# Ugh, do I REALLY have to schedule ANOTHER colonoscopy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 29, 2023, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304 "2023-08-29T18:16:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 9
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/161 "2023-11-15T14:32:03Z")
That reply doesn’t seem to have come out right - I was referring to > [@hajario](#): > > they’d prefer everyone to get the invasive test and I was trying to say they (insurance/doctors) wouldn’t prefer everyone to get the invasive test as frequently as they recommend the fecal test and that the fecal test is sometimes not instead of a colonoscopy but rather is done in the non-colonoscopy years. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/162 "2023-11-15T15:18:32Z")
AFAIK, in the UK it looks as though the expert committee doesn’t favour colonoscopy as a screening system, full stop [Bowel cancer - UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC) - GOV.UK](https://view-health-screening-recommendations.service.gov.uk/bowel-cancer/) ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2023, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/163 "2023-11-15T18:43:41Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > I assume because I always have at least one polyp Here you don’t qualify for the fecal test if your history shows you require a colonoscopy. I did the fecal test when I turned 50 but some unexplained belly pain sent me for a scope anyway where they found one benign polyp. Protocol here is that I go for a repeat scope at 55 and if that one is clear I switch back to the fecal test every 2 years. ---
**Author:** ![MrAtoz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MrAtoz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrAtoz)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/164 "2023-11-16T14:22:41Z")
I had my second colonoscopy about a month ago. They found and removed polyps both times, so I’m on the “every three years” schedule for the foreseeable future. I’ve been lucky in that prep has never been too bad for me. More of an inconvenience than anything else. So I regard it as just one of those things you have to do as you get older. The most annoying thing about my most recent one was that the second half of the prep was supposed to be started at 2:00 AM the morning of the procedure, which meant I really couldn’t get a good night’s sleep that night. Still, better than colon cancer. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2023, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/165 "2023-11-16T16:35:34Z")
I had my annual physical today. I scheduled a pap smear, which my doctor says will likely be my last one. 😃 I replied that I expect my next colonoscopy will be my last, but he thought if all goes well I will need two more. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/166 "2023-11-19T19:45:35Z")
My second colonoscopy is scheduled for tomorrow morning and I’ve taken nothing but clear liquids (lemonade, chicken broth, blue Jell-O, water) since yesterday afternoon. But this morning I watched CBS Sunday Morning, which did an episode on food. That was tough to watch. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/167 "2023-11-19T21:10:54Z")
I’ve got one at the end of the month, and the weird thing this time is that I have a long list of foods I can’t eat for a week before the procedure. Tomatoes I kind of see. Corn, maybe, since it doesn’t digest. But green beans? Green salads? I had no such list the last time I did one. We are having Thanksgiving a day early since it includes both corn and green beans. Anyone else have such a weird restriction? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/168 "2023-11-19T21:24:25Z")
No, my instructions don’t mention that sort of thing. It says starting three days before the procedure to avoid “whole grain bread, high fiber cereals, fiber supplements, nuts, seeds, granola.” ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/169 "2023-11-19T22:56:18Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I’ve got one at the end of the month, and the weird thing this time is that I have a long list of foods I can’t eat for a week before the procedure. Tomatoes I kind of see. Corn, maybe, since it doesn’t digest. But green beans? Green salads? I had no such list the last time I did one. > We are having Thanksgiving a day early since it includes both corn and green beans. > Anyone else have such a weird restriction? Yes. I was told to avoid any food with fiber, which includes essentially all vegetables and fruits. That was the hard part for me, not the one day of liquid diet. ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [November 19, 2023, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/170 "2023-11-19T23:33:35Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I have a long list of foods I can’t eat for a week before the procedure One time I had a “surprise” colonoscopy, in that I had an appointment with the doctor, he said it was time to get one, and he knew a slot opened up later that week, so I only had a 2 or 3 day notice. I asked about the “don’t eat for a week” stuff, and he said as long as I did my prep sufficiently it would be fine. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/171 "2023-11-20T00:23:33Z")
I am convinced that every doctor personalizes the prep - the instructions I get with every prep I’ve used say I can have a light , low residue breakfast the day before. So did the printed instructions from my doctor the first time. Now, my doctor’s instructions say no breakfast the day before. Never been told to avoid any foods for the entire week. I used SuTab - the instructions say to swallow the 12 tablets with a minute or two in between tablets. My sister didn’t use SuTab because her doctor told her 10 minutes between pills - she was afraid she’d get distracted and wouldn’t take them all on time. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/172 "2023-11-20T01:06:06Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > I am convinced that every doctor personalizes the prep I’m inclined to agree but there may be some variation based on the patient’s particular health profile. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 20, 2023, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/173 "2023-11-20T20:20:07Z")
