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how bad is a sigmoidoscopy

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 7/3/2009 2:17 AM (GMT 0)
doc scheduled me to do one next thurs.  Never had one done before.  What should i expect?
Posted 7/3/2009 3:07 AM (GMT 0)
It's not bad at all. The only prep I had was 2 enemas. It's a bit uncomfortable, I wasn't sedated, but overall, it wasn't a big deal. It's quick and if you're uncomfortable you can tell your GI and they will be gentle.
Posted 7/3/2009 3:29 AM (GMT 0)
I'm sure some people have horror stories, but I've always found them a breeze. 
Posted 7/3/2009 3:31 AM (GMT 0)
I had to have a flexable sigmoidoscopy a few weeks ago for humira clinical trial I'm in . It was a very very painful experience. My body ended up shaking uncontrollably through the whole procedure due to the pain. They told me it wouldn't be a very painful even without sedation. Plus, I didn't want to have to find someone to come with me and drive me home so I I decided I didn't need the sedation. Luckily the procedure was only 3 or 4 minutes but it was a very unpleasant experience. I'm not trying to scare you. If you aren't flaring or are in a mild flare you probably don't need sedation. But if you are flaring, my flare is moderate with the lower colon pretty inflammed, and you don't get sedated you will be in a lot of pain. Even using the enema was a little difficult for me because my colon is so inflammed.

Honestly, I had a colonoscopy a few months early and was sedated. I would have much rather done that again, although the prep isn't nearly as bad for the flexable sig.

I guess the good news is, it is quick and will probably be painless if you aren't flaring or if you are sedated.

 

Posted 7/3/2009 5:50 AM (GMT 0)
I had a sigmoidoscopy in 2002 by my former GI who is so mean - and it was no big deal at all. So, if you have a really kind GI, it should be a piece of cake! Good luck and don't worry. It is over quickly.
Posted 7/3/2009 12:12 PM (GMT 0)
I've had approximately 10 sigs and I can honestly say that only one hurt. And yes I was flaring for almost every single one. I think it just depends on how badly you are flaring and how gentle the doc is.

Edited to add: You will probably do a couple enemas, they take you in the room with the scope, they have you lie on your left side and you can watch what is happening on the monitor if you want.  They don't go to far in because of the pain factor so a sig is mostly to see what is happening in the rectal/sigmoid area.

Posted 7/3/2009 12:23 PM (GMT 0)
I've had 3 or 4 of them and they are relatively easy. I even had one while pregnant, it was the first one I ever had. They are uncomfortable because of something being put "up there" but it's over very quickly. The last one I had was more painful, I was flaring pretty bad, so the doctor stopped and didn't go as far up.
Posted 7/3/2009 12:40 PM (GMT 0)
     I had one last month while in the beginning of this flare.  I don't think it helped my flare any but I requested the doc do it because I hadn't had a colonoscopy since the previous May and my paternal grandmother died from anal cancer.  He was sort of reluctant to do it because of the flare.  He was very gentle and took a few biopsies.  It doesn't take long and if you are uncomfortable tell your doctor.  The only prep is usually two fleets enemas.  Good luck.
Posted 7/3/2009 12:48 PM (GMT 0)
The preparation for it sucks, but when the drugs they give you (for the procedure) hit you it's awesome. I still don't think it's fun.
Posted 7/3/2009 1:13 PM (GMT 0)
The first one I had done was terrible...I guess maybe because I was flaring at the time...It was painful for me but it didn't take long at all...There was a few people I knew that had had one before and they all said it was no big deal...I went in thinking it was going to be nothing and it was!! I guess everyone is different...I had much rather have a c-scope than the sig without drugs...Needless to say, the next time I had a sig, I requested drugs and they did that for me...Oh, and for the prep, like everyone else, a couple of fleet enemas...No big deal...

Posted 7/3/2009 1:42 PM (GMT 0)
i just did one.. it was only one fleet enema go figure... anyways...everyone here told me it would be nothing and it's only pressure, but on the table...first i dunno what he tried putting up my bum, but it seemed big.. and it wouldn't go in and it hurt cuz he was trying. So then I heard him say get the scope... he got it in with KY and a minute in he goes it's going to feel like a cramp when you have to go to the bathroom and all I'm thinking is.. do you know how bad that feels?????????? So sure enough..it hurt like heck.... and I was like stop it hurts!!!! and they gave me sedation.. although I could still watch...it was weird seeing them take biopsies and the blood trickling down...crazy.
Posted 7/3/2009 1:43 PM (GMT 0)
I forgot to say i think he went further up than usual sigmoidoscopies with me too, because he doubted i had UC to begin with that's why he didn't want to do a full colonoscopy..so i don't think he thought he'd find anything...so when he did he wanted to see the full extent.
Posted 7/3/2009 2:30 PM (GMT 0)

I had two colonoscopies last year and then a sigmoidoscopy in November to see how/why I was not getting into remission.  I have mostly proctitis.  Anyway, I ask that they give me the same medications - Versid and Demerol as for the colonoscopies as I tolerate them well and I DON't want to be awake or remember anything.  Everyone is different!  I have anxiety and panic sometimes and the doctor ordered a smaller/shorter dose of the medications.  Went well!

