Virtual Colonoscopy - MRI/PillCam to avoid radiation?

Bounce

I only got through my radiation treatments and stayed sane with the help of great ladies on this site - like MsPharoah.

This week I had to have a colonoscopy (due to family history of both BC and colon cancer).

I awoke from sedation during the procedure in extreme pain - was given more sedation and stayed awake crying out in pain until the doctor finally gave up.

Since then I have had pain in my side. If it gets worse I will go to my family doctor.

This is my question:

The doctor recommends (insists) doing a Virtual Colonoscopy. This is done using CT and I do not want to be exposed to more radiation.

Has anyone done a Virtual Colonoscopy using either MRI or a Pill Cam?

I would love to know if these are possibilities?

Thanks

Hopeful82014

It's my understanding that the pill cam is not yet considered a substitute for either colonoscopy or virtual colonoscopy. A bowel prep is still necessary for either one, by the way.

Talk to your doctor about doing a regular colonoscopy with better anesthesia, such as Propofol. He/she may have to make a case to your insurer to get that covered but it is very, very effective, much more so that the older combination of drugs that you probably had. I know some GIs who won't do colonoscopies anymore with out propofol.

Bounce

Hi Hopeful

The prep is not the problem. Neither is Insurance at this stage.

I don't wish to be heavily sedated and have the doctor poke a hole in my colon!

I still have minor pain (a week later!) and have yet to hear back from the doctor.

Has anyone ever done an MRI of the colon/large intestine? Is there such a test?

Hopeful82014

I don't think an MRI would be an option. You might press your GI regarding the Pill Cam - perhaps it's closer to approval for that use than I'm aware. There can also be issues with the Pill Cam, although they are rare.

I hope you can figure out a solution that works for you. It might be helpful to talk with your MD and insist that s/he hear you out on your concerns and figure out what would provide the most information with the least risk. Good luck.

coraleliz

I had the pill cam or capsule endoscopy probably 7 years ago. It required special authorization. They couldn't figure out why I was anemic & thought maybe bleeding in the small intestine. I think it might have been my mostly vegetarian diet. I had a colonoscopy & and EGD first and they were both normal. Swallowing the camera wasn't that hard for me. Wearing the big clunky vest associated with it was a pain. The nurse who set me up joked that I should stay away from airports or banks while I was wearing it. For me they were only interested in my small intestine because I had just had a successful colonoscopy. So the prep wasn't as severe as the colonoscopy prep. Not really sure how well the pill cam works on the large intestine.

Hopeful82014

Coraleliz - I had the same experience just a few years ago and for the same reason.

For me, it was much more annoying than either the EGD or the colonoscopy, as I had to watch my motions while wearing it, had to eat lightly at certain times, etc. PLUS the person who had worn it before me had left heavy traces of a REALLY strong perfume on the fabric sling belt of the unit and I had to put up with that for 8 hours. It was a very long day! In the end, all the information was negative.

Frankly, I can't imagine how annoying it would be to have to do a view of the lg. intestine that way. I know they're testing it but I don't think people realize what a hassle it could be.

TwoHobbies

Bounce, my son has Crohn's so we've done it all, but I can't comment on which would be best for detecting cancer. Are you at a large hospital or university hospital? They do have MREs to look at the digestive track. Pill Cams seem to be mostly used for looking at the intestines, but that could be because there are other methods to look at the colon, and if there's any chance of an obstruction, they don't want to use a pill cam. If you truly are concerned about a CT scan-level radiation, ask your doctor if you could do an MRE or do you need to go somewhere else to get an MRE.