So I had my second colonoscopy this morning. Happily, they found no polyps, though in the earlier exam, five years ago, two or three were found. And before the doctor arrived, I asked the nurse out of curiosity just how deep they scan. She said 4 to 4.5 feet, which surprised me. But she said the scope really doesn’t penetrate that far. Instead she used the metaphor of feeding a curtain onto a curtain rod, folding it as you move along. Apparently the colon is really flexible. I had _no_ idea that was how it worked. She also said this doctor uses more water than air unlike other doctors. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2023, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/174 "2023-11-23T17:57:46Z")
> [@robby](#): > > I was then talking to another person who works for a gastroenterologist and she says that her office stopped using SuTab because of the high failure rate. > > My theory is that the rate that the pills dissolve is too variable from patient to patient, leading to issues where it doesn’t work fast enough or thoroughly enough, or keeps working after it should be done Interesting!! In my case, it definitely started working fast enough - it hit before I even finished the first course. And of course “keeps working after it should be done” was my experience. > [@Skypist](#): > > Well, let me share my current colonoscopy saga! I was scheduled for one this morning at 7 AM, but when I got down there I was turned away because I’m not “running clear,” IYKWIM. UGH!!! Which potion did you have? There’s a new one just this year, SuFlave. I thought maybe it was another variant of a sodium sulfate prep - but no, it’s actually another PEG-based prep. Supposedly it tastes like a sports drink and thus is palatable. It comes with a “flavor-enhancing packet” which I interpret to mean “makes it taste a little like bad Gatorade”. Someone, somewhere, decided that lemon-lime is a good flavor. They are so very, very, very, very wrong. I discussed it in my writeup on Dropbox (mentioned upthread). > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I had _no_ idea that was how it worked. She also said this doctor uses more water than air unlike other doctors. Hah - that would likely also help resolve any minor issues with the prep. I’ve pretty much never had the issue with elephant-summoning farts afterward - maybe after the first one. Someone (here?) mentioned that they tend to use carbon dioxide vs room air nowadays; I wonder if that’s why. If so, I’m glad it doesn’t have the same effect as when they inflated my gut for endoscopy gallbladder surgery: major shoulder pain. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2023, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/175 "2023-11-23T18:05:53Z")
My prep used a Suprep generic equivalent that I thought tasted like cough syrup. The instruction was to drink two sixteen-ounce glasses of water within an hour of taking the prep which wasn’t a problem as I needed the water to get the taste out of my mouth. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2023, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/176 "2023-11-23T18:14:16Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > I’ve pretty much never had the issue with elephant-summoning farts afterward Neither did I. My exwife got hers a couple of years ago, she was in the waiting area a little longer than expected. They apologized and explained that the person before her didn’t follow the prep correctly and there was a bit of a mess. ---
**Author:** ![Skypist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skypist/32/169_2.png) [@Skypist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skypist)\ **Post date:** [November 23, 2023, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/177 "2023-11-23T21:38:38Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > UGH!!! Which potion did you have? > > There’s a new one just this year, SuFlave. I thought maybe it was another variant of a sodium sulfate prep - but no, it’s actually another PEG-based prep. Supposedly it tastes like a sports drink and thus is palatable. It comes with a “flavor-enhancing packet” which I interpret to mean “makes it taste a little like bad Gatorade”. It was called GaviLyte. For the second day, I was instructed to take 4 caplets of Dulcolax and then drink half of the small-sized container of MiraLax mixed in 32 ounces of Gatorade, then drink the other half in another 32 ounces of Gatorade a certain number of hours before the procedure. That seemed to do the trick. I wish I could just use Gatorade and MiraLax in the future, even if I had to use it for two days in a row, because at least it tastes _a little_ better than the horrible powdered stuff in the jug from the pharmacy. The GaviLyte had a flavor packet with it, lemon I believe, but the instructions said it should be mixed by the pharmacist, so I was hesitant to use it. My gastro said I could use lemon-flavored Crystal Light to help with the taste, so I did. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2023, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/178 "2023-11-24T01:55:11Z")
> [@Machine\_Elf](#): > > I’ve just been prescribed a gallon of Nulytely in anticipation of my first colonoscopy (not yet scheduled, but probably in the next few weeks). > > What am I in for with this stuff (as compared to other prep regimens)? 3+ weeks later, I’m still working up the nerve to schedule my colonoscopy. Not so worried about the procedure itself - I’m planning to go without anesthesia, as I’m curious to see what they see - but really not looking forward to the prep… ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2023, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/179 "2023-11-25T18:07:48Z")
> [@Skypist](#): > > the instructions said it should be mixed by the pharmacist That’s pretty stupid of them! Was the pharmacist also supposed to add the water to the concoction? Next time around, if they try the Gavilyte again, remind them, and INSIST on the Miralax version. Or, as I’ll do if they try to prescribe SuTab again, smile, nod, and do my own thing. I’d do a high volume PEG-based prep (which I’ve managed to refuse 9 times so far) before I’d do SuTab again. Rereading my write-up, and my comments on SuFlave despite never having tried it, it’s clear to me that my preferences are “low volume of evil, high volume of other liquids”. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2023, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304/180 "2023-11-25T18:10:50Z")
Maybe it’s worth posting this again: if you use a straw, you can shove the straw nearly to the back of your tongue and barely taste the liquid you need to drink. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304.md?page=8) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ugh-do-i-really-have-to-schedule-another-colonoscopy/989304.md?page=10)