painful colonoscopy

BuffaloGal49 · April 2005

They promised me good painkillers and twilight sleep. I felt sharp severe pain several times and remember almost everything. I will never do this again. How did they screw up? My blood pressure was way scary - I could see it on the monitor.

CAMaura · April 2005

Hi there,

Jeez, I am so sorry to hear of your painful experience.
I was told it would be conscious-sedation...which it sort of was. During the colonoscopy, I woke up; I did feel pain, but also could feel myself being "out of it"....not as caring about the pain as I would have normally been.

How about talking with your Gastro-doc, or his nurse, about your level of discomfort....? Keep in touch. They may have been clipping a bit for biopsie; that may have been responsible for the more sharp pains.....but I don't really know.

Keep good thoughts....this has to be your worst colonoscopy.

Best wishes,
Maura

scouty · April 2005

Well you are obviously stronger then the docs thought or you wouldn't have felt so much. You need to tell you doc about it for the next one. Please don't say you won't do one again, it is the single best way for us to know and prevent colon cancer. The pain could have been them burning off polyps too. I wouldn't read too much into it until you get the results. Did they tell you anything after it was over? Usually they tell you something like come back in 1-3-5-10 years or they will say something about we found a few things we need to take a close look at. As Maura says, they could have been doing biopsis.

Stay in touch and tell us what you can and we can help you make sense of it.

FYI...blood pressure always goes up when you are in pain, that is why they check it all the time when you are in the hospital. I bet it came back down once your scope was over.

Lisa P.

Unknown · April 2005

This comment has been removed by the Moderator

CAMaura · April 2005

Hi again,

I have to chime in with Scouty and Babs - please don't discount the test because of this rotten experience.
It has to get better.....and the results are soooo incredibly important.

Best to you,
Maura

AuthorUnknown · April 2005

I'm sorry to hear your discomfort during the colonscopy process. I had it with general anesthesia that totally knocked me out and waking up with no negative reaction.
This test helped catch my cancer early with good prognosis (Stage C/III--6 lymph nodes postive).
You might want to talk to you doctor and mentionto him/her about your pain and discomfort and seek better solutions for your pain and discomfort.

The result from this test is soooo importanty. As Maura mentioned, do not give up becaue of this painful experience.

We are here for you; and I will pray for you...

Love,
Rosa (New York)

BuffaloGal49 · April 2005

AuthorUnknown said:
I'm sorry to hear your discomfort during the colonscopy process. I had it with general anesthesia that totally knocked me out and waking up with no negative reaction.
This test helped catch my cancer early with good prognosis (Stage C/III--6 lymph nodes postive).
You might want to talk to you doctor and mentionto him/her about your pain and discomfort and seek better solutions for your pain and discomfort.

The result from this test is soooo importanty. As Maura mentioned, do not give up becaue of this painful experience.

We are here for you; and I will pray for you...

Love,
Rosa (New York)

Thank you all for your words of comfort. My partner attended the procedure and said they did not find any polyps, nor do any biopsies. I'm trying to be grateful for that. She insisted I be given more pain meds at the worst point, but apparently they didn't increase the versed, as I can recount a lot of the last half of the procedure. My primary doc said next time, we go with an anesthesiologist who can use the full meal deal, rather than a nurse who can't and a gastro doc who won't. She is afraid of patients getting too much and crashing. Well, crashing with PTSD isn't much fun either. This set off a bad emotional trauma reaction to a horrible sentinel node biopsy I had for breast cancer 4 years ago (with absolutely no meds of any kind). Needless to say this facility now sees their way clear to pay for my counseling with a trauma specialist. And they wonder why only 20% of the population gets screened. Everyone is fearful and then when they exceed your worst expectations. . . Nothing was said about my returning in under 10 years, so maybe by then the virtual colonoscopy will be perfected.
Blessings to y'all for your support.

kangatoo · April 2005

BuffaloGal49 said:
Thank you all for your words of comfort. My partner attended the procedure and said they did not find any polyps, nor do any biopsies. I'm trying to be grateful for that. She insisted I be given more pain meds at the worst point, but apparently they didn't increase the versed, as I can recount a lot of the last half of the procedure. My primary doc said next time, we go with an anesthesiologist who can use the full meal deal, rather than a nurse who can't and a gastro doc who won't. She is afraid of patients getting too much and crashing. Well, crashing with PTSD isn't much fun either. This set off a bad emotional trauma reaction to a horrible sentinel node biopsy I had for breast cancer 4 years ago (with absolutely no meds of any kind). Needless to say this facility now sees their way clear to pay for my counseling with a trauma specialist. And they wonder why only 20% of the population gets screened. Everyone is fearful and then when they exceed your worst expectations. . . Nothing was said about my returning in under 10 years, so maybe by then the virtual colonoscopy will be perfected.
Blessings to y'all for your support.

