[Ama]

Please can anyone advise??I've had ibs for years - had a colonoscopy 5 years ago, all clear. It was painful (very) but they increased the sedation and now I don't really remember it . .I had a good doc do it. He said I have a very tortuous and long bowel, which makes it even more likely gas gets trapped.Anyway, I am now booked for a sigmoidoscopy in ten days time, different doc, but a good one, who does lots of these, I'm told. I asked his secretary about sedation etc and she said they didn't give any!!! And no preparation to empty the bowel either!!! I thought sigmoidoscopy always needed both!? What should I do/think? Is this normal? I'm so scared that it will be a) painful and

messy!!Any advice or info? I'd welcome anything you can suggest/tell me!

Many thanks,Ama

 

[Fay]

Hi Ama,I had a sigmoidoscopy almost two years ago, I had no sedation, but I did get laxatives to take the evening before and the morning itself before going to the hospital. As I was then having daily virtually unstoppable D anyway all day through, the laxatives were no fun at all, and I was very worried about having 'accidents' while with the dr.I didn't find the procedure itself painful (and no accidents happened).Maybe you can phone the dr's office again and ask them if you will have an enema there, just to be sure. If she says there isn't any emptying procedure before the examination, then what you could do, if you're worried about it, is try eating a low residu diet the days before. But most of all (and this is something I had to tell myself too) I wouldn't worry too much about accidents, you're going there for a reason, because you have IBS, doctors are used to anything happening, and surely will understand that it's not your fault if anything happens.Hope it will be a smooth procedure for you too,Fay

 

[Ama]

Many thanks Fay, for your help . . . I guess I'm particularly worried, having done a bit of research on the internet, that, for me, the sigmoidoscopy will be painful , as the colonoscopy was more painful than is usual (so I'm told!) It was really bad, and that was with sedation! I've read that most sigmoidoscopies are not too painful, but I feel mine maybe and I'll find it very hard to relax!I'll call the doc's secretary and see what she has to say . .keep youir fingers crossed for me!

 

[Fay]

I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you, but maybe you can tell the dr/the secretary too about your colonoscopy and how painful it was. You never know, maybe they can give you a mild sedative or relaxant before the procedure.Fay

 

[Aikido59]

Request a sedative,If he denies you, tell him ok, let me give you one first, and if it doesn't bother you, I'll let you give me one!