Hi all. I've had IBS since I was 17. Now, I'm 45 and still dealing with flare ups. I was in the ER and have had many tests for severe pain, nausea, gas, bloating, burping, pain under right rib and behind shoulder. All docs thought it was gallbladder but gallbladder tests all came out normal. I was severely dehdyrated and needed fluids and nausea meds. They sent me home with Bentyl. Still having problems after I eat, severe high gas pain, debilitating......terrible burping. Dr. wants me to have colonoscopy. I have severe phobia of vomiting, so I'm scared of prep. Talked him into dulcolax, miralax prep, but I'm still scared of cramping, nausea and feeling sick. I know people do well, but I'm a baby. On my last endoscopy last year, I wasn't knocked out enough and then they over-medicated me, and I was so sick. My last colonoscopy, I was so dehydrated and stomach pain from prep, I was hysterical. That was ten years ago, and I have to do it again. Any advice?
Bad episode - ER visit, now fear of colonoscopy
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AskMom I have learned that if I think negatively I will feel worse. And I also have learned if I think positively.. I feel better. I assume the same would be true for everyone. ANYone is a bit nervous.. that is normal. Paralyzing fear isn't normal. So talk to your Dr. realistically about how you feel. This way they are prepared and they have a chance to ease any concerns you may have.The Ducloax/Miralax prep should be no problem for you. It is notoriously gentle.I have never read of someone who did this prep having vomitting or cramping or even nausea.. so just try to calm down a bit about it ok?Prepping itself isn't pleasant for ANYone.. but it also isn't the worst thing in the world. Ask the Dr if you can take the Bentyl if you are having any pain during the prep.You can drink clear fluids during the prep for quite awhile so do not LET yourself become dehydrated.Once you are running clear.. your prep is done. There is no reason for hysteria.... that will only make everything seem much worse than it is or needs to be. Actually I have found the calmer I am, the easier all procedures seem to be.Many, many people go through this with little or no problem there is no reason to think it won't be the same for you.All the best
Being a big baby myself, I understand your fears. It's true the prep isn't fun, but quite honestly I didn't find it much worse than my IBS was at the time. I think I was medicated just the right amount - was coming to just as they were finishing up. Had a little cramping which was over in a minute and that was that. Maybe ask your dr. to fine-tune the meds a bit better this time?
Your words and advice are calming. Thank you. I also know when I keep myself calm and positive, things aren't as bad, but it's hard to do when you are a person that panics. Thank you so much, I'll keep your advice close by and re-read it when I need to. I appreciate you.
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You might want to start practicing a relaxation technique. One of the basic ones is this:http://www.relaxationresponse.org/steps/Trying to figure it out while in mid panic doesn't work, but if you practice this during calmer times you can get to where you can use it to counter the panic while it is happening. It can take some practice, but it is a good thing to learn for managing anxiety and stress.
Do you mind me asking what tests they have done to evaluate your gallbladder? If it is just an ultrasound then that is not adequate. An ultrasound just looks at the structures of the gallbladder. It does not evaluate function. For that you would need a HIDA scan. This is a nuclear medicine test and evaluates how your gallbladder functions when you are given CCK. This causes your GB to contract and excrete bile as it does when you have a meal. If you haven't had it insist on it because your symptoms fit with a dysfunctional GB.
I have got to say that I agree with Riddick. The symptoms you describe sound exactly like a gall bladder problem and you need a HIDA scan either with CCK or with a stimulant like eating a bar of chocolate.As for the colonoscopy, I had one twice in the last year and each time I used Picolax for the prep and it was a piece of cake. Sure I went to the toilet a few times but then of course that is the idea. I suffer from constant nausea but the Picolax didn't make me any worse, so maybe that is just a thought.Also, as the others have said try not to think about it, and when you do force yourself to think about something else and do your deep breathing.By the way, the 2nd colonsopy I had I decided not to have any sedation at all as I wanted to drive myself home. It was actually no problem at all and didn't hurt one bit. So good luck and I am sure all will be fine.
