Good luck with your tests. My husband had a colonoscopy this past Monday and everything was fine there. I had one some years ago. No problem.

Sue

When I had mine done, I was told to take X (forget how many exactly) doses of Miralax or the generic Purelax. I don't remember it being bad at all and I got along fine. Maybe that will be an option for you.

Wishing you all the best!

Sue

Best of luck!

I used the Golytely stuff for my procedure a couple of years ago and had a terrible time with it. I've already decided that I would insist on something else. There are other products that work just as well.

Thinking about you!

Kath, I just have to say you are the only person I know of who has ever said I've been wanting a colonoscopy. Sorry, I just had to tease you!

I had one several years ago and whatever I had to take wasn't good, but it wasn't horrible either. Glad to know there are better choices now.

The procedure isn't bad either. Hope you get a good report.

Sue

Oh gosh--hope everything goes well.
(I've hit 50 and the doc says it's time for me to have it, but I am such a chicken. I get stressed just having a breast exam! Logically I know I must, but...)

I hope, also, that you won't have to wait to long for the results and a diagnosis of what's causing the pain.

Maybe if you ask for Miralax you'll get it. That's what I used . . . it's my doctor's first choice.

Pammy, you won't feel a thing - you will be sedated and out like a light.

The worst thing (for me) was having to stay close to the bathroom - one doesn't want to stray far, after taking the 'cleaning out' preparation.

Praying that it is something simple and can be easily taken care of.

I will definitely ask for something else next time - I really don't think I could choke it down again. And I had eaten lightly for days and then had the clear liquid day so, after all that torture of drinking that stuff, the result was pretty unspectacular LOL.

Good luck! Let us know when it's over and your results!

Best of luck on the scope and the prep.
Had I not had my first one done when I was 38 years old I would not be here today. I am a huge pro colonoscopy person and urge everyone get it done! Thank Goodness I did not follow the supposed guideline to wait till 50 I would have never made it.
I have had wonderful doctors and never any pain just good drugs that send you to lala land for a little visit.
I do insist on the prep I want I would not under any circumstance do the Golytely prep it is rediculous that some doctors still use that awful prep. There are many much easier and much more pleasant preps. I use the pills now, I know how to take them and I know the precautions and have never had a single problem with them. My doctor said as long as I am aware that I must drink a LOT of water with them he is fine with it.

Enjoy your nice nap! That's the best part LOL

I hope all goes well!

Thanks everyone. It's Mag Citrate-gag. Two little bottles of it but still not good. If it wasn't sweet I don't think it would be so bad. Maybe I'll cheat and go take some sennoside tablets....

Ravencajun, I've had a lot of patients with late stage colon cancer in their 30s and 40s and that's why I've been wanting one even without having any symptoms...sometimes if you wait till you have them it's too late.

I had that a couple of times, Kath - mix it with no pulp orange juice or 7UP - just a tad )of course, ask the doctor's office folks, first). When I did that, it had no effect on my scope and made the medicine much tastier - I feel bad for you - it's not pleasant.

I had to take Ducolax, Cig Magtrate and MoviPrep. Yuk, Movie prep tastes like crap! Could hardly take it down. Luckily, my biopsy came out neg. I am sure happy about that!

Good luck, Kath, I hope everything is OK and that you're just playing it safe!

I was not having typical symptoms either, thankfully my wonderful doctor agreed to doing a scope on me anyway and was extremely happy he did it. If you have a very strong feeling something is wrong go with that gut feeling!

I drank half of the first dose. Kayjones, they specifically say on the instructions not to drink orange juice or grapefruit juice...but the box says orange juice is ok?? It's too sickly sweet tasting so adding anything isn't going to help. After I only drank half of the first dose, I took two Sennosides tablets that I had and it worked just fine. I may skip the second dose and just take the Sennosides again.

I'm a little ticked off since the Sennosides probably cost $5 for a box and the Mag citrate was $40 with my insurance paying over half of the $90 something dollar total.

holy smokes why was the magnesium citrate that much, it's like under 2 dollars a bottle at cvs.

