Colonoscopy risks from anesthetics

[PhilD]

My wife ( age 72) whose had Alzheimer for 5 years now had her stool tested to look at her microbiome. In the stool they found traces of blood. Her GP has recommended that she has a colonoscopy. I am worried about the effect of the anesthetics on her brain. For the last month I have given my wife lots of prebiotics , probiotics including psyllium husk. My objective is to have her tested again . My question is should she have a colonoscopy should the second test shows blood again. Any feedback will be appreciated. My wife is an E3/E4

Regards

[floramaria]

My wife ( age 72) whose had Alzheimer for 5 years now had her stool tested to look at her microbiome. In the stool they found traces of blood. Her GP has recommended that she has a colonoscopy. I am worried about the effect of the anesthetics on her brain. For the last month I have given my wife lots of prebiotics , probiotics including psyllium husk. My objective is to have her tested again . My question is should she have a colonoscopy should the second test shows blood again. Any feedback will be appreciated. My wife is an E3/E4
Regards

Hi PhilD, I am not a doctor and not in a position to offer advise on medical question, bit I did do some research into anesthesia for colonoscopy. One thing to take into consideration as you weigh your options is that for a colonoscopy, general anesthesia is not used. Here is a quote from a colonoscopy website “.... colonoscopy typically use a drug called propofol. “It is a short-acting anesthetic that has the advantage of wearing off relatively quickly,” Dr. Rock explains. Propofol works quickly; most patients are unconscious within five minutes. "When the procedure is over and we stop the intravenous drip, it generally takes only 10 to 15 minutes before he or she is fairly wide awake again.”
Dr. Bredesen says in his most recent book (pg. 287) that there are many reports of cognitive decline being associated with general anesthesia and surgery, especially when time under anesthesia is prolonged. One of his recommendations for reducing impact on cognition is to ask for a shorter-acting anesthetic agent. What your wife would be given for colonoscopy would fit into that category.

[NF52]

My wife ( age 72) whose had Alzheimer for 5 years now had her stool tested to look at her microbiome. In the stool they found traces of blood. Her GP has recommended that she has a colonoscopy. I am worried about the effect of the anesthetics on her brain. For the last month I have given my wife lots of prebiotics , probiotics including psyllium husk. My objective is to have her tested again . My question is should she have a colonoscopy should the second test shows blood again. Any feedback will be appreciated. My wife is an E3/E4
Regards

Hi Phil,
I'm one of those lucky people with a strong family history (on both sides!) of colo-rectal cancer, which means I have had several colonoscopies, each of which removed small polyps at the pre-cancerous stage and one follow-up outpatient surgery to remove a bigger, also pre-cancerous polyp. So here's my advice as someone just a few years younger than your wife and not as a medical professional:

Get the colonoscopy, the sooner the better. My husband had one in January, and it was probably the safest place to be in our city! He had a negative COVID test beforehand, was the only person on the unit floor during his procedure, the staff was incredible and we went home with happy news.
As for me, I have never had a problem "waking up" from the light sleep they put me in (and I do want to be asleep!) within minutes and have had no confusion or lingering symptoms as an ApoE 4/4. The sedation is not general anesthesia, it's more of a forgetfulness drug in my view.
They may find something very benign, like a bleeding hemhorrhoid, that would be making your wife anemic if left alone and can be cauterized while she's under.
I will have my next colonoscopy happily next January--because I don't want to experience a cancer that I hope can be avoided.

Best of luck--she's a lucky wife to have such a devoted husband!

[PhilD]

Thank you both for your very valuable feedback
Regards
Philippe

[Tincup]

I’ve been awake for mine and watched the scope going through me on the screen. A general wasn’t required.

[Jafa]

Same here Tincup. In my country we get a sedative of midazolam/Fentanyl. You kind of doze through it but become aware of discomfit briefly when the scope goes around a bend! I remember the gastroenterologist announcing “there it is” on finding the haemorrhoid as the source of bleeding. I once had a gastroscope without anything! Asked whether I wanted a sedative, I declined because I planned on returning to work ... am I insane Anyway no pain or discomfort, just a little apprehension at the thought of an earthquake occurring and being pinned down by the machine.

[slacker]

Asked whether I wanted a sedative, I declined because I planned on returning to work ... am I insane

Yes, but you are not alone!
My husband had his first colonoscopy (11 years ago) without sedation/anesthesia, because he had things he wanted to do in the afternoon. Last year for 2nd screening colonoscopy, different city/different MD, anesthesiologist was fine not to use anesthesia, but GI refused to do without.

[Tincup]

I declined because I planned on returning to work ... am I insane

When I had a tooth pulled and implant inserted in Oct, I did it without epinephrine (makes anesthesia less effective and shorter acting). Dentist was concerned. I said, no worries, I'll just curl my toes if it gets intense. Then the implant had to come out in Dec as the bone wasn't solid enough, so I did that and the cleanup inside the hole with no anaesthesia. Make recovery much faster! Dentist thinks I'm pretty funny.

[Jafa]

Haha, other insane, I mean conscientious folk worldwide.

[Fc1345linville]

https://pubs.asahq.org/anesthesiology/a ... ein-E4-and

Any of us with an APOE4 allele should read the article in this link, which essentially says we should stay away from inhalation anesthesia.

FC