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Colonoscopy Yesterday

Tony H

Well-known member
Hi I had my first colonoscopy yesterday(in 3 years) and the prep went well , took picolax instead of klean prep (what a difference),
anyway I was told I was to be sedated and was given the meds and o2 and waited to drift off to sleep and nothing happens , I was wide awake and felt every bit of the procedure , no sympathy from the doc or nurse just told it would be over soon ,
What Should I Have Done ? , I am really angry over this as I am going through an bad flare at the moment and I felt every twist and turn and every snip for the many biopsies they took ,
Im really not happy with the GI as it is , I changed GP recently and the new doc is really great , she sent me for a bone density scan , my first (was told by the doc that did the scan that I should have had one years ago ) that my bone density was very poor and I am still in shock over this .

Sorry for all the ranting ,

Tony

mods hope this is in the right forum , feel free to move if its not
 
It's called sedation but everyone reacts differently and it's not designed to put you to sleep. That should have been explained in information leaflets or by a staff member ahead of time. Reactions vary from being wide awake to fast asleep and everything in between.

I would consider making a formal compliant to your Hospital about the poor care received.

I had Picolax for my second scope too, I refused point blank to do Klean prep again and you're right my god what a difference!
 

Tony H

Well-known member
hey StarGirrrrl thanks for that , i know its sedation but I had asked before hand to make sure I was put completely sedated , as I had problems before and they did increase the dosage and I went out like a light , I have an appointment in three weeks to get the results of the biopsies and I will let them know of my concerns then FORCEFULLY but calmly , being honest it was like my first colonoscopy 30 years ago when there was no sedation and if you complained you were told to man up and shut up .
 
Oh boy, this is all good to know, since I am having this done soon and the one where they go down your throat to your stomach ( they also want to do the front one that goes through the man area, flat out told them to go to hell on that one :D ), so I should ask for this Picolax thing and tell them to make freaking sure I am out or they will not proceed ?

I know for the stomach one they have to make sure your out as you can cause severe damage to yourself if you're not, so more for this procedure.
 

Tony H

Well-known member
I think picolax is called Pico-Salax in the usa ,

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_picosulfate

and I would definitely ask for it , I only took 2 sachets but I was told by the nurse that i could have taken 3 sachets of the picolax since I did not take the kleen prep , its really easy to take and I made it using ice cold water , no nasty taste whatsoever unlike the kleenprep which is honestly the worst thing I have ever tasted and they expect you to drink 4 litres of it (a us gallon jug):stinks: ,
you will be fine as long as you insist on being knocked out and take the pico salax.
 
I'm sure the other stuff does taste nasty, I had a barium test and that stuff was GoD awful, was told afterwards I could have asked for this other stuff that tasted like koolaid, its wonderful how they manage to tell you stuff like that "afterwards".

Different concepts though, that test the stuff you are given you are supposed to retain, and this one the stuff they give you is to empty you out. :D
 

scottsma

Well-known member
Location
Tynemouth,
I had a colonoscopy three weeks ago.The prep (Mirolax) and the result was far worse for me than the actual 'oscopy.I was sedated but was awake, and watched the procedure on screen. It seems it's different for everyone,but it must be especially bad when flaring.
 
Hi I had my first colonoscopy yesterday(in 3 years) and the prep went well , took picolax instead of klean prep (what a difference),
anyway I was told I was to be sedated and was given the meds and o2 and waited to drift off to sleep and nothing happens , I was wide awake and felt every bit of the procedure , no sympathy from the doc or nurse just told it would be over soon ,
What Should I Have Done ? , I am really angry over this as I am going through an bad flare at the moment and I felt every twist and turn and every snip for the many biopsies they took ,
Im really not happy with the GI as it is , I changed GP recently and the new doc is really great , she sent me for a bone density scan , my first (was told by the doc that did the scan that I should have had one years ago ) that my bone density was very poor and I am still in shock over this .

Sorry for all the ranting ,

Tony

mods hope this is in the right forum , feel free to move if its not
A doc who botches the sedation won't start my colonoscopy... The meds I get during a colonoscopy are like this "doc: count backwards, me: 10, 9, 8..." Next thing I know I am waking up 20 minutes later. I have had several colonoscopies after being diagnosed with Crohn's without sedation when I did not know you could just sleep through the thing... Never ever again would I do it without actual sedation.
 
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I did my first scope with just gas and air after a terrible prep, and was fine.

The second I had a wayyyyy better prep. For various reasons which I won't bore you with I opted for sedation so got that and pain relief. Halfway through the procedure the Dr asked if I was ok and I said no. So I got another full dose of pain relief and sedation, a muscle relaxant, and I then asked for gas and air which I was given after the Dr said "why not". I remember being amused about how both Nurses assisting rushed stuff to my cannula lol after the Dr ordered it.

