My 1st colonoscopy - draping & pain questions - Page 3

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  1. Sep 17, '07 by
    Quote from MeganNY
    You're right. But I am grasping at straws here because I do not want Versed! Thanks

    megan
    If I am reading the thread right you have never had Versed or a colonoscopy? I don't understand your aversion to Versed. There are more than 10,000 colonoscopies done every day, the great majority of them with Versed and Fentanyl. Most (my estimate would be 99%) have no problems with either pain control or amnesia. Talk about your concerns with the physician, but my thoughts are you are gettting yourself worked up after reading reports from the minority of people that have problems. The other meds that you discussed especially Valium are in my opinion less safe than Versed. I am sure there are plenty of nurses here that remember the Valium Demerol days with the consequences of over and under sedation. Patients taking 5 hours to wake up in PACU etc.

    Talk to your physician about your concerns, I am sure that they will be able to allay your fears.

    David Carpenter, PA-C
  2. Sep 17, '07 by
    Quote from MeganNY
    You're right. But I am grasping at straws here because I do not want Versed! Thanks
    You could always forgo having any sedation at all.

    But as someone that was scoped without any meds at all, I don't recommend it.
  3. Sep 17, '07 by
    I've had more than my share of colonoscopies, and I've never had a problem with the Fentanyl-Versed combo. I'm kinda grateful for the amnesia! The prep on the day before was much, much worse, IMO.
  4. Sep 21, '07 by
    Quote from core0
    If I am reading the thread right you have never had Versed or a colonoscopy? I don't understand your aversion to Versed. There are more than 10,000 colonoscopies done every day, the great majority of them with Versed and Fentanyl. Most (my estimate would be 99%) have no problems with either pain control or amnesia. Talk about your concerns with the physician, but my thoughts are you are gettting yourself worked up after reading reports from the minority of people that have problems. The other meds that you discussed especially Valium are in my opinion less safe than Versed. I am sure there are plenty of nurses here that remember the Valium Demerol days with the consequences of over and under sedation. Patients taking 5 hours to wake up in PACU etc.

    Talk to your physician about your concerns, I am sure that they will be able to allay your fears.

    David Carpenter, PA-C

    thanks for your response, David

    My understanding of Versed (never having had it) is from friends and family members who were unable to converse or communicate with the GI and nurse during the procedure, for example, I am in pain, can I have more pain meds, I have am nauseous, this hurts so bad, please stop.

    They were aware, but unable to form a sentence or speak. The procedure was terribly traumatic for that reason.

    My feeling is there will be some pain, which I might (?!) be able to handle, but to be unable to communicate during the procedure makes me terrified.

    Others have said they had complete amnesia from the procedure and would have preferred to have been relaxed with some mild sedation and some pain meds, but aware enough to communicate.

    Maybe not everyone has the same experience. I prefer to keep the horror alive (!) rather than wipe out my memory, but as you said, many people don't have a problem.

    Thanks all for your help!

    Megan, RN, BSN, disabled, now a future med tech
  5. May 20, '08 by
    Well this is very interesting. I just mentioned to the doc, and family the other day, that I have heard the stories about screaming in the colonostomy suite.
    however I have been told no it is quiet, because sedation is given, and versed to make one forget.
    also was informed that prophoral is used .

    I am scheduled to have my first colonoscopy and endoscopy tomorrow. I am in the midts of the ugly prep as I type.
    I have been avoiding this, however I have a problem that appeared and now I have been told that I need to do this. I have been promised that I will be sedated enough, not to feel anything. This was my request, as I would have rather gone for a virtual or ct scan.
    I better not be feeling a thing, or I will tell them to stop, and for sure, there will be no more.
    It is unthinkable in todays age, that one can not be put under enough, NOT to Feel anything.
    after all the goal should be to get the best eval with the most comfort to the patient, so they continue to have these proceedures on a regular basis.If I find myself dreaming that I am screaming, I will know I was not under far enough.

    the burning and pain that someone mentioned they felt. well no wonder......after this prep business one is so dern sore......anything touching you is going to hurt.

    I am not looking forward to 6-8-10 feet of hose up my netherlands.
    I have been told I will be out and not feel a thing and by God it better be so.
    Mersa59
  6. May 20, '08 by
    On the use of Versed:
    I had Versed in a concious sedation coctail. Had a dislocated shoulder,reduced 3 x's before it stayed put.
    have to say, I remember saying OWE, OWE, and remember the attending telling the resident to get on the other side of the sheet, and Pull.

    but that is all I remember. I also remeber the second reduction, they used an injection of merpecaine into the shoulder joint. To me that gave the greater pain relief over all.

