Did you have colonoscopy under general anaesthetic?

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Were you fully sedated for your colonoscopy?

  • Yes

    Votes: 95 60.5%

  • No

    Votes: 62 39.5%
  • Total voters
    157
My annual Muppetoscopy is done with sleepy time meds. The only exception was last fall when they had to redo the test due to anatomy problems. They put me under general and used a pediatric scope to get the job done.

I don't even want to guess how many butts those cameras have been up.
 
generally in Greece they use a light rouse (forget drug), previous two times they did not give me anything (due to neurological problem). It really sounds worse than it is and you don't need anybody driving you back home afterwards.
 
yes, i was completely asleep. and thank god for that - because i had a bowel perforation during the colonoscopy. can't imagine the pain of going through that awake!!
 
moogie said:
I'm surprised that most people go under for their colonoscopy. I had two myself and both times they just drugged me enough to make me fell ga ga. I can watch on the tv and see what my doctor does but I do not feel a thing at all.

I rather enjoy watching my colon in HD. I go in at 8 and at 10 I'm outside shopping. Way cool.

The stuff you have to drink now that is another story!
Click to expand...

That's pretty much my thought.
They said I had an amnesia med, but so far as I know, I remember everything. I'm glad I was conscious, too. I could see what my doc was looking at and ask questions as he was going...
 
I personally like the amnesia more than the non amnensia one. Waking up and feeling something proding my intestines and watching it happen at the age of 9 was a little traumatizing to me, it felt SO weird!
 
They knocked me out with mine and I'm glad they did. Afterwards, I couldn't even sit on the pot and was falling off. My mom had to keep me sitting on the pot and not falling off.
 
i have always been totally asleep woke up and always say when r we going to get started lol never knew it was done and never had any bad expeirences like the drugs for the "knock out procedure lol"
 
My first two, I was put under. My third, I was sedated. Under sedation, I still fell asleep so I don't really remember it.
 
My first colonoscopy was without sedation and was uncomfortable but bearable. My second I had today along with an endoscopy (down the throat). Endoscopy 1st then colonoscopy straight after. It was brutal!!! Dr reluctantly gave me a very mild dose of sedation (he prefers not to use it) which did nothing to help me. I felt and can remember everything! The pain was awful this time with the colonoscopy and the Dr withdraw the scope and didn't complete the investigation. He stated "he was not ruining his reputation with this" - what? I now have to go through all this again and I am gutted!!! :( Needless to say I am formally complaining about him!
 
Sedated with Demerol and Versed (or something like that) great combo LOL makes most people sleepy though. For me I take a quick 15 minute nap during the procedure and wake up hyper and ready for lunch and shopping LOL
 
When I had my first one when I was a teenager I was under but I remember waking up during the procedure in SO MUCH PAIN!!! All I could do was cry and try to tell them I was awake...

Luckily the second time around last year I did not wake up! *phew*

Pam :)
 
I'm in the UK. Crohns for 20 years and probably had on average one a year since dx. Pethedine, Buscopan and sedative. Most times, I'm fully awake and aware of everything, watching it on the screen and remember everything ! Guess the drugs don't work so well on me.

Uncomfortable, but only painful the last time when the crohn's was in full flare up before the op. Painful going round the corners, and biopsies were like a mild tugging sensation, slightly painful but not too bad. normally 30 mins in recovery with a cuppa I'm rearing to get out and eat. ( Except the last time when I couldn't eat ! )
 
Call me a wimp..but I would downright REFUSE to do a colonoscope or EGD's without sedation. I had a bad experience with my second scope, I wasnt diagnosed yet, was 11( or 12? ) years old at the time, and woke up in the middle of it. Not surprising since the had the hardest time putting me to sleep. I have a high drug tolerance, it always takes a lot to knock me out. A one point, the lady that was giving me the medicine asked the doctor what else she can try. She kept asking if I was feeling sleepy, and I didn't even know the had already started to Inject the medicine! Lol finally I fell asleep. I don't know what they were trying/using, but after all that medicine, I still woke up and I remember screaming and kicking my legs trying t get up. The knocked me out fairly quickly again( though at the time it seemed like an eternity)

Ever since then I get really nervous about waking up. I always tell the doctor that I have a high drug tolerance and it takes a lot to knock me out and I'm afraid to wake up during the middle. I havnt had any more problems with waking up. I've had probably 7-8 colonoscopes and 8 EGD's. The EGD's they did at the same time as the colonoscope, only once. Went in to jus get an EGD done because I was having a lot of problems at the time. Every single one of the i have been sedated.

