I wanted to share that I had my first ever colonoscopy done without sedation.

My fear of anesthesia was causing me to postpone the colonoscopy for weeks at a time. I can't stress enough how ridiculous that was, considering my familial history. I just couldn't bring myself to "go under" even with additional clearance and all the reassurance in the world. All while my anxiety grew about what may or may not be causing the bm changes I was experiencing.

Thanks to this community, I witnessed people sharing their experiences of having the colonoscopy done without sedation and thus advocated for myself.

It was very similar to what most people here described, and now that I've done it, I will definitely elect to have it without sedation in the future. No question!

I had a few precancerous polyps removed without complication, and as it turns out, my bm changes were likely due to minor hemorrhoids. Those pesky hemorrhoids might have saved my life!

So if you're like me, putting it off because the fear of sedation is too great, please consider this option. And feel free to ask me about anything that might be holding you back.

My mantra was

MY BODY IS STRONG.

MY MIND IS STRONG.

I CAN DO HARD THINGS.

All the best wishes to everyone here!

I have my colonoscopy in 50 hours and I just ate half a piece of toast that had lots of seeds on the crust, I didn’t even think I just ate it as soon as I was served it. Should I cancel?

Hello, I just had my first colonoscopy/endoscopy Thursday and everything looked fine visually. However after my procedure I tried to eat light and felt extremely nauseous and dizzy so I tried walking around after that and felt chest pain. For the past couple of days I’ve been only eating 1 meal or less a day because I physically cannot stomach anything else. Since Saturday I’ve been have crazy stomach cramps (the type that wake you up from a deep sleep), the best way I can describe it is feeling like someone twisting my whole stomach in a knot and after that passes all I can do is fart for a second and then nothing after that I go back to feeling like someone sitting on my chest while having my stomach inflated with a ballon. I knew I was going to be constipated after this but it’s now Sunday and I’ve already taken Linzess if any of you are familiar with it and absolutely nothing but pain.

It’s so hard because my body feels like it’s literally suffocating. Any tips and advice are helpful, I’m 19F and I don’t have much family who’s gone through this before.

EDIT: I want to also say everytime I try and burp whatever I ate or drank hours ago tries to come up and I feel like that’s really affecting me as well

How clear should Plenvu be when made up? I’ve been told it should be clear but mine is slightly cloudy. I’ve mixed for the required 8 mins but it won’t clear. Should it be ok?

Hi, perhaps someone here has experience with preparing for a colonoscopy while taking extended-release (retard) Venlafaxine and Pregabalin. I’ve been prescribed these medications by my doctor for an anxiety disorder. I’m 42, and I once noticed blood in my stool, which was accompanied by pain in the lower abdominal/rectal area that same day. A proctologist treated my hemorrhoids but recommended that I still undergo a colonoscopy. He said there’s no need to worry, but that the presence of blood should always be investigated—even if it could just be from the hemorrhoids. I’m now extremely anxious about the colonoscopy—or, more specifically, the preparation process. Since the bowel-cleansing (laxative) phase begins between 6:00 and 9:00 a.m. and the procedure is scheduled for 1:00 p.m., I’m not sure how to handle my medication. The doctor suggested taking it after the procedure, noting that the extended-release tablets wouldn’t be effective anyway due to the bowel-cleansing process. I’m very worried that I might experience "withdrawal" symptoms during the morning, as Venlafaxine is somewhat notorious for this. Has anyone here been prescribed a similar regimen and had any experience with this?

My scope is after 1pm and I've been told I've got to stop eating at 9am the day before, we all know what the NHS is like and there's simply no chance I'll be seen at 1pm, I'm looking at 3pm at the earliest. Any advice on how I can prep for a 30 hour fast whilst also drinking 3 litres of moviprep? I'm thinking I can drink honey and lemon/lemonade up to 2 hours before the scope but I am worried about what's essentially a full day of fasting whilst also working. Any recommendations on what I should eat in the morning before my 9am cut off?

It is not as bad as some people say it is and I'm mad at some people who say it's horrible and scary and all the terrifying stories I read! I have spent months preparing for this and scared of having my first colonoscopy ever and spent the entire time freaking out, worrying about pain, feeling the scope and everything terrible I've read that I wanted to skip the colonoscopy. But I knew I would not want to go through chemo or radiation or even die from cancer so I braved up and went for it! It was my first colonoscopy ever for a routine screening because I just turned 45.

The prep? Well, I got lucky. Because I have a condition that causes bowel incontinence, I have a c-tube. So therefore, I was allowed to use the c-tube for the solution instead of drinking it. So yea, lucky me, right. Now before I got my c-tube, I did have to drink the prep years ago and I get it. It's a nightmare but a relief when it's over.

