Major anxiety......colonoscopy procedure on tuesday.....

Hi....I'm  having my first colonoscopy on tuesday....I'm 44,and I required to have it now instead of waiting till 50....but,the anxiety is killing me.....I am about to call and cancel.... ...i've been told that the prep is the worst.......I'm sorry...it is so gross.........anyone has been thru it? I just took a klonopin to calm me down....it is scary tho.....

Micha

Hi Kitt....thanx for the quick reply....may I ask you what type of prep did you have? I am having the halflytely...and I have such a weak stomach...I am afraid from nausea and vomiting during the prep...and the colonoscopy itself....I told the dr to knock me out...but sometimes people wake up in the middle of the procedure.....
Micha

Hello Micha,

I used the go-lytely prep and I was pretty tired of it but it was more exhaustion from getting up and down than the actual prep. 

For medication I have to be premedicated for nausea too for any procedure where they give me sedation.  Where I worked we use Zofran for the Nausea and it is given before the procedure.  Then Versed is used during the procedure and the Doctor will ask if your feeling any cramps, if you are they will give you a little more med.

Also they may put you on oxygen as when you receive a sedating medication you may fall sound to sleep and the oxygen is just to make sure your staying safe.  Don't assume there is anything going wrong if you become aware you have oxygen on during the procedure or right after.

The medication will wear off.  Ever since I  learned to speak up and say I need to be premedicated with Zofran or what ever your hospital uses I have never had the dizziness or nausea.

Take care and this will soon be over. :)

I just wanted to say good luck, I hope it comes back with an all clear for you.

Hello!

Do not worry.  I am 27 and I lived through it!

The prep is worth getting the test done to make sure nothing is "going on in there".  I was VERY anxious also.  My blood pressure went up, my pulse was high, etc.  I don't remember a thing from the colonoscopy.  I don't even remember the Dr. taling to me before OR after the colonoscopy.  Make sure you have a close friend or relative to be with you when the Dr. talks to you afterwards about what he found.  I couldn't even dress myself after wards.  That's how gorked I was.  I think it was because I was so nervous, anxious, & worked up over the test.  Most likely, if I have to have another one, I will be more relaxed because I know what to expect.  I think we alwys have anxiety about the "unknown".  It's okay...just remember that thousands of colonoscopys are done everyday! 

michaxx2, I am 47 and have had two colonoscopies and several sigmoidoscopies over the past 21 years. The prep is the worst. The procedure is not bad. I know you have had the procedure by now. The anesthesia they used on me was a milky looking substance put in my IV, I was asleep before they even got it half injected in the IV, the procedure took about 20 minutes, and I awoke immediately afterward just from them saying my name. But I can tell you from experience the prep for the sigmoidoscope is worse than the one for the colonoscopies. For the colonoscopy prep I used Fleets Phospo-soda which is in a 4 ounce plastic bottle. I can drink it mixed in with Sprite, not that untolerable in Sprite. I also took two Dulcolax the night before. And then an enema the next morning. I was on a liquid diet the day before. But each doctor uses something different. I am sure you made it through the procedure fine. I had no problems with the one I had just under two years ago. Was able to go about my normal activities right after that. I suffer from ulcerative colitis and have to have periodic sigmoidoscopies, every 5 years, and colonoscopies every 10 years, unless there is a problem. Would love to hear about your results.

Ask them if you can use the 4 ounce bottle of Fleets Phospo Soda instead of the 8 ounce bottle of Magnesium Citrate. The Magnesium Citrate I used when I had the sigmoidoscope and I couldn't mix it with anything, I had to drink it straight slightly frozen. I threw some of it up. But the Phospo Soda mixed in with Sprite isn't that bad. And then two Dulcolax at bedtime are no problem nor an enema the next morning. I have probably had 4 sigmoidoscopies over the past 21 years and 2 colonoscopies. You will manage fine.

I went and ate right afterward also. It was nice not to be nauseated this time from the anesthesia. I went and ate right after the sigmoidoscope I had back in January also. You are awake during that. Not too untolerable though.

