# A question for anyone that has used prepopik!



## Starlight

I'm currently in process of taking the prep. The way this prep works is you dissolve a packet of the prepopik powder into a 5 ounce of water. You drink that immediately. Then over 5 hours, taken at your own pace, you have to drink 5 , 8 ounces of clear liquids of your choice. I'm using apple juice. Then tomorrow morning at 4 I have to wake up and drink another prepopik powder mixed with 5oz of water, followed by 3 , 8oz of clear liquids and that has to be drunken within 2 hrs, again I'll use apple juice.

My question..and it may seem silly, but I have never done this prep before and it almost seems TO easy. I started my prep at 6:15 this afternoon, and since then till now ( 9:42 here) I have already got 4 8 oz done. S one more to go. Would it hurt to drink more, or should I drink only that much? I'm just so afraid of not being clear by tomorrow. All my other scopes I've used those preps where you have To drink liters of crappy tasting stuff, but by the end of that night, the same day I started I was already passing clear water stool which is what you want to see!  So at least I could relax at night knowing I was cleared out and ready to go. I have never had to wake up and drink more like I do for this one. Am I not going to be clear until late tomorrow morning? What happenes if I don't get cleared by then? My scope is scheduled in the early morning. Though the prep has defiantly kicked in, it doesn't look like Im even near cleared out. It's still very dark.

I'm just worried. If this prep works, then I will defiantly want to do this one from know on! Because If it works, it's the easiest prep I have EVER done. So I pray and it better work!

So basically my question is, is it ok to drink more than just 5 8 ounce glasses or should I just leave it alone. Or will just drinking more help things along faster and clear up faster?  If anyone else has done this prep, please give me some advice and let me know how it worked for you! I'm just really really worried it won't be enough to clear me out.


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## Starlight

I'm really getting worried now. It's been almost 7 hours since I took the first packet, I drank a crap load of fluids and Im still not clear, haven't even passed anything n last 1 1/2. Have only gone maybe 4 times total so far and It doesn't seem like much. I even took 2 bisocoyl tabs, that wasn't on the directions or this prep, but figured it couldn't hurt. 

Sighhh gonna try to get a hour rest have to be up in 3 hrs to do next packet which I pray does the trick.  I'm not going to be a happy camper if this prep doesn't work.


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## bronnie43

Hi starlight, I used that prep for my last colonoscopy... unfortunately we use different measuring units, but I do tend to think you aren't drinking as many liquids as I did. From what I remember, I dissolved 4 prepopik sachets into 1 litre of water/apple juice mixture. I drank a quarter of that at around 5pm the evening before the procedure, then another quarter at 6pm, another quarter at 7pm. Was meant to drink additional 3 glasses of clear liquid in between each mixture (ie apprx 1 litre liquids per hour). Then had final prepopik mixture at 5am, followed by 1 glass clear liquid then fast until procedure. How many sachets are you using? I was on the toilet all night with very watery D, so I wasn't concerned that it wasn't working... and according to GIs notes, prep was 'excellent'. Also, I noticed that my GIs prep instructions (which I followed) were quite different to the instructions on the prepopik packet. Sorry, I hope this helps... Generally though my advice would be to follow your GIs instructions, surely they know best.


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## 2thFairy

Good luck with your scope, Starlight!  Let us know how it goes.


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## SarahBear

Did the prep clear you out in time?  Please update us when you're feeling up to it.  :hug: I hope all goes well!


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## Starlight

Thanks everyone, thank God yes, it did get me clear. I ole up at 4 this morning and drank the second pack. Waited 40 minutes and NOTHiNG. I went hop in a hot bath( sometimes find that helps me get urge) and it did get some going, and it wasn't clear at all. Still looked like I had ways to go, and since I had to leave only 2 hrs before, I was freakin out because I didn't think prep would work. Well while I was up and walking, getting dressed, I found out that moving around seemed to stimulate it, so I hopped on treadmill and just did slow walk while drinking a bunch of apple juice! I did drink way more than the prep said I had to, ,figured it couldn't hurt really after thinking about it. Well hopping on the treadmill did the trick cause it started coming and coming fast and an hour later after walking a 40 min slow mile I was pretty clear! Not 100% I don't think but he didn't say anything, so I assume I was clear enough to see.

