How painful is a colonoscopy?

Question

..and are you ready to go back to work a day after one? How many hours later can you drive?

Answer 1

The colonoscopy is usually not painful. If it is, it isn't being done correctly. The worst part is the prepping part. Be prepared to become one with the toilet the night before. Popsicles help get the stuff down if you don't like the taste (take a swig of the prep then lick the Popsicle), just make sure they are not red.

You will not be able to drive after the colonoscopy that day. You will be fine the next day but if you can book it when you have a day off the next day, it is a bit better. There are rare cases where you can get air into your stomach and have complications. This happened to one of my coworkers and she had to go to the hospital later on that night after the proceedure, but that was very unusual.

Good for you for getting it done.

Answer 2

A colonoscopy is not painful the worst part was the prep work before having to drink that awful stuff they give you.Thats the part i would Never wanna have to go through again.
Well as i was saying not painful at all and i was actually awake the whole time they did mine and got to watch the little screen which i thought was pretty cool.Theirs a little discomfort when they first put it in but after that its a breeze.It was over with in no time at all and of course i was medicated also so i didn't really feel that much of it.
you probable shouldn't drive until whatever medicine they give you wears off otherwise you should be fine.I wouldn't think there'd be any complications about going back to work.

Answer 3

The most uncomofortable part is the prep. The colonoscopy is not uncomfortable at all, some people even have a sense of well being afterwards. Do not attempt to drive the day of the test. I work in a hospital and at times seen people come back in having had a car accident driving after driving agaisnt medical advice.

Answer 4

I've had an endoscopy(down your throat) and colonoscopy(err you know that one!) done at the same time. They give you an anesthesia to put you to sleep and believe me it's the best thing for you lol..Anyway! I'm in Australia but I think the proceedure's the same everywhere. Thing to do is have someone go with you and be your designated driver. Best not to drive for about 24 hrs afterwards so that the anesthesia's completely out of your system.You can usually go back to work the day after as well. Good luck with it...hope it all goes well and ps you wont feel a thing...lol gotta love those drugs!

Answer 5

A little info I think should be considered about this drug Versed ( Midazolam ) that is used for Sedation for many medical procedures..Sedation and General Anesthesia are not the same and quite a few people being given Sedation
think they are being given General Anesthesia!

There is simply no good or valid reason to ever purposely induce amnesia during a medical procedure. It is only a recent development in medical thinking that amnesia is somehow a "benefit" to the patient. On occasion some
some patients will remember a bad experience. Forgetting does not mean it did not happen!!
I feel that if people were aware of the effects of this drug they would Opt For Another Drug!
Erasing someones memory of what was done to them is wrong!!
In fact, many people who use Versed for " IV Sedation,Conscious Sedation" Twilight Sedation, during a procedure are Awake For The Entire Procedure but remember nothing, often Believing They Were "Out" the whole time.

Versed (Midazolam) is an amnestic. It is also commonly used for minor procedures like setting broken bones,colonoscopies,endoscopies, dental procedures like extractions,conscious sedation,twilight sleep, so that patients won't remember pain and discomfort.HOWEVER THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THOSE SENSATIONS WILL NOT BE EXPERIENCED!!!!

A note from an anesthesiologist
I agree that using midazolam alone in painful situations is wrong. I've heard people getting colonoscopies and screaming, and maybe they remember, maybe they don't.

A note I got from someone on Yahoo Answers who did have a bad experience..This is very disconcerting... My sister said she heard me screaming from the waiting room but assumed it wasn't me. When we left we heard another female patient screaming. I did a lot of research since your post, thanks so much for the info.

Here is a note from a Dentist Who uses Versed
I've used Versed 1000+ times during oral surgery procedures and I've never had a complaint. It's a miracle drug because it is safe and it causes you to not remember an unpleasant experience. My answer to him is isn't it better to have not experienced the pain than to have forgot it. No wonder you have had no complaints they have no memory of the procedure.....

I feel that giving a drug for amnesia is cruel I would not want it done to me!

A strange development in medical thinking that it's okay for a patient to have
pain as long as they don't remember it and think they slept thru the procedure..


Here is a link for some info

http://www.freehelpforcancer.com/manages-meds/sedation

Answer 6

Not a big deal. I was not even put totally under so I got to watch the little monitor as they used the scope. I don't really remember too much though! They even took pictures and let me take a couple home (which too my embarrassment my husband insisted on showing the neighbors)

A word of caution, as in any procedure a colonoscopy is not done without risk. One of my friends had the procedure done by an experienced gastroentrologist and he accidentally nicked her colon. She almost bled to death internally. She was hospitalized for a week after wards. It was just one of those risks you take and she didn't blame him for it. So, even though everything will probably go off without a hitch for you, you should be aware of this possibility. Report any pain or bleeding immediately. Good luck.

Answer 7

The procedure is not painful because you will be medicated prior to the exam, the prep before the exam is the worst of it. You are usually asked to have someone else drive you home because of the medications they give you, each individual is different taking a day off from work is probably good to do if you can, just to rest and flush the drugs out of your system depending on the type of work you do! Good Luck!

Answer 8

No it isn't painful. I had one done in July after finding out that my mother had terminal colon cancer. We lost her in August.

They gave me something that made me not even care what was going on. I was aware where they were, and could see the monitor, but honestly I don't remember a whole lot. As for work, they told me not to drive or make any major financial decisions for the whole rest of that day. The next day I was fine. But I do remember how I felt that day and it wasn't fun. I felt like, well to be brutally honest....Sh**...lol Good luck and i hope they don't find anything.

Answer 9

If your doctor puts you out - you feel nothing - remember nothing. However my doctor (my ex doctor) Failed to make sure I was out.

I eventually succumbed to the drugs and went out - but felt the pain. In case this happens I can assure you, that while HIGHLY uncomfortable - you wont be screaming in pain.

Its not a pleasant experience when you are not out, but its not something you wont be able to stand. I promise.

MOST PEOPLE - have reliable doctors that make sure you are out. So don't sweat it. You will be groggy perhaps ( i was not) when you wake up and need to stay home from work for t hat day.

You wont be in pain after the procedure. It would be as though nothing happened. I have had 3 colonoscopies and 2 endoiscopies.

Answer 10

It's not painful at all, you're put out so you don't even know what's happening. You can go back to work the next day, you'll just be drugged up when you leave the hospital (like if you had some dental work done) so you'll need a driver. It's not a big deal.