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Re-activateSo if you are 50 or older, or fall into the high-risk category, you should start getting screened now. Here are 12 need-to-knows to help you get through the before, during, and after of your colonoscopy:
Before
• Plan to take two days off work—the day before the test and the day of the test.
• Follow your doctor's instructions—you'll likely be asked to take a laxative pill or liquid, or an electrolyte-balanced solution. Sodium phosphate solutions (Visicol and OsmoPrep) may increase your risk of kidney damage, so ask your doctor to prescribe products that contain polyethylene glycol, either alone (GoLytely) or combined with bisacodyl (sold separately, or in combination as HalfLytely).
• About a day before the test, you'll need to stop eating solid foods and drink only clear liquids, so stock up on chicken or vegetable broth, apple juice, and bottled water with electrolytes.
• Stop taking supplements with iron a week before and avoid red-colored liquids or gelatin the day before.
• Avoid drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil and generic) for one week, since they can cause gastrointestinal bleeding.
• The electrolyte-balanced solution can be difficult to drink, because of the vile taste, so ask your doctor ahead of time if you can add flavor like ginger, lemon, or lime to the solution or if you can take an anti-nausea drug. Another option for getting the solution down is to chill it, suck on some lemon after each glass, or get it over with and drink each glass as quickly as possible.
• Be sure to stay home near a bathroom as your system clears out, and use wet wipes and a skin-soothing product such as Vaseline or Desitin since to prevent soreness and chafing.During
• Try to relax before the procedure by breathing deeply or meditation. You may also want to bring an mp3 player and headphones with you and listen to relaxing music or your favorite podcast during the procedure. One of our staffers told us her doctor held her hand right before the procedure and that helped her feel more at ease.• You should ask a supportive friend or relative come to the appointment with you, and to drive you home afterwards.
• When it's time for your test, you doctor will provide just enough pain medication so that you're comfortable during the colonoscopy but not overly groggy afterward. If you find that the sedation is too light, ask for more. Or, if you are especially anxious and would rather be knocked out entirely, ask your doctor beforehand if that would be wise in your case. Also ask the doctor to provide extra sedation if the procedure proves longer or more difficult than expected.After
You may feel some mild cramping or bloating and, rarely, nausea, up to a day afterward, because there may be air left in your colon.• Eat lightly for a few days and if your discomfort is extreme or persists, call your doctor.
• Breathe easy and take comfort in knowing that, unless you're a high-risk candidate, you won't need to schedule another colonoscopy for 10 years.—Ginger Skinner
We'd like to hear from you. Have you had a colonoscopy? What were some ways you or your doctor made the experience less stressful?
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