# Colonoscopy- awake vs asleep????



## hmeems

I am about to undergo my second colonoscopy and I am dreading the thoughts of it. Why....because the drug they normally give you to put you in your "twilight sleep", Versed, does nothing for me. I was fully coherant during the last one and felt every little thing they did. And I was not HAPPY! Has anyone gone under the scope with the new anesthesia for "hard to sedate" people? It is used only in conjunction with anesthesia stand-by. Just curious if anyone has gone under this way.


----------



## Kathleen M.

I'd have a good talk with the doctor ahead of time to get more info on this.Any time you have a problem with sedation you need to have a talk with them the next time you go under so they can adjust things.I don't usually have problems going down, I have problems coming back up, but I've not had a colonoscopy with twilight sleep, but I'm usually hard to wake up and do the vomiting thing so they have to put something in to block the vomit.K.


----------



## hmeems

Yeah.....I know what you mean about getting sick from anesthesia. They have tried giving me Reglan in my IV before the anesthesia which is supposed to help the nausea, but it hasn't so far with other surgeries. The hospital PAT department has not called me yet with their questions but I will definately ask the difference between Versed and the "other" anesthesia my doctor suggested. He said with this new one you go under quicker and come out quicker. I worked in surgery several years ago and HATE the thoughts of going to "sleep". It is the knowledge that I will no longer have control of myself that freaks me out!!!


----------



## NancyCat

I have the opposite reaction than is expected w/versid. In other words it made me XTREMELY aggitated,to the point where I remember screaming from pain and couldnt seem to control it. That colonoscopy (1990) was definately the scope from HELL.Due to this expereince I hesitated getting another and didnt even see a gastro again til I had to for something else. I had a light general anethesia called propofal (not sure of the spelling). It absolutely made all the diffewrence. I never was at the point of being unconscious BUT had to have the drug administered by an anethesiologist who had to stay there incase I needed to be intubated (breathed for). In other words for a scope they use a very light, short acting drug. The colonoscopy was an absolute breeze, NOTHING at all like the first one. The problem which hopefully you can avoid, is that its more expensive to have an anethesiologist be there too, versid can be given by the gastro. In my case it was impossible to do the scope w/out anethesia, the gastro wouldnt do it w/versid again, nor did I want him to. The general was "medically necessary".Make sure you get it arranged well before the test as the facility needs to make arrangements for a dr from anethesia to be available too. If you wait til that day you may need to cancel (which is lousy after you have already done the prep)if someone from anethesia isnt available.BTW dont let anyone tell you the "next time" will be ok/better w/versid. Sounds like you had what I had which is called a "parodyxl reaction" opposite from what is expected. It is pretty rare BUT if it happens to you it doesnt matter. I had some surgery and the dr mixed in versid (against my specific wishes)and I woke up screaming. If my husband didnt work there and w/the dr in question (who i refuse to ever deal w/again)I would have made a stink legally. I would have lost though as it ultimnately did me "no harm" that would stand up in court.I am curious as to what this other medication your dr is refering to. My husband is an OR nurse and says its probably propofol which is very short acting, doesnt put you under real deep (apparently I was able to follow commands and even talked to them,answered questions that I dont remember now).


----------



## nj_jaguar_lady

Hi all. Read your messages and I am thinking right now how lucky I am with my GI doctor.







I'm not sure what he gives me, something with demoral, but it works great!! Have never woken up or felt a thing and I seem to wake right up and in about a half an hour, after a glass of juice, I'm fine to go home. Not driving myself, of course. Your doctors seem like the doctors from hell


----------



## Tiss

My colonoscopies have been HELL to say the least. I've had versed, demerol,you name it. The last one was 5 years ago and I'm due for another because I have a history of polyps. but i just cannot go through with it. I screamed and cried throughout all my colonoscopies---nothing puts me out or gives me relief so I just refuse. My sister, on the other hand, slept through the whole deal.


----------



## NancyCat

Tiss-You shouldnt have to suffer. If you have a light general you will be out (at least feel like you are). They (anethesia dr) will be using an anethesia machine and can give you more/less instantly and safely, depending on how you do. Linda-Its probably versid w/demerol. They often mix versid/demerol or sometimes versid/fentenyl, which are both for pain. The versid is supposed to be a sedative w/amnesia like properties (you are supposed to forget what happened). Most people can do versid quite well, my husband is over 200 lbs, was given 1 1/2 mg versid and doesnt remember a thing. They gave me 9mg (the maximum)and I was awake, alert and remembered the whole thing. The worst part was knowing that I was crying/screaming like an idiot and not being able to control it.I apologize for hijacking this thread if I have done so but my expereince so traumatized me that if the topic comes up here up here on the BB it helps me to know other people have (unfortuantely) had the same and to let people know that there are alternatives to versid.


----------



## hmeems

Nancy, I believe the medicine he is going to use is the one you described. My doc says you go under very quickly and come out very quickly. He will not do it without anesthesia standby which is totally cool with me!!! I already have it scheduled in the regular OR department and not the OPS department.







I also have worked in surgery a few years back and I am so paranoid of going to sleep. It seems that medical personal make the worst patients! I fell much better about going thru it now that I have talked to you. I would NEVER do it again with just the Demerol/Versed cocktail. From what I have read it is usually the people that have sharper turns at each end of their transverse colon that have the pain during the procedure because it takes more pushing to get the scope into the next section.Thanks...Debi


----------



## NancyCat

I plan to sign any future proceedure/consent form by adding that I REFUSE versid under any and all circumstances. I was concerned about not waking up too. If you are getting the same thing I did (propofol)your probably not going to be deeply under, like the way you would think you would be getting a "general". I was able to follow commands or so they tell me. One plus to getting propofol (in my experience) was/is that when I "woke up" I extremely happy, wanted to hug everyone there. My husband said it makes people "amorous". It didnt take me long to "recover", matter of fact they made me stay for 2 sets of vital signs. It also made me extremely horney


----------



## Tiss

I had a doctor LAUGH at me when i told him i could NOT go through this procedure again without being OUT. He said "nobody does that". How do you approach a dr. about what you want as far as meds without offending them? Geesh, they are such princes they think they aren't of the human race. Most of them make me sick!


