Having a colonoscopy to check for bowel endo while on my period....any advice on how to get through it?

[hannah11]

Hello,

I'm booked to have a colonoscopy to see how deeply into my bowel a lesion of endo goes (it showed up on an MRI) and the scan is booked for when I'm on my period. My gynaecologist said this is really good because then the endo will be really obvious, but my periods are already so horrific and painful and I'm scared about doing bowel prep and stuff while i am menstruating because I already struggle to cope with symptoms as it is!

Has anyone done this? Do you have any advice?

Thank you!

Hannah xxx

[Hidden]

I have had this and also had to use bowel prep on 3 separate occasions. First of all I would ring them and explain that it coincides with your period and see if they can give you a different appointment. If they can't and you decide to go ahead, the bowel prep really isn't that bad (I have always been given moviprep). Do 3 days of low residue diet before the prep day (white bread, ice cream, white rice, no fruit/veg/fibre) and use laxatives on those days if you need to, to make sure you keep going to the loo. On the prep day you will need to be close to a toilet once you start drinking the prep. It usually takes an hour or so to start working. Expect to feel very tired and washed out the next day. The colonoscopy itself isn't pleasant, but is usually quite quick and you can ask to be sedated if you're worried about pain. I wasn't and it was for the most part OK, there were just a few difficult moments when the scope goes round the corners. My colonoscopy was clear even though I had extensive bowel and rectovaginal endo.

[hannah11 in reply to Hidden]

Gosh you poor thing having it three times! You must be an expert now though so I will take your advice hahaha!

They actually relaly want me to have it when I am on my period because it will make it easier for them to spot the endo apparently so I don't think I can change it.

I've never heard of a low residue diet before so I will look into that thank you!

[hannah11]

Hi Lindle thanks for replying.

I get rectal bleeding which is why they think there is a nodule in the bowel (and it came up on scans) do you have any links to stuff that explains that it doesn't bleed so i can discuss this with my surgeon?

I am seeing Peter Barton Smith who I think is BSGE accredited but I am not sure? I heard really good things about him though.

Thanks again!

[Loulourice1982]

Hi I had a colonoscopy 2 years ago and the only thing they found was a polyp. I have to have one every three years now. I have severe endo on the bowl and it has penetrated the bowl wall. They only found that on a MRI scan . Have they offered you one ?? .

[Starry]

Have to say that I negotiated a general anaesthetic for mine as I was emotionally unable to deal with having one due to past trauma. I am extremely glad I did so and that my surgeon was honest and said some women do find them painful and sometimes if you are very anxious the sedative isn't entirely effective. Might be worth discussing this possibility.

[Annie897]

Hi Hannah

I had a colonoscopy last year and i started my menstraul cycle the morning of the procedure i was very anxious when i arrived as i was already in pain from my period but honesty it wasnt that bad they gave me some pain relief before the procedure and instead of using gas to do the procedure they used water as i had previously had a sigmonoscopy with gas and found it very painful. Using the water was so much better! It is uncomfortable when they go round the corners but not unbearable and it is a fairly quick procedure. Hope it all goes well for you.

Annie x

[Chloes161290]

Hi Hannah,

I am 26 and have had 3 colonoscopies, also during the time of the month and I have extremely heavy periods where I bleed on end for weeks, honestly don't worry about the bleeding, they were so good with me, I told them as soon as I arrived and they basically said it's nothing they haven't seen before, they placed like a mat type thing beneath me and you are turned on your side for part of it so I really wouldn't panic, they specialise in this so they are used to things like this, I had four polyps removed also.... with regards to the movi prep I was given to take the day before to clear my bowels, it isn't the most pleasant drink however I was told to add a little squash to it but not blackcurrent or anything as that can stain the bowel so I used lime juice, I also found on my last dose of movi prep I was still going to the toilet the morning of the procedure but again don't be embarrassed by that it may only be a little bit but they basically suck it out...

Sorry for the detail hope all goes well for you,

Chloe x

[Hidden]

The reason why Peter Barton-Smith isn't on the BSGE accredited list is because he only sees private patients & the BSGE centres are all NHS hospitals.

[Hidden]

If you look at the list the majority of hospitals are NHS.

Private consultants don't need to be accredited as they gain their own reputations via word of mouth.

There are even some excision surgeons who have decided not to join the BSGE list - and to carry on as before.

In order to become a centre you need a team. Most private consultants work alone & bring in colleagues as & when. They're not restricted by NHS rules or time constraints. If a surgery takes 5 hours then so be it.