[123kev123]

Just went to the doctor today complaining of the same tummy trouble that I've been getting for the past few months (lost a lot of weight *10% body mass*). The doc suggested that it could be thyroid. Is thyroid linked to IBS? And the doc also asked be to undergo a colonoscopy, which i said i wanted a Virtual colonoscopy. Is it better to have a normal colonoscopy rather than a virtual one? Or there isn't really a difference? Which one would be able to give a more accurate result on my intestines? Sorry for so many questions. haha.Thanks, Kev

 

[Kathleen M.]

The thyroid effects a lot of things and can cause GI symptoms and weight changes.Virtual colonoscopy is the same prep, the same inflate the colon with air, no drugs for the discomfort of that and if they see anything funny they have to do a regular colonoscopy to go clip out the polyp or biopsy the lining.Microscopic colitis cannot be diagnosed with a virtual colonoscopy as you need biopsies for that. So if you have copious watery diarrhea (the main symptom of that) I would go for a regular one with biopsies.

 

[123kev123]

My stools aren't exactly watery. They are more soft and squishy... haha Thanks =D My doc said the only prep i needed was to not eat nor drink after 10pm the night before, which is normal?

 

[Kathleen M.]

That is odd, everything else for the CT scan virtual colonoscopy I have ever seen says full bowel prep just like the regular colonoscopyhttp://www.med.nyu.edu/virtualcolonoscopy/.../bowelprep.htmlAre you think the camera pill you swallow as that needs less prep is the virtual colonoscopy? Because that is a different test.

 

[BQ]

FWIW Kev I would go ahead with the regular colonoscopy so they can take biopsies and rule out more GI stuff.

 

[123kev123]

Thanks Kat,i really don't know. The doctor wants me to be tested for Thyroid on Monday and then if there isn't any problem, go for the Virtual colonoscopy which the doctor calls a CT SCAN (which I guess makes it a virtual colonoscopy right?) on Tuesday. The only prep the doc said i had to do was to not eat nor drink from 10pm the day before, which now feels a little strange.And thanks BQ, well, I guess I should ask the doctor on monday if the thyroid test is negative. The doc said that the last time I had my blood test, my throid functions were boderline. Maybe it would be thyroid afterall? I'm not too sure... If it isn't well maybe I would ask about going for a normal colonoscopy.

 

[Kathleen M.]

There are CT scans that aren't virtual colonoscopies. Depending on what they are looking for in the CT scan there are different preps. Just because it is a CT scan doesn't mean it is a virtual colonoscopy. That is a specific kind of CT scan.

 

[overitnow]

Personally, I had only the CT scan done. Fortunately it came back clean, so there was no need to take biopsies. Had they had to go back in, then I I would have gone through a second prep and would have had to have the real colonoscopy. There was some discomfort in being blown up like a balloon but I didn't have to have anesthetics and there was no opportunity for a puncture, so I am happy with my procedure. Mark

 

[123kev123]

thanks so much =D. But the doctor said that I could either get the CT scan or a normal colonscopy...so i thought it meant a virtual colonscopy. But thanks anyways =D