----------



## hmeems

Personally, I would find another doctor that is willing to use the new seditive. After working with doctors for over 25 years you really cannot change their minds about anything. They are the all knowing professionals and tend to think patients don't know a whole lot about anything. I am a certified medical coder for a 3 surgeon office and a few times I have had contact everybody but the "Pope" to prove that I cannot code and bill something the way they want me to. It is not an easy thing telling a doctor he /she is wrong.







Debi


----------



## 14691

Hi...newbie here...I can't imagine going through a colonoscopy awake. Tiss, your doctor should be reporting to his governing board (American College of Surgeons, or perhaps whatever the governing board is for gastroenterology). That's just unacceptable.DebiLynn, good luck finding an alternative sedative. Versed worked fine for me, but I'm surprised to hear it's a painkiller vs. just a sedative. When I had a colonoscopy a year ago, I developed a hellacious migraine from the fasting/purging process. Believe it or not - despite the night spent on the toilet - the first thing I did when I got to the gastro's office was hurl my guts out (how I did this having not eaten in 24 hours is anyone's guess, but migraine pain will make me barf. Period). The office staff allowed me to wait my turn lying down in an examining room, rather than in the waiting room. But I'm digressing.When I had the procedure, my head was CLANGING from the migraine.







The Versed was a welcome relief. Unfortunately, as soon as I awoke, the pain came *roaring* back.


----------



## NancyCat

Versid is not a pain killer, its a sedative. Its supposed to have amnesiac properties (you are supposed to forget what happened). Alot of places mix it w/demerol or fentenyl for pain.Tiss-I don't know what you can say to make a DR "get it". I had told everyone and the Pope that I had a paradoxyl reaction to versid, was booked for anethesia (my husband is an OR RN and the OR arranges to have anethesia at the test at the place I went to)BUT the surgeon (I had other issues too)CANCELLED the anethesia. Well I had a full blown panic attack as I knew I could never do the scope w/versid again. The gastro who was going to do the scope REFUSED to do it without a general, he listened to me about the versid . LUCKILY my husband knew the anethesia had been cancelled (NEVER TOLD ME)and had one of his friends on stand-by. MY husband suggests that you tell the DR that you are ALLERGIC to versid. It is VERY RARE to have this paradoxyl reaction (opposite from what is expected)BUT IT CAN AND DOES HAPPEN. I have had numerous tests and proceedures and surgeries (not IBS related)but looking back I am still traumatized from the way my body/mind reacted to the versid. And I had some really painful and scarey things done which went just fine. The versid made me paranoid, xtremely aggitated and anxious and totally out of control.I had an incident where a anethesia doc laughed at me about how I said I reacted to versid. This doc mixed it w/other meds and I woke up screaming. As I may have said before from now on I write it on the permit, NO VERSID. Later when I had major abdominal surgery the anethesia doc (hubbys friend) came in on his vacation for my case and made me a big sign to wear in the holding area that said NFV-no f***ing Versid. However when my husband who has been at this facility as an OR RN for almost 25 yrs, told some of the docs what had happened to me, he got practically no response from them. This IMO only goes to show that docs have their own secret society where they go to xtreme lengths to cover for their own and NEVER admit that one of their "brothers" could have possibly been wrong.I apologize again for high jiacking this thread if I have done so. I just get so damn mad.


----------



## Tiss

I like the idea of telling the next dr. I see that I am allergic to versed. I think that's exactly what I'm going to do. My only fear is that they'll use something even less powerful.


----------



## NancyCat

I think they used to use valium IV but it has laregly been replaced w/versid. Most places dont even keep it on hand.It sucks to have to be on the defensive w/a new doc, its cheaper and easier for them to use sedation (versid) rather than having to take the time and planning to fit your unique needs. But you have to be proactive in the healthcare system these days. In my experience it was somewhat difficult to get across to the medical people that I differ from the masses regarding the use of versid BUT once they finally "got it" it hasnt been a problem for any scopes/etc that I have had since. Just make sure that they book you w/anethesia or anethesia standby so the necessary staff is available.


----------



## 14144

Hi,Just before I was about to be put asleep for my colonoscopy I had to fill in forms with all my medical details and when I said I was on the pill they said that I should have come off it for about 8 wks before the procedure as it increases the risk of bloodclots. They gave me those long sock things to put on which helps prevent clots but after abit of thinking I decided to stay awake for the colonoscopy.I wasn't embarrassed at all as I'm so used to having investigations in that area and it didn't last too long. A nurse held my hand the whole way through it and encouraged me. I just concentrated on my breathing and tried to think of happier thoughts. It was more uncomfortable really than painful except at a few points. However I found it was worth it, afterwards my Boyfriend came to collect me expecting me to be all drowsy but I was sitting up in bed drinking tea and eating biscuits and delighted with myself. Especially when the Doctors and Nurses were telling my Boyfriend that I was very good and brave for doing it. I was chuffed with myself!







Anyway, I know there's no point in going through something awake if you are going to be worried or anxious so I hope you find a GP that will help you. Just wanted everyone to be aware of the contraceptive pill and the anesthetic. Not a good combination!Best of luck!


----------



## Loz88

they didnt even bother sedating me, they just did it :S


----------

