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Colonoscopy Horror Story

6 years ago I had a routine colonoscopy and it was the most upsetting medical procedure of my life.  Even though it was done in a hospital under Demerol and Versed, I had excruciating pain, was thrashing about, totally awake, and in such agony that I was begging and screaming at the doctor to stop.  Instead, he had me restrained in a Tyvek restraint jacket on the surgical table and I was held down while he proceded with the colonoscopy.  It was traumatic beyond belief.  Afterwards, he admitted to nothing and would only say  my colonoscopy was "totally routine."  I had violent flashbacks for weeks afterwards, and even had to get a bite plate due to damage I did to my jaw biting in agony from pain during the procedure.  Though I tried, I got nohwere when I tried to go against him legally.  I determined I would never have a colonoscopy again.  I was severely traumatized by my doctor's actions during the procedure, and even more afterwards, when he denied what I said had happened  (even though I had physical evidence).  I was told that under these drugs "people imagine things."  That re-traumatized me even more.  

Now it turns out I have some rectal bleeding from hemorrhoids.  Because of the bleeding, my primary care physician wants me to have another colonoscopy (the one 6 years ago showed no polpys or anything, though the previous doctor did admit my colon had many turns and was longer than the endoscope tube he used).  Even after some sessions with a therapist, I still cannot submit to a colonoscopy again.  Does anyone have any suggestions or experiences that will help?  I just can't do it.
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Avatar universal
That’s horrifying.  My first colonoscopy was very mild in comparison but I woke up also and it hurt.  My dr immediately increased the meds and I was out for the remainder of the procedure.  

I moved to central California and a great new doctor who uses propofol and I’m out-out, not just sedated.  No pain, no waking up, nothing.  

Considering your history, I think it’s important for you to find a good doctor with a good reputation to simply talk to about what happened.  You need to have another look to ensure you’re ok.  
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It's also good to know that there is an alternative to the traditional colonoscopy now available  It is called Cologuard and can be done at home.  It is non invasive and fairly accurate.https://www.mayoclinic.org/medical-professionals/digestive-diseases/news/cologuard-primed-to-change-landscape-of-crc-screening/mac-20429632.

It's an alternative for those who want to have early detection of colon rectal cancer without the dramatics of the traditional colonoscopy.  
420436 tn?1532949909
The fact that you can recall so much of the procedure and experience....... well to me that speaks volumes and in particular it really makes me question the Versed (Midazolam). Midazolam is a short acting drug of the Benzodiazepine Class and one of the few available for IV use.  Like most benzodiazepines Midazolam lowers anxiety which,as you’d understand, would be highly desirable pre procedure. However the most useful of Midazolams effect,  is the dose dependant  level of
Retrograde-Amnesia it produces. That’s just a fancy way of saying along with reducing your anxiety beforehand, Midazolam makes you forget any pain or traumatic memories of the procedure.  In your post it is clearly apparent that you were highly anxious and recall a great deal of trauma and details from this experience.  This is the absolute opposite of the rationale for use and outcomes from use.  I wasn’t there  for your procedure obviously, BUT I have seen this before and in both of those cases the reason was the same ....... The midazolam for the procedure had been tampered or switched. ONE of the medical staff present (from anaesthetics tech to the Gastroenterologist, had tampered with The Midazolam syringe (either a swap or dilution) and both patients received either diluted midazolam or NaCl soln. I mean you don’t proceed from distressed patient to physical restraint of patient ...... that’s an almighty escalation of procedure........ not to mention it being outside standard procedure and would absolutely be recorded somewhere.  What about giving patient more Midazolam...... that is standard practice not physical restraint FFS.  If you think this sounds far-fetched, a medical professional stealing a patients medication, believe me ..... in every single hospital in every single city in the country I could pretty well guarantee you that someone in some bed is being shorted on the medications they need!!

