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URGENT pls read!

I'm going through colonoscopy prep. While on the toilet 20 minutes ago I suddenly got really sweaty, nauseous, pale, and crazy weak...I fell off the toilet. I managed to convince my 2 year old to get the phone and called dh to come home. I tried to. Call the endoscopy unit with no answer. I just got to the sofa with the iPad by it. What shoold I do? Anuone else had this?
 
Kirsten,
You need to call or get to the ER or call the doctor that ordered the colonoscopy. May be nothing, but you don't want to take any chances. Call the doctor right now and see what they say, if you can't get a hold of the doctor than you need to go to the ER. right away.

My thoughts and prayers are with you today.

Hope it is nothing except being weak from the prep, but you do need to be seen or at least call your doctor. Do It Right Now

Keep us posted
 
if the prep has given you a lot of diarrhea/watery motions then it could be acute dehydration.... or it's possible you're having an adverse reaction to the prep..

either way, i would ring your gp surgery straight away and ask to speak to a doctor on the phone.

hope you feel ok soon - let us know!
 

Jennifer

Adminstrator
Staff member
Location
SLO
if the prep has given you a lot of diarrhea/watery motions then it could be acute dehydration.... or it's possible you're having an adverse reaction to the prep..

either way, i would ring your gp surgery straight away and ask to speak to a doctor on the phone.

hope you feel ok soon - let us know!
To add to those possibilities above, it could also have been a panic attack as I know you said you were nervous about the procedure. I've never actually fainted before but the symptoms you described were just like a panic attack. Agreed on contacting the doctor right away.
 
I agree with CrabbyRelish...I think it was a bit of anxiety/panic attack mixed with prepping. It has happened to me before. As a matter of fact it happened 2 weeks ago when I prepped for my most recent colonoscopy.

I hope you are feeling better now and wish you luck with your test
 
The first time I had a colonoscopy I had the big gallon of liquid sludge for prep (GoLytely) and I was fine until the next morning before the procedure. I got up to let a visitor in and I was feeling pretty dizzy and I got the person to leave but just as I shut the door I started to get tunnel vision and I barely made it to the couch before I collapsed.

I was able to lay there for a second, get my bearings and go make a phone call to my mom who was at work. I told her about it and she called a neighbor who brought me some black coffee with sugar in it. We are pretty sure my blood pressure was low, I was starved and I was dehydrated. I drank the coffee and I called the doctor and asked if it would be okay to keep drinking some mountain dew (for the calories and sugar) past my liquids cutoff time. They were perfectly fine with that.

You just gotta remember to pay special attention to your hydration and nutrient intake levels when you're going to be prepping for a colonoscopy. At that point in time I hadn't eaten in a couple days anyhow and was down about 30 pounds.

I hope you're doing okay now.
 
It could have also been a hypoglycemic incident. Not sure how long it's been since you posted but if you haven't been drinking anything "substantial" with your prep I would try drinking something high in sugar that's on the approved list (IIRC something like sprite?). But hopefully you have talked to your doc by now and they have given you better advice than what I am offering. It could be any of the things everybody else has mentioned or something else so definitely follow their advice. Just if you haven't been able to get a hold of somebody some sugar might be worth a shot.

Hope you are feeling better and you don't have to start all over with that nasty prep! Please check back in with us when you can.
 
Thanks for the info and for your concern everyone. I really appreciate it! I'm ok now...I'll tell you more tomorrow. Now, sleep!
 
Glad you are ok.

My last prep I had a similar happening. I ended up vomiting and feeling like crap for about an hour, then I felt better. Hope your situation was as quick as that! Good luck tomorrow.
 

AndiGirl

Your Story Forum Monitor
Oh my gosh, Kirsten, I was afraid when I read your fist post. It sounds like dehydration. Dehydration can knock anyone down. My last colonoscopy was last November and I felt very sick and weak from the prep. I really had to force myself not to start throwing-up, because when that happens, I can't stop, and end up terribly dehydrated. Rest up, sweetie.
 
Hi everyone,

Me again :). So I'll try to update you from after I posted. I never got a return call from the endoscopy unit. My husband came home immediately (it usually takes him 15 minutes, but it only took about 12). I was so weak and in pain. He packed the kids and everything up, we went to drop them off, and we went in for my appt a bit early. I'm a little peeved that I never got a very good answer. (well nothing more than a guess). It could have been dehydration, a sudden drop in BP, or sugar...all of which you guessed. Maybe I overreacted a bit, but I was laying here abolutely alone with a young child running around, a one screaming in their crib.

So I had to wait for my colonoscopy appt time, but it all seemed to be quite a quick process (compared to other aspects of Ontario healthcare). I was done 1 1/2 hours after my appt time. Because of my symptoms in the morning, they gave me extra sedation, so I was awake, but wasn't...it was fab seeing as last time I was completely with it and felt every puff of air, every biopsy snip, and the scope moving about. I think I remember hearing that things inside weren't too bad, but I have to wait until my May 5th GI appt to find out (the sad thing is I usually have to wait 2 hours at one of those appts.)

Anyway, I really can't tell you how much I appreciate everyone on this forum. I was in a tough spot and you were all there for me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!!

Kirsten
 

xJillx

Your Story Forum Monitor
So glad you got through that, Kirsten. It sure sounded like a tough one. Did your doctor give you any idea of how things looked after the colonoscopy?
 
I'm glad to hear you are doing well! Sounds like you have a good husband.

I can't believe they never got back to you though. D: I also don't think you overreacted at all. You gotta take care of yourself.
 

ameslouise

Moderator
Thanks for the update. Glad you are feeling better.

That's a drag that you have to wait almost 5 weeks to discuss the results! Doesn't the doctor call you at home and let you know what they found????

- Amy
 
Thanks for letting us know how it went with your colonoscopy, and that you are feeling better. The waiting for test results is really hard though, I am now waiting on 3 of my tests to see what is up with them.
 
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