Colon Cancer, Understand Your Risk, Get Colonoscopy

[destrekor]

I used to take MiraLax all the time. Stuff does a body good, but for me it only *helped* the movements. I liked the Phospho soda and it did a wonderful job cleaning me out. Why the Gatorade? MiraLax is just a white tasteless powder. I'd mix it with water.

To try and maintain electrolyte equilibrium, as PEG will draw a ton of water out.

Most of the prescribed colonoscopy prep solutions contain a massive dose of electrolytes.

I think some of them also help to pull out water and help expedite the process of flushing out the colon. I know excess magnesium, found in some workout supplements, causes many to make bowel movements. SuperPump, one such product, has been routinely called SuperDump. The only major difference between it and other popular preworkout supplements, is the high quantity of a few magnesium compounds.

Also, if you take a higher enough amount of MiraLax, it will do more than help. It will absolutely clean you out. It has the same active ingredient (PEG 3350) as the most common exam prep solutions that doctors tend to prescribe. Those solutions are basically MiraLax + electrolyte beverage, though the electrolyte solution is more complete of usually different than most sports drinks (more emphasis on magnesium and phosphorous than most sports drinks, iirc). The biggest determination for the effect is the quantity. The regular dose for MiraLax is not designed to prepare you for an exam, it's meant to ease daily passing. The prescription solutions with PEG3350 involve basically taking dose after dose after dose after dose of MiraLax throughout the day.

 

[dr150]

OP,
Funny you bring this subject up.

I'm having a colonoscopy next week.

I'm not looking forward to the fact that I have to starve myself 24 hrs prior and then have to be heavily sedated for the procedure and then have my wife miss work to drive my drugged ass back home.

 

[inachu]

Per the latest report also indicates the risk factor of those who live with colon cancer patients.

It is sad when they die but when they do if you want to make sure you do not get cancer then throw away everything they ever sat on.

It is true.

Google the research on those who acquire colon cancer from a loved one who has it as well.

 

[destrekor]

Per the latest report also indicates the risk factor of those who live with colon cancer patients.

It is sad when they die but when they do if you want to make sure you do not get cancer then throw away everything they ever sat on.

It is true.

Google the research on those who acquire colon cancer from a loved one who has it as well.

Uh... yeah, it's not acquired from loved ones... a high risk factor can be shared by family in their genetics with a few different mutations that can be passed down.

Colon cancer isn't a viral disease. Very, very, VERY few cancers have been linked to viruses, and it's the viruses that would get passed, with no guarantee of cancer spreading. I think there has only been one case, in all animal kingdom, of cancer itself being spread directly, and that's a mouth tumor disease in the Tasmanian Devil community.

 

[iamwiz82]

My Mom was diagnosed 5 years ago with stage IV colon cancer with metastasized to her liver. It was a tough battle but she won and was just given the all clear a few months ago.

 

[zinfamous]

Uh... yeah, it's not acquired from loved ones... a high risk factor can be shared by family in their genetics with a few different mutations that can be passed down.

Colon cancer isn't a viral disease. Very, very, VERY few cancers have been linked to viruses, and it's the viruses that would get passed, with no guarantee of cancer spreading. I think there has only been one case, in all animal kingdom, of cancer itself being spread directly, and that's a mouth tumor disease in the Tasmanian Devil community.

The only correlation I can see between unrelated individuals, or anyone sharing household developing colon cancer, is similarity in lifestyle, diet. Or perhaps, sharing unknown teratogens in their environment.

 

[destrekor]

The only correlation I can see between unrelated individuals, or anyone sharing household developing colon cancer, is similarity in lifestyle, diet. Or perhaps, sharing unknown teratogens in their environment.

Very much possible, agreed.

No one needs to be afraid, however, to sit in the same seat as someone who has colon cancer.

 

[John Connor]

The prescription solutions with PEG3350 involve basically taking dose after dose after dose after dose of MiraLax throughout the day.

That's what I thought. Rather take Fleets and be done with it.

 

[John Connor]

OP,
Funny you bring this subject up.

I'm having a colonoscopy next week.

I'm not looking forward to the fact that I have to starve myself 24 hrs prior and then have to be heavily sedated for the procedure and then have my wife miss work to drive my drugged ass back home.

I will NEVER get sedated again! It wasn't all that bad and the crap didn't put me out rather just make me sick. Never again! They say older people are better sedated.