My last two scopes they used propofol and I have to say I LOVE that stuff. It puts me out quick, I don't remember a thing, and you wake up quick. It took a lot to keep me out, even the anesthesiologist(sp?) was even shocked on how much I took. Lol

Sorry for my rambling, but long story short. Guess, yes. Was sedated for all of them, and That's the only way I will do them. If they ever say the won't sedate, I'm outta there! I hurt enough as it is down there already, dont care of even attempt to go through that awake!
 
Italie said:
Hi

Just wondering how many of you have their colonoscopies under general anesthetic and how many under sedation. Also, which country are you in? - General seems to be commom in US but not UK from what I've seen.

Thanks very much.

Italie
x
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Hi,
I am form Belgium and i had a colonoscopi under general anesthetic.
Although i woke up during the colonoscopi
 
Everytime i woke up i used to say some hilarious things due to the drugs they gave me. I don't remember saying those things but poeple who where with me used to tell everything i said. hilarious lol
 
Hi I am in the UK. Had my first one in April this year and it was horrible. Nothing they tried on me worked and I was awake and screaming the whole time. I was in full flare and the bloody doc just kept shoving the scope up and around and telling me it doesnt hurt. If I had been feeling up to it i would have shoved up his backside and asked him if it hurt!
Got another one next Thursday(8th Dec) Needless to say I am so scared but I need it done. Still flaring as well so no doubt it will be even more painful.
Oh well still got the lovely prep to do.
 
shazz said:
Hi I am in the UK. Had my first one in April this year and it was horrible. Nothing they tried on me worked and I was awake and screaming the whole time. I was in full flare and the bloody doc just kept shoving the scope up and around and telling me it doesnt hurt. If I had been feeling up to it i would have shoved up his backside and asked him if it hurt!
Got another one next Thursday(8th Dec) Needless to say I am so scared but I need it done. Still flaring as well so no doubt it will be even more painful.
Oh well still got the lovely prep to do.
Click to expand...

Oh Shazz, my last experience was the same as yours in April. It was horrendous :( My first one, several years ago was a breeze. I hope next time you get a doctor with lots of experience who's sympathetic and gentle. Grrrr some doctors are s***s!!! Good luck Shazz.

Paula
x
 
I've been mostly sedated for mine, except one where the doctor let me watch (although with the medicine I wasnt all there because I didnt feel a thing).

HOWEVER, if I ever felt it while it was going on, I would literally pull it out and walk out of the room. I bet the doctors have never had it shoved up their ass, they have no idea what it feels like for us.
 
Hi, I have had six colonoscopies so far and will be having my seventh in a little under the month. The first one is the only one I don't fully remember, since then I am awake enough to watch the little tv monitor. I have a little discmofort although the last one was very painful - this might have been down to the stricture I had. I would say the prep it the worst part of it all.
 
shazz said:
Hi I am in the UK. Had my first one in April this year and it was horrible. Nothing they tried on me worked and I was awake and screaming the whole time. I was in full flare and the bloody doc just kept shoving the scope up and around and telling me it doesnt hurt. If I had been feeling up to it i would have shoved up his backside and asked him if it hurt!
Got another one next Thursday(8th Dec) Needless to say I am so scared but I need it done. Still flaring as well so no doubt it will be even more painful.
Oh well still got the lovely prep to do.
Click to expand...

Hey Shazz,
My 1st one was just like your one. However from there on in I demanded to be knocked out. If you have insurance or can afford it, the doc brings in an anaesthetist and he is in charge of all that side. It is so very very worth it. My 1st time the air machine broke down halfway through and I heard the doc say "oh well we will keep going as she has done the prep. So on he went. He pushed it through and I was literally trying to get off the table. The nurses were told to hold me down and where they were pressing (on my belly) was where he had the scope. It was excruciating. I was still crying when he came to tell me the results in my room an hour later. Not surprisingly, I changes GI's. Grrrrrr. Who do these people think they are sometimes!!!!! BUT the good news is that I have NEVER experienced anything remotely like that since, and I've had quite a number. Talk to your GI so next Thursday you are knocked out. Even if it's with a different heavier sedation. Good luck. Look forward to hearing how it goes.
 
Hi, in the UK we are only offered twilight sedation as the norm. However I think Shazz has good grounds to argue for full sedation. That or demand they stop the scope and be given another dose of sedative.
 