Here is a link that might be useful: cvs

I don't know Ravencajun, was wondering the same thing myself. Maybe the dose was higher?

I'm already back from the procedure. Just wanted to let you all know how it went. Not too bad. The scopes were a breeze compared to the prep. They found 2 small polyps, removed them and sent them to be biopsied. No strictures but possible Barrett's Esophagus, tissue sample sent for confirmation. I'm a little freaked out about that one. He thinks the pain I've been having is caused by my gallbladder and is going to schedule me for an ultrasound. Apparently losing a lot of weight can cause gallbladder issues..which I didn't know.

good to hear that u r back from it all Kath-now lets hope the end results are going to be alright

I am scheduled for another scope,same 2 as u, for the 27th of Feb-Crohns has been off the charts this past 3 + months or so

thansk for letting us know! I was wondering!

Hope all is well. Eat and relax now!

Happy to hear that it is over. I am 62 but haven't had one (Cdn.) - but as far as going to la la land - that wouldn't be happening. I am one of those that knock-out drugs don't work in the normal way - they have the opposite effect. So when the doctor tells me that I won't feel anything for 3 hours - we get about 5 minutes. But I wanted to address your gall bladder issues. I had an ultrasound done in June 2012 for a different reason (good news is that I don't have that problem - but I am sorry I had the test, because I have gallstones). You will know that is how most people find out they have the stones - due to a different test - but I have never had an attack. I did have acid kidney stones a few years ago - that was not pretty. I really have to watch the purines and oxalics - and of course the gall stones diet seems to be the opposite. So I figured I would just have the gall stones removed in a non crisis manner - think again. I can't see a specialist until I have an attack - and then I must go to an ER and have the same ultrasound I have already had - take the report to my GP and only then can I see a specialist. And apparently they no longer yank out the stones (through the throat?!) - but just remove the gall bladder. From what I have heard about 40% of people have digestion issues post gall bladder removal. Since I know about it, it has playing havoc with our annual, multi-trip out of country/province trip cancellation/medical insurance. If I am not clear 90 days before a trip and I have an attack while away, our medical insurance will not pay for treatment. I could suffer through the attack - could it be worse than kidney stones - and I waited 6 hours before going to the hospital when that happened. But if I turn dark yellow my gall bladder would have to be removed immediately. I guess I would just have to succumb, otherwise we would be finacialy ruined if my gall bladder had to be removed in the U.S. or Europe without being covered. I even called a specialist to ask if the referral process was as described to me - and he confirmed it - and said that he agreed that since I have several stones and want to deal with them that I should be able to. Neither my husband nor I are drains on the health system - he has one presciption and I take HRT - probably the last year on it. Since I have allergies to so many things - including of course anti-histamine (and am a ragweed sufferer) - but hey, I can take penicillin - and my husband just has his eye drops prescription - well, we would like a break! Now I have to report in 2 weeks for possible selection as a juror on a First Degree Murder trial - found out Nov. 30 just as I was about to book a ticket to NY in April - a cheap fare (well, from Canada) - my husband has a meeting. Computer crashed as I was about to buy the ticket and 5 minutes later the summons arrived - dated 18 days earlier. Insurance covers dating up to 14 days. So I can't book anything - if I am selected as a juror (and why would the 4th "random" time be any different), the trial date won't be for a couple of months after the firat 5 days of jury selection - so I can't book anything and be covered. I want my half of our annual premium returned! Not happening - I asked. The coverage provider did understand my predicament. I will not be paid anything for the first 15 days and will have to board my dog. So I have a double whammy - obsessed with the gall bladder stones and now the jury duty notice. I have lost 7 lbs trying not to have my first ever attack and I don't even eat butter! I do know a woman who was advised to have her gall bladder removed - had suffered a few attacks - and didn't. Instead went to the U.S. and as she was dipping a bit of lobster into a vat of butter, had an attack and turned yellow. So immediate surgery - insurance wouldn't pay. But she set herself up - I haven't done that yet no way around it. So I hope you don't find yourself in this predicament. I have seen other posts on this forum re out of country/province insurance and the horrors that people are going through - whether they go to the U.S. for the day or Americans cross into Canada for the day. You never know what will happen and all you need to have done is to have changed a prescription type (one eye drop to a different one that does the same thing) or changed the dosage - and you are not clear for 90 days with our plan for coverage - medical being the bad one or be run over by a bus and not reported that you had a migraine once - it is nuts. People in Canada are losing their homes and retirement funds to the point that many snow birds are staying in Canada. Not good. Here is to both of us not having a gall bladder attack of the extreme variety. I guess I will have to tell the judge - I could see me now, having an attack during the trial and then being held in contempt for not telling them about it....A taxi won't want to take me to the hospital due to liability. I can take an ambulance - and it would NOT be covered by our Ontario insurance - my husband's office plan would cover the cost - over $400 - as long as the ER doctor provides something in writing indicating it was an emergency and I go to the closest hospital to wherever I happen to be when the attack occurs. If it happens at home, the closest hospital is not where I want to go. At the jury duty location - absolutely. One person suggested I start to eat all of the foods to bring on an attack, but that would just backfire with other health related issues. I have perfect blood pressure, cholesterol etc. and I don't want to start creating other health problems at 62. I do eat a lot of olive oil...

