My 1st colonoscopy - draping & pain questions

Specialties Gastroenterology

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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

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

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.)

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

carolla said:
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).

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. :no:

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.

um..lets just say, I came into mine with eyes wide open,since I do precalls to patients telling them how to prep and answering questions like "will it hurt?"

I had a Endo 2 weeks ago, and the versed was adequate in making me not remember the event.

Today I had a colonoscopy, and I must say, I am happy with the results but not happy with the way the procedure is set up. (the use of only an amnesiac not full anesthesia)

I nodded off but woke up to every pain and "turn of the screw" with the scope. I remember saying "stop stop, take it out" ...and the nurses replying "breath, its okay its okay, breath"...well lets just say, the only time I fell asleep again was being wheeled out to recovery.

:jester:So how do I lie to patients now when they say.."will I feel it?" well, I guess I can be honest and say.."well some people are awake during the procedure and some wake up from the pain...but luckly our brain is not wired to remember the pain, just the event, kind of like childbirth"

Or I will have to continue to lie, because that is what they want me to do.

lets just say, the next one, aint happening unless its with full anesthesia...sorry....I know too much...

Specializes in NICU Level III.

I'm having a c-scope soon with MAC. What does this involve? Will I likely be waking up moaning during it?? I'm terrified after reading this forum!

I am having a colonoscopy done tomorrow at 7am. I am still in my prep stages today, and boy am I already sore! Having stomach pains now and having to constantly run to the restroom, plus not having eaten all day, is definitely not one of my favorites. I called the hospital earlier today to get more information, because the doctor that referred me to this procedure is well, very nonchalant about it. I was inadequately prepared! They did not tell me what to expect beforehand.

My conversation with the nurse or lab tech today did little more to pacify my concerns. When I called and spoke to the operator and told her "Hi, I have an appointment tomorrow for a colonoscopy--" She cut me off and said, "Hold. I'm transferring you to Surgery." Luckily, when I asked the lady who came on the phone what the whole "Surgery" thing is about, she said that they share the same room or something. I just hope I'm not getting cut up in any way tomorrow! Then I proceeded to tell her that my appointment was at 9am but she told me to be there by 7am as they can perform the procedure earlier. I didn't argue having to lose more sleep as I'm anxious enough to just get it over with! The nurse/lab person said they aren't putting me to sleep, just sedating... Having read the pains felt by previous posters, I'm honestly more terrified to go through it now. Before today I thought I was going to be zonked out and not remember a thing. Now...

Can something go horribly wrong in one of these procedures? I'm 27 and doing this because I find myself constantly constipated to the point where I bleed slightly when I do my daily #2's. One day a month and a half ago I bled as if I were on my period while passing stool and it scared the cr*p outa me. I also have what the doctor called "some excess skin" externally -- which I don't think is a problem anyway. Anyhow, since the people who sent me to do this procedure,and the people doing it to me tomorrow, are not ones I've worked with before, I do not have any confidence in them and fear that something may be done incorrectly...

After reading this and doing other research about colonoscopy, I am now completely convinced to continue to avoid having this procedure again. I am 49 and male and had a colonoscopy in 2001 when I was 40 because of some bleeding. I did wake up during the procedure and watched the removal of a small (about 1 mm) polyp, but had no pain, and otherwise recall nothing of the whole thing. The polyp was benign, the bleeding, the gastro said, was due to "internal hemorrhoids" and he seemed to think that this was a waste of his time. Then he said that I should repeat this again every three years.

A couple of years ago my then new GP asked where the results were for the '04 and '07 scopes. I told him I didn't do them, he referred me for one. I avoided scheduling it. Same in '09. Recently he tried to get me in for another physical which he's trying to get me to do annually ... which seems silly because as far as I am aware men only need to come in every 5 or so years since we don't need all the gyno checks. I decided to skip it since I do come in when I'm sick and for other problems...and with all of the visits involved with my recent shoulder procedure I've had about enough.

Anyhow, I know since my 50th is coming up this year, he will once again try to get me to get scoped. And frankly, after doing some research, I think that I am going to continue to opt out. There seems to be a high risk of pain, there is apparently a 0.5% chance of perforation or other serious complication, there is a 100% chance of being humiliated and having to expose myself to a room full of people of both genders...all to see if there may possibly be a cancer that a 50 year old man, according to the CDC, has a 0.7% chance of having in the next 10 years and less than 2% chance of having in the next 20. Since I have no symptoms and the odds are so long...99.3% chance of nothing....I don't see that the benefits outweigh the risks and the humiliation. No thank you.

As a physician who has been involved in many colonoscopy exams (my own included-I probably have colon cancer)...I doubt that anyone on these boards gives 2 ***** about my opinion, but here it is: please get a colonoscopy..it's not that bad.....I'm an internal med doc who has done many of these exams......laugh your ass off; at my skinny butt undergoing a colonoscopy-my doc provided pics........I'm a board-certified internist (whoopee) and I hope that every patient gets scoped ay age 50 or earlier with a history......

I see your post was quite a while ago and perhaps your view has changed. None the less I have to compliment you on your honesty! You professional lack of sensitivity to non-medical folks is refreshing and what I expected. What is common place and perhaps even boring to you is not to us ordinary folk. May life never present you with discomfort at the hands of uncaring strangers.

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