A little off topic ?

Question: Colonoscopy without ANY sedation. Anyone ever get it done that way?


Why? Would you ever do it that way again? How was the "discomfort"?

Answer: Yep. I've had five of those.


Actually, I've never had a colonoscopy with sedation. I guess here in Europe they always sedate you. In the US it was never offered to me as an option.

It's decidedly unpleasant, that's for sure. But on a discomfort scale, I wouldn't rate it as difficult as an unanesthetized dental procedure that causes pain. I'm pretty stoic about pain and discomfort. I know everyone experiences and reacts to it differently, and I'm sure you'll get some people reporting that they'd never do it again. But having been through five like this, I would describe a colonoscopy as being (except for a few moments here and there) extreme and unpleasant discomfort, rather than pain. Not as bad as I thought it would be.

Warning: I'm going to get a bit graphic here, in an attempt to answer the question thoroughly, so don't read it further you are squeamish about reading descriptions of unpleasant procedures...

The whole thing usually lasts no more than about ten minutes, I think, although I admit I wasn't ever watching the clock during the procedure. :P

The discomfort comes in the form of strong cramping. In order to get a clear view, they first need to inflate your colon with air. That feels like the most severe gas and bloating you've experienced, although the discomfort is somewhat more widespread than that. Rather than being localized, you experience that cramping sensation throughout the entire length of your large intestine.

For me, it is the kind of pain I can bear and— with a bit of determination— distance myself from. Unlike the throbbing pain you get from something like a wound, or the sudden sharp electrifying pain you might get from a dental procedure, being inflated like an inner tube is a deep cramping kind of pain. I know you can't relate to this, but I'd describe it as menstrual cramps on steroids. Getting through that part of it involved some fist-clenching and teeth-gritting at first. But once the initial big cramp and suprise diminishes, I found I was able to make myself relax some. That takes some mind-over-matter control, but as soon as I did it the cramping started coming and going in waves and was manageable.

It helps that you are laying on your side with your knees tucked up in fetal position while they are doing this. That's what you would most feel like doing in response to such a sensation.

The second part of the discomfort is a little different. It comes from them moving the flexible tube with the camera up along the length of your colon. On the straightaways you don't really feel much. It's more of a vauge, weird wiggling sensation inside your body. But your intestine contains quite a few hairpin turns. So when the device has to go around those sharp narrow corners you do feel it. Each one of those cause a sharper, more painlike cramp. But it doesn't last longer than a couple of seconds. If you have a good, caring doctor doing the procedure, they will tell you when they're coming up on one of those, so you know the cramp is coming. After the first one, know it will end quickly and that makes it fairly easy to get through.

Once they have the thing all the way up to the top, where your large intestine intersects with your small intestine, the worst is over. The way back down isn't bad at all. Plus, I think by that time, your mind and body has found a way to deal with the sensation. You are kind of getting used to the cramping and the bloated feeling, your innards aren't reacting as strongly to being invaded, and it's not all that bad. The main thing you want is for it to be over so they can deflate you again. That bloating is not a nice feeling.

Would I have it done without sedation again? I wouldn't have a problem with that. I probably wouldn't bother to ask for anesthetic if they didn't offer. I know what to expect now, and know I can bear it.

I think the most telling thing is that I didn't have any stronger cringe to the idea when I knew I had to have a second, third, or fourth one. It's no fun, and I of course kind of dreaded the appointment. But not to the point that the thought stresses me. I've been through much more painful procedures that I dread more, including cortisone shots in one of my wrist joints. I'd gladly trade one of those for several colonoscopies. And, although I've never been through the experience, from what people have described to me I am pretty sure that the average childbirth is more painful.

The second most telling thing is that, each time I've had to have one of these, I asked the doctor during the procedure if, when he was done, he'd let me take a look through the camera for myself to see what my insides look like. They always looked at me with incredulity when I requested that. I guess most people don't care to know. They also warned me that it would mean I'd have to bear the discomfort for a little longer. But it was worth it, I tell you! The inside of your colon is... yeah, you're going to think I'm nuts... well, it's actually quite amazing. Even beautiful. It's like a piece of abstract art. You can see bile ducts opening and closing. The surface is a shiny pale pink, full of folds that look like a complex, hilly alien landscape. I'd had intestinal surgery before all of this, and you could see where they had done the repairs. That was interesting, too. For me, the opportunity to see something so unknown, complex, and fascinating that is actually part of my own body made the whole experience less unpleasant.

The best advice I can give you if you decide to have this done without anesthetic is, make sure you like the manner of the doctor who will perform the procedure.

I myself find that a doctor who continues talking to me throughout a procedure like that, explains to me exactly what he's doing, tells me what sort of sensations are coming up, and tells me what he's seeing or looking at, makes the whole thing much much more bearable. And it seems to be over more quickly. I've been pretty fortunate, in that I've had a great doctor every time I've had this done. They were very talkative once they realized that it helped relax me and I was actually interested in what they were doing. I guess not many patients ask them. They seemed happy to discuss it, and even joke about it with me. I think it made the procedure more pleasant for them, too. I mean, let's face it, that simply CAN'T be a fun job on most days.

I hope this helps! Hey, you asked. :-P

Sources: the sage of my resectioned colon