I remained awake throughout but slept for an hour in recovery without realising until I saw the time lol!

Still puzzled as to why I found the second hardest, visually both were fine and I am assuming since I have not heard about biopsies they were fine both times too. Only difference is I am quite anaemic at the moment.

Here in the UK it is common practice to give "twilight sedation" that is you won't be knocked out totally- reactions vary from wide awake and dead asleep plus everything in between I imagine.

I am still undiagnosed but can imagine how having a scope during a flare with inadequate relief must be awful.
 
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I've only had one colonoscopy, several years ago, as I don't have a colon anymore. I remember nothing of it whatsoever, so I assume I was completely knocked out, though I have heard rumours that some drugs they give you for scopes don't knock you out completely, but they do erase your short term memory, so you think you were out, but only because you can't remember it (which is quite an unsettling thought!).

I had one upper endoscopy (camera down throat, into stomach and first part of small intestine) with no sedation. That wasn't that painful, but the gagging was extremely unpleasant. I had another upper endoscopy recently, and was offered a choice of being sedated or not (the first one I didn't get the sedation option). I opted to be sedated, and remember nothing of it. So perhaps these drugs have a strong effect on me.

I can see why you'd be upset if you thought you were going to be out and you weren't, but the doctors will probably just tell you that they administered the correct amount of drugs. Some doctors just don't seem to care about things like that.
 

Tony H

Well-known member
I've only had one colonoscopy, several years ago, as I don't have a colon anymore. I remember nothing of it whatsoever, so I assume I was completely knocked out, though I have heard rumours that some drugs they give you for scopes don't knock you out completely, but they do erase your short term memory, so you think you were out, but only because you can't remember it (which is quite an unsettling thought!).

I had one upper endoscopy (camera down throat, into stomach and first part of small intestine) with no sedation. That wasn't that painful, but the gagging was extremely unpleasant. I had another upper endoscopy recently, and was offered a choice of being sedated or not (the first one I didn't get the sedation option). I opted to be sedated, and remember nothing of it. So perhaps these drugs have a strong effect on me.

I can see why you'd be upset if you thought you were going to be out and you weren't, but the doctors will probably just tell you that they administered the correct amount of drugs. Some doctors just don't seem to care about things like that.
when I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy at the same time a few years ago ,I had a similar problem,

BUT this time I was more assertive (or hulk like) and was given a second dose and I went out like a light , I don't think the doc that was doing the scope was in the best of form , even the nurses were giving out about him on the way up to the theatre , I have a follow up appointment in 3 weeks and I will be having a chat with them about this .
 

scottsma

Well-known member
Location
Tynemouth,
For me,the prep was horrendous,the scope no problem.

You should use my hubbys mantra when he goes to the dentist.
Look him straight in the eye and say "We're not going to hurt each other,are we ?"
 

Tony H

Well-known member
For me,the prep was horrendous,the scope no problem.

You should use my hubbys mantra when he goes to the dentist.
Look him straight in the eye and say "We're not going to hurt each other,are we ?"
that's brilliant really made me laugh I can imagine the dentist , hope it doesn't make his hands shake with fright :ybiggrin:
 
Sorry to hijack thread, but I have a colonoscopy on the 20th of this month, and I think I have to take Picolax. Is it the sachet which has to be mixed with cold water? If so, how does it taste and does it empty the bowels really well?
 

Tony H

Well-known member
hijack away , yes picolax is mixed with cold water , I put a container of water in the deep freeze and used that because the picolax warms up a little when you mix it with the water , its really easy to drink , tastes fine , a little sharp , but does not make you gag (well I didn't anyway ) it does give you a good clean out , I was told to take kleen prep as well as the picolax but I didn't bother , when i told the nurse she said I could have taken an extra dose of picolax instead, good luck with the colonoscopy .


PS with picolax remember to drink LOTS of CLEAR fluids (no purple red black) , there is a danger of dehydration
 
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I had 3 litres of Klean Prep for first scope, and 500ml total of Picolax for my second, both cleaned me out just fine, although I would recommend having another large cup of fluid after each dose to flush it all through.

As a bonus I got zero nausea with the Picolax and almost zero cramping, I had more cramping the next day from being empty!

I spent more time off the toilet that on where as KP had me sitting there for hours at a time.

Didn't taste that bad and anyway there wasn't much of it to start with.

Picolax suited me wonderfully I am so glad I refused KP the second time and demanded something else.
 
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