OT: Question for Nurses Here
Sarah,
This definitely is not normal...at least it wasn't like mine. I had one last year, my first, and was scared sh--less of the procedure! And I was 60 yrs. old!!! They were great for mine, rolled me into the room, told me to roll over on my side and I didn't know another thing till it was over and they were waking me up asking me if I wanted to go home!! All that worry for NOTHING! Now I'm clear for 10 yrs. WooHoo! Sorry that happened to you. I'd complain very loudly!!
Blessings,
Carol
Highest & Surgery/current/Goal: 268/171/160
I have had a colonoscopy and I was awake and talking throughout the entire procedure. I did have some pain but it was short lived. I have also assisted with at least 100 of them over my career as a certified gastroenterology nurse. I can honestly say that the amount of discomfort you describe is not typical but also not uncommon. It shouldn't happen but sometimes it does. There are many reasons why. Mainly it differs by physician to physician. Some have a registered nurse give "conscious sedation". Of the patients *****ceive conscious sedation most of them are awake and talking to us during their procedure, dozing intermittently, but swore we had not even started yet when we wheeled them to recovery!! That amnesia is courtesy of a drug called Versed that they give you. The goal of conscious sedation is that you remain conscious, sedated somewhat, but relatively comfortable and have a degree of amnesia for the procedure itself. Conscious sedation is the standard of care for sedating patients during colonoscopy. Other physicians however, use monitored anesthesia care and have an anesthesiologist or an CRNA give you stronger drugs and knock you out completely. So when people tell you the were knocked out completely they may or may not have been. They may have been awake but not remember it. I have seen patients sleep thru the whole thing, or moan and groan or also scream in pain from time to time. Screaming in pain is NOT acceptable and the procedure should be terminated.
Now, having said all of that I will explain a little about what they do that causes pain. First of all when they go thru the sigmoid colon, there are frequently twists and turns there. It is the hardest part for the doctor to pass the colonoscope thru. Many women also have adhesions in that area either from a hysterectomy or from endometriosis and that makes it much worse! While going through the colon they fill it up with air so they can see in all the cracks and crevices and make sure they do not overlook anything. The air feels like bad gas pains. Another tough "turn" they make while going through the colon is the hepatic flexure or where the colon turn on your right upper side and starts going down. I have seen this area cause many patients a lot of pain. And lastly, the colon was designed for things to come out, not go in. So a lot of cramping can also be expected.
The amount of discomfort a patient experiences is variable from patient to patient. Some patients anatomy make the exam more uncomfortable. Some patients have a higher tolerance to the medication and don't get as much relief as other patients. But there is still a safe dosing level that the physician must go by. He can't just keep giving the medicine because a patient can overdose. This can especially happen in the recovery area when all the "stimulation" has stopped and the medication catches up and causes a patient to stop breathing.
Your experience can also differ physician to physician. Some are more experienced, some are gentler, some are afraid to give to much sedation, some give too much. ( I have actually coded patients during Colonoscopy because they got too much sedation.) I have seen some doctors so rough I have asked them to stop the procedure and filed a complaint with administration about them. However that has occurred only a handful of times in my career.
I can't leave out the nurse giving the sedation. There is always the possibility they gave the wrong dose or that your IV had infiltrated and all the medication given went into your subcutaneous tissue and not into your vein.
I have kind of rambled on here. I have no idea why you hurt so bad or what may have caused it. I'm sorry you were hurting so bad. I wanted to give you some insight into what goes on from a medical standpoint so you can make your own judgment about how you were treated. Having a colonoscopy should be a routine and safe procedure. I would recommend talking to your physician and telling him your concerns and asking him why you hurt so bad. If he blows you off or makes you feel like you were mistreated I would file a complaint with the administrator at the facility. Most facilities do follow up calls a few days later and that would be a good time to ask questions too. If you have a colonoscopy in the future it might be a good idea to request that an anesthesiologist administer your sedation because he can give you stronger drugs that will definitely knock you out. That is certainly within your rights to request.