    However I had no problem with the versed, and it is ok that I do not remember much from the first reduction.

    mersa ( R.N.)
  7. May 20, '08 by
    Pss to Megan:
    I do not know how old you are, but my thought is this. We all live thru enough stuff. Not feeling, remembering , and making sure we have enough sedation for otherwise, uncomfortable or painful proceedures Is OK by me.
    In addition to the fact, that unlike some.I do not need to see certain medical proceedures done on my own body.
    some things are better left not seen, and just be given the results later on.
    sorry about those earlier spelling errors, I have been trying to keep busy with this,and running secondary to this prep. have to keep myself occupied in some fashion.
    I have polyethylene Glycol for this prep, I bought a couple bottles of mg,citrate, over the counter.
    started out with 1/2 a bottle of that this am.
    made sure I took colace 4 times yesterday, and once this am.
    I am saving the remainder of the mg cit, in case this PG does not have me running clear by the end of the bottle.
    having had to give preps to geri patients for this, I know, what they give does not always clear you enough.

    so I have extra just in case. as I have no interest in doing this a second time because I end up not being clear.

    read were someone had that problem and was made to feel terrible by the doc.
    I hope if that happens to any of you, you give the doc Hell.
    we all know as Nurses how to take these dern preps and how to give them. sometimes, more is required than was ordered.
    especially if they want us squeeky clean.

    keep the faith for an easier way to do this in the future.
    Mersa59
  8. May 30, '08 by
    Quote from carolla
    Last week I had my first colonoscopy. It was recommended because of a positive fecal occult test. My first question has to do with draping. I woke up several times (from the pain). The first time I woke up, I was in a supine position and I found that I was not covered from the waist down. I then was on my right side (also uncovered). Is this typical or is there a way to drape the patient. It's not the worst thing in the world but I felt embarrassed not being covered. Also, at the times I woke up, I was in extreme pain. The pain was a terrible stabbing pain. Is this normal?

    After the procedure, I had a good bit of pain in my left side and I passed some blood. I was told not too worry about it and that everything looked good. I thought it was strange because I did not have polyps removed. My lower left side still aches a bit. Is this typical? I'd appreciate any feedback. Thanks
    The bleeding could have been caused by scope trauma as they tried to go around your left side(sigmoid).
  9. Nov 24, '08 by
    I had my 3rd scope last week. My first two with nice sedation finally waking up by nice nurse with a cup of tea and toast. Not so lucky with third no sedation and found the 30 minutes to be very uncomfortable and very painful at times. I was given midazolam 3 mg and pethidine 50mg but this did nothing for me. I mentioned my discomfort but they said I couldn't feel much pain and to relax. Yeah right. I was man handled several times as the scope struggled to get around bends.
    I survived and my collon was clear however when I got home my hand where the IV was in swelled up - no pain or soreness and I had no temperture. This lasted a couple of days then subsided. A friend said he had this and it was due to the IV not going into the vein just into the muscle - possibly hence my trauma. Any of this sound familiar !

    Ah well all done for 3 years.
  10. Aug 14, '09 by
    My First Colonoscopy

    I just had my first colonoscopy. The prep was not too uncomfortable. Using medicated wipes and diaper rash ointment between movements prevented additional discomfort. In hindsight, I think I should have started my prep much earlier than directed as I have problems with sluggish digestion. I used HalfLitely with the bisacodyl tablets.

    Everything I had heard and read about colonoscopy led me to believe that the prep was the worst part, and the procedure a breeze. I was not prepared for the extreme abdominal pain following the procedure. Evidentally, the staff there had not had much experience with that either. Upon dressing and leaving the restroom for home, I walked into a scene that didn't make any sense to me at the time. One nurse had crawled into an empty bed and was moaning loudly. Two nurses were cleaning the neighboring bed and laughing hysterically. I had made a comment to my nurse expressing empathy for the moaning "patient". She then pointed out that it was a joke, the "patient" a nurse, and didn't I notice he would smile after moaning? (No, I had not). Later, after I was more sober, I did figure out that I was the "butt" of the joke. Today, I googled "pain after colonoscopy" to see if my experience was unusal, because I certainly had not anticipated the pain. It's good to know that my experience isn't so unusual after all.