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2 Comments
Nine years ago I had an awful sigmoidoscopy experience at my local hospital in the UK. The most upsetting part of my experience, was the sheer callousness and total lack of empathy.
I still shudder to think how  a medical consultant and a practitioner could watch a patient suffering extreme pain undergoing a sigmoidoscopy , and not do anything to relieve the pain, but to make disgusting humiliating comments . This is the review I submitted (I have omitted names) to RATEMDS.COM . ----I underwent a Flexible Sigmoidoscopy procedure (tube with camera, inserted via back passage into the bowel ) at my local hospital, I was totally disgusted with my treatment for the following reasons: Contrary to the information in the hospital pamphlet, I was refused any form of sedation. During the procedure, in an attempt to alleviate the excruciating pain, I started to take deep breaths. Within seconds, the O.D.P. practitioner, and the consultant who was performing the procedure, were saying, 'deep breath push' referring to childbirth. The consultant then said, “There is nothing coming out of your vagina” This was followed by loud laughter. To my horror, I had to endure more disgusting and very degrading comments (followed by more loud laughter) whilst in a very undignified and excruciatingly painful situation. They were both reported, and after an investigation, were appropriately subjected to a disciplinary procedure.----- After reading about other peoples experiences on this website it really does make me think that with some of these practitioners, there must be an element of sheer sadism. It is not just the physical pain suffered at the time of the procedure but the psychological damage later.
The sad fact is that these type of people are the ones that give our NHS system a bad name. I have been to this same hospital undergoing other medical procedures performed by other medical practitioners and have been treated with the utmost respect and kindness.  
OMFG ........ My jaw hit the floor from the second you began describing what you were forced to endure. That is absolutely disgraceful and disgusting (believe me I am trying very hard to translate my thoughts into a reply minus cursing).
I'm absolutely flabbergasted that in this day and age (even 9 years ago) that procedures such as yours would be carried out sans sedation. Vast, vast majority would at the very least use Midazolam & perhaps sufentanil, though most I know,  its performed under a light general using Propafol (Diprivan).

The behaviour of the treating 'Doctor' (if one could call them such) and the entire ODP team is woefully pathetic, inadequate and disgraceful, this kind of unprofessional behaviour isn't an aberration, this would have been ongoing behaviour and any other medical staff, regardless of scope, has an ethical and professional duty to advocate on your behalf and speak up.

I'm so sorry to hear of your experience
Avatar universal
The best thing you can do is tell where this happened and the name of the doctor. YELP it! Help the rest of us avoid this horrible situation, PLEASE!
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2 Comments
Yes!!   Review that doctor and his group, of thete is one!  Yelp is a great place snd tgat doctor’s website if he has one.  Facebook. Twitter.  Everywhere.  
You need to let the Hospital Administrator know this too
Avatar universal
Omg i just went thru a similar situation a week ago tomorrow! It hurt so bad the dr knew i woke up before in 2010 so in 2013 he used general, this time he did a endoscopy / colonoscopy and i never went to sleep it was horrible i was screaming and grabbing his arm and the rails of the gueney saying stop plse stop i see it on four monitors all the biopsys he takes 3 plces i tell him o tht doesnt look good it hurts just stop make it stop and he continues he keeps telling the nurse Fentanyl i cont to scream until he stops and the nurse wheels ne out and pushes me bck to the recovery and tells me to rest . The endoscopy i felt and was being gagged the whole time and kept grabbing my own neck .the whole this was horrible and my insides are so sore i feel extra sore where he took biopsies. The nurse said she gv me the max amount of versed and demoral and Fentanyl they could give without stopping my respirations and she couldnt believe i was talking . I just don't understand why the dr wouldnt stop and b compassionate whn u say it hurts
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Avatar universal
The terror of this procedure is understandable. I had a screening sigmoidoscopy some 15 years ago, and the terror from that procedure, which basically is only 1/3 the length, and with only an enema for prep, was so bad because of the callousness of the MD. I guess I have a twisty colon. But I'll never go back, especially as I have no family history of cancer, and accept that I will die of something anyway.  
I say that I will just enjoy the moment. And not purposefully plan to be in a place where I submit to routine screening torture. My risk of cancer is low, but the risk of torture from undergoing a colonoscopy is 100% from my torture experience.
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Avatar universal
Was your colonoscopy at Parkland in Dallas Texas. I had a very similar experience. It has been almost two years and it changed my life. I have pain every day, am horribly bloated constantly and can wear nothing that I used to wear. I have mentioned it to so many doctors but nothing has been done about it. I feel I am slowly dying. I am so angly as it has ruined my life in so many ways.
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1 Comments
I had the same thing, 15 years ago. I went to so many doctors! Finally I went on a strong opiod pain killer, fentenyl, & could barely live. I had to quit my job. Now I found  out what I have is called Pudendsl nueralgia, or Pudendsl entrapment. There are a few doctors in the country who do surgery, if necessary, but it's not always successful. Look it up on the Internet. There's a group called pudendal Nueralgia Hope, of people with all kinds of ideas how to deal with this disease.you can email me if you like
***@****
So sorry for you!
Avatar universal
As I have said before they would be in court so fast for false imprisonment and battery and if that didn't work I would kill him.
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Avatar universal
Damn, that sounds horrible.  Law suit time.  I hate to advocate that but there is no reason for that type of treatment.  

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Avatar universal
That wouldn't happen with me.

Firstly I have never had nor will have any form of invasie procedure.

