What about swallowing a pill camera? Could these be a slightly less invasive way to screen your colon? The technology for pill cameras along with AI should keep improving.
Are colonoscopies worth it?
221–230 of 296 posts
Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?
#222It’s time to share something personal again. When I was 20, I vividly remember being in the bathroom at my workplace when a large amount of blood started coming out. I did what any smart, effective 20yo would do: ignored it because I was embarrassed. Fast forward 10 years, and I’d been ignoring it for a decade. It had continued to happen every few months. Sometimes the blood was so bad I’d have to wait up to 20 minut…
I've had two colonoscopies done in the last 10 years. The second was possibly unnecessary, but I pushed for it because I just really enjoy propofol. Maybe if more people knew that the sedative drugs used in the procedure are fun, they'd be more inclined to have it done. Edit: downvotes? Really!? I'm 100% fucking serious! Work any angle to get people to test!
People really shouldn't get tested unless they meet several criteria. Obviously any bleeding from your rectum should get checked out, and if hemorrhoids are rules out, a colonoscopy is probably the next course of action. And around 45, you should have one since that's the most likely age for colo/rectal cancer occurring.
Family history can also affect this timeline. My kids are now stuck having colonoscopies five years earlier than the normal recommendation since I had rectal cancer at 40.
And while I've found colonoscopies to be uneventful, they can have side effects. A perforated colon can happen in the worst case, or bleeding and infection. These are considered rare though and colonoscopies are considered pretty safe overall. But this doesn't mean you should get one just because you like getting high...
Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?
#223What about swallowing a pill camera? Could these be a slightly less invasive way to screen your colon? The technology for pill cameras along with AI should keep improving.
One benefit of a "proper" colonoscopy is that the scope has a little wire that's used to remove polyps. Polyps have a high chance to progress to tumors, so nipping them in the bud is a good idea. Can't do that with a pill camera setup.
Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?
#224I had to fight with my doctors as a late 20-something to get one. Polyps, the Doctor who performed it told me he was proud of me for being persistent and made it clear that colon cancer is not an old man’s disease anymore.
I knew this because my brothers best friend died at 30 from it.
Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?
#225I do regular colonoscopies because of a condition. People are worried about the procedure, as I was my first times. Here are some things that I wish someone had told me: - Taking the meds for cleaning out your system the day before is far worse than the procedure itself. - Have a lollipop to stick in your mouth after Each time you take a shot of the laxatives. It helps with the vile taste of it. - If you need relaxin…
For future colonoscopies, ask if you can do the Gatorade + MiraLAX prep. You can pick your flavor (but there are color restrictions) and it is way better than the other prep fluids.
Just don't plan on drinking that flavor of Gatorade again. The association with miralax etc will ruin it for you forever.
Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?
#226>3. It’s irresponsible to call colonoscopies “invasive” (as CNN did) since that might make people think they are unpleasant and not do them. LOL. It hard to imagine anything much more invasive than having a metal tube (with light and camera) shoved up your arse. It is definitely unpleasant. I speak from personal experience. That said, it is less unpleasant than bowel cancer. So don't be put off if you really need to…
I've had one colonoscopy. I don't even remember the procedure itself. I got wheeled into the room, the doctor made a couple of jokes while the anesthesiologist put a tube in my arm, then I was out like a light. Then I woke up and it was over.
The prep, however, was pretty bad...
Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?
#227It’s time to share something personal again. When I was 20, I vividly remember being in the bathroom at my workplace when a large amount of blood started coming out. I did what any smart, effective 20yo would do: ignored it because I was embarrassed. Fast forward 10 years, and I’d been ignoring it for a decade. It had continued to happen every few months. Sometimes the blood was so bad I’d have to wait up to 20 minut…
Jesus Christ, next time start with the fact that you’re not one thoracic tumor . I’m a dude that had GERD but got both ends checked and they found polyps, so I randomly got incredibly lucky. I was 26, and had less of a fight because of history, but it’s way worth it. Also, ask about the Miralax option!
Same situation, but 10 years later for me. I’m now on a 3 year cycle due to the type of polyps.
Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?
#228Given people don’t read the full article, and that feels pretty important in this discussion, I will quote the way it ends: > One thing is clear: Screening works. If you’re of the appropriate age, please get screened. If your tubes are acting funny, please get screened without delay. The best method and the level of benefit are debatable, but we know it helps. Use a stool test if you want (multitarget DNA test if you…
> One thing is clear: Screening works. If you’re of the appropriate age, please get screened. If your tubes are acting funny, please get screened without delay. The best method and the level of benefit are debatable, but we know it helps. That's unfortunate, because it's a poor summary of the actual paper the article is discussing. If you bother to read the rest of the article, you'll see the actual summary of the tr…
I really wish the trial included stool testing. I suspect it would perform very favorably to the colonoscopy, which seems to have very modest benefits to begin with. And the stool test is infinitely easier (and cheaper on a healthcare system).
>The sensitivity of detection of carcinoma is a remarkably acceptable comparison. The multi-targeted stool DNA test is 92% sensitive for finding cancers, which is almost equal to colonoscopy, reportedly at 95%.
https://www.facs.org/for-medical-professionals/news-publicat...
The stool test isn’t as good at detecting polyps but the Nordic study would have shed some light on how much that reduces cancer mortality anyway. This study suggests stool testing compares very favorably to colonoscopy.
https://medicine.iu.edu/news/2019/02/new-study-shows-annual-...
Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?
#229Earlier quoted context omitted.
For future colonoscopies, ask if you can do the Gatorade + MiraLAX prep. You can pick your flavor (but there are color restrictions) and it is way better than the other prep fluids.
Just don't plan on drinking that flavor of Gatorade again. The association with miralax etc will ruin it for you forever.
I didn't end up with a negative association at all.
Re: Are colonoscopies worth it?
#230Earlier quoted context omitted.
If you're in the UK (you used "GP", so I'm guessing), then you absolutely can. Just go private. ( https://www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/nhs-services-and-... ). Don't bother with the NHS, it's a carwreck. See this, for example: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-67239548 Last month, after years of waiting, I got a letter again delaying my assessment for a growth on my neck, for the foreseeable future. It's a good…
> the lack of market incentives means that we don't train enough medics. I don't think so; the number of medics we train in the UK is mainly controlled by the medical colleges.
That makes my point doesn't it?