The little-discussed risks and side effects of colonoscopy screening and why, in some cases, people would do best to avoid them. If you must have one, how to minimize the dangers as much as possible and a safe alternative to consider as a logical middle ground.
March is National Colon Cancer Awareness Month each year. At that time, the usual health experts trot out on TV and print media to urge us all to get a colonoscopy. The inherent risks of this reviled procedure especially for those over age 50 are usually conveniently glossed over in favor of an aggressive push about the benefits.
That “kick in the butt” might initially sound like a good idea. However, according to the Annals of Internal Medicine, the rate of serious complications from colonoscopy screening is ten times higher than any other commonly used cancer-screening test.
According to Konstantin Monastyrky, author of Fiber Menace:
The odds of being killed or injured by the side effects of colonoscopy may exceed your odds of getting colorectal cancer in the first place.
He further points out that the procedure is far from infallible. It often fails to catch colorectal cancer in the first place. In addition, it can cause, contribute to or accelerate the growth of colorectal and other cancers.
Let’s go into each of these colonoscopy risks in detail.
Dysbiosis
Intestinal flora is disrupted by a colonoscopy because the procedure requires a thorough washing out of the large intestine with large doses of synthetic laxatives. This is followed by bowel irrigation with polyethylene glycol and hypertonic electrolytes.
These substances kill bacteria, both good and bad just like antibiotics. The gut dysbiosis that inevitably follows contributes to irregularity, constipation, colitis, IBS, Crohn’s, and other diseases known to increase colon cancer risk. Dysbiosis also contributes to a wide range of other autoimmune health problems.
Worsening of Stool Patterns
Those already affected by hemorrhoids, chronic constipation, IBS, or diverticulosis may find these conditions become worse after colonoscopy.
Complications
Serious complications, such as colon perforation, occur in five out of every one thousand colonoscopies.
The risks of delayed bleeding, infection, and ulceration are even higher. Unfortunately, reporting of these complications in connection with colonoscopy is rare.
Increased Risks of Stroke, Heart Attack, and Pulmonary Embolisms
Dangerous blood clotting is a side effect of anesthesia, particularly among patients with diabetes or heart disease.
Infections
Procedures performed under anesthesia are associated with an increased risk of serious infections. This includes pneumonia or pyelonephritis.
False Sense of Security
Doctors miss from 15-27 percent of polyps, including six percent of large tumors. The New England Journal of Medicine even reported that some doctors blast through the colonoscopy so fast they miss cancer in full bloom!
Indeed, the desire for speed is why most colonoscopies today are done under anesthesia. Might there be a profit motive? Some doctors do 60 colonoscopies per day at an average cost of $1,500 to $2000 each. You do the math.
Colonoscopy Alternative
Many people do not realize that you can order an at-home colorectal screening kit to avoid most colonoscopies. They are inexpensive, safe, and convenient. Blood, polyps, and other abnormalities are quickly detected by using a simple stool sample. Results are available fast with lab accurate results.
If you have a positive result from one of these home tests, then go get a colonoscopy. But, in most cases, you will get a negative result, saving you the discomfort and risks of the actual colorectal screening.
Ways to Manage Colonoscopy Risks
Here are a few suggestions about how to increase the level of safety and accuracy in the screening for colon cancer.
- Those with a family history of colon cancer or otherwise at high risk probably should do a colonoscopy. But it is best to request to have it done without general anesthesia. That’s where the majority of the risks are. Some doctors offer inhalation sedation as a safer alternative. Doctors who prefer knocking the patient out use this approach so they can ‘jam’ through the colon much faster. Billing for anesthesiology increases revenues for the hospital too.
- Doing radiography first is pointless. The reason? If they find some polyps, you will still need to have a colonoscopy. Besides, you don’t want all that huge exposure to ionizing radiation.
- If you do decide to go through with a colonoscopy, at least prepare with clear broth you make yourself. Commercial brands at the store are not nutritious and contain unhealthy additives and MSG. Exposure to these chemicals can potentially make digestive issues worse and recovery more difficult.
- After the colonoscopy, follow this protocol to rebuild gut flora. It is the same process recommended by experts after a round of antibiotics.
There are risks with many, many things in life. There are risks with pregnancy and many things associated with it. Are you never going to have kids because of them? Everyone is different and should decide for themselves. Seems like this is the only type of screening available today for this type of cancer. Hopefully one day there will be a less risky option available.
Universe was obviously looking out for me. I was scheduled but then the insurance decided not to cover it and I wasn’t about to spend hard earned money on something I didn’t think I needed in the first place. Again it was my doctor pushing because I had turned 50!!!
I admire you for posting the other sides of medicine. It takes a bold woman. Medicine has it’s place but it is certainly not all that it is cracked up to be at times.
You and the no vax people are going to have a lot of lost lives on your hands.
Same thing happened to me! I had far more problems after than I did before I had the what I thought was a painful procedure. They never did find anything. It took over two years to get better again. In hindsight I really don’t know if I would ever do this again myself. However, I would may be advise getting the scope just not the biopsy unless it was absolutely necessary.
My mother chose not to get it done so they didn’t find her cancer til it had eaten through the colon wall and spread to fat and lymph nodes now dealing with mets to the brain. She really regrets her decision to not get that colonoscopy.
I bet you wouldn’t have had her for as long if she woulda had the damn colonoscopy. My mother died from one but they dont tell you that. She also had colon cancer after they had her open from the sepsis. But I woulda been able to have more time with her without the damn colonoscopy taking her out of nowhere.
My heart goes out to you both…Susan and Kristina…I lost my Mom early this year due to complications of colon cancer…well actually as a result of the colon cancer treatment/chemo. She was 76…never had a colonoscopy…the cancer was not discovered until it was way too late…stage 4…through intestinal wall…into lymph nodes and liver, probably bones too according to one doctor. Now that I am 52, every doctor visit I have no matter what it’s for…has my primary pushing (seriously PUSHING to the point that I am haunted by follow up phone calls almost daily to see if I’ve scheduled) a colonoscopy yet. I explained my discomfort about the whole issue after just so recently losing my mother to this disease…she was the only one ever in my family to have it. Still…he keeps pushing…actually said to me well we don’t want your story to be the same so let’s get you scheduled. I feel almost harassed now…so much so that I am switching drs to one that will maybe listen to me and understand…approach this all a bit more gently with me instead of making me feel like a #. I watched the medical world do that with my Mom for years…and they still never caught that she had this cancer. Makes me distrustful.
This article is horrible! Completely inaccurate and paints a horrible depiction of an otherwise very important screening! I work at a
Surgery center and to think of patients getting a colonoscopy without sedation is barbaric. Sixty patients a day??? Who is this doctor with superhuman strength and speed to be able to do this? I have seen many cancerous polyps removed or detected in time to have life saving surgery because of this procedure, or even to avoid surgery because a routine colonoscopy discovered something the patient otherwise would not have known about. Your bad advice/post could lead to someone not finding out that they have cancer.
The ONLY way to diagnose colon cancer before it becomes virtually untreatable is with a colonoscopy. Eschewing all modern medicine is as foolish as those who seek out modern medicine to cure all ailments. Embrace the good that medicine can do. This blog post is terrible advice.
I know a lady who suffered a perforation. Infection set in, she had multiple surgeries trying to fix the problem and ended up dying from it in the end. A very slow painfilled death. I realize these situations are not the norm, but I also saw the pain and suffering in her face and the faces of her family. Cant say it was any better than dying of cancer.
I had one a few months ago but after reading this i will again bc cancer runs in my family an i need early detection!