give it... So when booking a scope make sure you ask for profofol (white sleepy stuff I call it) then
they can make sure the correct staff are there. Or should be!!! At my last scope, they told me they could'nt find a free
anesthesiologist to do it, so, rather than go back another day, and prep another day, I allowed them to do it with Versed
even though they know, and I know that I'm resistant to it. Shall I just leave it by saying, it will never happen again....
I've gone through that too many times now. That's why I ask for profofol, it works so well. In this day and age, no-one
should have to suffer pain....
Posted 1/14/2009 3:20 PM (GMT 0)
i think that this happens to a lot of us- it is not just the scope, it is the air that they use- it is too much for our aching little intestines
Posted 2/6/2011 11:12 PM (GMT 0)
How could a doctor performing a colonoscopy not tell a patient that he or she had an option of either being awoke or asleep during the procedure?

I had mine in 2008 and it took me weeks to get over the experience. Even today as I sit here taking about it, I still feel like I was trreated wrongly. Both the nurse (helping the doctor with the procedure) and the doctor had to calm me down, console me, convince me, hold my hand, while pinning me to the table after a minute into the procedure. After five minutes had pass, I started pushing equipment out of the way trying to get to my feet. I will never, ever have that done again while awake, nobody should. If I discover that my colonoscopy was done deliberately with no meds and while awake, I'll sue Silver Spring's Holy Cross Hospital.

 After the female doctor was done she said; you should have this procedure done every five or so years, to which I replied; I hope you're not offended but,  you don't have to worry about me ever having this procedure again. Nobody should be subjected to that kind of pain.

Never again unless I'm put to "sleep."

 

Posted 2/7/2011 12:56 AM (GMT 0)
In my first colonoscopy it felt like the pain medications didn't do anything.  I was screaming at the doctor to stop, and crying because when you say stop and the person doesn't, it's really not metaphorical to say it's like a rape....    she just said that it was the drugs that were making me cry and I wouldn't remember it.  But I did.

I switched doctors. 

I actually have a reasonably high pain threshold and have had the flex sigs a few times w/out meds, but the last few (just had my 8th), they've done the drugs really well, and I've been able to watch, but without any pain.

Now I always say beforehand that if I ask to stop or slow down, I mean it, and otherwise I will freak out a lot.  Has not been a problem since.

Sorry you had such a bad experience.  Clearly it's not so rare....  that's very distressing.

Posted 2/7/2011 1:29 AM (GMT 0)
I had one...ONE without anesthesia and I have never gotten so close to punching a doctor in my life. That is just cruel. It is exactly like rape. I was crying and screaming and finally I just pulled it out myself and told her to go to hell. I left and never went back.
Posted 2/7/2011 4:12 AM (GMT 0)
I have had about 8 colonoscopies since 1994.

The first was attempted by a GP, with a tablet for sedation. It failed because I was an uncooperative patient, he said, and would not just deal with the pain and behave!

He referred me to another Dr., an internist, who brought me into the hospital. He thought I was sedated properly and started the procedure. I can't say I woke up but I "surfaced" and heard what was going on but was unaware of any pain. When I told my doctor that I had awakened he said I was probably dreaming until I told him what I heard. Then he believed me, and from that point on he made sure I was well sedated.
My last four or five scopes have been done with Propofol and I am completely unaware of what's going on. I feel pretty good afterwards except a tiny bit loopy.

I recommend anyone having this procedure to opt for Propofol and not to be too tense or worried.

I hope no one ever goes through this in pain again.
Posted 2/7/2011 5:10 AM (GMT 0)
ive had 3 colonoscopys, and the only problem i had with 2 of them was that couldnt urinate after i woke up from the procedure even though i really had to go. they had to feed a tube up to my bladder to drain it, which by the way is very unpleasant. so maybe those 2 times they used a real strong seditive on me.
Posted 2/7/2011 5:31 AM (GMT 0)
My Father just went through a colonoscopy a few months ago and he woke up during it. Told me he wasn't in any pain but he did feel the scope inside him. He remembers saying something to the doctor and going right back out afterwards.

Yeah...I'm set to have a colonoscopy soon....I REALLY should not have read any of these stories. Freaking out a bit now!
Posted 2/7/2011 5:34 AM (GMT 0)

I’ve had 2 colonoscopies. The first I was completely ‘knocked out’ for and didn’t know what was what until I woke up.

 

My last was a few months ago, and I was semi-conscious. I admit I was scared, because I wasn’t aware I would be half-awake, and was only informed 5 minutes prior to the procedure. But I trust my GI 110% so I knew he was doing the right thing. I woke up half way through, and was conscious enough to talk to him about what I could see on the screen. I also watched him cut out two very large polyps. I could feel what was going on, and it hurt a little, but not intensely. I know if I’d been freaking out about it it would have only made matters worse. I was grateful to be able to put ‘a face to the name’ of my insides. The experience was great, and took a lot of the mystery out of my crohn’s, since I could see what it actually looks like in there (I had been wondering for so many years). Also, my anaesthetist was sitting right beside me, and he kept saying ‘if you would like to go back to sleep, just let me know’. I was happy to stay awake for a while, but he popped me back under before the procedure was complete.

 

Posted 2/7/2011 2:21 PM (GMT 0)
Guys I am going to lock this post down. 1) Its a really old post and 2) its over the limit of posts. Thanks for your understanding and you are free to start a new post.
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