Scope with an ileostomy

My GI has me booked for a scope tomorrow. I'm told he will go in through my stoma. I'm really nervous about this for some reason. Has anyone else had it done? Hes also given me pico silax to take as a prep for the scope. I read on some websites that bowel prep with an ileostomy can be dangerous. Anyone have any experience with this?

I've had it done, with no problems whatsoever. I would, however, ask your dr for sure if you need to do the prep, as I've heard others on here with ileo's say that they didn't have to do it (I have a colostomy so had to do the prep). The procedure itself was a piece of cake, and it was amusing when the nurse told me roll over and I looked at her and said, "ummm, you're not going to see anything up there!", then showed her my stoma....lol

I've had it done a few time now. Usually they prep me with half the prep they would normally require. I was requested to take pico-salax for this procedure as well. It's rather easy, except if you have peri-stomial active disease. I was dealing with many fistula so it was painful otherwise it is more weird than anything else.

I called my doctor and he said to take half. I've taken it now and my insides feel pretty awful.

That icky feeling doesn't go away whether you have a stoma or not. The only thing that made it harder for me, was dealing with the liquid in my bag - my stool is normally very firm and well, normal...so the liquid stuff was weird for me to deal with. I just wound up leaning over the toilet watching a movie on my portable dvd player...lol Was easier than emptying my bag a gazzilion times, and changing my flange all the time too.

Ugh I hope the flange holds up. Liquid output isn't that uncommon for me so I think it will. Since I'm only doing half the prep, hopefully the sick feeling won't last as long as usual. I just need to remember to keep drinking no matter how sick I feel.

If you have some gingerale, I found that helps with the sick feeling a lot.

Ugh! You poor thing!! Right before my colectomy, I was dancing and celebrating that this would be my last bowel prep ever...and now you tell me THIS??? ha! I'm surprised you would need to do any prep at all.

Hopefully everything is done now and you are feeling better. Good luck today!

I'm so nervous about them going in my little tiny stoma! And I'm still feeling all yucky from the prep.
Since you have colitis and have had a coloctomy you probably don't need to worry about it 2thfairy (maybe? I really don't know). I have crohns and still have my colon and I'm flaring again for the first time since my ostomy surgery. I guess they need to see what's going on in there unfortunately

maimmie, how did it goes?

I have colostomy, and colonoscopy in thursday. I have to prep, but i do have almost all my colon "in use".. I am nervous about the prep but mostly i am nervous about the scope! It's so weird that they are going to go in you stoma.. I am a little (a LOT) afraid. I would love to hear how did it goes for you

How did it go Maimmie? I'm meant to have one sometime but have been putting it off.......

It wasn't that bad actually. I was worried for nothing. I didn't feel any worse after then I would have if I'd had a scope the traditional way.
I only did half of the prep as my doctor instructed and it wasn't much fun but it never has been. The one thing I will say is at least I didn't have to deal with a burning bum like before my ostomy!

Yay! Told you it wasn't that bad

Jimena said:

maimmie, how did it goes?

I have colostomy, and colonoscopy in thursday. I have to prep, but i do have almost all my colon "in use".. I am nervous about the prep but mostly i am nervous about the scope! It's so weird that they are going to go in you stoma.. I am a little (a LOT) afraid. I would love to hear how did it goes for you

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Don't worry about it too much. As per usual, the prep is way worse than the scope. What I wound up doing was not eating the day before and taking the laxatives they prescribe you 2 nights before the procedure. That way, when I started taking the pico salax, there wasn't much left to flush out and I wound up only having to take half of it. Hope this helps! Honestly, it's not that bad!

I am sooo nervous. All of my scopes are always been under general anesthesia and now i am goin without anesthesia, i get something called midazolam by IV but i am scared if that don't work well enough..

maimmie said:

I'm so nervous about them going in my little tiny stoma! And I'm still feeling all yucky from the prep.
Since you have colitis and have had a coloctomy you probably don't need to worry about it 2thfairy (maybe? I really don't know). I have crohns and still have my colon and I'm flaring again for the first time since my ostomy surgery. I guess they need to see what's going on in there unfortunately

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I've not had a scope done, but while I was in hospital following my ileostomy surgery, I had some problems which resulted in them inserting a catheter into my stoma (twice) and a mini version of a scope (whatever that's called). I was awake throughout and it wasn't even painful - they'd told me it wouldn't be as there are no nerve endings in the intestine (or something). Honestly, as long as the doctors know about stomas, it shouldn't be an issue. My new stoma which was very swollen was not harmed at all having things inserted.

Jimena said:

I am sooo nervous. All of my scopes are always been under general anesthesia and now i am goin without anesthesia, i get something called midazolam by IV but i am scared if that don't work well enough..

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That's what I had too. I was out like a light...didn't see/feel a thing.

Just saw this thread today. I could have used it in October and December, as I had scopes done in each of those months. I have an ileostomy and was a bit nervous, too, but the 'light' anesthetic they gave me both times was great! The second time I was really well under, as the doctor was going to look further along my small intestine. Other than feeling a bit sore in my tummy for the next day, I found the experience went very well. Especially when the doctor said he found only a small amount of inflammation, and I didn't need any medications at this time!
As for the prep, I was instructed to take only liquids the day before the scope, and to take 1/2 the dosage of Pico Salax at 6 pm the evening before the scope. It was important to drink lots of liquids after the pico, as my ileostomy was really pumping out the liquids. I didn't feel any pain of discomfort from the pico.

Hope this helps other ileostomates going through a scope.