Doctor shares ‘bad news’ about what happens during colonoscopies
Get ready for a butt-load of ugly truth.
A doctor is pulling back the curtain on what really happens when you’re under sedation during a colonoscopy — and it may change how you schedule the rest of your day.
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“I am about to ruin your post-colonoscopy brunch plans,” Dr. Leybelis Padilla, a gastroenterologist, warned in a recent TikTok.
During the medical procedure, doctors insert a long, flexible tube with a tiny light and camera attached into the anus, guiding it through the rectum and up into the large intestine.
Photographs or video images of the insides of these organs appear on a nearby monitor, letting doctors scan for irregularities like swollen, irritated tissue, bleeding, ulcers or signs of cancer.
And then comes the part nobody talks about.
“Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but chances are, you’ll get poop on you during a colonoscopy,” Padilla said.
And yes, that’s even when you do the prep the right way.
In the days leading up to the procedure, patients are typically told to eat a low-fiber diet, then switch to clear liquids on the final day.
The afternoon before, you take a strong laxative pill or drink to purge your bowels — theoretically pooping everything out so doctors have a clear view of the colon lining.
But, as Padilla notes in the caption of her video, “the clean out is not as clean as you think.”
“So when you get home after your colonoscopy, run to go get showered, do not go get food,” she said.
Padilla clarified in the comments, saying patients “absolutely get wiped down with wipes and a towel.”
“The nurses do a wonderful job. It’s not perfect; spots might be missed that are not visible to the eye,” she wrote. “For a good clean; please shower then eat.”
Her warning comes as the trend of sharing meals after colonoscopies has taken off on social media, with many users posting themselves chowing down shortly after.
“Between anesthesia, body positioning and what actually happens during the procedure, your body deserves a reset before pancakes,” Padilla wrote in her caption.
Across the country, more than 15 million colonoscopies are performed every year.
People typically get their first as part of routine screening for colorectal cancer, which the American Cancer Society recommends starting at 45 for most people and repeating every 10 years.
It’s a crucial step because colorectal cancer often shows no symptoms until it reaches advanced stages.
The disease is rising fast among young people in the US, now the leading cause of cancer deaths in men under 50 and the second leading cause for women in the same age group.
During a colonoscopy, if a doctor finds any polyps — abnormal growths that can sometimes turn cancerous — they typically remove them and test them for cancer. That not only screens for the disease, but helps prevent possible cancer from developing or spreading.
But people also get colonoscopies for other purposes.
Often, it’s so doctors can investigate gastrointestinal issues like abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea, constipation or bleeding. In those cases, the procedure can help diagnose conditions like Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis and monitor their effects.
And while most people report feeling ravenously hungry after the procedure — having skipped meals for at least a day — Padilla urges people to think with their brains, not their stomachs.
“The real post colonoscopy order is: Wake up, go home, shower, then eat,” she said. “Take it from me, your gastroenterologist.”
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