Colonoscopy and Lyme

I had one after symptoms went full blown but before I knew it was from Lyme/co.

The one thing I would do differently next time is with the stuff I had to drink. I was given two bottles - a magnesium citrate solution and another bottle to mix with it that had flavoring in it. If I had understood what it was and that it wasn’t necessary, I would have taken the mag citrate straight and avoided the artificial flavoring.

I did okay the night before, but the next morning when I had to drink the rest of the solution, I drank it too fast and threw up. I won’t drink it so fast next time.

The procedure itself was fine. I was unconscious and had no issues post procedure. I did have diarrhea once the next day after eating lunch and had some soreness in my intestines a couple of days. Compared to all my other symptoms, I don’t remember anything about it being really bad except getting nauseous and throwing up that stuff.

I had my first one a few months ago.
My mom died of colon cancer at age 55.

I was supposed to have my first one I think at 40, but I put it off for several years.

It went well. The prep isn’t as bad as it used to be (apparently)
I think I had to drink 4 - 8 ounce glasses the night before and then again the morning of.

They use Fentanyl to “relax” you.

I was awake at first and was talking to the Dr. Then he told me to stop talking because he needed to concentrate.
It was hurting my tummy (the air they pump into you) so I told him and he then told the nurse to give me more meds and then I was “out” for the rest of the procedure.

He found a polyp - it was not cancer but was the type that would turn into cancer ... so he tattooed the area and will check it out next time.
He told me that he recommends I have another one in 5 years or less.

Szabo246 said...
I had one a few weeks ago, the prep wasn’t too bad, I was given a sedative but found the procedure very painful.

Maybe that was my anxiety, I was a nervous wreck before being taken in.

Felt a bit disorientated there day after and slight soreness that went away in a few days

The pain I experienced was the air they pump into your colon - that’s prob what you experienced too.

Thanks all...this is great info! Best wishes to all!

Sounds like the people who had pain were not put to sleep for the procedure. I was completely out. Went shopping after I left the hospital. I was put to sleep when I had wisdom teeth out, too. Only had pain once after that from forgetting and drinking something with ice in it after being told not to. Seems most people I knew who had pain or complications from wisdom teeth removal were ones who didn’t get put to sleep.

The anesthesia they used for the colonoscopy was nice. No side effects for me. Wisdom teeth was almost 30 years ago. I was laughing and goofy and had spaghetti legs after that.

I dont get the putting to sleep with wisdom teeth complete unnecessary risk. Plus you miss out on the sound of teeth cracking when they are pulling.

So your doctor recommended a colonoscopy only because of low ferritin? No other reason, like perhaps digestive issues or abdominal pain? If the doctor is concerned about internal bleeding, then there are non-invasive ways of checking for that, specifically through stool samples and other blood work relevant to anemia. There's also a capsule endoscopy, when you swallow a "pillcam" imaging device that moves through your digestive system like a pill and transmits pictures - no prep other than brief fasting, no sedation, no pain. If you are not interested in a colonoscopy as an age-related routine screening at this time, then it seems to me that you should skip it for now until you feel more stable, Lyme-wise.

For what it's worth, I have had borderline low ferritin forever and have never been anywhere close to anemic in terms of total iron, hemoglobin, hematocrit, etc.

Saraeli & Girlie, yes low ferritin, normal hemoglobin, crit, and CBC.

However, colon cancer runs in family...grandfather age 75 RIP 8 wks after dx.

I didn't know about the pill cam procedure--wasn't offered to me. Tho, my doc said I could absolutely check into hospital and have it done.

Hmmm...maybe I should think it over.

Yes,- there is the stool test...where they look for occult blood.

But, if you have any hemorrhoids you can't do that test.

Also the stool test doesn't identify polyps.

Because there is history of colon cancer in my family...they need to check for the polyps as those need to come out - that's where the colon cancer starts.

So, not always an option.

i had two. they found nothing. just unexplained inflammation. biopsy was inconclusive.

i also had two endoscopies with biopsy. same.

my gi dr told me she is certain "i have something" but she has no idea what it could be...

that was before my lyme dx