You’re not being put under general anesthesia, are you? Just the kind that makes you groggy? I’ve had several colonoscopies and had no problems at all.
I wouldn’t skip the procedure. It’s a lot of peace of mind knowing you’re OK, or catching a polyp before it’s cancerous. I had my first colonoscopy a few weeks after I turned 50. No family history of polyps or colon cancer. They found a large polyp that probably would have turned cancerous. I had to go back every three years for awhile. Now I’m every five years. Honestly, if they told me it needed to be every year, I wouldn’t flinch. I have a 45-year-old friend who was diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer a couple of years ago. She’s a “lucky” one in complete remission, but the chemo did a number on her.
I have a lot of anxiety about health concerns, and the sedation part was the easiest part- truly! You’re not under full anesthesia. That part is easy! I agree about not skipping it; I think we underestimate the stress we carry around with this background worry about our health. You’ll be surprised at the weight you’ll feel off your shoulders afterwards!
My husband had his first colonoscopy this morning. Procedure and sedation went great. They found a large pre-cancerous polyp that is very close to his appendix so he has to have it removed. Cologuard would not have done anything to catch that! I told him that this is exactly why we do these procedures!
Good luck, you can do it!!
Thank so much for the replies and reassurance! I would just be getting the “normal” sedation, which I believe is probably propofol. Does that sound right?
My dad had polyps (not cancer) so I am on the every 5 year schedule. My last two Colonoscopies (done in my 40s) were normal. I think part of my anxiety is fueled by this idea that maybe I don’t really need to have Colonoscopies so frequently, so I feel more worried about any potential risks of the procedure. Of course, if I didn’t have the procedure, then I’d worry too. Ugh!
Thank you so much! This is very helpful to hear. My reply below was meant to go to you too (I am new to posting here, so am learning how it all works!)
I have a choice between full and partial sedation. My doc prefers full, but I always do partial and have never had a problem. I would call to find out what they are planning.
Yes, typically it is propofol or fentanyl. You can definitely call and ask, mention your concerns, and ask for the lowest amount possible. I have had both without issue. I have found if you’re honest about your concerns and share specifically what your anxious about, they will work with you and explain things in detail in a way that hopefully makes you more comfortable.
Absolutely true. The sedation and the colonoscopy itself are pretty easy. The only unpleasant part is the cleaning out of your intestines before the procedure.
I woke up once during my colonoscopy. It was entirely pleasant and comfortable. I looked at something that looked like a TV screen with insides displayed on it and thought “that is my insides, way cool!”. Then I heard a voice ask “what are we going to do about that?” and another voice very calmly say “we’re going to remove it”. Then I went back to sleep. When I woke up after the procedure they explained that they had removed one polyp. Later I was told that it was precancerous.
Given that this all happened 15 years ago I am very glad that the precancerous polyp was removed, comfortably and painlessly, while it was still small. I am very happy to never have a chance to find out what it would have done if it had been left in there for 15 years.
I also get colonoscopies every 5 years. I think that this is due to three precancerous polyps that have been removed (the other two were more recent). All of this is way, way better than not getting colonoscopies and letting the polyps grow.
I also roused briefly during my first colonoscopy and think it’s because the nurse’s name was Marilyn and likely the doctor was using her name. Looked at the screen and went back under. So that shows how lightly you were sedated. It’s similar to being sedated for a tooth extraction or root canal, both of which I’ve also had.
I put on the slip (or whatever they call that garment), got up on the exam table, got onto my side and pulled up my knees as directed, and next thing I knew, I was softly singing myself awake. lol
My hands and feet felt like cinder blocks and I slept on the way home, and then took a nap after that… and when I awakened from that, I ate a giant Club Supreme from Jersey Mike’s. It was wonderful.
I understand what you are saying. I think you realize your fear is unwarranted or irrational, but it’s still there. We can provide you with all the statistics on how safe partial sedation is, etc etc but the irrational fear will be lurking.
I think it’s best to just counter that automatic thought every time your brain goes “But . . .sedation!” With “It feels scary, but the docs and nurses do hundreds of these every day. I can handle a little anxiety in exchange for knowing I am doing something important for my health.”
FIT tests are not very effective at detecting polyps in general (if you meant to suggest use of FIT to detect new polyps?), and can also miss many high-risk polyps and cancers. For example, see this study.
This work has demonstrated that, at any cut-off for f-Hb, the sensitivity rates for detection of polyps with FIT are unacceptably low. At current standard thresholds, FIT will miss around two-thirds of all polyps and more than half of high-risk polyps.
Polyps are a precursor of CRC and their early detection and ablation is an essential intervention in the prevention of CRC, especially for people that are at high risk. FIT may be useful in stratifying the timing of investigations for patients presenting with symptoms that may be caused by CRC in resource-limited health economies; however, if FIT were to replace current investigative pathways based on symptoms indicating definitive investigation, nearly three-quarters of all adenomas, including more than half the high-risk polyps, in symptomatic patients would be missed. To ensure adenoma detection rates remain high, endoscopic assessment must not be reduced from current standards of practice.
Most colonoscopies nowadays are done using propofol. The nice thing about that drug is that it has a very short half life. As soon as the drip is stopped, the patient begins to wake up. I would say you should feel very very very confident that you will be able to wake up after your procedure if the anesthesia provider is using propofol.
Intent here is for higher risk people to increase the chance of detecting an interval cancer for someone with above average risk to be recommended for 5-year colonoscopy intervals. Are you suggesting that people get colonoscopy every year instead?
No, simply questioning the value of adding FIT tests for a person who is already getting colonoscopy on a schedule. It is a poor test to use for detecting new polyps between scheduled colonoscopies.
FIT can detect colorectal cancer that occurs between scheduled colonoscopies, even if its sensitivity to new polyps is not that high for a single test (but it can be done at far more frequent intervals than would be advised for colonoscopy for all but the highest risk patients). That can make it worth doing between colonoscopies for someone with a high enough risk to be doing more frequent than usual colonoscopies.
Most polyps take 10-15 years to become cancerous, therefore it’s highly unlikely to have cancer pop up within 5 years after a colonoscopy (unless you are a cancer patient who must worry about recurrence). The reason for a short interval between colonoscopy screenings in people who are prone to polyps, or otherwise high risk, is to watch for and eliminate new polyps at regular intervals so that they never have a chance to become cancerous.
Managed care systems (and socialized healthcare systems) make use of FIT and similar tests because colonoscopy is expensive and limited in supply, and also because compliance can be an issue. That is, in practice, lots of people don’t (or can’t) get colonoscopy when it is recommended, and even though FIT tests can’t prevent cancer like colonoscopy can, some screening is a lot better than no screening!
However, a person who is sticking to a recommended 5 year colonoscopy schedule is taking great care of themselves already.
