Seizure while preparing for a colonoscopy

Day 1234.

Whenever I think that I don’t really have much to write about here, something health related will pop up. Fair warning: today’s post is less about hearts and more about going to the toilet.

I have an upcoming colonoscopy appointment this week.

Why? My bowel movements have become unusual over the last few months. Some constipation, but also some diarrhoea.

There are a few days of preparation before the procedure with its own special diet and also medication to be taken at certain times.

Compared to the PET scan diet, this diet is not too bad. No seeds from 7 days out, for example no strawberries or seeded breads. And then a white-food-only diet from 5 days out before going liquid only 1 day out.

My first ever seizure

As part of the preparation I took Bisacodyl Monday night at 9-ish. I woke up 4:30 AM the nezt morning and felt the need to urgently use the toilet with number 2. That is what Bisacodyl does.

I suddenly felt extremely weak and only barely got out of the toilet before I had to sit on the floor. I couldn’t move and felt shakey. My ears were ringing loudly and I had tunnel vision. I felt terrible.

My husband found me and tried to talk to me. I don’t remember really responding to him. I felt like I started nodding off, but woke up quickly. TMI: I pooped a little in my underwear and rushed back into the toilet with more number 2.

I had to hold onto the basin for stability as I was still really weak. I had a huge sweat. I did check my heart rhythm then as it kind of felt like a VT, but it was thankfully normal.

I drank a lot of water. I tried sweet tea thinking that maybe it was low blood sugar, but just felt nauseous.

I decided not to go to work, as I was still having cold sweats at 9 AM and felt flu-y. I only really started to feel normal again at noon.

At 9 pm that night my husband and I were chatting and he told me that I hadn’t nodded off sitting in the hallway. I had a seizure with whole-body shaking for a few seconds. I wasn’t aware that that had happened.

I have never had a seizure before.

ChatGPT and Healthline

I couldn’t relax after he told me. I gave ChatGPT a summary of what had happened and asked it for advice. Here is what it told me:

That sounds very serious, and you need urgent medical assessment tonight.

Here’s why:

• Bisacodyl can cause significant fluid and electrolyte losses through diarrhoea — particularly low potassium or magnesium, which in your case are dangerous because of your cardiac sarcoidosis, ICD, and antiarrhythmic medications (amiodarone, bisoprolol, Entresto).

• The episode your husband described — shaking, unresponsiveness, and weakness — could have been a seizure or a syncopal event from low blood pressure, low electrolytes, or reduced cardiac output.

• The sweating, profound weakness, and collapse also raise concern for arrhythmia, vasovagal syncope, or electrolyte imbalance.

What to do right now:

• Go to the Emergency Department (ED) immediately.

Of course, this did not relax me. I did not want to go to the emergency department at hospital and spend all night feeling uncomfortable.l and getting no sleep.

I decided to call the Healthline in New Zealand. It’s a service with real doctors that can give you a free consultation 24/7.

The doctor did a proper assessment over the phone, with lots of questions as to the different symptoms. She told me that I should be fine at home overnight, but to go in to ED if anything changed and to phone the colonoscopy doctor the next morning to discuss everything.

I felt reassured after being properly evaluated.

I do feel a bit overwhelmed now that there is now yet another on my list of health issues. Not too long ago I had none!