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.
My Grandma went for a routine colonoscopy and was given a clean bill of health and told to come back for her next one in 3 years. Eight months later (after her first one) she was dx’d w/ stage 4 colon cancer. She died less than a year later. When she was sick, I was doing a lot of research for her and came across many stories online of people developing colon cancer shortly after a clean colonoscopy and it always left me wondering.
And on the flip side, I know someone who went for a routine colonoscopy, was dx’d right then w/ stage 4 colon cancer, underwent aggressive treatments and 5 years later is still cancer free!
I haven’t decided if I’ll ever sign up for one or not but I’m hoping for some more research to be out before I need to make that decision!
That’s exactly what academic researches are saying – according to the research published back in 2006, the screened patients in all of the studies developed colorectal cancer “at the same rate as would be expected in the general population without screening” in the next few years, even though they have removed all found polyps.
According to the American Cancer Society, up untill now (that‘s in 2009) “…there are no prospective randomized controlled trials of screening colonoscopy for the reduction in incidence of or mortality from colorectal cancer.” In other words, the recommendation to undergo colonoscopy screening is based entirely on its income potential, not proven health benefits.
The National Cancer Institute is even more explicit: “…it is not yet known [in 2008] for certain whether colonoscopy can help reduce the number of deaths from colorectal cancer.” and “Whether virtual colonoscopy can reduce the number of deaths from colorectal cancer is not yet known.”
I had one when the Dr. was searching for the problem I was having. They didn’t find the problem from that test but I did have a ply up which they removed. My problem was a hernia all that time that I found. I couldn’t keep food down as it was causing a blockage. What gets me as they didn’t inform me of these dangers or tell me how to get my system back in order.
Herbdoc.com has great resources for treating any kind of bowel issues so that the need for a colonoscopy is unnecessary.
Best friend almost lost his step dad to a botched colonoscopy. Horrible bacterial infection.
Thank-you for the share, very good info.
I just had a colonoscopy about two months ago. I wish I had read this before then. I never had heartburn until I had the colonoscopy. For almost this whole time I had severe heartburn and it got so bad they had to put me on omeprazole to force my body to cut back on stomach acid. I think I can come off this now because heartburn hasn’t bothered me for about a week. Yes they put me to sleep so they could ram it through. Because of good clean living, I had no other problems. I promise it will be my last one.
I have two friends that have had this procedure and it has saved their life as advanced cancer was detected. I have another friend that had one without anesthesia and said it was very much painful and they would never do it without again.
The purpose of “screening” colonscopies in healthy people isn’t to diagnose “advanced cancer,” but to prevent one by removing polyps,
When you present yourself to a doctor with bloody stool, and he/she prescribes a diagnostic colonoscopy to confirm the presence of the tumor, you are saved by overall treatment (surgery, chemo, or both), not by colonoscopy.
OK So what do we do???
Joy,
I suggest that you read Colorectal Cancer Prevention Guide for further guidance. Here is the link: http://goo.gl/ykQkR
Colonoscopies are not done under general anesthesia but light sedation from which the patient quickly awakens. Replenishing with probiotics afterwards is wise. My sister’s cancer was caught in early stages so I will not so quickly “throw the baby out with the bath water”.
Betty, general anesthesia and light sedation are technically the same, except with “light sedation” patients are getting a much smaller dose of the anesthetic of choice. That is why when colonoscopies are done in the hospital setting, a nurse anestithiologist or anestithiologist M.D. are always present.
that is totally false. yes a nurse anestesist must administer any sedation. but sedation and general anesthesia are nothing the same. in GA most pt’s have to have an airway placed to support breathing. In sedation, a pt wakes themselves. there is no reversal or need to airway support.
Now one, possibly two people have cancelled their procedure because of this article- not cool.
Perhaps you prefer to be blind… I like making informed decisions! We need more articles like this.
I had a sigmoidoscopy just for screening long ago, and was lied to by the doctor about the nature of the exam, which I found extremely painful and distressing.
Bottom line now is that I don’t trust medical professionals whatsoever. I do my own research.
I am fortunate that I have zero family history of colon cancer, and none of usual associate risk factors as I eat little meat, am active and not overweight.
There is always some risk of cancer, but the risks of the procedure itself are definitely quite serious at times. The idea of having sedation or anesthesia with my family history of Alzheimers, plus I have had concussions in the past, definitely make the risks of sedation very real in my particular case. After my experience of that barbaric sigmoidoscopy, the idea of a colonoscopy ranks with waterboarding thrills.
But I can see that the risk for gastroenterologists is that the lack of my availability for this barbaric test may mean the risk of having to settle for a lower level model of Mercedes. The median income of gastroenterologists in 2014 was about $400,000.