Re: Endoscopy while chelating?

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi,

>

> I'm scheduled to have my first (routine) endoscopy exam about

> a week after I begin chelation in mid-april. The perils of

> turning 50....

>

> Is this a bad idea? Should I postpone it? Wondering because it

> requires the bowel purge and not eating, for preparation.

> Any advice?

>

> thanks,

> NJ

>

I haven't had an endoscopy but have had several colonoscopy exams and

I believe the prep/purge is the same. The prep always leaves me wiped

and the various meds/happy juices that go with the exam have a

noticeable systemic impact as well. It usually takes me a day or two

to get back to what is normal for me.

ly, I would recommend you postpone the start of chelation by a

week or so. If this is a baseline exam then it is better to get it

over with, and then not be due for the next one for a few years.

Then you can begin chelation without any interruption. Whereas if you

postpone the endoscopy, you will eventually need to do it and probably

before you are finished with chelation.

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi,

>

> I'm scheduled to have my first (routine) endoscopy exam about a week

after I

> begin chelation in mid-april. The perils of turning 50....

>

> Is this a bad idea? Should I postpone it? Wondering because it

requires the

> bowel purge and not eating, for preparation. Any advice?

>

What does the procedure involve (how far are they looking with the

scope, will you be sedated, and so on)? Why are you having the exam?

Is it routine only or are there some symptoms that are of concern?

If I was you I would talk it over with the GP and the surgeon about

relative risks, and then you basically have to decide if what you

learn from the procedure is worth the risks. If you do go for the

procedure why not put off chelation until after?

I just went through a flexible sigmoidoscopy (that's just the colon,

no sedation). I decided that the benefits would outweigh the risk

because of two reasons - I was having bleeding that wouldn't let up,

and I am at higher risk of colon cancer because I am gluten intolerant.

I was concerned about the purge and not eating because of my adrenal

problems - blood sugar and electrolyte regulation. It turned out that

I was able to manage that part fairly easily by drinking diluted

ginger ale, warm unflavored gelatin, lemon juice and honey (spaced at

regular intervals). There is a prep called GoLytely that I used and

it does seem gentler than the other preps.

I decided to stop chelation for the procedure because I tend to forget

pills when I get too busy. Good thing I did.

I ended up getting an infection. The incidence of complications such

as this are probably quite low, but when it happens it's tough.

Fortunately my GP treated me with antibiotics and I'm ok so far.

The good news is that I don't have any signs at all of colon cancer.

And now I have 2 more doctors - a surgeon and a gastroenterologist.

The not so good news is that I still haven't recovered and I think it

will take some time. I'm taking huge amounts of probiotics because I

had to have a powerful antibiotic. I've even started culturing my own

yogurt (I'm tolerating that form of dairy) and switched to the

specific carbohydrate diet to try to get 'things' back to normal. The

procedure was over 2 weeks ago and I'm still weak and fatigued.

Hope you have better luck than me!!!!!

J

> thanks,

> NJ

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

> I just went through a flexible sigmoidoscopy (that's just the colon,

> no sedation).

Flexible sigmoidoscopy (FOS) looks at the most distal third of the colon.

Colonoscopy looks at the entire colon. I wouldn't feel reassured about not

having colon cancer unless they had looked at my entire colon. My husband

passed his FOS with flying colors, and then seven years later his

colonoscopy showed a large diverticula near the small intestine junction.

A FOS wouldn't have detected that.

> I ended up getting an infection. The incidence of complications such

> as this are probably quite low, but when it happens it's tough.

I have read that the equipment used can't be totally disinfected and you can

pick up infections from other patients that the equipment has been used on.

I don't know about the FOS procedure, but patients having colonscopies are

routinely given antibiotic during the procedure. Might be why you don't

here more about infections from the procedure, but I suspect they keep the

infection rate hushed up.

I hope you can find total recovery.

Lynn

[Guest guest]

>

> Hi,

>

> I'm scheduled to have my first (routine) endoscopy exam about a week

after I

> begin chelation in mid-april. The perils of turning 50....

I agree it's worth getting it over with. I'd postpone chelation

for a week or two.

> Is this a bad idea? Should I postpone it? Wondering because it

requires the

> bowel purge and not eating, for preparation. Any advice?

An endoscopy alone doesn't usually require a bowel purge, just

overnight fasting. If you are having a colonoscopy at the same

time, then you would have to do a bowel purge.

If you have to do a purge, I think the Fleet's Phopha-Soda prep

is the easiest. You only have to drink a cup or two of nasty

tasting stuff and the rest is just water. Some of the other

preps require drinking a LOT of nasty tasting stuff, or so I

am told.

--

> thanks,

> NJ

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

nancy,

just for the medical facts, one should have this exam starting at 40 yrs

of age.

tedd

Ps I am do for my upper and lower now.

And for the lower, I dont know yet if these pills contain any metals.

tedd

s wrote:

> Hi,

>

> I'm scheduled to have my first (routine) endoscopy exam about a week

> after I

> begin chelation in mid-april. The perils of turning 50....

>

> Is this a bad idea? Should I postpone it? Wondering because it

> requires the

> bowel purge and not eating, for preparation. Any advice?

>

> thanks,

> NJ

>

>