I have had so many scopes both ends to count and I do not recall any pain yet a little discomfort........


I do hope you will reshedule

It is a very important exam to have done.........

Go lightly is good as s the others mentioned
I use CITROMAG and do not get nauseous nor vomiitting at all
PLUS I only may use half the bottle the nigth before the night before exam......this way not so much cramping.........for me anywaus

I agree the worst is the prep

Please keep postiong and let us know how you are doing.....

LYN

Micha, I understand your anxiety about this because I felt exactly the same way before I had my first colonoscopy a year ago.  I had also cancelled one a year before that.  I have had panic attacks before dental appointments and an outpatient procedure, one of which I was under complete anesthesia and the other only partial.  (Do they call that "twight sleep?")  Anyway, when the nurse brought me to little dressing room with my sister who accompanied me, I explained to her I was extremely nervous and afraid I'd vomit because I had done that before elsewhere.  She was very kind and sympathetic and explained everything.  Then, when I was on the little portable table with an IV started and wheeled into the procedure room, I started to feel nervous again, so I told the anesthesiologist (sp.?) the same thing:  feeling anxious and afraid of getting sick, etc.  She and the nurse talked to me, asked me about my kids, blah, blah, and the next thing I knew I was back in the little dressing room feeling ok but tired.  The nurse told me to keep lying down until I wanted to sit up and get dressed.  I was ok.  The whole thing was ok.  What helped me was explaining to the nurses that I felt anxious and that I was afraid I'd vomit.  They needed to know what my fears were so they could handle me correctly!  I kept apologizing and they were fine and said they see so many different kinds of patients all day long!  I believe they put some meds in the IV to stop the nausea.  Some people are more sensitive than others.  I get motion sickness from anything, so being nauseated has been a problem for me at times in cars, planes, rides, you name it.  During my colonoscopy, I was completely out, which was fine with me.  So, Micha, I just want to tell you not to hide your fears but explain them to the medical staff that takes care of you.  Talking to them helped me through it and I'm not afraid to do it again.    Take care.

Micha, I don't know why some people are affected by certain experiences and not others.  All I know is that my fears made my anxiety worse which made my fears worse which made me anxious all over again.  I've been like that before certain events.  Calming myself down had been very hard.  Other people sail through events where I sweat it out.  Before the colonoscopy, I just talked to myself and said thousands probably do this everyday.  The clinic where I went saw dozens everyday.  They know all about patients' feelings.  That's when I decided to calmly tell them about my fears.  I'm a rational and intelligent person otherwise!  In any case, expressing my fears to them helped me release tension.  They talked to me about it.  They understood exactly what I was saying and it was important for them to know, too, because not every patient has a problem with nausea or anxiety.  Believe me - you will be relieved just expressing your thoughts and feelings to the medical staff and they will be very kind and helpful.  Honest! 

Michaxxx2

Hey sweetie, so you cancelled, your human.  Please just be sure to reschedule.  I used the go-lytely and I was so tired  by the time I was through with the prep I just went to sleep.

The day of the scope, I did not go out to breakfast but went home and slept off the medication and was glad the anxiety was in the past.

It sounds much worse than it really is.  The scope is a breeze, that is because they give you a gown without a back.  lol

Blessings to you,  and know we care.

 

Thanx you all again.....I will do it....ewwwwwwwww....but I have to...actually I was the one asking for it from the GI...it was my request....I had symptoms like bloating,constipation,pain in pelvic for a while but now it is gone..never had bleeding in stool..anyways..I had an ultrasound for complete abdomen,kidneys,and a transvaginal ultrasound too....and I asked my gynecologist to have a CA125 blood test,everything came back negative......my drs know me...they know how I dwell about anything...now after all these tests from my gynecologist came back negatve I decided maybe I need to see a GI..and to complete all the check up I decided that I needed a colonoscopy to ease my mind......now I feel fine...no more symptoms....no nothing....but I think it is better to have a base line at 44 instead to wait till 50.So now,I will sedate myself the day of the prep with klonopin and just go for it....lol
Love you all
Micha