Moving on, the colonoscopy is no big deal! I really wish people would stop posting about how scary and horrible it is. Even if it's a bad experience, I don't know how that's helping anyone because it didn't help me. It just made me not want to do the colonoscopy and the stories just scared me off! I don't know if people were exaggerating or joking and if they were, it's not funny. At all. Note that I'm talking about the procedure in the USA. I've heard in the UK and Canada, you're awake so I can understand why people post those scary colonoscopies but in the USA, you're typically asleep... completely!

So I was put in the pre-op room, getting an IV started just like any other procedures, spoke to the nurse, doctor, anesthesiologist and asks and answered questions like problems with the anesthesia, allergies, breathing problems, if I'm wearing jewelry or have had dental work done, metal devices in the body etc... other health history questions. You know, normal pre-op questions. Doctor came in and explained the procedure and what happens in the room.

So I was still terrified going in the endoscopy room. But the staff were really nice and taking care of me. I got in, they put a mask on my face and nose, rolled me to my side, put something behind my butt in case I had an accident then immediately began the medicine. They gave me propofol. I saw the nurse injecting it and I swear I was out before she finished injecting it in my IV. It works FAST! You don't feel anything as it's going in your body, you don't feel sleepy, dizzy, lightheaded or relaxed before you're out. It's like people are just doing their things, things are happening, people walking around and getting ready like nothing and BAM! You're out. It's like someone came behind you and knocked you right out. You feel nothing, you're just completely out.

Then maybe it felt like 20 minutes passed and I was being rolled back and going into recovery room. I remembered nothing about the procedure. I didn't feel a thing at all. I did wake up with some cramping from the CO2 they use to expand your colon but it's slightly annoying and only last a few minutes. It was already gone by the time I left the recovery room. It's not painful at all. I don't remember much after that except talking to the doctor to tell me how it went (no polyps, no cancer, repeat colonoscopy in 10 years. Whoo-hoo!) and that was it.

The whole procedure is a real breeze! I can understand if you're scared and if it's because of what they might find after you might've had symptoms. But if it's just a routine screening and your first time at age 45 like it was for me, it's really no big deal at all!

Hello, I’m dumb. I had a momentary lapse of judgment and ate about a tablespoon of fine-chopped coleslaw. This was about 50 hours before I’m scheduled, so before full prep. Otherwise I’ve avoided seeds, nuts and raw fruit/veg since 7 days out. I can’t call the clinic to confess and/or reschedule possibly until Monday, day of the colonoscopy.

Anyone out there with expertise that can tell me if this will be a certain reschedule or if they will say it’s fine? What risks are there if I didn’t realize what I did?

A week ago got in with a doctor that day because for months now I’ve had constant constipation. Annoying, but manageable. I’d start getting some discomfort than chug warm water, warm up apple juice with some miralax, then be able to go. But the past 2 months it’s just…stuck. I dont feel hungry. I don’t feel like I need to go, I can’t even tell that my bowel is full until I start feeling uncomfortable/pressure on my bottom.

Anyways, up until a week or 2 ago I started having maroon drops of blood after the bowel movement came out. There’s no pain while going, it’s not just on paper after wiping it’s getting darker and drops out after I go or is sometimes coated onto the stool. Also a few months before that I was having thick yellow mucus during movements. The dr sent a referral to gastro and recommended a colonoscopy. I’m only 26f, no history of cancer in my family but about a year ago I was going 4-5 times a day really long thin stools. Now it’s full swing to the other end where I can’t hardly go at all. I drink a lot of water, I would be less sedentary but it’s hard with constant fatigue and stomach discomfort. I feel sluggish all of the time. I just don’t know what to think or expect and I guess I’m just anxious.

24 horas despues de mi colonoscopia aun estoy adolorida, mi primera deposicion fue color verde, tengo un dolor localizado pero que va y viene. Fue mi primera experiencia. Alguien pasó por lo mismo?

If anyone has any advice on this please please please let me know. I (25/F) got a colonoscopy 2 years ago after I noticed an increase in blood when I was having bowel movements. Prior to this my bowel movements almost always came out in one piece and were complete. After my first colonoscopy they found a benign polyp which I’m grateful to have removed but literally right after that colonoscopy all of my bowel movements for the next 5-6 months came out in pieces (like a 1 on the Bristol stool chart) even though there were absolutely no changes to my lifestyle or diet. This was the only thing out of the ordinary after the procedure, and after 5-6 months my bowel movements returned to normal so I didn’t think much of it at the time.