Ont Gal, sorry you're having to deal with Crohns. Have had a few patients with it and it can be miserable for them. Good luck on your scopes.

Geez Eccentric, sorry your medical coverage is so bad. I'm kind of dreading what's coming for our country. I know our hospital does still remove gall stones...all the time, in fact. Hope everything works out for you.

Still having mild pain but nothing like last week. Crossing my fingers that I get through next week at work without any problems. I can't afford to miss any more days since I have very little sick leave left. The hospital called me earlier today to set up the ultrasound...for next Thursday.

I will tell you that having had gallstones and having gone through the dreaded "attack" it's about as horrible as you can imagine. I have been told worse than childbirth, having no children I can't comment to that comparison. However I can say it was about as bad as I could take with out passing out and at the time I was wishing I would just pass out.
I
can also comment on the issues that can come after the surgery. I was one of the many that developed the dreaded bile dumping syndrome. Which in some of the attacks rivaled the pain of the darn gallstones trying to pass. I still suffer almost daily with it, but it's not as severe as it was in the past. I do have medication that helps at times.
I have been asked would I do it again, that's a difficult question, because I don't know what would have happened if I had kept the gallbladder, it's well known that a gallbladder with stones can and does turn cancerous. So I think yes I would do it again especially since I had been having serious pain, but I would definitely learn all I could about what can happen after the surgery and be as prepared as possible for that outcome should it happen.
I had no idea what was happening to me when I had my first extremely painful episode after surgery, I thought I was dying.
Some people have mild cases that eventually stop, some don't. I warned my nephew and one of my friends before they had surgery so they would know what was happening in case they were also unlucky. As it turns out they both were severely affected also and were very grateful I had prepared them. They knew to go back to their doctors and let them know and get the medication to help them.
It's unfortunately too common and doctors should discuss the possibility of these issues with the patients in case it happens to them.
I have done a lot of reading and research on why this is happening so often now. It seems it was not as big a problem when surgeries were done the old fashioned way, or pre laparoscopic surgery.
In some research they think it may be due to a nerve that Is damaged. I wish I knew but at this point it wouldn't help me.
We take a risk any time we undergo surgery.

The early colonoscopy I had saved my life so I am happy to be alive, everything else I find a way to live with it

Glad that's over for you Kath. How much weight did you lose?

I had my latest colonoscopy back in October and my prep meds were Mediquick. I had absolutely no problems with it. I have also had several upper GI scopes which also were no big deal. And I happened to be fully awake for them and watched the procedure on the doctors monitor, which was pretty cool. Good luck with your procedures.