Good news for those needing colonoscopies (in the future).

[Tenkaykev]

For a bit of light relief there was a very funny thread here on SingleTrackWorld of this very procedure in 2009. They use a different laxative today though.

I remember taking " Picolax " when I had my investigations in 2013/2014 . In the first session I had back to back gastroscopy / Colonoscopy. I suppose the thinking was " While he's here we might as well take a look up the other end " I didn't look at the monitor, just tried to relax and meditate, all helped by a wonderful nurse who was sat next to the top of the trolley murmuring reassurances. Fortunately my digestive system was healthy and they even mentioned the thoroughness of my prep work. ( I had started fasting a couple of days before starting on the Picolax regime.

 

[presta]

The list of alarming potential complications which I was given before colonoscopy didn't include exploding colon which suggests that it's a vanishingly unlikely occurrence.

The only reason I know about it is that Brian Cox & his tribe were having a laugh about it on Infinite Monkey Cage when it won an Ig Nobel Prize:
https://gizmodo.com/how-to-keep-colonoscopy-patients-from-exploding-and-ot-30775530
I see that dates from 2012, which is when I had my first colonoscopy.

Since they also lightly inflate your colon

It's supposed to be lightly.

 

[presta]

I remember taking " Picolax " when I had my investigations in 2013/2014.

That reminds me of my first colonoscopy. It came just a few weeks after I'd been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation, and they sent me Picolax, which carries a warning about it causing heart arrhythmia. Laxatives are a risk for arrhythmia because they force the body to dump fluids, and in the process they deplete the electrolytes that the heart's dependent on.

So I rang the hospital and asked if it was OK to take it:
"Oh yeah, it'll be OK. Er....hang on a minute, I'll just check"
Ten minutes later:
"No, you mustn't take it, come in 40 minutes early and we'll do an enema instead"

So I went in 40 minutes early, sat in the waiting room, and 40 minutes later they called me in.
"You do realise I was told not to take the laxative, don't you?"
"No"

 

[Rusty Nails]

I remember taking " Picolax " when I had my investigations in 2013/2014 . In the first session I had back to back gastroscopy / Colonoscopy. I suppose the thinking was " While he's here we might as well take a look up the other end " I didn't look at the monitor, just tried to relax and meditate, all helped by a wonderful nurse who was sat next to the top of the trolley murmuring reassurances. Fortunately my digestive system was healthy and they even mentioned the thoroughness of my prep work. ( I had started fasting a couple of days before starting on the Picolax regime.

Hope they cleaned the camera in between procedures. Lucky you had the gastroscopy first.

 

[Tenkaykev]

Hope they cleaned the camera in between procedures. Lucky you had the gastroscopy first.

I made sure he rinsed it under the tap first. 😉

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Since they also lightly inflate your colon with CO2

And then the balloon guy comes in and makes sausage dogs…