First Colonoscopy - Looking for tips and advice

Hi All,

Looking for some advice. I've had a turbulent few weeks after coming out of hospital (went in due to blood loss, severe abdominal pain and dehydration) and getting worse from the cocktail of antibiotics they gave me in hospital because they thought I had infectious colitis. Numerous stool tests showed no infection and I'm thankful to my GP who prescribed me steroid enemas as these helped almost immediately. I then became constipated and my GP suggested I stop the enemas and take laxido which I have done. It's now a week since stopping the enemas and the bleeding is back. I've still got some enemas left so I have started taking them again. This isn't the first time Ive had a flare up, I had quite a bad in in June last year but it settled after a month so my Dr didn't take it any further. Since then I had minor symptoms, passing mucus, pus slight blood but Dr just put down to fissures but I now think that probably wasn't the case given this most recent flare.

Although I was told in hospital by the GI I would have a colonoscopy within 1-2 weeks (the GI I am under strongly suspects ulcerative colitis but at the time didn't want me to start treatment until the colonoscopy) the waiting list is upto 8 weeks but I rung the department up today and they given me an appointment for the 10th March.

Pleased to finally have an appointment but now I am really nervous about having it done, only because of my symptoms which are severe lower and left side abdominal pain (like burning and a heavy kind of feeling) and passing blood and mucus. I'm worried firstly that the prep will aggravate my symptoms making the bleeding worse and secondly that having the scope will worsen the bleeding / cause more problems.

The prep they said I would be given is moviprep - has anyone else got experience with using this prep?

They've given me the option to either be sedated or to use gas and air. I'm inclined to go for the gas and air because I want to be alert enough to get my diagnosis. Has anyone else got experience of not being sedated for a colonoscopy?

Any tips and and advice will be really, really appreciated

Lou

The prep is the worst part of a colonscopy. You drink a lot of liquid and poop a crazy amount over a series of a few hours. Survive that and it's a cakewalk. As you're asleep during the colonscopy procedure, you'll likely feel and remember none of it. You'll be groggy when you come to in the waiting room afterwards, so it's good to have someone else there (relative or friend) to hear what your doctor says to you. You'll need them to give you a ride home anyways due to hospital rules.

I was always sedated for my scopes, I was never given any other option and honestly don't think I would want to be conscious in any form for that procedure. Once you're awake your doctor should come to see you following. I never had any issues understanding what was told to me after and was also given a report to take home, pics included.

Get the sedation.

You will be alert enough after to talk to the doctor, plus, they will likely give you a write up explaining everything they told you in case you forgot something while groggy. You will also have a scheduled follow up date for more questions.

I say again, get the sedation (unless there's a medical reason you can't) you don't want to prep, have them start and you're too uncomfortable for them to continue.

I've done 4-5 before and Movi was one of them....I found it was the easiest of them all. Usually I use a straw so I don't have to taste/gulp down the yucky stuff. Drink lots of water and fluids that day or you're feel sick to your stomach when you start he prep. Use Vaseline or some ointment on your bottom and pat dry, don't rub, or else you'll give yourself a rash bc you're going so often. Movi prep works all at once, in my experience, so you aren't sitting in the bathroom for hours on end. It just comes out like a waterfall.

I'd also take sedation. I've had a sigmoid without sedation and it was pretty rough. If your inflamed at all, it's going to be painful. My doc usually waits to come talk to me until I'm awake and most of the times brings pictures. If you have someone who is driving you home, you may want them to be in the room to listen to the doc too- that way if you are groggy, you've got an extra set of ears. You wake up pretty quickly. In my most recently, I was in and out of there within 40 min of being wheeled out of the procedure room.

Good luck and let us know how it goes! Are you doing a low residue diet in the meantime? Might be good for your gut...

Thank you everyone for some really helpful advice. I'm stocking up on wipes and ointment for the after effects of the moviprep! Sounds like sedation is the better option and trying to stay calm leading up to it.

I'm sticking to bananas, yoghurt, fish and well cooked carrots and squash at the moment, not sure if that is low residue though. Any tips on the best foods to stick too whilst flaring?

I'm also looking into supplements because at the moment before I get a proper diagnosis the Dr given me predsol enemas only, which do seem to work but then I get constipated and the bleeding and mucus come back. Just wondering if until I get a proper treatment plan whether any supplements might help settle my symptoms?

Thanks Jane. Just been having a look at the scd diet, I might try it for a few weeks to see if it helps. Good idea about a food diary, will start one today.