sideofsalt Posted November 17, 2014 Report Share Posted November 17, 2014 Hello everyone,After much research in this forums and others, I just have to put it out there - do you have any tips on surviving a colonoscopy (and endoscopy) from a POTS perspective? I go in Wednesday morning for both. My doctor has given me the standard prep instructions for the kit I will use (TryLyte I believe). I have put it off long enough, mostly due to my uncertainty with POTS combined with the prep, anesthesia and recovery.I had a colonoscopy 5 years before POTS hit me and it was so easy. Now, having POTS, I see what a challenge for my body this will be - the rapid elimination of solids while being on a liquid diet, and then being knocked out. I'm armed with broth, Gatorade, juice, and a small amount of Jello (I had a reaction to the MSG that occurs in gelatin a few weeks ago so I'm treading lightly with gelatin). I'm concerned about being super fatigued the morning of. What helped you get through the prep phase?I have not had problems with anesthesia in the past, and this will be my first time with anesthesia since my POTS dx. I was told I could discuss my POTS and anesthesia options when I get there that morning. I know that choosing anesthesia is left to me and my circumstances, but what would help a POTS patient be better informed on sedation options?Lastly, I plan on eating as soon as I possibly can after the procedure (of course!). My cardiologist's office recommended I be careful with walking after the procedure due to orthostatic intolerance. What helped you recover from this procedure?Thanks for any input you can provide! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katybug Posted November 17, 2014 Report Share Posted November 17, 2014 I know lots of people have issues with anesthesia but I don't and my colonoscopy was easy. My GI doc told me he wanted me to drink 2 - 32 oz. bottles of Gatorade and at least another 32 oz. of water the day of the prep (before I had to start the prep). He wanted to make sure I was well hydrated before the prep took too much water or electrolytes out of me. He also started and stopped my IV the day of the procedure a little longer than usual for extra hydration. I will say that I actually feel better after anesthesia because it calms my nervous system. I may be one of the lucky ones but I say this because it will do more harm than good to worry about having a bad time with the anesthesia. Don't assume the worst and hope it all goes well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Always hoping Posted November 18, 2014 Report Share Posted November 18, 2014 Hello Sideofsalt. I have my first one since diagnosis scheduled for next month and had the same concerns. Since my GI doctor has never heard of POTS, I have already requested the extra IV bag. They can re-hydrate me quicker than I can drink!I'm not scheduled until noon for the procedure, so I also asked about what I could do that day for sodium. While you should definitely confirm with your doctor, I was told that I could sip on broth throughout the morning. I'm guessing I am going to need it after the prep the night before.Katybug's comment about the sedation is a great point! The twilight drugs they give for this procedure could very well calm the nerves.Good luck and take care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sideofsalt Posted November 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2014 Thanks Katybug, I am feeling pretty good so far and I'm optimistic about tomorrow. Good luck to you Always hoping - I hope your procedure goes well. I go into mine in the morning; they said nothing (not even water) for 3 hours leading up to the procedure! I'll be getting up extra early to get my last broth in, for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christy_D Posted November 18, 2014 Report Share Posted November 18, 2014 My son had his done in Cleveland and they knew to hook him up to an IV first to get fluids running in him so he was fully hydrated. Second, they told us because of the POTS they would monitor his vitals closely. At one point his heart rate dropped down to the 20's, so they stopped until he rebounded. Other than that, he felt okay afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sideofsalt Posted November 22, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 22, 2014 So it has been 3 days since the procedure. The prep actually went well and was uneventful (hooray!), and I felt very confident going into the procedure. An IV was started right away and I was able to discuss POTS with the nurses (and brought some printouts from the DINET website about anesthesia - I think this was a good move). The anesthetist and I discussed how we could be conservative with the anesthesia. Into the procedure, my HR and BP dropped and atropine was used to correct it. However, I had an overreaction to the atropine and my BPMs rose to at least 120 and BP went up to 140s/110s. I woke up into this with some discomfort - my chest pounding and my head ached with the pressure. Later at home, the chest pain and headache would return, waxing and waning. My cardiologist thought I should be seen by the ER to rule out any heart event due to the chest pain and tightness that remained. EKG, chest X-ray came back normal and the ER doctor determined it was more of a skeletal inflammation. I started to feel much better yesterday afternoon. Today, interestingly, I feel my POTS returning. I did not notice it that much since the procedure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
momandmore Posted November 23, 2014 Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 I'm glad the procedure is over and you're starting to feel a little better. If you are able to tolerate probiotics with your allergies, this might be a good time to take some since the clean out can wash away good gut bacteria. I have a history of C-Diff followed by an extended POTS flare with GI dysmotility, so I always recommend doing what one can to get and keep our bowels in shape after situations that upset the balance. It took me a few weeks to get back to my normal after a dental surgery with GA. In the night after the surgery, I woke up with a racing heart that didn't stop after two hours and had to call the oral surgeon and my cardiologist in the middle of the night. But other than that, the immediate recovery was relatively easy. A couple days out, though, I got very POTSy and I think dehydration contributed. A nurse friend told me surgery itself is dehydrating and I didn't compensate for that. I really don't know it that's true but hydration helped. I was still woozy and limited by regular activities for awhile, so I think it's not a bad idea to take it easy if you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sideofsalt Posted November 23, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 Thanks momandmore. I will be restarting my probiotics today. I too think that dehydration (now that I've been off the IV since the procedure) is playing a major role in how I feel now. To be honest, I'm not quite as thirsty as I was prior to the procedure but I'm increasing my salt a bit while I try to maintain my normal water volume. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corina Posted November 23, 2014 Report Share Posted November 23, 2014 Sending good thoughts for a speedy recovery sideofsalt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sideofsalt Posted November 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted November 24, 2014 thank you Corina! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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