FYI.. I had a similar situation when I was given injections in my back (8 of them) while I was awake, sreaming, and squirming on the table the whole time. I finally went to sleep in recovery after giving the doctor and the CRNA (who each blamed the other) a good cussing out! And this happend at the hospital I worked at by doctors I worked with every day!
Hope your feeling back to normal!
Kathy
Now, having said all of that I will explain a little about what they do that causes pain. First of all when they go thru the sigmoid colon, there are frequently twists and turns there. It is the hardest part for the doctor to pass the colonoscope thru. Many women also have adhesions in that area either from a hysterectomy or from endometriosis and that makes it much worse! While going through the colon they fill it up with air so they can see in all the cracks and crevices and make sure they do not overlook anything. The air feels like bad gas pains. Another tough "turn" they make while going through the colon is the hepatic flexure or where the colon turn on your right upper side and starts going down. I have seen this area cause many patients a lot of pain. And lastly, the colon was designed for things to come out, not go in. So a lot of cramping can also be expected.
The amount of discomfort a patient experiences is variable from patient to patient. Some patients anatomy make the exam more uncomfortable. Some patients have a higher tolerance to the medication and don't get as much relief as other patients. But there is still a safe dosing level that the physician must go by. He can't just keep giving the medicine because a patient can overdose. This can especially happen in the recovery area when all the "stimulation" has stopped and the medication catches up and causes a patient to stop breathing.
Your experience can also differ physician to physician. Some are more experienced, some are gentler, some are afraid to give to much sedation, some give too much. ( I have actually coded patients during Colonoscopy because they got too much sedation.) I have seen some doctors so rough I have asked them to stop the procedure and filed a complaint with administration about them. However that has occurred only a handful of times in my career.
I can't leave out the nurse giving the sedation. There is always the possibility they gave the wrong dose or that your IV had infiltrated and all the medication given went into your subcutaneous tissue and not into your vein.
I have kind of rambled on here. I have no idea why you hurt so bad or what may have caused it. I'm sorry you were hurting so bad. I wanted to give you some insight into what goes on from a medical standpoint so you can make your own judgment about how you were treated. Having a colonoscopy should be a routine and safe procedure. I would recommend talking to your physician and telling him your concerns and asking him why you hurt so bad. If he blows you off or makes you feel like you were mistreated I would file a complaint with the administrator at the facility. Most facilities do follow up calls a few days later and that would be a good time to ask questions too. If you have a colonoscopy in the future it might be a good idea to request that an anesthesiologist administer your sedation because he can give you stronger drugs that will definitely knock you out. That is certainly within your rights to request.
FYI.. I had a similar situation when I was given injections in my back (8 of them) while I was awake, sreaming, and squirming on the table the whole time. I finally went to sleep in recovery after giving the doctor and the CRNA (who each blamed the other) a good cussing out! And this happend at the hospital I worked at by doctors I worked with every day!
Hope your feeling back to normal!
Kathy
Thanks to all *****plied. I will probably follow up with the Patient Advocate Services at Hermann or whoever handles these sorts of things.
I was told I would not be completely out like anesthesia, but I was wide awake and finally conked out at the end. My complaint is I wasn't gvien the medicine far enough in advance to take effect.
Hopefully, my complaint will help those who follow after me!
I was told I would not be completely out like anesthesia, but I was wide awake and finally conked out at the end. My complaint is I wasn't gvien the medicine far enough in advance to take effect.
Hopefully, my complaint will help those who follow after me!
I am not a nurse, but I have had several colonoscopies done, and they have always knocked me out before they started. You just had a bad team sounds like. I definetly would complain and file complaints on the WHOLE team, even the doctor.
I know how bad it hurts. The first time I woke up towards the end, but they gave me something to put me under for a little bit longer.
It is very uncomfortable and not pleasant at all for anybody to undergo.
So sorry you had a bad experience.
DeborahL.
I know how bad it hurts. The first time I woke up towards the end, but they gave me something to put me under for a little bit longer.
It is very uncomfortable and not pleasant at all for anybody to undergo.
So sorry you had a bad experience.
DeborahL.
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