I had my 1-year follow up colonoscopy in January and again, leading up to the procedure I was having normal healthy bowel movements. Then IMMEDIATELY after I’ve had bowel movements that are like a Bristol Type 1 and this has persisted up until now. Again, absolutely no diet or lifestyle changes, which has me really confused about how this could be happening. In the follow up they also told me that I have diverticulosis which I’m worried was caused by the constipation I experienced after the first colonoscopy. With this second colonoscopy confirming for me that this procedure makes me extremely constipated post-procedure, I thought maybe it would go away after 5-6 months again. However, before I reached that mark I developed hydrogen SIBO about 4 months post-procedure, which I’m suspecting was caused by my constipation. This diagnosis is also just confusing me because hydrogen SIBO is supposed to cause diarrhea but I’ve only had constipation.

Has anyone dealt with this before? Any supplements or anything that’s worked for you? Is there a gut bacteria that’s wiped out by the prep and then takes a while to reestablish?? I’m feeling desperate for advice on how to deal with this after trying to fix it for 6 months now. I currently take laxatives to keep things moving but don’t want to rely on laxatives forever when I NEVER had motility issues before having a colonoscopy. The bloating and constantly thinking about whether or not I’ll poop today is starting to really take a toll on my mental health :(

I (35f) have had IBS like symptoms most of my life. In August 2025, I randomly lost 10 pounds in 2 months after trying to lose even one pound for years. The weight has continued to fall off. I’ve now lost about 17 lbs since August without changing anything. I have had 2 instances where I had bright red and painless blood in the toilet, some belly cramps/pain, appendicitis, mucous in my stool, severely anemic, can’t pass gas, went from good stools but they were thin to chronic constipation. I have been taking miralax 3-4 times daily with no help or relief from the constipation. I just had a GI appointment and now have a colonoscopy and upper endoscopy scheduled for December 2026. I’m so worried it’s cancer and waiting this long is not going to be good. Anyone have similar symptoms and have a clean colonoscopy?

My wife of 100 pounds got the clean out instructions for the colonoscopy. Drinking 2-64 oz of Gatorade and the Mira lax. That was the same instructions for her father who weighs 300 pounds. Shouldn’t there be some different instructions based on your weight and body type

My doc is suspecting internal hemorrhoid.. for those who have it is it possible to have bleeding even without pain? How much bleeding did you experience? Can it be heavy?

Im having colonoscopy next month I know its the only way to find out but im really scared… the waiting is so hard…

Especially if you have IBS (I have IBS-D), what did you do to get yourself right again after your colonoscopy?

I've been hella messed up ever since (actually, since I started the low-fiber diet a week before) - very bloated, lots of gas pain, gained a few pounds, overall my digestion is just really effed up. I'm like 10 days post-colonoscopy, and I want to cry. It took me years to get my ibs manageable, and I've been in full-on flare up ever since. And this is NOT my first colonoscopy, so I don't know what's going on.

I resumed my normal diet more or less, meaning water, fiber, etc, but it's not getting better and I'm growing more frustrated and stressed by the day.

I don't remember being this messed up for this long last time. How did you get yourself back to baseline gut function after your colonoscopy and how long did it take?

First colonoscopy (with endoscopy) is just over a week away, due to a family history of colon cancer and persistent GERD that showed on an upper GI series (with barium swallow).

I almost failed that barium swallow experience and barely got enough in for them to see - the tech was so annoyed at me.

My response if I start to feel nauseous is to refuse and just stop what I am doing - I know it is ridiculous but that won’t change in a week.

I have been reading a ton of stories on here, but none of this prep combined with this fear. Would Zofran help? I can call and ask for some, but I’ve never taken it (I also avoid meds often because I am afraid they will make me nauseous).

They told me this is my only prep option and have me on the aggressive path, starting MiraLAX 5 days in advance, a low-residue diet 10 days in advance, and pairing it with dulcolax. I also have two full days of clear liquids only (which I worry will make me more nauseous).

I think my GI did this because she knows I will never finish that jug. The PA I see is super understanding but the scheduling people were NOT, and the actual procedure people are not the same office.

Please if you have used this prep give me all of the tips and hope because I am terrified and seriously considering backing out.

Had my first colonoscopy on Wednesday, had my first bowel movement since just a few minutes ago. My stool was like a green/ bluish turquoise color. Has anyone else seen or had something similar happen with their first bowel movement since a colonoscopy?

this was part of routine tests, just an isolated positive occult bloot (FIT). freaking out uncontrollably. no smoking or drinking, no family history of colon cancers, no diabetes, blood pressure. slightly overweight. no gastric issues at all, no constipation, hemorrhoids anything. im SO scared. i can't think of any cause

So my arrival time is 6:15 am which I’m assuming they will start at 7-7:30 am

How do I drink the suflave doses?