I waited for 3 1/2 hours on gurney staring at wall before they even took me. I thought I would be pretty much one of the first ones since I had to be there so early, but not. They had about 5-6 others before me. I didn't even bring a magazine, book or nothing so basically I sat for 3 1/2 hours twiddling my thumbs bored, about the most exciting thing was when they rolled someone by on a gurney. Lol! 

Once they brought me in room where they did procedure, luckily I didn't have long to wait in there. Doctor came in and briefly talked to me. Told me I had the " I really don't wanna be here" look and was joking and he said " I prepared this big party for you with all this special equipment and medicine and you don't wanna be here?" lol I told him I'd rather to to a different party! Lol anyway scope went well, I don't remember a thing! It seemed like it lasted 5 minutes and it's amazing how fast you wake up from propofal. Love that stuff! I sound like a druggy, but I can't lie, that's the only thing I can look forward to in these things. A nice nap!

So the verdict now. Very mild inflammation in the rectum area, but rest of my colon looks great so remicade is still doing very well for me! What's causing the problems is severe external hemmorhoids and once again, a fissure. So he is referring me to another colon/rectal surgeon and I have that appointment this Tuesdsy. Dreading it. Have to take 2 fleet enemas before going ,I absolutely hate these exams, soo embarrassing, then again who would like them? Lol and this time it's a guy that's only 10 years older than me. Lol I told mom he better be ugly! Rofl!

So I'm defiantly looking at another surgery for both the hemmorhoids and fissure. It's inevitable, no treating them with meds, guess to advanced. And he said I'm probably looking at a minimum week recover period time off work, so that's another week of work I'll miss. I have a cruise coming up early may so I won't be doing any surgery before then! Nothing stopping me from going on that!


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## Starlight

Oh and this Dr. Put me as crohns and not UC. So I'm back to being officially diagnosed with crohns.=/


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## Firsttimer

I don't have Crohn's but found this thread very useful as I prepared for my first colonoscopy, which took place this morning and was successful.  This post may be useful for others that are searching out information on prepopik like I did frantically last night when I felt that my prep wasn't working like everyone else's.

My doctor prescribed the split dose pack, since my colonoscopy was scheduled for 11 am this morning.  I was directed to stop eating solid foods at 1 pm yesterday (clear liquids only) and then to start the first dose of prepopik at 6 pm.  Tentatively, I mixed the first packet with 5 oz cold water and drank all of I - not the best but not as horrible as I thought.  A little like really bad selzer.  I followed with the five 8oz glasses of water within an hour.  All of the instructions warned of staying near a bathroom a the prepopik may begin to work immediately, so I set up shop with plenty of magazines - and waited in the living room and drank three more 8 oz glasses of water.  By 9pm, nothing happened, and I began to do research online.....most of the postings indicated that success should be had within the first one to three hours.  By 11 pm, still nothing so I went to bed- feeling really really full up to my rib cage.  I woke up several times, considering my fate if the prepopik didn't work but when the alarm rang at 5:30 this morning for my 2nd and final dose (5oz solution/3 8oz glasses of water), I still didn't have to go.  

After downing the solution and two glasses of water, I finally went to the bathroom but really very little around 6 am. Over the course of the next two hours, I visited the bathroom a few times but didn't have the same "eruptions" as others had reported. I didn't even get to enjoy reading time in the bathroom with my magazines. 

Off I went to the surgeon's office at 10 am for my 11 am procedure.  I told them that I was apprehensive as I may not have cleaned out enough and all of them were surprised, citing the prepopik generally caused urges pretty much immediately.  

When I woke up, I found out that the colonoscopy was successful and I had cleaned out successfully - which made me happy to not repeat the prep process again.  

I want everyone who reads this to know that prepopik may not work the same for everyone.  Had I known this last night, I would have done two things differently.  1)  I would have started at noon the day before so that I would have had some bathroom success on the first day and 2) I wouldn't have stressed as much last night and this morning, thinking that I was either doing something wrong or would not be adequately prepared.  I may be the exception but perhaps there are others like me out there.  

