How often to get a colonoscopy? Some say every five years and some say every ten years.

Ask you doctor. If you are over 45 or have family with a history of problems, definitely ask.

Yep depends

Doc said mine was so pretty and clean not to come back for 10 years

My doc just said every 10 years. Probably depends on what they find.

Getting one tomorrow morning. The night of 1000 waterfalls has begun in earnest.


As to your question, it depends on what they find. If there is something of concern, usually 5. If it looks good usually 10.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwbtqZj_ciU


Charlie

Thanks Blaine County, I will . Colon cancer is nothing to mess with. I have heard that the prepping is the worst part.

I never want to drink more than an ounce of Lemonade after the last one

The prep is the worst part! Set the tv up in the bathroom

Every 3 years for me...it's a great sleep.

I had one earlier this month. Last one was five years ago. They took off two polyps then and this time they took off 7 polyps. So now I have to have it done every three years.

They told me to come back in ten years. i dont think i will. if I get colon cancer in my 70's it will just kill me. the cure from what I seen is no picnic. Think instead I will just make the most of my time

Prep is easier now, had one a couple months ago, no more drinking the liquid, just a few pills and water, repeat the next morning...the end result is the same though, you'll lose stuff you ate in 1989.....

Just so you know, coffee is not considered allowed liquids before the test..... so I was told, lol

I had my first colonoscopy last Friday. My gastroentologist removed 2 polyps, so I have to go back in 3 years for another one. It takes about 2 weeks to find out if the polyps are cancerous. If I didn't have polyps, I would have had to have my next colonoscopy in 5 years.

Drinking the full 4 liters of lemon flavored, glucose crud was the worst part. I sat on the toilet for about 2 1/2 hours straight.

Keith

Prep was worse part and not really bad.
But I.only ate broth the day before prep, so was fairly empty to start.

I was one of the few that wake up VIOLENT.
Started trashing the place when I came to.

Nurse ran to.get my wife from.waiting room, trying to calm me down.

Once, I realized where I was and what was going on, I settled down.

Nurse asked my wife if I had PTSD.
She said, "No, but he's always been an @- hole", lol.

If they're truly going to hire 87,000 IRS Agents, you'll be getting one every year from now on.

I have had them about every 5 years since I was 55. When you hit 80 you can decline to have one, as they figure by then if you want to not know more that is your choice. I have a couple bowel related issues that I may want scanned. The prep is not fun but don't plan on doing any real activity after either. Mine set me back and make me weak. They recommend having someone drive you in so you don't need to drive home by yourself.
The first one I had I was going to mow lawn etc. etc after and I wound up laying in bed for 3-4 hours. I do feel they hit each of us differently however.

Bryce

They told me I was the perfect a-hole, not sure if it was a compliment.

I have one scheduled for the 13th, and an endioscope, hope they do that first, lol

A doc told me that it takes a polyp 10 years from when it first appears (can be seen) for it to become cancerous. Even if he didn't find any polyps, his philosophy was to do a colonoscopy every five years because if he had missed something, it would still be caught in time at the next exam. That made perfect sense to me.

If they do find and remove polyps they generally want a re-exam at 3 yrs.

Colon cancer is the most preventable form of cancer. The prep is not fun but it doesn't hurt and the procedure is nothing. You are inconvenienced for 2 days every 3 or 5 years to make sure colon cancer doesn't kill you or maybe put you on a bag for the rest of your life, or both.

Keep in mind, those of you inclined to not get colonoscopys, it's not just you that suffers if you get colon cancer. All your loved ones have to watch your agonizing death. My wife's family got to watch her mother with pain that morphine wouldn't touch for months before she passed. Now, if I got a clean exam at 88, I might be inclined to pass on another exam expecting something else to kill me in the next 10 years.

Same on every three years. The sleep is awesome indeed. I had some crazy great dreams and didn't want to wake up, but am glad I did.

Get the smaller sized (but more powerful I guess) clean out drink. It wasn't too bad.