	Having a colonoscopy A colonoscopy test looks inside your bowel
	Your bowel is inside your body – it connects your tummy (stomach) to your bottom (anus)
	Your bowel takes away waste your body does not need – this is called poo
	The colonoscopy will take about 45 minutes
	The colonoscopy will show us if your bowel is healthy
	It can help find small lumps called polyps, and look for signs of bowel cancer
	A thin bendy tube with a small camera on the end is used to see the inside of your bowel
	We carefully put the tube into your bottom (anus) so we can see inside your bowel
	The colonoscopy helps us to see what may be giving you pain
	causing changes to your bowel movements (changes to your poo)
	making you lose weight
	or causing bleeding from your bottom
	During the colonoscopy you will be awake – we will give you medicine before we start to make you relaxed and to block out any pain
	Risks There are some risks with having a colonoscopy – all the risks are rare
	the tube may make a small hole in your bowel – we can usually repair this with an operation
	you may get bleeding from your bottom for up to 2 weeks afterwards – this usually stops by itself
	we cannot finish the test because there is still too much poo in there
	we may miss the problem
	you may get side effects from the medicine we give to make you sleepy
	If you are pregnant or think you might be pregnant, you should not have a colonoscopy
	Getting ready Your bowel needs to be as empty of poo as possible – this is so the doctor can see inside it
	To make sure your bowel is as empty of poo as possible, we will give you a medicine called Enhanced MoviPrep to take
	Tablets you are taking When you make your colonoscopy appointment, let us know if you are taking any tablets
	Before having the colonoscopy, you must ask your doctor if you should stop taking tablets such as water tablets blood thinners or Ibuprofen
	If you have diabetes, ask your Diabetes Nurse or doctor for advice about what to do about your regular medicines
	If you are taking iron tablets or multivitamins make sure you stop taking them 7 days before your colonoscopy
	If you take contraceptive tablets (the pill) you must use other types of protection during sex for 7 days after taking Enhanced MoviPrep
	3 days before your colonoscopy Do not eat high fibre foods like these
	wholemeal bread
	nuts and seeds
	muesli and porridge
	salads
	or red meat
	You can eat low fibre foods such as
	rice krispies and cornflakes
	white bread or toast
	white rice
	white pasta
	potatoes that have been peeled then boiled, mashed, baked or fried
	dairy foods such as milk, cheese, plain yoghurt and butter
	seedless jam and marmite
	ice cream and plain jelly
	The day before your colonoscopy
	Do not eat anything after 8am
	You can drink water
	black tea and coffee
	fruit squash
	sports energy drinks like Lucozade
	and clear soup (soup without bits)
	Do not drink fruit juice
	Do not put any milk in your tea or coffee
	At 2pm follow these instructions
	put 3 litres of warm water into a large jug – add the contents of all 6 Enhanced Moviprep packets into it
	stir it until the water looks clear - this can take up to 8 minutes
	pour 1 litre of the mixture into a different jug so you can drink it the next day – put it in the fridge
	drink 1 glass of the mixture every 30 minutes until you have drunk all 2 litres – there is no need to rush
	you must also drink 1 extra litre of water, squash, black tea or black coffee
	It’s a good idea to stay near a toilet because you will have runny poos soon after taking Enhanced Moviprep
	Your bottom may get sore – applying some Vaseline or Sudocrem can help
	Go to bed at your normal time
	Set your alarm to wake you up before 6am
	The day of your colonoscopy
	At 6am follow these instructions
	drink the 1 litre of Enhanced Moviprep water you put in the fridge
	you must also drink an extra half a litre (500ml) of water, squash, black tea or black coffee
	Do not eat anything
	It’s ok to drink clear fluids such as water, squash, black tea or black coffee
	You must stop drinking 2 hours before your colonoscopy – this is to make sure that your stomach is completely empty
	If you are also having an upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (OGD or gastroscopy) – you must stop drinking 4 hours before the procedure
	You may get some cramping pain in your stomach
	You or someone who lives with you should contact the Endoscopy Unit or on-duty Registrar if you are very dizzy
	you are having lots of headaches
	or you are confused Contact details are at the end of this page
	Arriving at the Endoscopy Unit
	A nurse will meet you they will take you to a changing room and ask you to put on a hospital gown
	and they will take your blood pressure
	The member of staff doing your colonoscopy will explain what will happen – they will ask you if you have any questions
	They will ask you to sign a form to give your consent – this means you agree to have the colonoscopy
	A nurse will take you to the room where the colonoscopy will happen
	We will ask you to lie on a trolley while we attach some equipment to you
	We will give you some oxygen
	We will ask you to lie on your left side
	We will give you medicine through a tiny needle in your hand to relax you and make you sleepy
	After colonoscopy
	You will stay in the recovery room for about 1 hour while staff check you are OK
	We will talk to you about your colonoscopy results and tell you what will happen next
	If you have had medicine to make you sleepy you must have someone to collect you from hospital – they must also stay with you for the whole of the next day
	At home you can eat and drink as usual
	It’s normal to feel a bit bloated or full for a few days
	It can take up to a week for your poos to get back to normal
	Contact us immediately if…
	your poo is black and sticky – like tar
	you have bleeding from your bottom
	or you have bad stomach pain
	Contact details
	Endoscopy service manager libby.fuller@nhs.net Admin team leader gabrielle.browne@nhs.net
	The endoscopy unit is open 9am to 5pm
	Monday to Friday
	Outside of these hours you should contact the main switchboard on 084 51 55 50 00 020 34 56 78 90 ask for extension 67022
	Endoscopy Unit
	University College Hospital Endoscopy Administrative Hub GI Services, Ground Floor West 250 Euston Road NW1 2PG
	Endoscopy Booking Team
	You can contact the endoscopy booking team 9am to 5pm
	Monday to Friday
	Direct line 020 34 56 70 22 Switchboard 084 51 55 50 00 020 34 56 78 90 ask for extension 67022
	Or email them at uclh.endoscopy@nhs.net
	Endoscopy Recovery
	9am to 5pm
	Monday to Saturday
	Direct line 020 34 47 32 82 Switchboard 084 51 55 50 00 020 34 56 78 90 ask for extension 73282
	On-call Endoscopy Registrar
	For out of hours emergencies only Switchboard 084 51 55 50 00 020 34 56 78 90
	University College Hospital Endoscopy Unit 2nd Floor Podium 235 Euston Road, NW1 2BU