Hi again. Yes, I did have the HIDA scan and it was normal. I also had a CAT scan in the ER, but they said it was normal from what they could tell, I guess I didn't drink enough of the cocktail ( I was really feeling yucky). Still again, tonight, after I ate something, severe stomach pain, nausea, burping. This has been like a 3 week attack now, I've lost weight and I only weigh 95 pounds to begin with. I'm so frustrated and I'm a mom of 3 active kids so I have to keep going and cooking for them and hubby. I'm also in school classes. I know 5 people so far that have had these symptoms and their HIDA scan and other tests came back normal, and it ended up being a diseased gallbladder when they went in. My dr. said people with IBS can feel much worse if they have their gallbladder out, so he's in no hurry to do it. He insists on the colonoscopy and endoscopy. He said if the gallbladder really is bad, it will show itself someday. Yikes! Thanks for all the advice. I'm trying yoga and relaxation techniques.
Hi there,Sorry for littering your thread but after 2 years history of weird patterns of pain with lose stools that wax and wane my GP insists that I go through colonoscopy. I did blood tests today which all came back OK (CRP and ESR show no inflammation, WBC normal). Now I'm divided in two. Please people advise what should I do - shall I go through colonoscopy anyway or just wait for another period and see if it'll get any worse?
If you've never had colonoscopy, it is highly recommended. My aunt, mom and sister recently had one and they did just fine. I'm scheduling mine, except it's so hard to do on a day like today when I feel lousy. It's like I want to feel good when I have colonoscopy, but it's so rare, so I just have to do it. It's a gold standard test and has become very common and routine. I would say you need to be comfortable and confident in your doctor.
There is a great deal of research out there that shows people who test normal on HIDA scan but have all the symptoms of a diseased gallbladder have a significant improvement in symptoms when it is removed.....something like greater than 70%!The more tests you have done that come back normal indicate to me the increased likelihood of this being a GB issue.You won't know though until you have the endoscopies done.
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Like you, I'm a big baby about colonoscopy and prep. Analyzing myself, I know it's based on the horrid pain of the procedure during my active years of having ulcers from UC but I just can't shake it emotionally so always remind my doc to sedate me a lot. The endoscopy center has my meds on file so there is a very good routine for me. As to the prep, as miserable as it is, like onyx, I say it's no worse than my IBS diarrhea, perhaps even less awful because with the med causing it, there seems to be less cramping. But it does go on and on. One useful piece of advice is to start the prep much earlier than instructed. That allows you to be done with expelling it earlier and actually be able to sleep that night. They say keeping it cold helps against nausea. I did that last year and I guess it helped somewhat. I was so proud when I finished! Sorry, but I don't remember what prep I was given, but it wasn't too bad and I'm not scared of vomiting it up anymore. I've been doing this a long long time (30+years)and can tell you all here that over the years, they have made some improvements in taste and results of the prep and I find going to the endoscopy center, where that's everyone's specialty, is very helpful.As to the possibility of your symptoms being due to gallbladder disease, I must admit your description does remind me of my experience with one exception; my tests were not normal... labwork, ultrasound, nuclear med. So I was quickly sent for surgery and now I'm done with that. What I really want to share with you is about what happens to people without a gallbladder. With my bad diarrhea issues from IBS, I was rather alarmed and asked both my gastroenterologist and my surgeon about it. With instant knowledge about it, they each said that yes, some people do get diarrhea from it. However... only about 10% of patients get diarrhea post-op but it's temporary, gradually decreasing as body adjusts. Of those who do get diarrhea, only a small 1% keep it as a change in their lives. Neither was sure about me with my history, but hoped I still reacted like the statistics. Well, I'm happy to report that I never did have any increase in my already challenging diarrhea from IBS, not even temporary. That was 3 years ago and I'm still no different. I hope this can help to reassure you that you are not doomed if they do exploratory surgery and end up removing your gallbladder. I say it's worth the risk so sign that consent. Good luck. I'm glad you found us and hope you find us helpful in some way, if only as a place of support.Cathy
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