If you don't have risk factors for colon cancer, or some other real medical reason why a colonoscopy is absolutely necessary, don't do it. Use the ColoGuard test instead. It has been available for several years and involves collecting a stool sample (yeah, kind of yucky) in the relative comfort of your home and sending it off to a lab. No nasty prep. No risk of puncturing your guts with the instrument. No risk of infection. No risk of not waking up from the anesthesia. Make no mistake, a colonoscopy is an invasive procedure that has real, very consequential risks. When it was the only tool, the benefit of early colon cancer detection outweighed those risks. That's not necessarily true anymore.

Since it's so easy and cheap, you can do ColoGuard every year or so, not just once every 8 or 10 years. If ColoGuard detects cancer or precancerous growths, THEN you get a colonoscopy to locate and remove those growths. Some insurance companies are reportedly refusing to pay for a colonoscopy unless there is a ColoGuard result that indicates the need. My gastro doctor concurs. A problem you may encounter is that routine colonoscopies can comprise a significant percentage of the cashflow for a typical gastro practice. Gastro doctors are going to continue to recommend them until well informed patients and/or their insurance companies force a change.

Guess Im in the minority but the taste of the crap I drink isnt too bad. Because of family history I go every 3 years. Best 1/2 hr. of sleep I get every few years.

I have to disagree with the last poster. The test mentioned only detects the presence of blood from a bleeding cancerous polyp. If the polyp is not bleeding, the test will be negative. I did a similar in office test on all my patients over a certain age but a negative test never prevented me from recommending a screening colonoscopy. Do not base medical decisions based on what insurance companies will or will not cover. They pay people big bucks to come up with reasons not to cover things.
As a prep, I used to recommend mixing ten oz bottles of citrate of magnesia with ginger ale in a 32 oz convenience store cup. Drink one cupful st 5pm and another at 7pm. Not unpleasant at all. It tastes like Sprite. In the morning do a Fleets enema before going in. For my patients, who were hesitant to schedule a procedure, I would always tell them, it was worth it for the drugs they give you

Remember, if you don't prep properly, you may have to come back sooner than you think! It happened to a friend, the Dr couldn't see shit (actually the opposite) and he was back in a couple weeks!

Best advice I got was to start eating MUCH lighter a day or two in advance of prep, in both quantity and type of foods. It was really a non-event after that strategy. YMMV

Also, I got SUPREP brand through my doc and it was far less "intense" than some of the others out there.

For first timers reading this, other important thing is be sure to let them know in advance if you use CPAP, or should be but aren't. I had been DX with mild apnea but not yet on treatment. The anesthesiologist was not amused, and made that clear afterwards in recovery. It's a brief procedure, but every moment is tense for them if your breathing isn't regular.

I had my first one last year. Ended up having 2 in 10 weeks because they found 24 polyps

I was given Suprep which was really wasn’t that bad. I mixed some lemonade in with it. Once the intestinal gurgles start. Don’t be far from a depository seat

quote:

Also, I got SUPREP brand through my doc and it was far less "intense" than some of the others out there.

This is the prep I got as well. I mixed it with water. It tasted horrible, I thought but I got through it. I was supposed to take the second dose at 3AM. Slept till 3:30. Woke up thinking I had screwed up so I slammed the second dose. Pretty god-awful.

Had the procedure. Got a call from the clinic the next day. She said I would need to come back in to see Dr. Rosen. In ten years.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
I saw my GP about a week ago, and she noted that I was due for a colonoscopy. I told her that I wasn’t going to have another. She didn’t fuss at all. Just gave me a poop kit, and said that they’re much better now than a few years ago.

Meaning the poop kits are much better or the colonoscopies are much better? What is a poop kit?

quote:

Originally posted by slosig:

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
I saw my GP about a week ago, and she noted that I was due for a colonoscopy. I told her that I wasn’t going to have another. She didn’t fuss at all. Just gave me a poop kit, and said that they’re much better now than a few years ago.

Meaning the poop kits are much better or the colonoscopies are much better? What is a poop kit?

Poop on a stick (you poop, collect sample on a stick, wipe it on a card), tests for presence of blood, not precancerous polyps. Good, cheap mass screening test.

