Many medical screening tests have become relatively routine for patients and doctors alike. Even the dreaded colonoscopy has become mundane, with the doctor handing you an instruction sheet and a list of medications to use for colon cleansing in preparation for the procedure. As with so many medical procedures, doctors are often way too narrowly focused in their view on one specific aspect of the procedure — in this case, it’s the cleansing. Truth be told, it’s important to understand that the experience of purging the intestinal tract is monumental to the whole body and must be carefully managed both before and after the procedure. My own head was spinning with dizziness two days after my recent colonoscopy, but Daily Health News contributing medical editor, Andrew L. Rubman, ND, assured me I wasn’t suffering from a sudden case of vertigo… just a sudden case of “medical myopia” or shortsightedness.
ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL
He told me that screening tests in general should be much more carefully shaped to match individual health characteristics and needs than they usually are. In a colonoscopy, a long, flexible tube is threaded through the large intestine to search for problems such as inflammation, polyps or colon cancer. In order for the evaluation to be accurate, the colon must be clean, so people are told to take assorted products for colon cleansing beforehand. There are several problems with this… first, this method of cleansing may not be universally necessary… and second, all patients are typically given the same cleansing cocktail of laxatives such as magnesium citrate plus enemas — regardless of age, size or health status.
Dr. Rubman points out that there are serious flaws with this one-size-fits-all approach. In my case, I follow a pristine diet and my colon didn’t need as much of a cleansing, so the multiple laxatives may well have been superfluous. Even if it wasn’t, I weigh less than 125 pounds, and still was given — as nearly everyone is — a standardized number of multiple laxative pills (I was handed four containing bisacodyl) plus a full bottle of magnesium citrate to drink. The concentration of magnesium citrate salt in this liquid triggers a tremendous loss of beneficial bacteria, electrolytes, fluids and salt through a bowel cleansing, says Dr. Rubman… but conventional practitioners do not monitor these losses, which are disruptive to the delicate balance of the intestinal environment. Dr. Rubman told me that this kind of massive cleansing can throw off your metabolism, electrolyte balance, blood volume and immune function, which may then lead to a variety of unpleasant (and, unfortunately, usually unexpected) symptoms including fever, severe abdominal pain, bloody bowel movements, dizziness and weakness. Common clinical findings include dyspepsia, tremors, changes in blood pressure and muscular weakness in the day or so following the procedure.
POST-PROCEDURE CARE
In order to avoid problems, electrolyte and bacterial balance needs to be promptly restored after the procedure. Dr. Rubman recommends “a stiff dose of egg drop soup” to replace water, salt, albumen and cholesterol — the prime ingredients lost during the colon cleansing. It’s unconventional advice but it’s inexpensive, safe and simple… “an easy way to get electrolytes and fluid back in balance after the procedure,” he said.
PROCEED WITH CAUTION
The point is — don’t give up on screening, but do go about it carefully. To prevent complications such as those I experienced, Dr. Rubman advises that you talk to your doctor about your excretory health and what cleansing is really necessary prior to the procedure. Other measures you can take include having a fiber-rich meal 24 hours before the laxative, which will allow the resulting bowel movement to help with the cleansing in a more natural way. Be sure to replace fluids and electrolytes afterward, as well, as outlined above. Colonoscopy is a “pain in the tush,” but it is worthwhile. Just make sure that your doctor has a protocol that allows for adjustments based on those factors discussed. As Dr. Rubman notes, “all procedures — and indeed, all medicine — should be tailored to the individual.”

Source(s): ??Andrew L. Rubman, ND, director, Southbury Clinic for Traditional Medicines, Southbury, Connecticut.
 

Robert, my blog entry today is for you, a follow up to your commments on Th/Fri, it’s not a rebuttal, you made valid points, I just outlined my own for you to give disclaim to the ‘he’s the man’ statement.

M, I’m still working on the DailyKos article also, will watch your video interview asap though…maybe I take a chill on reading/researching if I do that, time does not seem to be expanding to meet my needs lately and I need my six of beauty rest : )

Ciao, Zen Lill