Hiya from oz. I have had 4 colonoscopies and only once did I wake up----long enough to see the tv screen--then out again. Seems to me that you were definately not sedated enough. My specialist went into this thoroughly with me and said that the patient is sedated far enough to still be able to talk to the specialist doing the procedure...BUT..the patient should remember nothing of it afterwards!
Aparently the patient is able to "just" communicate to the specialist. So if you need a repeat colonoscopy I would seek out a doctor who has a qualified anaesthetist attending. I would certainly need to know what depth of anaesthetic I would be put under. I agree with the others here..colonoscopy is a "must do" procedure, but it should not be painfull if all goes well.
luv kanga n Jen

IDIOT · June 2009

PAINFUL COLONOSCOPIES
I TOO WAS TOLD THAT I WOULD TAKE A NICE NAP. PEOPLE AROUND ME SAID OH I HAD ONE AND NO PROBLEM..WELL IF THAT CRAMP THE NURSE SAID WOULD HAPPEN WAS A CRAMP THEN THE TITANIC WAS A BOATING ACCIDENT. I AM NOT A BABY OR WEAK BUT I WAS IN PAIN. I COULD FEEL HER HAND ON MY BOTTOM AND I THOUGHT AM I SUPPOSE TO FEEL THIS. I COULD HEAR THE NURSE ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MEDICATION, TWICE. I COULDN'T TELL IF I WAS SCREAMING OUT LOAD OR JUST IN MY HEAD BUT THEN THE NURSE TOOK MY HAND AND SAID STOP IT, IT IS JUST A CRAMP FROM THE AIR AND THE CORONER. I KEPT THINKING THAT THIS WILL STOP SOON AND THANK GOD IT DID. MY ARM WAS BLOOD WHERE THE NURSE DID THE IV IN THE CROOK OF MY ARM. WHEN WE GOT HOME MY HUSBAND SAW THE BLOD AND SAID OH MY GOD THE REALLY DID BUTCHER YOU. I AM WORKING ON MY 5TH GALLON OF BLOOD SO IT ISN'T LIKE I DON'T KNOW THE SCORE. THERE HAS NEVER BEEN MORE THAT A SMALL DOT WHEN I TAKE THE WRAP OFF. I WALKING HUNCHED OVER FOR A FEW HOURS AND WHEN I HAD A GAS BUBBLE IT FELT LIKE MY INSIDES WERE BRUISED. I KNOW THE MD THAT DID IT AND SHE IS VERY KIND AND GENTLE BUT BASED ON THIS EXPERIENCE I WILL THINK LONG AND HARD BEFORE PUTTING MYSELF IN THAT POSITION AGAIN. I TOLD THEM I WAS SCARED AND LOOK WHERE IT GOT ME. OR I WILL MIX THAT PREP STUFF WITH VODKA AND TAKE PAIN PILLS BEFORE I GO IF I EVER GO AGAIN.

NWGirl · June 2009

Painful Colonoscopy
My first scope I just had the conscious sedation and I was out like a light - didn't feel a thing. However, my one year follow up scope, which was done after I'd finished chemo and radiation - and still had my ileostomy - my anesthesiologist and surgeon both agreed I would need a general and worked together to figure out how to get my insurance company to pay for it.

Because my colon had been out of commission for the past year and had shrunk up a bit - and with the radiation damage, they knew I'd need heavier meds. Thank heavens they did this. I woke up with a lot of pain in my bottom (which went away fairly quickly) and tons of air inside me that had to come out. This was NOTHING like the first scope which was completely pain free. When I woke up I asked for pain meds for the pain - but they wouldn't give me any - as she said if there was a problem, pain would be one sign of letting them know about it. Fortunately the pain was very short term and I felt better after an hour or two.

