Sigmoidoscopy prep & Fleet Enema

I saw my GI specialist last week and although I feel like I am in remission, she thinks there may still be a bit of inflammation due to the remaining symptoms I have (mainly, mushy poop.  I never have fully formed firm stool like I did pre-UC.  Plus I get UCish symptoms occasionally during my period which I thought was common but she frowned when she heard about that).

Yes she is right. Usually there is no diet restrictions with a sig. She is just going to take a quick looksie in the rectum and little into the sigmoid so the enemas are just to clear out whatever stool is in there. You will have plenty enough time with the enemas. You administer the enemas and within about 5 mintues, you go and expel it. Your body will tell you to anyway. The second enema might be a bit more uncomfortable if you are a bit tender in there.

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Oh it works that fast! Okay, great, thanks for that.

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ack, 42, Vancouver BC

Yeah, they work fairly quickly. They're not like the enemas you read on here. The ones you read about on here are meant to be retained. But there is something in the Fleet enemas that urges you to go. It may take longer then 5 minutes, that was a rough estimate. Usually for me, I had the urge to expel within the 5-10 minute range. I am very grateful that I don't have to do those anymore! I had one every year until I hit the 10 year mark. Now I just go in every two for my c-scopes - but no more sigs! Yay! :)

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So sigs are worse than c-scopes??

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ack, 42, Vancouver BC

"So sigs are worse than c-scopes??"

Yes and no. The prep is A LOT easier but the procedure itself is a bit uncomfortable.

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Okay, thanks.

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ack, 42, Vancouver BC

I just had one a few months ago. The prep isn't anywhere near as bad as with the c-scope since they can only need to see the lower colon. I was not sedated during the procedure although some people get sedated. It was extremely uncomfortable for me as it feels like you need to push the scope out and it creates this awkward feeling. There was a nurse talking to me the whole time calming me and the doctor was able to go up pretty high until I couldn't take it anymore. The procedure only took a few minutes and its definitely doable with the instructions they give you if you need it done.

If you are going to be sedated you can't drink any water before the procedure. They didn't tell me that which is why I wasn't sedated.

Thanks for the info. She already told me she wasn't going to sedate me. I guess I will find out how bad it is soon enough!

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ack, 42, Vancouver BC

Please share your experience after the sig. I'm due for my first one and want to know what it's like. Best of luck, hopefully everything looks great!

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32 yr old female
Mild Pancolitis
UC since 2000 - in remission for most of those 8 years med free.
Cannot tolerate mesalamine. Currently take probiotics and fish oil. Trying Applied Kinesiology & supplements.

It's not that bad.. I had one a few months ago and yes, the fleet enemas are what I used also... I could only hold them in for about 3 to 5 minutes TOPS.. then you spend a few minutes expelling it all, but once your done, you are done... The second one may be a bit more uncomfortable due to all the activity.. but still.. doable.

The procedure itself is a bit more uncomfortable since you aren't being sedated, the hardest and most embarassing part was when they fill you up with air.... My Dr said to me.. "Feel free to fart if you need too"... I was NOT going to do that while he was right down there with the scope and we were all laughing...., So I held it in and the gas pains I had on the way home almost KILLED me... SO, if you feel like you need to fart...I suggest you FART....... LOLOLOL..

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Diagnosed with U/C  (Proctitis) January 31st, 2005, IBS on July 21st, 2006 

LOL Susie! Yes by all means fart when you have to!

The last sig I did, he put some air in but I didn't feel the need to fart at all so by the time I got home I was miserable! Absolute agony. But in all the years I've done sigs, that one the ONLY time I was in that much pain afterwards. So don't let that scare you. It's really not that bad. Just a bit "undignified"! lol

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The prodedure is only more uncomfortable than the c-scope because normally you are not sedated for a flex-sig. Perhaps you can get thenm to give you some sedation? But I think in the normal GI offices where they typically do flex-sigs, they are not equipped for sedation. Regarding prep for flex-sigs, from prior experience I know that the fleet enema inflames my rectum and can start me flaring somewhat so I refuse them and insist on simply doing gentle warm water enemas... they work just as well, you just have to do a few more rather than the one to two fleets they want.