 

[destrekor]

That's what I thought. Rather take Fleets and be done with it.

Well, that's not possible anymore (using Phospho soda).

The current safety status of any colonoscopy preparation seems to always been in flux, and rightly so: forcing absolutely everything out isn't exactly something anyone should do routinely, because the methods to due so can cause a host of problems.

Sodium phosphate solutions seem to basically be off the market in the US due to FDA warnings, and I wouldn't be surprised if PEG solutions are banned in the long-run. Current science seems to be iffy in regards to PEG... the FDA is concerned about it, if I recall, in relation to the development of neuropsychiatric issues.
Sodium phosphate solutions, on the other hand, have been implicated in renal damage and related complications.

 

[Number1]

I had a colonoscopy done many years ago. Nothing was found. The procedure was quite painfull at times but the sedation helped a lot.
I have been getting a lot of pain in my lower belly for years now. Maybe it's time for another colonoscopy.
I mentioned this to my doctor and he told me to loose 10 pounds.

I wonder, does belly fat cause pain?

 

[John Connor]

I had a colonoscopy done many years ago. Nothing was found. The procedure was quite painfull at times but the sedation helped a lot.
I have been getting a lot of pain in my lower belly for years now. Maybe it's time for another colonoscopy.
I mentioned this to my doctor and he told me to loose 10 pounds.

I wonder, does belly fat cause pain?

Ulcer? No, fat doesn't cause pain seek another opinion.

 

[Geekbabe]

I had a colonoscopy done many years ago. Nothing was found. The procedure was quite painfull at times but the sedation helped a lot.
I have been getting a lot of pain in my lower belly for years now. Maybe it's time for another colonoscopy.
I mentioned this to my doctor and he told me to loose 10 pounds.

I wonder, does belly fat cause pain?

I researched my sedation options & chose a hospital with an endoscopy suite that was highly recommended. I had Propofol. I went to sleep & woke up to a cup of juice. I was up, dressed and out the door in no time without being groggy or hungover. I felt zero pain and remember NOTHING about the actual procedure.

If you are in pain that needs to be addressed!

 

[Geekbabe]

To try and maintain electrolyte equilibrium, as PEG will draw a ton of water out.

Most of the prescribed colonoscopy prep solutions contain a massive dose of electrolytes.

I think some of them also help to pull out water and help expedite the process of flushing out the colon. I know excess magnesium, found in some workout supplements, causes many to make bowel movements. SuperPump, one such product, has been routinely called SuperDump. The only major difference between it and other popular preworkout supplements, is the high quantity of a few magnesium compounds.

Also, if you take a higher enough amount of MiraLax, it will do more than help. It will absolutely clean you out. It has the same active ingredient (PEG 3350) as the most common exam prep solutions that doctors tend to prescribe. Those solutions are basically MiraLax + electrolyte beverage, though the electrolyte solution is more complete of usually different than most sports drinks (more emphasis on magnesium and phosphorous than most sports drinks, iirc). The biggest determination for the effect is the quantity. The regular dose for MiraLax is not designed to prepare you for an exam, it's meant to ease daily passing. The prescription solutions with PEG3350 involve basically taking dose after dose after dose after dose of MiraLax throughout the day.

My Doctor told me that next time we might be able to do a split prep, it is a bit easier on the patient and he says can give him a clearer field of vision as the colon secretes mucus even when it is empty.

I took a 238 gram bottle of Mirlax mixed with 96 ounces of Gatorade over an 8 hour period. I also went without eating for over a day.

 

[destrekor]

My Doctor told me that next time we might be able to do a split prep, it is a bit easier on the patient and he says can give him a clearer field of vision as the colon secretes mucus even when it is empty.

I took a 238 gram bottle of Mirlax mixed with 96 ounces of Gatorade over an 8 hour period. I also went without eating for over a day.

What is this split prep?

 

[Zodiark1593]

I researched my sedation options & chose a hospital with an endoscopy suite that was highly recommended. I had Propofol. I went to sleep & woke up to a cup of juice. I was up, dressed and out the door in no time without being groggy or hungover. I felt zero pain and remember NOTHING about the actual procedure.

If you are in pain that needs to be addressed!

I'll go without sedation thank you very much. Just gotta man up and take it up the @$$, in a literal sense.

Speaking of which, my mom went in today to get the colonostomy removed due to early stage 3 colon cancer. Not a fate I'd wish on my most hated enemy. And yes, she can probably say she won the battle. She is also 42, a rather young age for the cancer to occur.

