I had the colonoscopy without anasthesia, it was over in 5 minutes with less pain than almost any visit to the dentist. The experience made me baffled at the insistence on total anasthesia, and the assumption the unanasthesized procedure is harrowing, that is often reported by people in private-insurance countries like the USA. So, I agree, if you need the procedure because of age or family history, just get it done.

I will say, the drink prescribed by my own GP tasted just fine, like any electrolyte sports drink in powdered form, so I think you were unlucky there!

Good piece, and ditto. Really the worst part for me was just not being able to eat for 24 hours before; the actual procedure was painless.

I turned 50 this month and after asking him to "please schedule me for a colonoscopy", my Primary Care Preventer is working hard to talk me out of it and into alternatives. Ones that I assume are cheaper for the Org and he gets to prolong the process by saying it's a loooooong time to schedule (which is why I reached out, duh?)

I intensely dislike American Healthcare. Every little damn thing is a fight.

Seconded.

Although everyone’s experience varies a little - for me, the prep is quite miserable, not because of the obvious, but because I feel very dehydrated/hung over for hours during it. Conversely, a friend who has relatively regular colonoscopies doesn’t share this at all.

And continue to get them as advised. I have had four and was told to return in three years. My wife and one of my sisters died of colon cancer. One of my sons just had his first colonoscopy at 32.