So please discuss your discomfort with your doctor. You shouldn't have to suffer through a scope.

elevation · June 2009

NWGirl said:
Painful Colonoscopy
My first scope I just had the conscious sedation and I was out like a light - didn't feel a thing. However, my one year follow up scope, which was done after I'd finished chemo and radiation - and still had my ileostomy - my anesthesiologist and surgeon both agreed I would need a general and worked together to figure out how to get my insurance company to pay for it.

Because my colon had been out of commission for the past year and had shrunk up a bit - and with the radiation damage, they knew I'd need heavier meds. Thank heavens they did this. I woke up with a lot of pain in my bottom (which went away fairly quickly) and tons of air inside me that had to come out. This was NOTHING like the first scope which was completely pain free. When I woke up I asked for pain meds for the pain - but they wouldn't give me any - as she said if there was a problem, pain would be one sign of letting them know about it. Fortunately the pain was very short term and I felt better after an hour or two.

So please discuss your discomfort with your doctor. You shouldn't have to suffer through a scope.

Nightmare at both ends.
Just had a colonscopy and endoscopy one after the other. OMG I was also awake the whole time and remember absolutely everything.

I was in agony with the colonscopy which went first. I only just managed to get through it with the help of the wonderful nurse that tried to comfort me.

Then straight into the endoscopy and again painful, I didn't realise the tube was so wide! Constant gagging and just awful. I don't image I will ever want anymore medical procedure done now and let nature just take it's course.

I'm scared to go to sleep incase I have nightmares as it is all just playing over and over in my mind.

4law · June 2009

painful colonoscopy
The anesthesiologist and/or nurse did a poor job. Be sure he or she knows about your experience as well as your gastro doc. PLEASE DON'T SAY YOU'LL NEVER HAVE ANOTHER COLONOSCOPY -- IT IS THE BEST WAY TO AVOID THIS CRAPPY DISEASE! The next time you are scheduled for this procedure, insist on a different anesthesiologist and let everyone -- nurses, doctors, office staff -- know how unhappy you were about this experience and ask for their assurances that it will not happen again. The squeaky wheel gets oiled.

grandma2selena · June 2009

Painful Colonoscopy
It isn't fun, I know. The twilight meds do not work on me so I am awake through the entire experience and feel all the pain you went through. Sorry you had to go through that.

Even though it is uncomfortable I refuse to not have one when needed.

Debbie

krystle singer · June 2009

Painful Probing!
I am so sorry you had to have such pain. What did your doc do wrong? I HATE the prep for colonoscopy, but the 'scopy has been painless and I've had three of them since Feb. 23,09. I do think about what if the sleep thing doesn't work.
So far so good. Really, I feel for you.

God bless! I hope this never happens again to you.

Krystle singer

lizzydavis · June 2009

Never Had Pain
I have had 2 colonoscopies. I never had pain. Please be sure and tell them before you have one of your past experiences and tell them while you are on the table. They can up the sedation. Do not hesitate to let them know what is going on with you or they will never know. Good luck with the next one. They are LIFE SAVERS!!!

krystle singer · June 2009

elevation said:
Nightmare at both ends.
Just had a colonscopy and endoscopy one after the other. OMG I was also awake the whole time and remember absolutely everything.

I was in agony with the colonscopy which went first. I only just managed to get through it with the help of the wonderful nurse that tried to comfort me.

Then straight into the endoscopy and again painful, I didn't realise the tube was so wide! Constant gagging and just awful. I don't image I will ever want anymore medical procedure done now and let nature just take it's course.

I'm scared to go to sleep incase I have nightmares as it is all just playing over and over in my mind.

Nightmare!
OMG! I was out all three timees I have had colonoscopys and my first one included an endoscopy. I think I'll hug the doctor and the "putter-outer" (can't spell anatheezeeologist) when I have my next Csy in December. They've been great.
Please, no, no, no, do not let nature take its course! But harass the **** out of your doctor. No one should be put through such terror and torture. I don't know your name, but I'll put you in our nightly prayer session somehow.

I wouldn't sleep if I went through such a thing either. You are in my thoughts.

Krystle singer (Sandi)

painful colonoscopy

Comments

Discussion Boards