2ndly - if I did -  When I say no it is NO!!!!!!!!!!  If they ignore it they will be in court for assault and unlawful imprisonment as well as being in front of the MEDICAL Council.  If that fails they would be Dead.  I am the only one who says what goes on with my body.  Not some prick medical professional who thinks he is god.
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Avatar universal
Pearl is correct..if patients are dumb enough to sighn a blanket sedation consent then they have no recourse..they will give you amnestic drugs such as Versed and they don't give a damn if you are screaming or writhing in pain; you won't be able to resist and they will get you out the door in a Versed-induced stupor..the fun (and the nightmares, PTSD, memory loss) start when you get home..why would you expect them to care about your mental state, hostility and PTSD?  after all, you signed a sedation consent that allowed thme to give you Versed.  Too bad that you didn't do your homework and write on the consent: "I'm not consenting to Versed"
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Avatar universal
It's been four years since my colonoscopy, and I still have anxiety and anger when I think about it. It was truly the worst experience of my life. I "woke up" mid-procedure to the worst pain imaginable (20 on a pain scale of 1-10) , and although I clearly remember thrashing around, I don't know if I was screaming or not -  I could not see or hear anything.  No memory of anyone trying to reassure or encourage me. I, too, wondered if perhaps all patients in pain are ignored since they don't expect us to remember.  It also bothers me that those of us who have had bad experiences are told to keep quiet or we'll scare others.  Our experiences are every bit as valid as those who have good experiences, and patients should be told the TRUTH...which is, a colonoscopy with Versed can indeed be  terribly painful !.
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Avatar universal
I hav had 9+ colonoscopies, all hav gone well until my last one 2 days ago. The medication they gave me were Fentanyl for pain and Versed so you don't remember what happened to you during the procedure. This time they didn't give me enough of either. I experienced the most brutal treatment and excruciating pain of my life! The dr began inserting the scope and when it came to a corner of my bowels I couldn't handle the imense pain. I said stop stop! I was crying but he just continued, that's when the nurse grabbed my arm and pinned me to the bed and told me you can't be moving around! Agony is an understatement, not only from the scope but now for my arm. I now have bruises all over my upper arm from her fingers digging into me while pinning me down. Thisus also the first time that my insides still feel badly bruised and it hurts to sit down from the upwards pressure.
Now I am having nightmares and wake up sweating with tears on my pillow!
I now know what really happens during a colonoscopy and I may never go through it again even though I should because of my Crohn's.
I believe I have been assaulted but hospital believes it was all on my head from the drugs...
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1098245 tn?1292545210
OMG same exact thing happen to me.. DAMN DR!! he didnt even wait till anything took effect, just jammed it in and kept going OMG.. Im still scared for life..
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1098245 tn?1292545210
Well, for those of us who read this we know to ask for propofal then right? I mean I was in such horrible pain toward the end when the Dr was going up and around OMG the versed and Demerol I got was a JOKe..
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1098245 tn?1292545210
OH WOW WISH I READ THIS SOONER!! I really thought I was going to get propofal but change of Dr and guess he wanted to see me suffer, and suffer I did omg!
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Avatar universal
No where in my post did I say that all polyps are pre-cancerous.  I said "colonoscopies often find pre-cancerous polyps which are then removed preventing colon cancer".  When a biopsy is taken, you can tell whether the polyp is non-cancerous, pre-cancerous, or cancerous.  A colonoscopy will often find pre-cancerous polyps (in addition to non pre-cancerous polyps) which are then removed, lowering your risk for colon cancer.
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Avatar universal
You are making an assumption in your post  that isn't scientifically valid.

All polyps are not "pre-cancerous" (any more than a mole or freckle is on your dermis).  Most polyps in the 1-5 mm band do grow.  However, most polyps in the 5-9 mm band REGRESS.  Almost all polyps will NEVER progress to cancer.

So to be consistent, I want you to rush over to your dermatologist and get any funny looking tissue whacked off and certainly all moles and freckles!  Yes, I am kidding and yes I realize it's easier to monitor events on your skin than your colon (although the analogy does hold for places like your back!).

We are waging a war on dysplasia not cancer and we haven't a clue which dysplasia is actually dangerous.
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Avatar universal
You are free to make your own choices about what medical procedures you choose to have.  However, they are not "totally unnecessary" most of the time.  In people aged 50 and older, colonoscopies often find pre-cancerous polyps which are then removed preventing colon cancer.  They also do not do "more harm than good" most of the time.  The people you see on this thread are the less than 1% who had problems from their colonoscopies.
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Avatar universal
That is exactly the reason that I have never had, nor will ever have any form of invasive treatment.  Most of the time they are totally unneccessary and do more harm than good.  I will take my chances instead of having some medical "professional" messing up my insides.
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Avatar universal
You are not bullet-proof from CRC because you agreed to have a colonoscopy NOR is a colonoscopy the only step you can take to reduce your chance for CRC.

CRC can be fast-moving and it does NOT have to follow the polyp model.  And colonoscopies have double-digit miss rates when all is perfect anyway.

