I know there’s a question thread, but I don’t really want to wait.
Due to a couple health concerns, I think it would be wise to get my insides checked with a camera up the bum. A colonoscopy?
Does anyone have a place they have visited and would recommend?
Would it be better to visit my reg doctor and get a recommendation?
I’m in the tokyo area.
Edit: Wow, thank you all very much for your stories and recommendations. I will check all your clinics out. And I’ll probably get knocked out just to be safe.
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I had this done but not in Tokyo. Would you like to hear about my experience? I bet you would!
After you book an appointment, they tell you not to eat for a certain amount of hours before coming in (skip breakfast etc), and then the fun begins. They give you a liquid that will hollow you out and then they’ll give you a poop color diagram. You can only go into see the doctor when your poop wipe game is the color of the indicator. So you’ll see a lot of people in the hallway drinking lots of water and walking in circles. Because of this, people aren’t going into their appointments on time and your appointment may take longer than expected. I advise you to go during a weekday at the least popular time if possible.
Once you’re inside, at least in my case, there was a big television and they shove a probe camera in you and take a few photos. Luckily, in my case, I was beautiful. I wouldn’t say it hurts but it’s definitely not comfortable.
Good luck, it’s a riot!
Explain your problem to your regular doctor. They will give you a letter to take to the hospital and point you at a hospital.
You will go to the hospital and they will make an appointment for you and give you some “preparation” for the unpleasantness. They will also offer you the option of being anesthetized during the procedure – with the cavate that if they anesthetize you you’ll need to stay overnight rather than checking out as soon as they’re sure you’re not going to have whatever they keep you for a few hours for (probably just passing all the unpleasant air that’s been used to straighten out the folds in your intestines so they can get a better look at them – yes I might have had this done a time or 2 but then again my little brother died a few years ago in his 40’s of misdiagnosed colorectal cancer so yeah).
Follow the prep routine. It is… unpleasant… do not plan on being far from a toilet for the 24h prior to the procedure… You’ll be shitting water before you know it… I wish I was kidding…
Anyway – I chose not to be anesthetized but then again it wasn’t an option the other places I’ve had the procedure done. The only real painful parts for me were them making the turn to look at the appendix side and the samples they snipped to check for pre-polyp – none of which were anything other than normal colon tissue…
I can’t say I recommend the procedure, having a camera shoved up your nether regions just isn’t my kink, BUT I can most certainly recommend against any of the myriad of problems this can detect while they’re still treatable so yeah – go get it done.
Yeah get the recommendation as it really doesn’t matter where you will get it done cuz you will still end up having a camera shoved up your ass. And they will make you watch it too despite having the nicest morphine buzz, so lame!
I’ve had 7 in Japan.. actually you usually drink the laxative the morning of the test at home..,and you have to eat a special diet the day before.. the prep is the worst part… I have mine in Kobe so I can’t help you with but go to your regular doctor or a clinic first and the doctor can either recommend a place to go. or do it at their clinic …. you can choose to be awake or asleep during the procedure… I’m always awake as I want to see it..
Last time I had a camera up my Khyber was at the [Onaka Clinic](https://g.co/kgs/jAtbM2) just a couple of minutes from JR or Keio Hachioji. They are very professional specialists and by default offer knockout drops in a drip. Wait times is about a week, IIRC. They also offer a low-fibre ready meal plan for the day before, which was bland and expensive, but I felt made the pipe cleaning a little smoother. IIRC it was about 9,000 yen for the exam and another 3,000 or so for the various preparation medicine.
Btw, no doctor’s note or anything required, just walk in.
I haven’t done the camera up the bum but I did the camera down the throat at https://www.gutclinic.jp/ and they gave me full sedation.
It’s at Takanawadai station close to Shinagawa and I recommend.
I had it through the mouth, they sedated me, I don’t remember a thing 😆
The St. Luke’s Medilocus clinic in Otemachi does them on-site with full English support.
I have had this procedure done twice in my life. I guarantee you, the thought of having it done is 1million times worse than the procedure itself. In fact, the worst part is the prep at the hospital.
Both times involved the same prep. For me, I was given special meals to eat the day before. Very small amounts so you will very hungry, but you can take it for a day. The night before I took laxative that gets to work slowly, so it will start working the next morning when you wake.
Then I got to the hospital. They sat me down very close to some toilets and I had to work my way through 1-2 liters of a sports drink like liquid. But they told me I had to drink it slowly over about 2 hours. No downing it! It took about 30-40 minutes for the flood gates to open. You are ready to go once things come out clear if you know what I mean.
