Colonoscopy screening is essential for detecting colon cancer or an abnormality in the colon (the large intestine). Screening guidelines recommend that you have a colonoscopy at fifty years of age but can be earlier if you have a risk factor for colon cancer such as blood in the stool or a first degree relative (parent, sibling, or child) who was diagnosed with colon cancer before the age of sixty years. A colonoscopy is an outpatient procedure where you lie on your side on a table and an elongated tube is inserted in your rectum after you are given light sedation.
At times a sigmoidoscopy may be performed instead of a colonoscopy however it is not recommended because it does not extend as far up the large intestine as a colonoscopy does, therefore missing tumors or polyps that may be further up in the intestine. The colonoscope is an instrument which has the remarkable ability for the physician to directly visualize the inside of the colon to look for tumors or polyps and cut them off if needed. In order to get a good look at the walls of the colon, each patient must complete a thorough bowel preparation to help clean out the colon.
Colonoscopy Bowel Preparation and Diet
The bowel preparations can vary depending on what your physician recommends. It typically consists of a combination of the following:
1) Stop taking iron medication seven days prior to the colonoscopy. Iron can change the color of the inside of your intestine. You may also be asked to stop taking anti-inflammatory medications as well as aspirin, Coumadin, and Pepto Bismal several days prior to the procedure.
2) Clear liquid diet the day before the procedure with no liquids that have red flavoring. The red dye can adhere to the walls of the digestive tract and may be hard to differentiate from blood.
3) Nothing to eat or drink the evening prior to the procedure. Food can take several hours to travel through the digestive system. This food holiday allows for the bowel preparation to clean out already existing fecal material without introducing new food to process.
4) Fleet’s Phospho-soda– typically two 1 1/2 oz bottles have to be purchased and taken first at 6 pm then the 2nd two hours later. This comes in clear or lemon flavor whichever is easiest for you to swallow. A bowel movement typically follows within 30 minutes of taking the liquid. Be sure to stay close to your bathroom after taking the medication. You will need it!
5) Dulcolax Laxative Tablets – these tablets are typically taken for constipation but are often included in a colonoscopy preparation to ensure complete elimination of fecal material.
As with a lot of procedures, the preparation for a colonoscopy is almost always worse then the actual procedure. Plus – you will feel great after having one performed, armed with the knowledge that your colon has been inspected. You may also have a polyp detected at an early stage before it progresses to cancer.
Like any preparation for a screening or diagnostic procedure, consult with your physician and follow any instructions that are given to you. Be sure to review all of your medications that you are taking with your physician, even the non-prescription ones to see if there are any medications that should be stopped. Also check natural colon cleansing treatment as an alternative solution.
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