Question about colonoscopy.

[fungirl1011]

Hi everyone, I hope you are all doing well.  I have been having loose stools for over a year now.  It started in July of 08 when I was getting ready to have surgery to remove an ovarian cyst.  At that time, it was found that I am diabetic.  They started me on Metformin, which causes diarrhea.  That lasted for about  month or so.  It got better for a little bit, but started back in full force.  I get VERY bad stomach cramps and can barely make it to the bathroom in time.  It doesn't matter what I eat or drink, the outcome is the same.  I can count on one hand the number of "normal" bowel movements I've had in the last 6 months.  I have been to the doctor a few times, and each time we have tried a different strategy but nothing seems to work.  I have been having very bad lower left abdominal pain and we were thinking it was due to another ovarian cyst, but when we had a CT scan done it did not show a mass.  It did however show that i have a lot of adhesions on my  bowels from having 10 abdominal surgeries.  When my doctor did an internal exam to double check to make sure it was not an ovarian mass, she pushed on my colon and I almost jumped off the table it hurt so badly.  My family doctor  has ordered a colonoscopy for me on March 17.  I am REALLY dreading the prep.  I had to take Go Lightly one time and could barely make it through half the gallon.  I am worried that I am not going to be able to take the 2 10oz bottles of stuff.  When you have a colonoscopy, are you awake when they start the procedure?  I was told that if I didn't want to watch it, I would be sedated, but I wasn't sure if you are out completely or just with twilight sedation.  My grandma and dad have a history of polyps and my grandma had to have 1ft of her colon removed.  Do  I have a higher chance of having cancer with family history of polyps?  My mom also has diverticulosis (sp).  Any advice or answers would be great.  By the way, I am 35 years old.  Thanks in advance for you help.

[gymdandee]

Omega 3 May Prevent Colon Cancer
EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), a form of omega 3 fatty acid, seems to work as well as prescription medication to reduce the number and size of precancerous polyps that can lead to colorectal cancer. A study in England including 55 patients with a genetic mutation that triggers development of precancerous polyps (a condition known as familial adenomatous polyposis or FAP) found that six months of treatment with a purified form of EPA reduced the number of polyps that developed by 12 percent; among participants who received a placebo instead, the number of polyps increased by 10 percent. In addition, the size of the polyps declined by more than 12.5 percent in the EPA group, compared to a 17 percent increase among those on the placebo. These effects were similar to those achieved by using celecoxib, a drug that can lead to undesirable cardiovascular side effects in older patients. The researchers suggested that their EPA strategy might help to prevent colorectal cancer in people with non-familial polyps. The study was published online on March 18, 2010 in the journal Gut.

[jdwithhcv]

Sad to say, that vile GoLightly stuff is the only prep you can get in the US any more.  They took the Phospho Soda off the market because it caused some people to have kidney failure.  The prep is just one day of misery, though and the colonoscopy can save your life.

The procedure itself is nothing.  These days they give you propafol (not sure I spelled it right) and you are completely unaware during the procedure.  Its well worth it for the peace of mind.

Good luck.

jd

[Morecambe]

When I underwent a colonoscopy the purgative was a preparation of (I believe) magnesium citrate - volume approx 300 mls.  Not difficult at all.  I think you can even choose raspberry or lemon flavour!!  Maybe you should ask your specialist whether there is a choice of purgatives and, if so, choose the one that "suits you best".  Perhaps enemas are also suitable if you might prefer an externally-administered bowel-emptying agent...

Also you are sedated to the extent that you remember nothing.  I think the sedative is less drastic than a full anaesthetic but to all intents and purposes you are "out cold".  I was told that the sedative is either (or closely related to) the date-rape drug - obviously administered under close supervision and dosage etc etc.

I believe that if there is a history of cancerous intestinal polyps in your family you may be at a higher risk of developing colon cancer so I would suggest asking your specialist:-

"at what intervals should I undergo routine colonoscopies so that if cancerous polyps have developed between two consecutive colonoscopies, then there is a 100% certainty that subsequent treatment will be effective?  I don't want to experience the situation where I am all clear and then at the next colonoscopy I am told "gosh you have developed new polyps a lot quicker than we would have expected and you are now cancer-positive".  

regards
Morecambe