Colonoscopy 3 yrs after

[Lilja]

Hi all,
It’s been a long time since I was here on the board.

I’m doing great, it has been more than two years since my last WD, but I have to stick to my diet quite «religiously». That is, 80% proteins and 20% carbs, a lot of whole fats, himalayan salt, bone broth and raw, organic egg yolks, unpasteurized fermented milk products, old cheese and so forth. Supplements in the form of Epsom-salt baths and zinc-enriched water. These are the only supplements I take.

In September 2014 I had a colonoscopy, where they found no signs of collagenous colitis, only three polyps, of which one was an adenoma with only minor "cell changes".

Given the preparations ahead and a quite invasive colonoscopy, I don’t feel like taking this next one in September 2017. I’m afraid of the pains, and the risk that the preparations/or the colonscopy may result in a flare. But, at the same time I’m worried that if I don’t take it and I get worse in the future, I will regret it and feel stupid and ungrateful.

I still have a few months to ponder, but I would appreciate any thoughts from you.

Lilja

[tex]

Hello Lilja,

It's good to see an update from you and it's good that you are doing so well. Regarding your question, here are my thoughts.

Polyps are a serious risk. When you have them once, you will probably have them again. But there is evidence that Vitamin D is capable of preventing polyps. If you have been taking plenty of vitamin D at all times since your last cololoscopy, there is a good chance that you may not have grown any new polyps. So this is a good opportunity to verify whether vitamin D works to prevent polops.

But you are right, there's a genuine risk that a caustic cleanout solution could cause enough inflammation to trigger a flare. Putting things into perspective, MC is a walk in the park when compared with colon cancer. You are a cancer risk because of the previous polyps, so you really need to do some kind of test.

In this country, the FDA has approved a stool DNA test called Cologard. It can be used by a patient to collect a stool sample, which is then sent to the lab. The lab looks for DNA changes that are consistent with cancer. The lab is also able to look for polyps, and blood. It's not necessary to take a laxative or use an enema before taking the stool sample. Of course, if the test result should turn out to be positive, your doctors would probably want to perform a regular colonoscopy to look for cancer or remove any polyps.

Surely the colonoscopy is being done to look for cancer or polyps. There wouldn't be any point in doing a colonoscopy to look for CC/LC/MC, because as long as you have been in remission, your markers for them should surely be negative. And even if your gut isn't completely healed, any markers of CC/LC/MC remaining would be irrelevant, as long as you are in clinical remission. Even if the test is not officially approved in Norway, your doctor might be sympathetic to your concerns and allow the test to be used by special permission.

Tex

[Gabes-Apg]

Lilja
great to hear that you are doing so well.

in Australia it is recommended that those with IBD have colonscopy every 5 years. I was due in 2016.

As I was not having any major symptoms, and my nutrient levels with Vit D3 and magnesium were pretty good I decided that I would not have the colonscopy as I could not see any benefit to subject my body to the anesthetic and preparation etc.

Agree with Tex's suggestion there are none evasive ways to check for colon cancer via poop sampling, or maybe even pill camera to check on the polyps etc.

hope this helps

[Lilja]

Thank you so much Tex and Gabes,

I will ask my GP if we have stool DNA test in my country. I have never heard of it, but may be it exists here.

I would not have taken colonoscopy in September at all, hadn't it been for the one adenoma they found in 2014 , but as it said in the report "minor cell changes".

I have been taking Green Pasture Blue Ice Fermented Cod Liver Oil and GP High Vitamin Butter Oil since January this year.

Thank you again.

Lilja

[brandy]

Cologuard is the american brand name of the testing.

It is being heavily advertised on tv in Florida. I just saw this commercial.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEmIE1c9O64