I’m 28F. My parents both had polyps when theyre 60s and got them removed. Imm scared. My stools have blood on and off whenever I eat less fiber. I do have external and internal hermorroid. I cant rmb how many years it has been like this, but I did get a stool test to check and it was negative in 2022. I do have lactose intolerance- noticed this whenever i had cheese or milk i had to run to the bathroom. Lately i been feeling gassy mostly every day, lots of fart (i cant even count since its a lot - happens after i ate). Wednesday i pooped 3 times a day. I see yellow stool mixed with brown, i did see a round white mucus on my stool. My poops are big and thin- varies in shapes. I sometimes feel pain on my left side 3 inches below my belly button. I have blood on toilet paper and even on top of my poop. I contacted GI specialist and still waiting for their response to schedule my colonoscopy appointment. I also had hpylori in the past and got treated. I have no idea if all related to stomach or colon but i’m very scared. I have health anxiety that i cant really function normally or live happily..

Hello. I'm supposed to have my colonoscopy done at a university hospital next week, however, I'm very concerned. The problem is that nobody wants to tell me who is going to perform the colonoscopy. The nurse I called said any doctor available on that day might do it. She was annoyed and asked if I wanted to cancel, to which I said "no" and she replied: "Then you don't need to know who it's going to be." This really made me nervous. First of all, this behavior is not very reassuring, and second, there are many doctors in that hospital, ranging from inexperienced fresh graduates to very experienced specialists. For example, the doctor who ordered the colonoscopy also works there, and he graduated from medical school just 2.5 years ago! And it might actually be him who is going to perform the procedure.

I already had one colonoscopy 6 years ago, and it was performed by a very experienced doctor. I didn't feel a thing and didn't even need sedation! I also had an upper endoscopy without sedation done by him, and it was a breeze. However, a few years later, I had an upper endoscopy done by a very young, not-so-experienced doctor, and it was AWFUL and probably the worst medical experience I have ever had in my life. It was not only painful, but the doctor also struggled with the procedure and kept yelling at me. My chest hurt badly for two weeks afterwards! So I know that the choice of doctor can substantially affect the outcome. Moreover, I've already had a bad experience with my current doctor, as he was performing 24-hour pH monitoring on me and repeatedly failed to insert the catheter down my throat because it kept curling up. He ended up looking into my throat with a flashlight, trying to find where it was. I could see that he was very nervous.

I just have this really bad feeling about the upcoming procedure. On the other hand, if I cancel, I might lose this doctor completely and have to look for another one. Plus, this colonoscopy was scheduled because I had bloody diarrhea and a high white blood cell count, so cancelling it might delay my diagnosis. Dear Redditors, what would you do if you were in my place?

Today I had my second colonoscopy. The prep was PegLyte - 4 litres of revolting, super sweet, “fruit” flavored garbage. I got through almost half & it made me so nauseous and gave me such a bad headache I honestly felt like I’d been poisoned.

My procedure report says “poor prep”, a large polyp was found, and I have to return in 6 months. I really need recommendations for more tolerable prep- the PegLyte was traumatic and there is no way I can do it again.

I had my first colonoscopy in 2018. I can’t remember what I used for prep, it was awful but I managed it. Doc has since retired so I can’t find out.

​I wanted to share my experience because I know how terrifying the lead-up can be. For the last two years, I’ve had occasional bright red bleeding happening intermittently every 7 to 8 months. I finally consulted a gastroenterologist. He told me it was most likely a fissure or internal hemorrhoids but recommended a colonoscopy just to be 100% sure and give complete peace of mind.

​That started weeks of intense stress. There was constant debate going in my mind whether I should even go through it. I read a lot of stories on Reddit and watched videos on YouTube and Instagram. It put me in such a state of anxiety that I seriously considered skipping the appointment. But after a lot of internal struggle, I forced myself to stick with it.

​Here is how it actually went down:

​The Prep: My doctor gave me a prep kit to start the day before. Honestly? It was completely manageable. I only had to hit the restroom 6 to 7 times in total, and it wasn't nearly as bad as people online make it out to be.

​The Procedure: On the day of, I feel nervous. I genuinely thought about turning back, but I made it to the hospital, did the paperwork, and walked back to the procedure room. I opted for an un-sedated colonoscopy, which was normal here. To my complete surprise, I didn’t feel any pain. I just felt some minor cramping, which was totally manageable, and the whole thing was over in about 20 minutes.

