Sigmoidoscopy ... what should I do?

[Hopeyet]

Hi,

I've been offered a flexible sigmoidoscopy to check out some bowel concerns. I think I'm going to take it to try and draw a line over ongoing worries about my health.

I'm debating whether to go for the gas and air or the full intravenous sedation.

A few months back I had an examination with what I think was a proctoscope. I did that without any sedation or pain relief and it was okay until he got to the end when I found it pretty unpleasant.

I'm not a huge fan of needles and I've never even had a cannula put in, so that worries me. There again, I don't think I could have tolerated much worse than the proctoscope and the sigmoidoscopy goes a lot further in. If it was similar to the procotoscope I think I'd be fine with gas and air. If it's significantly worse I might need the sedation.

Reading a few posts on here I think I'd really struggle to do it without the sedation, my pain threshold is virtually non-existent. Starting to regret volunteering myself for this.

So, what would you recommend based on your own experiences? Has anyone had both (with and without sedation) to comment? I take it when people usually refer to doing it without sedation they do have access to gas and air?

[almamatters]

Hi I had a procotoscope and colonoscopy without sedation and no gas or air. Not me being brave just was scared to have the sedation. Procotoscope was fine but for anything else , sigmoid etc me personally I would have the sedation, just because there is more chance of the procedure being finished in case you find in uncomfortable and it has to be stopped, This happened at my colonoscopy. I'm not keen on needles but have had a canuala put it before and really I hardly felt it. Hope you go on ok. I suppose it's down to your own individual tolerance for these things. Some find it less painful than others. Maybe have a chat with your GP. Take care

[Hopeyet]

Hi I had a procotoscope and colonoscopy without sedation and no gas or air. Not me being brave just was scared to have the sedation. Procotoscope was fine but for anything else , sigmoid etc me personally I would have the sedation, just because there is more chance of the procedure being finished in case you find in uncomfortable and it has to be stopped, This happened at my colonoscopy. I'm not keen on needles but have had a canuala put it before and really I hardly felt it. Hope you go on ok. I suppose it's down to your own individual tolerance for these things. Some find it less painful than others. Maybe have a chat with your GP. Take care

Thanks.

Yeah, not a fan of needles, but I'm happy with the idea of being sedated. Like you say, I think it improves the chances of me tolerating the whole procedure.

Half tempted to back out. My consultant is confident he already knows the cause of my issues, but I was offered it as an option to put my mind at rest. I just keep having visions of them discovering something serious a few years down the line if I don't have it and saying "if only you'd been diagnosed two years ago..."

[almamatters]

Yes it's catch 22 isn't it? Personally I would have the test because it just let's you know all is OK. I cancelled an abdominal ultrasound once a day then spent the next few months dwelling on it. I definitely felt better for having it done. Take care

[vicky23]

Hi,
I had a flexible sig and firstly the enema without sedation and didn't have access to gas and air. I found it very painful ended up gripping the nurses hand so hard lol In the end they diagnosed IBS and apparently people with ibs feel air in the gut as pain so obviously with those procedures they blow you up with air so that may account for why I found it so painful whereas others may just find it uncomfortable.
So I would ask for sedation if I were you given what you've said about your lack of pain threshold
Hope it goes well
X

[Pepperpot]

I had a flexible sigmoidoscopy too, with no sedation. It was not painful at all, but I did not like the feeling. It felt like it was pressing on a nerve and like I was going to pass out. Maybe the sedation would be better for you x