I hope this information helps someone out there!  Good luck to all.


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## Cat-a-Tonic

Hi Firsttimer, welcome to the forum.  I did Prepopik back in August, and my experience was somewhat similar.  I seem to get weird side effects for everything though, so the Prepopik made me both nauseous and dizzy, which was the worst part for me (the nausea was severe for about 20 mins, then ebbed - I did take Zofran so that may have helped the nausea fade - the dizziness gradually got somewhat better but hung around the entire day).  I think I went to the bathroom about 4 times after drinking the first cup of Prepopik, and maybe twice after drinking the second cup.  Like you said, as it was getting later into the evening, I started panicking because I was sure I was not clear enough yet, and my scope was first thing the next morning.  So I took a bunch of Dulcolax tablets, I think 10 total, to get things moving.  I'm not sure if it was the Dulcolax or the Prepopik, but I was running to the bathroom constantly from the time I woke up.  The nurse got me hooked up to the IV and all the machines, and then I had to get unhooked and run to the bathroom.  Got back, got hooked up again, felt that old familiar urge, and had to unhook and run to the bathroom again.  That happened about 8 more times before they came to wheel me back to have my scope!  By that time I was clear enough (I was still passing "flecks" but I was told that flecks are okay, just no solids) so my colonoscopy went fine too.  It was definitely worrisome for awhile though and I felt like it really came right down to the wire, what with me unhooking to run to the bathroom in my hospital gown!

So yeah, I think next time I will also start drinking the Prepopik sooner - and I like Starlight's idea about walking around to get things moving, too.  If I'm remembering right, I had started drinking my Prepopik at around 2 or 3 PM, and my colonoscopy was at something like 7 AM the next day.  I think I would start drinking the Prepopik at noon or sooner if I did it again.  And I would definitely keep something like miralax or dulcolax on hand just in case.  It was an easy prep aside from the nausea & dizziness, and the worry of not being cleaned out properly.  I probably would do it again now that I have a better idea of what to expect - it was certainly easy drinking 2 cups of prep rather than gallons of it!


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## erica_p

I realize that this post has was written some time ago, but I just wanted to quickly share my experiences with Prepopik.  
I was diagnosed with Crohn's 23 years ago (I am 34 now).  I typically have a colonoscopy every year -- and there is generally a problem that needs addressed (every year) whether I knew it or not (i.e. polyps, restriction, perforation, etc.)
A couple years ago, during one of my routine annual intakes of NuLytely, it just decided not to work.  So I went to sleep, hoping I would wake up at some time in the night and it would work.  Well, I woke up.  I threw up violently. But, it never worked.  I was not clean for the procedure.  
Fast forward to the following year.  Moviprep... Same thing, never worked, threw up violently in the night after drinking all of it.  
Fast forward to last year.  Prepopik.  It didn't completely clean me out, but the prep was the easiest I have ever completed!  This year... again, Prepopik.  I never threw up.  I only went to the toilet once. I even got up at 4:30am, hoping for the best and went for around a 2-mile walk, which I must add-- was pretty brave of me - and also pretty desperate! (but at that hour, there weren't a lot of people out and about who would have observed the potential disaster of an accident that never happened).  So, I went in for the procedure.  I told the hospital of my woes, but went ahead with the procedure.  Didn't even make it to the right side of my colon, it was so blocked.

If anyone has any ideas at why the preps are no longer working for me, I would be interested in advice.  I actually read this blog the night before the procedure, wondering if anyone else had the problem where they just couldn't go at all?


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## Eridon2002

My prep consists of Miralax and Ducolax.  Even with that I don't get squeaky clean.  I have a pretty bad stricture so it takes a long time for things to exit.  I start my prep hours earlier than the doctors recommend to take the extra time into account.  I had a colonoscopy this December and the stricture was so bad they couldn't get past it with a pediatric scope.  I had to have a barium CT with contrast for them to see the rest of things.  Do you have a stricture that could be delaying transit time?  I'm sorry I'm not familiar with those preps so I don't know their mechanism of action.  Perhaps if the doctors could recommend something that acts on the bowels differently you would have better luck?


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