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Pancolitis >20 years, allergic to all 5ASAs

Lots of good input here! I've decided the first time around, I'll do the fleet enemas.... I don't know they'll irritate me until I try it. Same with the sig. I'll try it without the sedation. It's being done at the hospital, same place I had the c-scope, so they could give it to me if necessary. But, I don't know if it's necessary until I do it. Might as well give it a try! I figure if I can do without the extra junk going into my body, then why not. If it's really awful, then I'll have a firmer leg to stand on next time when I insist on sedation.

As for farting during the procedure....! Whoa, I'm glad you told me that. I would have been trying desperately to hold it in. After the c-scope, the urge to fart did not come until during recovery and the nurses kept urging me to fart. The only person embarrassed when it came was my husband, LOL!

AMK77, I'll come back and report on how it was. It's scheduled for Aug 12.

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ack, 42, Vancouver BC

I ended up having the sig today, as they called me on Friday to say it was moved up (originally it was to have been tomorrow. Not a big deal, but had to move a bunch of things around, so it was annoying. Oh well).

I did it without sedation and it went pretty much as everyone said. The most uncomfortable part was at the beginning when she kept going up and up and I thought it was going to come up through my throat! It was getting very uncomfortable, but that part didn't last long at all and when she pulled back I couldn't even feel it anymore and I had to look at the monitor to confirm it was still in there at all.

I didn't watch at all when I had my c-scope, so I don't know what it looks like when the colon is inflamed (which mine was at that time). This time things looked ok to me. The gross part is when the tissue samples are taken. If anyone is squeamish, don't watch that part! I cringed each time she snipped, and you see the poor colon start bleeding at that spot right away. But in reality I couldn't feel it happening. They found one polyp which she snipped away.

At the end of it all she confirmed my impression that everything was good. I don't have to see her for another year unless I start experiencing symptoms.

An advantage to not having the sedation - which I didn't really need - was there was a lot less pre and post procedure care. So not only was the procedure itself quicker, the whole process went a lot faster.

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ack, 43, Vancouver BC

Huh. I had to do the same exact prep for my sigmoidoscopy as for the colonoscopy. No fair

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26 year old female
Diagnosed with unspecified UC 11/08 by flex. sig. as I was pregnant at the time and did not want to be put under for a colonoscopy
Breastfeeding my baby boy (born 4/8/09)
Back up to 30mg Prednisone UGH, Prenatal vitamin, and Ferrous Sulfate twice a day
Was on Asacol (2400mg or 3600mg a day) for 6 months with no success
3 infusions of Remicade with no success, so next step is consultation with a surgeon 8/31
8/09 colonoscopy shows that the whole colon is affected

Awesome news! Yay for you! :)

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Well I can't say the enemas were exactly a treat, but I guess it's preferable to the godawful citro-mag.

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ack, 43, Vancouver BC

Thanks!

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ack, 43, Vancouver BC

I will never use the fleet saline crap again. Doing this study I am in, I get sig scopes WAY too often. I have another one coming up on Monday and I told the GI doc there was no way I was ever using those again. Lets take saline and pour it over ulcers and see how that feels........ I think last one I poured out half of the enema and added water. Sig scopes are pretty easy once you learn to just relax.

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Proctitis DX 1999, Pancolitis DX 2008
Golimumab study (100mg every 4 weeks)
L-Glutamine 5000 mg + 600 mg pyridoxal alpha-ketoglutarate
Probiotis/VitD3 5000IU+Ca/1000mg DHA

Ugh, yes I can't imagine that would feel good at all if you are flaring. So what do you do for your prep instead?

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ack, 43, Vancouver BC