A colonoscopy performed by an experienced team should not be painful at all. Before the exam begins, you will receive some sedating medication through your IV administered by an anesthesia provider, and you will drift off to sleep. You will be awake enough to breathe on your own but sleepy enough to be comfortable. During the exam, you should not feel anything. Afterward, you may feel gassy and bloated for a while due to the air introduced into your colon during the procedure, but this usually passes fairly quickly.