So let's be careful about annointing a surgical procedure turned mass screening tool of healthy people as "vital".  

Average lifetime risk is around 5%.  A big chunk of that happens late in life (primarily ladies, making the one-size-fits-all screening guidelines wrong).  You can lower this further by not smoking or drinking, watching processed meat consumption, taking aspirin and vitamin D-3, exercising vigorously and lowering body mass, etc.  Those are "vital" because the benefits accrue to maladies not named CRC.

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Avatar universal
I had colonoscopy because of Fissure and bleeding. It was not painful at first ( they used pain killer through IV), but after the procedure, pain started. I could not control gas and it turns to anal and fecal incontinence. Doctors believe that it is from damage to anal sphincter muscles and nerves. Anyone have the same problems? Please help. I am 35 and it makes me scared and depressed.
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I had a colonoscopy 15 years ago. I had a bad reaction to cleanout preparation. Afterwards I had pain & couldn't eat without pain. Now, I have permanent pain & my life has been ruined. I'm on strong opioids, but still in pain. I would never have a colonoscopy. I'm sorry I didn't sue the doctor. I don't know what they did wrong. Has anyone else had this reaction? I've been to tons of doctors, tests, etc. before I was a normal healthy person. I had no idea such a thing could happen. My doctor says a nerve got damaged.
Avatar universal
A vital procedure?

Let's take a look at that.

1.  Some CRC does not follow polyp pathway and some is rapid onset.  This procedure doesn't make your bulletproof.

2.  Double digit miss rate very much influenced by quality of prep (and no 2 doctors agree on this... many gastros still not preaching split dose).

3.  Incidence rate may sound low at 0.25% but this is a mass screen (even if surgery) so it's a big deal.  You might not get a colostomy bag from CRC but from your colonoscopy.

4.  Generic screening guidelines that ignore gender.  Men are at much greater risk for CRC than women (35-40%) and contract it earlier.  Women are generally at risk in their 70s (men in their 60s) so subtract 10 years from each and establish your guidelines.  Nope, per norm, the ladies get duped and screwed.

5.  Risk factors are not consistently used well in screening guidelines.  Big difference between 1st degree relative with CRC at 50 and one who gets it at 70.  So too much made of family history and not enough attention paid to age at diagnosis.  Bigger problem is that risk mitigants ignored...exercise, not smoking, not obese, calcium / dairy consumption, aspirin consumption, vitamin d consumption can influence risk profile SIGNIFICANTLY.  This isn't theoretical and rocket science but ASGE wants its billings.

It's way past time for fecal DNA (sDNA) but that diagnostic is being held to a standard never applied to colonoscopies.

Glad colonoscopies exist but they should never be a mass screen.  Truly bizarre that they are.
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Avatar universal
you are very lucky that it went so well, I had a traumatic experience and was left crying and in agony feeling very confused as to what had happened to me, i phoned the department the next day to see if what happened to me was normal as i felt so upset and that I was being overdramatic and a baby.  I was screaming and writhing about in agony with a less than impressed dr shouting at me.  Im glad to say that they deemed it as 'normal colonoscopy' although they couldnt complete the procedure they only got to the 'splenic flexure' so less than half way round?? but im happy not to question that and i'll take my chances.  no symptoms since colonoscopy so im guessing the bowel prep flushed away a simple nasty infection.  However had i read this forum prior to the procedure i would have felt scared but more prepared for the horror i was about to face as I could have questioned the meds etc - i was given a tump load of 'Versed' which couldnt have worked as the pain and feeling that i was a nuisance was overwheming.  I will refuse to ever have another colonoscopy and would definitely pay Private if i had to for a virtual one instead. I wouldnt wish my experience of a colonoscopy on my worst enemy! a knowing colleague told me that the prep was the worst part and they lied to save me from worrying so i guess that was a good thing as if i had anxiety and sleepless nights before hand it would of tipped me over the edge!!  Not knowing is sometimes a good thing as I would have been reluctant to have it done but then again I wish id had some clue to just how awful it was going to be, two sides to every coin i guess!
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Avatar universal
Am I ever glad I found this thread. I thought I was alone in what I experienced. It was horryfying. I don't even know for sure if I was properly sedated, because the nurse in the room with me knew my neighbor and asked me about her while I was supposed to be relaxing before the procedure. This neighbor had been causing us trouble for years, so it was no doubt the nurse happened to be a good friend of hers and was "paying me back".
The enitre procedure was RUSHED. The doctor came in and got started, then the pain came as he kept pumping me with air. I cried out in so much pain that I squeezed the nurse's hand. He could not get around my spleen, so he stopped after all of my agony. It was the worst experience of my life. If I ever have it done again, which I doubt, I will insist on proponol. I will insist on being OUT. Because I have every memory of the entire thing.
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