ElaineNY

Posted 7/3/2009 5:02 PM (GMT 0)
I will never get one again without some type of anesthesia/sedation. It was excruciatingly painful when I had mine. I was flaring at the time. It also made my flare worse. I was getting better, but the scope made me start bleeding again.

I didn't have to do any type of prep for mine. It wasn't scheduled...I was just there for a normal GI visit and he said he wanted to do a scope so I wasn't even mentally prepared for it.

Posted 7/3/2009 5:17 PM (GMT 0)
I agree with Sara. I'll never do one again without some type of sedation or meds to help me relax. My experience was painful and invasive. I know this sounds crazy, but I had an emotional response during and after. I felt violated. After the procedure, I sat in the doctor's office and cried uncontrollably while he tried to talk with me.
Posted 7/3/2009 5:28 PM (GMT 0)
A sigmoidoscopy isn't as invasive as a colonoscopy BUT, depending on how bad inflammation is during a sigmoidoscopy may have an impact on how uncomfortable the sigmoidoscopy may be.

:)
Posted 7/4/2009 1:18 AM (GMT 0)
You have already gotten lots of responses, but I'll chime in also. My first procedure in 2007 was a sigmoidoscopy, and I was very nervous. It really wasn't bad looking bad, but at the time, I had no idea what to expect, you know? Not the most pleasant thing in the world, but not too bad at all. But I had never done anything else before, so even just using an enema was difficult at the time. I was lightly sedated for that one-that was a different GI than I see now.

Since then I have had 2 colonoscopies and 4 more sigmoidoscopies, and now the flex sig seems like nothing. My GI doesn't sedate at all for the flex sig, so it is definitely uncomfortable-more so during flares, but the prep is nothing, and it is done really really fast. I MUCH prefer it to a colonoscopy. I have had bad experiences with those, and the prep is horrid.

Good luck!
Posted 7/4/2009 5:21 AM (GMT 0)
Mine wasn't bad, wasn't sedated either. Last maybe somewhere around 10 minutes.
Posted 7/4/2009 5:06 PM (GMT 0)

princesa said...
I know this sounds crazy, but I had an emotional response during and after. I felt violated. After the procedure, I sat in the doctor's office and cried uncontrollably while he tried to talk with me.

Me too! I felt violated and while I didn't cry in front of the GI, I cried on the way out to my car.
Posted 7/4/2009 5:31 PM (GMT 0)
I didn't really feel violated during the flex sig...

but i felt violated at my very first apptment with a GI before I was diagnosed.... he said to turn over and that he was gonna do a rectal exam... NEVER having one of those before I was freaked out and my mom was there and I was crying... and then he did it and it hurt and I told him to stop and i just sobbed.

HE was weird though! we went back to him only one other time so my dad could meet him too.... and we all thought he was weird.... so we found a better doc.... a female doc... i liked her a lot...she told my mom that she had a daughter and understands how scared she must be and that she wanted to take as good care of me as she could... i miss her. lol
Posted 7/4/2009 6:44 PM (GMT 0)
I had them every few weeks when I was in the 6-ASA study in the late 1980's.

They were uncomfortable, certainly! But they were tolerable because you knew it would be over soon. I remember it helped to have a poster on the wall to look at!

I didn't ever do any prep, the doc wanted to see things just as they were and not cleaned out. When I was feeling particulary bad, he would let me skip the scope.
Posted 7/4/2009 6:53 PM (GMT 0)
I've never felt voilated or pain during a rectal exam or sigmoidoscopy. I've only seen female doctors and they have always been very intelligent and interested in IBD, they both made me feel comfortable and like I was in good hands. I feel bad for people who had such bad experiences. I would hate to feel gross/violated while having such an unpleasant exam.

the sigmoidoscopy, while not fun, was quick and the discomfort was mostly a crampy feeling that was gone the moment the scope came out. It doesn't go in very far.

Posted 7/4/2009 9:21 PM (GMT 0)
I had a flex sig about two years ago. My biggest problem with the procedure was the gas pressure because it made me feel like I was going to fart, and because of the laxitive I was afraid I was going to fart and poo at the same time. They took a biopsy while I was awake as well, which was freaky as hell but didn't actually hurt.
Posted 7/4/2009 9:49 PM (GMT 0)
I find them extremely uncomfortable, it gets more and more uncomfortable, then when it's about to be to the point of painful, it is usually over. Next time I'd probably ask for a valium to take beforehand and get someone to give me a ride so I can take it. But then you get to hear your GI tell you to "lie here and pass gas for awhile" and you're just left there farting for 15 minutes. I find the whole thing demeaning and painful. I had my most recent one a couple of weeks ago.

There's one to look forward to if I go ahead with the surgery, no more sigs or c'scopes!

Meesh
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