Then they gave me special shorts with an open back door and brought me in to the examination room. Entry was a little painful but not so bad once it’s in. I was able to watch the whole thing on the TV next to my bed. Quite interesting tbh. Whole thing was over with in 15 minutes. The doctor may take samples or remove polyps if necessary.
That’s my experience. As for hospitals, I’m not in the Tokyo area so I can’t help!
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I have zero medical experience. I am only relaying my experience of the colonoscopy.
Any general hospital should be able to do it.
St. Lukes International. Always had propofol (fantastic anesthesia) back in the US so I was a bit anxious about not getting sedated here but it was painless, mildly uncomfortable (although weird feeling the tube work its way around).
Got mine as an extra of my 人間ドック for 3000 yens.
They didn’t ask me to eat a special diet the days before but I had to take laxatives and drink until my poop was yellowish.
On the day of the test, a nurse did a few rounds of 浣腸 with lukewarm water (which actually felt very pleasant) until the water was limpid.
Then I had to wear a boxer pants with a hole behind to go to the torture room. The doctor asked me to lay on the side and spread my butt cheeks to give her easy access. She inserted a syringe containing glycerine to lubricate the inside before inserting the camera.
Overall I barely felt any pain but it was probably because I spent the entire thinking if it was better to have a woman or a man perform the deeds, weighting the merits and demerits of both. I felt occasional pain when the camera was reaching a sharp turn but nothing as painful as people make it out to be.
did mine at kichijoji medical clinic under NHI so the bill was around 10-15k
officially they dont support english but the doctor spoke english just fine
thoughts
-the glico low fiber medical food packs was terrible
-swallowing 50 large laxative pills in the course of 4 hours while shitting liquid was also equally bad
-procedure was straightforward and didnt feel a thing due to total IV anesthesia (perceived time 5 min, actual procedure 1.5hr)
Ganbare !!!
I had it done. They gave me the anaesthetic but it barely worked. Felt like I’d drunk one beer. Then in we go! Chatted to the doctor throughout.
My cousin died of colon cancer in her late 50s. My grandmother, mother and partner all had small cancerous polyps taken out before it spread. Theirs were discovered when they were between 40-55 years old. Due to all of that, I have had regular colonoscopies every five years to be cautious.
You just drink the stuff they give you which tastes kind of like salty Aquarius and it naturally makes you empty out your intestines. I find it much better when they give it to me ahead of time and I do it in the morning at home before going to the clinic. No need to have any anesthetic. They just stick the camera up your butt. The only uncomfortable part is when they blow air inside to straighten out the colon. It feels like you have gas and bloating. 100 times better than a Gastroscopy which makes me gag every time
If you have a regular doctor (and they’re decent), get the recommendation from them. Depending on what their specialty is, they may do it themselves. I have a GP who also specializes in digestive tract treatment, for example.
ThinkPark Shokaki(gastroenterologic)Clinics
03-5745-3088
https://goo.gl/maps/Y2BN9vgFbJ7jVFWU8
They speak English, are good at what they do. Colonoscopy and endoscopy
If you’re in Tokyo I recommend Shiba International Anus Clinic. As the name suggests, they specialize in everything related to big colon, rectums and Anus.
They are fluent in English and easy to get appointments with.
I can really recommend the clinic at Ojima station in Koto-ku. You get sedated for the process and everyone is very kind.
I used to get the day before meal kit from the drug store for the day before….stopped the last few
it sucked….salmon porridge for breakfast….a cookie and drink for lunch…and corn soup for dinner (which I despise and won`t eat) try to skip the meal pack
I’ve had two done. Prep wasn’t so bad in my opinion but I can’t drink pocari sweat anymore. The taste gives me flashbacks.
Both times I was awake. I’m surprised by the comments because it was the absolute worst pain of my life. Also shoved a finger up there with zero warning, again extremely painful for me. It was cool watching the monitor as the doctor told me how beautiful my colon was (no issues just GERD). Next time I’m demanding to be put OUT
Damn the put me out for mine. Woke up with wet anus. That about it. Oh and the thing you have to drink gets to you after 10 mins – it’s the only part of the whole ordeal that was uncomfortable r/nocontext
I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy while asleep at a clinic in Sapporo. With national insurance if was something like 20,000 yen (but private insurance paid for it).
Gastroenterologist Office and see reviews. Get this done soon. I lost a friend this week due to what we believe is colon cancer. No one even knew he was sick. He was driving along waving and then he was gone.