 

[preCRT]

I researched my sedation options & chose a hospital with an endoscopy suite that was highly recommended. I had Propofol. I went to sleep & woke up to a cup of juice. I was up, dressed and out the door in no time without being groggy or hungover. I felt zero pain and remember NOTHING about the actual procedure.

If you are in pain that needs to be addressed!

Where?

I had my last colonoscopy at Beth Israel Deaconess & was so woozy afterwards I had trouble walking. Had to hold onto someone all the way out to the garage, glad I wasn't driving home.

 

[crab]

I just had one done Wednesday because I've been having some pretty severe abdominal pain that I thought was due to opiate induced constipation. Nothing was there luckily (or unluckily?), a healthy colon and absolutely no blockages.

Very confusing...crazy abdominal pain is still here, I'm having this weird pressure in my head constantly that is turning to a headache (and its not sinuses or teeth), and frequent blood sugar crashes into the 40s and I'm not using insulin or anything, and don't have a gallbladder or appendix. I have to go tomorrow and have nearly every blood lab drawn under the sun. We'll see.

I was hoping the colonoscopy would produce some easy answers, but I'm still glad it was healthy of course.

Glad to hear yours was essentially healthy too, Geekbabe! I was sedated using Versed, Fentanyl, and then maintained with Propofol.

 

[Geekbabe]

Where?

I had my last colonoscopy at Beth Israel Deaconess & was so woozy afterwards I had trouble walking. Had to hold onto someone all the way out to the garage, glad I wasn't driving home.

Melrose-Wakefield, They are affiliated with Partners I think. I have received care there a few gems and they have been wonderful. I can't say enough good things about how kindly I have been treated throughout this entire experience.

 

[Geekbabe]

What is this split prep?

They have you drink the prep based on the time scheduled for your procedure. You drink bottles the night before and finish off just a few hours before your scope.

 

[Geekbabe]

I'll go without sedation thank you very much. Just gotta man up and take it up the @$$, in a literal sense.

Speaking of which, my mom went in today to get the colonostomy removed due to early stage 3 colon cancer. Not a fate I'd wish on my most hated enemy. And yes, she can probably say she won the battle. She is also 42, a rather young age for the cancer to occur.

Fortunately I don't need to "man up" The sedation I received made it possible for me to get this procedure. There was zero hangover, no grogginess whatsoever. I went in at 8am and was out before 11am.

I'm sorry to read about your mom's struggles!

 

[Muse]

The day before you go in you take out three glasses of water and in each glass you mix Fleets Phospho soda. You might have to take something else depending on your health, but that's what I took. It will clean you out damn good! You MUST be cleaned out THOROUGHLY!

It's imperative that you are cleaned thoroughly. One time, I did what I thought had to be a great job of clearing but the gastroenterologist who did the colonoscopy told me that I wasn't clean enough and would have to have it done again. Do the best job you can in getting all that stuff out of your GI tract before the procedure! It will not only ensure that you don't have to do it again but it will help ensure that they don't miss anything.

They have you drink the prep based on the time scheduled for your procedure. You drink bottles the night before and finish off just a few hours before your scope.

In my experience there is a variety of possible preps. I like to start at least a day earlier than they recommend in limiting the kinds of things I eat, i.e. I eat fiberless foods.

 

[Rudee]

Karma bit the ass of a former co-worker of mine earlier in the year. Back in 2009 he had made several insensitive jokes about Patrick Swayze when some tabloid photos showed an emaciated Swayze weeks before his death from pancreatic cancer. A year ago he took time off from work due to 'health reasons'. We later found out he too was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Holy fucking Karma!! Went from a healthy fit guy around 215lbs to about 150lbs in a matter of 6 months before he passed. He was in his 40's.

 

[Kneedragger]

So I've been having a lot of stomach issues lately which I'm going to the doctors tomorrow for. But what kind of stomach symptoms would lead to this test? Digestion issues or just regular stomach pains? I've been having a lot of digestion issues which leave me feeling full, bloated and getting heartburn 3-4 hours after a meal.

 

[alkemyst]

cool story bro

Real dick you are.

Good luck GeekBabe!

My mom beat cancer three times and now has something called Leiomyosarcoma...pretty much the worst cancer to get.

First round of chemo nearly killed her, she starts Round 2 tomorrow...the first round didn't do much against the cancer at all

Cancer sucks.