Yeah I was only offered it too but if your willing to pay for it then I think they can organise other options. Hope so!!!
 
butafli said:
Yeah I was only offered it too but if your willing to pay for it then I think they can organise other options. Hope so!!!
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Doesn't work that way here. It's a private Hospital or an NHS Hospital where they only offer twilight. If you offered to pay to get extras in an NHS Hospital you would be met with blank looks or a laugh!
 
Thank you butafli and StarGirllll,
I am going in for my next infliximab infusion on Friday so I will ask my lovely IBD nurse. I dont see myconsultant that much cause I keep telling him how to do his job! If he was doing it properly I wouldnt feel like I had to, would I?!
I will let you know what they say, got a feeling its going to be no.
Sharon xxxxx
 
I am out! And with four kids my youngers being 2 I joke that even though it is only 10-20 mins it is the best sleep I have had in 10 years! I used to asst with sigmoidoscopies. Thoses looked uncomfortable enough. Not sure I would go through with it if not out.
 
I had 3 endoscopy's and 2 colonoscopy's in the last few months, both under light sedation.
I found the endoscopy most uncomfortable but I found the worst thing by far is the taste of the prep for the colonoscopy, it made me thow up.
 
They say mine are done under "light sedation" and that I can stay awake and watch, or relax and go to sleep, whichever I prefer. They use IV valium and demerol. I go to sleep. I'm pretty sure that what they expect, because they also give me oxygen during the procedure.
 
I had a segmoidoscopy with no sedation about a year and a half ago... NEVER AGAIN. I felt sicker than usual for about a week afterwards. I may be wimpy, but I had my last segmoidoscopy (about two months ago) under general anesthesia. No way will I ever have any -scopy without general anesthesia again. Also, I like to be completely out, not just "sedated".
 
I tried a colonoscopy with just light sedation (versed I think) but I am very resistant to pain/sedation meds. They had to put me out with propofol. I'll never do one again without propofol - too painful.
 
Oh no, I've got to have another colonoscopy next month with a balloon dilation of my stricture. After my last colonoscopy I am terrified!!! The consultant has promised me lots of sedation so fingers crossed I don't feel or remember a thing!!!
 
I've had several colonoscopies, under GA. But the nurse didn't have my IV in correctly for the first one, so I watched the beginning on the color monitor. Fascinating. I began talking to the doctor, and the next thing I knew I was waking up in the recovery area. I agree with others that the prep is the worst part.
 
My pediatric GI did not believe that children should be put under general anaesthetic for a colonoscopy. He said the meds he gave me would let me sleep and have no memory....he was wrong. At 11 it would take the doctor, 3 nurses and both parents to hold me down long enough to get the scope into me.

I can still remember watching the screen as it went through my body. Then out of nowhere this huge clamp would come out and grab at the intestine and blood would pour out. VERY SCARY for a child. Now I know that it was a biopsy and magnified (there was only a tiny drop of blood, but magnified it looked horrible).

Life lesson.... if you are ever awake during colonscopy.... do not watch the screen.
 
Hi all, maybe its been said, but colonoscopy under sedation should be prefered over general anesthetic because risks of colon perforation are higher under general anaesthetics.
 
I had general. I am glad we do general here, because that's just not something I want to be awake for. I observed a few colonoscopies in nursing school so I knew what happened but I just wouldn't want to be awake for it.
 
I was put under general they weren't going to at first because they were worried about me not waking up after because the last time they put under general I stopped breathing so they had to resuscitate me to get me breathing again :eek: it was really scary when they told me that after I woke up and it definitely isn't something I would want to be awake as I had someone tell me that the sensation of the tube inside you isn't very nice.
 
had a colonoscopy this july and it was mild. i remember allll of it. i had a second one last week but they had to get biopsies further up in my intestines so my sedation was stronger. dont remember that one, just waking up.

(from cleveland, ohio USA)
 
Mine have always been under that not-general anaesthetic, but they might as well be under general, as I never remember any of it after. I've been told I'm quite amusing and animated at times in post-op, but I don't recall any of it.
 
I was put under general anaesthetic for mine, and I'm apparently NOT a lightweight on the table when it comes to administering drugs, they did have to give me a heavy sedation before they gave me the general anaesthetic to stop me from getting the heck off of that table and leaving... Thanks, agoraphobia.
 
Just had another one this week and was put out for it. That defentely makes the prep for the test so much worse than the actual test.
 

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