downtube42

Yikes, I just realized I have a colonoscopy scheduled Friday, when I have a 400 km brevet planned for Saturday

Essentially I can't eat anything after breakfast Thursday, until after the procedure Friday morning. That gives me Friday afternoon/evening to fuel up for a 4:00 AM start Saturday. That's a challenge.

The procedure is preventative; my first colonoscopy so I don't really know what to expect as far as recovery.

What say you guys, ride or no ride?

Dudelsack 

If you receive straight propofol as the anesthetic you should be fine. There's minimal hangover effect from it. After the colonoscopy, when you're up to it, you'll need to take in lots of liquids and nutrition for the next day. Most people don't have much trouble with that.

This is for information only and does not constitute specific medical advice. Always consult your personal physician.

Shimagnolo

Here is what I did: I was already making my own maltodextrin/fructose mix so I had bulk maltodextrin on hand. In reading over the instructions they provided, and going online, it became obvious the issue for not eating is the presence of solids and colored liquids that would obstruct their optics. Well, maltodextrin mixed in water is a colorless, flavorless liquid, and it is difficult to distinguish from plain water. So I worked out how much I needed over 24 hrs to get 2000 calories, and consumed that.

My colonoscopy was performed with no issues, and I did not need to suffer starvation for a day.

bikegeek57

shim.... now why doesn't the med community give that as an alternative? hell you could just do maltodextrin for a couple days and no one would be the wiser. brilliant! next time...

Garfield Cat

It is a common procedure during the colonoscopy to give the patient an I.V. solution with dextrose and water with electrolytes. Check with your gastroenterology physician or just call them and the nurse will tell you what you're getting.

No need to over think this.

vic303

The 400k is not worth the potential risk top your health. Especially of they removepolyps. Yes I have had 2 scopings, and had pre-C polyps removed.

Barrettscv 

Medical advice on the internet is dubious.

jackb

I had a colonoscoy done in December and had moderate to severe abdominal cramps for five days after plus some bleeding the day after because of polyp removal. My MD said I had a prticularly "tortuous" colon. lots of twists and turn, so he really had to work hard to get the apparatus through. My wife had a colonoscopy two years ago and we were hiking into the Grand Canyon two days later with no difficulty. There is no way to tell what the aftereffects might be till the doc gets in there.

JanMM

I enjoyed a ten mile ride six hours after my colonoscopy a year and half ago. Not real good at metric/mile conversions but that is a good bit less than 400km.

If they do anything other than just look around, there could be increased bleeding risk with intense activity.

Guessing that the gastroenterologist would give you conservative advice concerning your planned physical activity in the 24-48 hour period post-scoping.

david58

My story: Spent the night in the hospital after a polyp removal actually made a very small perforation in my intestine. Not fun. So I am gun shy - I would wait a day or two before doing anything too crazy (like riding a Brevet) just to be sure. Most likely, you'd have no problem the day after. Most likely.

gregf83 

You shouldn't have any problem staying fueled. You just have to do it with clear liquids: apple juice, gatoade, jello etc. I consumed 2,400 liquid calories the day before and felt fine the day of and day after my colonscopy.

SuperDave

I will not give medical advice on the Internet. Not only am I not a doctor; I've never even stayed at a Holiday Inn Express.

I only stopped here to say that, if you still do the brevet, nobody in their right mind will ever have the right to tell you to "harden up" again.

Phil85207

The bottom line is, see how you feel, the overwhelming chances are that you will be good to go. Good luck. If you can't postpone the procedure (you could call in sick) then you will just have to take your chances.

DaHaMac

Pardon the intrusion of a 40+ into this sub-forum. I wouldn't dare to tell you what to do but I can tell you what happened to my step-father.

My step-father, a super strong 60+ year old, had a colonoscopy on the advice of his sister who was worried about him for no other reason than she had the procedure. The doctor performing the colonoscopy nicked my step-father's intestine which allow for a septic infection. Complications from the infection lead to my step-father's passing within a week of the procedure.

The only symptoms my step-father had were weakness and a fever following the procedure. Personally, I wouldn't want to do anything that would cover any symptoms following any type of medical procedure.

As a randonneur wannabe myself, I can sympathize with the difficulty in setting up a 400km. I'd see if the medical procedure could be postponed unless there were strong indicators pointing to the fact that the procedure was time critical. Besides, I can't imagine a saddle being comfortable for any length of time afterwards but I haven't had the procedure done myself so I'll not speculate any further.

Best wishes and please let us know if you do the 400km that you are doing fine afterwards.

lblanch60

Well, I had a colonoscopy done on Friday morning and was suppose to do a 54 mile group ride Saturday morning. I felt pretty good, but not good enough to go on that ride. I was afraid I would run out of energy half way through and as the day went by, I did start to not feel up to par. In retrospect, was glad I didn't go and was very disappointed I felt the way I did. Everyone is different, so see how you feel and decide at that point.

vtc12ip

Reschedule the colonoscopy.

lblanch60

That is what I should have done!!

stapfam

I reckon that if you are mad enough to do a 400k Brevett- Then a little thing like a colonoscopy will not be noticed

Reschedule seems the best suggestion as Chances of a 400k do not come up every week.

az_cyclist

100k a day or 2 after the colonoscopy is not bad. 300 or 400k, might be too much. There could still be sensitivity from the prep and procedure.

bigbadwullf

Shoot, you can drink all the Gatorade you want...as long as it isn't red. I'd say it depends on what they do while they are in there......and who know what that is . It's all a bunch of crap...

Kazzy

I am also not a doctor. I had my first routine colonscopy last month at the age of 51. The GI doc found a large (benign, yay!) polyp which he was not able to remove entirely. I was advised not to exercise for a few days afterwards. I think whether you'll be able to do the brevet the next day depends largely on what the dr. finds when s/he gets in there and whether they have to remove any polyps and you won't know until it's over whether you'll be able to ride. Personally, after my experience, I'd put off the brevet rather than the colonoscopy. A routine colonoscopy (and the surgery two weeks later to completely remove the polyp they found) saved me from colon cancer. They got to it just before it turned to cancer.

DGlenday

I wouldn't.

Fasting (and yes, you must) will sap you - and even though it's a very light anasthetic, I can't imagine that you'll be unaffected...

az_cyclist

I agree. It will take more than the rest of the day to recover fully from that. Personally I would want at least a week after a colonoscopy before I would ride a 200, 300, or 400k brevet.

gregf83 

No need to fast unless you want to feel like crap (no pun intended). Just don't eat anything solid or colorful.

MinnBobber

I had a colonoscopy last month and did a heavy cardio workout the next day, expecting I'd be fine. I work out every day. The workout felt like my legs were moving in jello.
The prep---time without food, time with only clear liquids, and time with nothing had drained my tank more than I realized.

Just my experience.