colonoscopy and DMSO

[eak]

I am having a colonoscopy done in a couple of weeks. I recently started recieving a weekly bladder cocktail which includes DMSO, heparin and a steroid. My GI doctor did not mention that I should stop my bladder treatments before the colonoscopy, but I didn't specificially ask about it. I read that it is important to avoid blood thinners for a week before a colonoscopy and for two weeks afterwards. Since heparin is a blood thinner, I wonder if I should be holding off on the bladder instillations for a while. I will be caling my uro about this new development, but if anyone has any comments about colonoscopies, I would like to hear them.

Thanks.

-Liz

[karhopp]

Hi, Eak. I had a colonscope done a couple of years ago and I was on Elmiron. I didn't stop taking it for the scope and I did fine. There wasn't any problem. Elmiron is also a blood thinner. But of course it would be best if you called either doctor to ask, just to be sure. Karla

[liz2]

I stopped the instill with Heparin in it and stopped Elmiron two weeks previously, because if a polyp has to be removed, you don't want the extra bleeding or a chance for the cautherized place to break open. The colon wall is paper thin.

A friend of mine had a polyp removed, kept taking aspirin, had the spot reopen, and ended up with major emergency colon repair surgery. It was awful and could have been prevented with some common sense measures.

[darlene]

Ask your gastro if he plans on doing a biopsy, that could cause some bleeding. You wouldn't want to be on blood thinners.

[eak]

The nurse who does my instills said the heparin doesn't have a systemic effect, so I can keep getting the treatments. Since one of you was told differently, I will press the issue a second time.

My GI doc will only take a biopsy if he sees something worth sampling. Right now we don't know if there's even anything wrong in there.

Thanks for the info.

-Liz