When I had my, "Welcome to 50 colonoscopy" I started a soft diet (mostly liquids) two days before the test (no red or brown foods). The clean out was more efficient and scope pics look clear.

quote:

Originally posted by slosig:

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
I saw my GP about a week ago, and she noted that I was due for a colonoscopy. I told her that I wasn’t going to have another. She didn’t fuss at all. Just gave me a poop kit, and said that they’re much better now than a few years ago.

Meaning the poop kits are much better or the colonoscopies are much better? What is a poop kit?

She meant that stool analysis is a more effective diagnostic method nowadays than it was a few years ago. My last colonoscopy found no polyps, or any other problems, and my diet includes a lot of high-fiber foods. I conclude that the poop kit is a better option for me. The wife of one of my friends suffered a punctured colon from a colonoscopy.

A colonoscopy is just one of those things most of us deal with as we get older. Risk of colon cancer and other maladies of colon (diverticulosis, abnormal growths, etc) are just to high to ignore IMO. I had my third one last October and am on schedule to get one every three years. Just stay near a bathroom with a clear path to it and put a sign on the door that it is reserved exclusively for you for the duration and have plenty of supplies and entertainment available.

Ahhh, yes, the steel stallion.
I’m due for number three next year.
As I understand it, there are two different tests, the half ass and the full ass test. My first doctor told me to always opt for the full ass test since it is one and done.
If you opt for the half ass test and they find something, you will have to do the prep again because they are going to want to do the full ass test. My understanding is the difference is sort of loopy by drugs and completely knocked out.

"Using the whole fist there, doc??"

I threatened to "treat" myself to one on my 55th b'day...that was a little over 2 years ago. Have yet to muster the courage to go...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5r9LAYaIvP4

Go to about 3:40.

quote:

Originally posted by NK402:
I have to disagree with the last poster. The test mentioned only detects the presence of blood from a bleeding cancerous polyp. If the polyp is not bleeding, the test will be negative.

That isn't true with Cologuard which detects the abnormal DNA shed by cancers and precancerous polyps. You may be thinking of the old occult blood stool tests.

I have had 4 so far and am behind schedule for my 5th. The first 3 were due to have diverticulitis. 4th was routine, but they found polyps. I keep holding off making the appointment, but I know better and will make it. You can only get the home poop kit if you don't have a history of polyps.

quote:

Originally posted by erj_pilot:

I threatened to "treat" myself to one on my 55th b'day...that was a little over 2 years ago. Have yet to muster the courage to go...

It's really more fun to bemoan it ahead of time than it is unpleasant to prep and endure. Actually, there is no "endure".

It is just too easy not to, and I'm not a doc-for-every ailment sort of guy. Too many ways to die from not having a head start on any issues developing in this arena.

Instead of fussing over the prep (which I hate), we should all be glad that the means exists to identify and treat colon cancer before it really gets going.

I have had four so far. I started in my forties, getting them every five years, because my dad had colon cancer. The last one, they found a cancerous polyp and snipped it.

Each prep has been progressively less unpleasant. The first time was a bunch of pills taken in two stretches. After that, were various liquid versions. Chugging a gallon or so of the stuff was no fun, but less unpleasant than the pills. The third was better. My last one was drinking some preliminary magnesium citrate, followed by Suprep. It was reasonably comfortable, in comparison.

Good info on various tests for colon cancer and pros and cons.

https://www.cancer.org/cancer/...ning-tests-used.html

First couple of paragraphs of long article.....

"Colorectal Cancer Screening Tests
Screening is the process of looking for cancer in people who have no symptoms. Several tests can be used to screen for colorectal cancers. These tests can be divided into:

Tests that can find both colorectal polyps and cancer: These tests look at the structure of the colon itself to find any abnormal areas. This is done either with a scope (a tube-like instrument with a light and camera) put into the rectum or with special imaging (x-ray) tests. Polyps found during these tests can be removed before they become cancer, so these tests may prevent colorectal cancer. Because of this, these tests are encouraged if they are available and you are willing to have them.

Tests that mainly find cancer: These tests check the stool (feces) for signs of cancer. These tests are less invasive and easier to have done, but they are less likely to detect polyps.

Tests that can find both colorectal polyps and cancer are encouraged if they are available and you are willing to have them. But the most important thing is to get tested, no matter which test you choose.".........