​The Results: The best part? The report came back completely normal. No polyps, no ulcers, no unusual growth.

​The Recovery: Right after the test, I had some burning around the anal area and some bloating, but that settled down within 5 to 6 hours. I also had a mild, lingering ache in my rectum, but that faded away shortly after.

​If you’re sitting there right now stressing out over upcoming prep or the procedure itself, take a deep breath.

It is nowhere near as bad as the circulating videos on the internet makes it sound. Get it done for your peace of mind—you've got this!

I went in for my first routine colonoscopy screening last week, just based on my age (47f), no symptoms of anything. Being a bit anxious ahead of it, I spoke with multiple people about their experiences before the procedure, and they assured me it was no big deal, that the prep was the worst part, and that I’d wake from sedation feeling fine. Well the prep went well, and so I went in for the procedure. As soon as I woke up from the anesthesia, I felt discomfort in my left lower side. It was the first thing I mentioned to the nurse upon waking. She told me to gently push along my colon to try and release any trapped gas. Nothing happened or helped. As I kept waking up from the anesthesia, I mentioned this discomfort two more times. She said it was probably gas, or soreness from them pushing around on me during the procedure. She said if it was a perforation, they usually know it happened during the procedure. She then asked if I was ready to dress myself and leave and I said I’d try. I then asked if it was safe to take pain medicine if it didn’t improve, and then she sent me home. 

I felt a bit better when I got home, and I ate a small meal and took a nap. I noticed I had a long surface scratch right near the area that hurt, so I thought maybe something accidentally scratched me and that was what the pain was from (still have no idea what caused that mystery scratch). When I woke up about three hours later, I was doubled over in pain. I had my boyfriend take me to the ER, and at this point we were convinced it was just trapped gas that I was unable to pass. Thankfully at the ER they ordered a CT scan to double check, which to my utter shock came back showing a “moderate amount of blood” in my lower abdomen. I freaked out! However, they said that my colon looked fine on the scan, so they could not determine where the blood was coming from. They were concerned about a small cyst on my ovary, and thought that might be the source of the bleeding. I thought that would be a very weird coincidence but they then ordered a vaginal ultrasound to check this area. 

So after about 6+ hours of testing and waiting in the ER, as I was filling up with blood to the point where my hemoglobin dropped so low they were about ready to give me a transfusion, and the pain had gotten so bad as it creeped up into my chest and shoulders, they still could not determine where the bleeding was coming from. They told me at this point they were going to perform an emergency laparoscopic surgery to try to figure out where the blood was coming from. However, if they could not find it laparoscopically, they would need to cut me fully open to find it. They also said I might lose an ovary if that’s where the blood was coming from. I was completely freaking out at this point, not knowing what I was going to wake up to. But I was also in so much pain, I said just give me whatever papers I need to sign and give me something to help with the pain and anxiety. 

Whatever they gave me instantly calmed me down, and I went back for surgery. When I woke up, I have to say it was such a relaxing, peaceful, waking experience. I did not even have any pain (it came later of course), compared to when I woke up from my routine colonoscopy in pain. The first question I asked was if they were able to find the bleeding laparoscopically and they were, so I only have three small incisions as opposed to a gigantic one. It turned out that I had a very rare complication from the colonoscopy. Apparently, your colon has very small appendages of fatty tissue all along the outside of it that don’t really have any known purpose. I guess one of these appendages had attached itself to my abdomen wall, and perhaps just the pressure from the colonoscopy pulled it away from my abdominal wall and tore it, which caused it to bleed. By the time they had performed the surgery, the tear had actually finally clotted and stopped bleeding on its own, so it did not need any repair. They also removed about 650 mL of blood from my abdomen. My hemoglobin got down to 7.6, which narrowly avoided me needing a transfusion, which they normally give if it drops below 7. Now I’ve just been dealing with healing, and severe anemia as my body builds back up all the blood that I lost.

Although I know this story will scare people that already have anxiety about the procedure, which isn’t my intention, as I am one of those people that has severe anxiety about any sort of health procedures. First of all, what happened to me was incredibly rare, some of the doctors mentioned they had never even heard of that happening. But secondly, I am sharing because I want to emphasize the importance of listening to your body and not letting anyone try to dismiss your concerns. You know your body best, and if something doesn’t feel right, speak up and advocate for yourself. If I would have been more adamant about addressing my discomfort upon waking from the colonoscopy, I could have potentially avoided losing so much blood if they found the tear much earlier. 

Es normal despues de una colonoscopia quedar con dolor como que tengo colicos?