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Colon health

I don't know the answer, but I can offer my experience - first colonoscopy was at 52, second was late last year at 63 - no issues.

As to prep, it's better. You start the afternoon before, and after about 2 hrs of taking it in my last procedure, I began, you know, exploding. Lasted about 2 more hours, then a bit more.

The procedure itself was simple - I was unconscious, woke up a bit later as I was groggy, and was driven home.
 
I am an Internist and you NEED the colonoscopy. The GI needs to see the lining of your colon, take biopsies if needed and remove any polyps if seen. DO NOT skip this unbelieveable test.
 
seastrunk said:
I am an Internist and you NEED the colonoscopy. The GI needs to see the lining of your colon, take biopsies if needed and remove any polyps if seen. DO NOT skip this unbelieveable test.
Click to expand...

My doctor stresses this as well. Like he told me, it’s by far the best way to detect precancerous polyps.

Here’s the facts from a medical website:

One of the first questions patients ask regarding Cologuard is if it is as effective as a colonoscopy. Unfortunately, the answer no. Colonoscopies are the gold standard in detecting colorectal cancer as well as precancerous lesions through the use of a camera-enabled scope; this has been proven over decades of studies of experienced Gastroenterologists’ cases. This allows a gastroenterologist to clearly view the large bowel and distal part of the small bowel for signs of polyps or cancerous lesions. If any are seen, biopsies for further examination can be taken at the same time. In all, colonoscopies can detect about 95 percent of all colorectal cancers and advanced precancerous polyps.

Cologuard, on the other hand, has no visual component and instead tests DNA from stool samples for the presence of abnormal cancerous or precancerous cells. To date, studies have shown that Cologuard detects 92 percent of colorectal cancers and only 42 percent of precancerous polyps, making it a far less effective preventative tool.
 
Get the colonoscopy on a Monday morning. Fasting and cleaning out your colon is best done over the weekend. For me, sitting on the throne for 4-6 hours isn't pleasant. Cologuard isn't very accurate as yet. Too many false positives and a few false negatives. Basically testing DNA and for blood in your stool. My wife had a problem with that and tested positive. Now she needs to get the colonoscopy, and the co-pay cost is different. Check with your insurance with that. I have been through 3 colonoscopies, since the first found a polyp. But I had a good doctor and a better anesthesiologist (grin), slept right through them.
 
Well, this thread has terrified me.

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Colonoscopy. It’s not bad at all. The prep is horrible, it’s like drinking salty, flat Alka Seltzer, but the procedure is nothing. It’s also hilarious to listen to everyone in recovery farting as you have to expel the gas before you can leave! I’ve had 5 of them.... Find the BEST gut person FIRST, though. My first Gastro Doc sucked, but I didn’t know this until after 4 years of Crohn’s! Seriously, I drive 100 miles to my current gastro because he’s the best. It makes a HUGE difference.


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Pretty much i am on the do it train. You won't remember it and the prep is a great weight loss starter.....:egyptian:
 
Lot of people talk of the prep. I’ve had 4 colonoscopies over 13 years. The only prep I did (and it was previously mentioned) was a light diet day before the prep. Day of the prep was 4 tablets at 7am, no food other than broth or popsicles (no dark flavors like cherry/berry).. mix a bottle of Miralax powder with room temp 64 ounce Gatorade (again, no red flavors, my fav is orange) and refrigerate. For me, the pills kick in at about 1pm...not a big deal.
At 2pm you begin with the liquid: 8 ounces every 15 minutes until gone. You will feel full with all the liquid. By the 5th or 6th glass your “forceful emptying” begins. By 6:30 I was done. For me, unpleasant but not horrendous. There are many different types of prep but I stick with this, with the OK of my GI doc.
Go for the colonoscopy. Try to schedule as early as possible. If you can get it around 7am, you’ll be out and having lunch by 1pm the latest. Good Luck...
 
Go with the ColaGuard. It's no big deal. Takes you a few seconds to collect the sample and off it goes. You've also been given some overly simplistic information. After a certain age, doctors will recommend a ColaGuard every 1-3 years depending on the doctor and your results. Similarly, there is no guarantee that if you have a colonoscopy that you don't need another for 10 years. That is only the case if everything is nice and clean. Less than that the doctors may very well order a ColaGuard or colonoscopy sooner.

The prep for a colonoscopy is as others have indicated, the whole deal and it's no fun. The procedure itself is nothing. Though obviously, the colonoscopy is a lot more expensive, whether it comes out of your pocket, your insurer, or both.
 
Man up and do both.

In UK , every man gets the option for a 'smear' test of a stool sample at 55. You collect a sample each day for three days and smear it on a card , then seal it and post to medics. They test to see if you need a further check, five years later, you do it again. If like me , you have a dog, it is no big deal.


I had a colonoscopy after a medical when a change in habit was noted. Better safe than sorry . The worst part is the foul drink . The bowel cleanse actually leaves you feeling good. The procedure is no worse than a prostate exam, unless your doctor is wearing a Super Bowl ring.
 
My dad had his first colonoscopy about 3 years ago. He had 3-4 polyps that they biopsied that were negative. He had another just a couple months ago. Came back clean but they want him to have one every 2-3 years to be safe.

I took him for the first one which wasn't until 2:00 in the afternoon. When he woke up he was starving and wanted to go to a local pizza place for pizza and beer. He was still kind of drugged up from the procedure and when I told him him he couldn't drink beer because of the biopsy and bleeding the look of disappointment was unreal. Like a little kid being told there is no Santa Clause.
 
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