Colonoscopy Prep & dehydration

[Cat-a-Tonic]

Does anyone else get dehydrated every time you drink prep? Back in April, I did the Gatorade & Miralax prep prior to my colonoscopy. My c-scope was at about 1 PM the next day, and I drank all the prep the evening before. It went down fine, just tasted like Gatorade, but the next day I was really dehydrated. I felt dizzy & lightheaded, my vision started to go blurry, and my hands & feet were tingly and numb. I went to the hospital a couple of hours early and they put me on IV fluids.

So that was in April. It was a miserable experience and I never wanted to repeat it. But today, I'm having the pill cam, and they said I have to do 1/2 amount of prep. I decided to try Gatorade & Miralax again, because it was easy to get down and I was optimistic that with only a half amount, I wouldn't dehydrate like I did last time. Wrong! I drank my prep yesterday starting at about 3 PM and ending at 6. I started to go clear around 6 but I didn't stop going - in fact, it's 6 AM now and I'm still going. I had drank many clear liquids in addition to my prep but it didn't seem to make much of a difference. I started having the same symptoms happen again last night: dizziness, lightheadedness, tingling in extremities, etc. So I went to urgent care last night at 8:30 and got 2 bags of fluid. I'm feeling less dehydrated this morning although I have a wicked headache now.

So anyway, I'm wondering if this is just me, or if maybe these dehydration symptoms are specific to the Gatorade & Miralax prep? Does anyone else get really dehydrated whenever you do prep, and if so, which prep did you do?

 

[Dexky]

Sorry you are going through all this again Cat!! Good luck today!!

 

[cruxy]

Hi Cat-a-Tonic,

I am not sure whether it is much common, but I suffer from dehydration almost 50% of the times when I drink prep... Today at 11:00 am I drank 45ml of fleet phospho soda, it is now 2 pm (3hrs later) and I’m not clear yet, still I have lost an enormous amount of liquids, and started feeling the symptoms of dehydration!! I feel dizzy, headache, and weak already and the worst part is that I am expected to drink another 45 ml of fleet again at 8:00 pm since my scopes are scheduled tomorrow @ 9:30 am!! I am sure I will dehydrate today and most probably will have to receive IV...

The only solution to avoid dehydration is to drink a lots and lots of fluids!! that is what I am doing now, drinking a lot of water and very soft drinks hoping that i will not dehydrate anytime soon!!

Best of luck... for all of us...

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

Hi Cruxy. On one hand, I'm glad to hear I'm not alone in getting dehydrated during prep, but on the other hand I'm sorry to hear you have to go through this too. I think it's better to get fluids sooner rather than later, so please do go get IV fluids soon if you are still feeling dehydrated.

If you start to go clear, are you able to skip drinking the rest of the fleet? I was told that I could stop drinking my prep when I started going clear. Unfortunately, I only started going clear just as soon as I had finished drinking all my prep. Then I couldn't stop going. Oh well, I guess the pill cam images are going to be super clear!

 

[cruxy]

My doc wants crystal clear (since he wants to dig deeper into the ileum)!! I called to check whether I can skip the second fleet, but his assistant said that I should take it anyway!! I am fasting since 8:00 am today!! And not planning to eat anything... the fleet tastes so bad and I fear I am ganna to vomit when I drink it for the second time!!

 

[Lisa]

I hear you cruxy! Can't stand that Fleet - it would make me sick too....

I have gatorade and the miralax prep waiting for me for next Thursday....scope Friday morning......

 

[cruxy]

I hear you cruxy! Can't stand that Fleet - it would make me sick too....

I have gatorade and the miralax prep waiting for me for next Thursday....scope Friday morning......

Things can't go any worst!! Even when we have to prepare we have to suffer!!!
I wonder why they can’t invent something new!! A small pill that can do this cleaning process!!

 

[Mayflower537]

I'm sorry you're going through that again, Cat!! I was hoping that wouldn't be the case. Hopefully, also, it won't be in vain, and they'll find something that explains your symptoms on the capsule endoscopy.

Have you swallowed the pill yet?

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

May, yes I swallowed the pill cam about 30 minutes ago, just got home a minute ago. It took forever! My appointment was supposed to be at 8:15 but it was 9:15 by the time I finally got to swallow the capsule. Apparently they were short-staffed this morning.

Swallowing the pill cam wasn't too bad, it was a little bigger than a regular vitamin but I got it down in the first swallow of water. So far so good. I just wish the prep had gone better. I've still got a massive headache, and I have to wait until lunchtime to take any Tylenol.

Paso, let us know how your prep goes. For your sake I hope you don't get dehydrated like I was - not fun! It sounds like if/when I do prep again in the future, they want me to try Go Lytely. Bleh.

 

[roundtuit]

I have never dehydrated from prep...but You poor thing. Sorry for your problems.
I think if I had that problem I might try increasing my sodium intake. Sodium makes you retain water. Oddly enough I suspect some dehydration is occuring with me right now beause of the intense sweating I have been having. I have been craving salt...unusual for me.

 

[Lisa]

Paso, let us know how your prep goes. For your sake I hope you don't get dehydrated like I was - not fun! It sounds like if/when I do prep again in the future, they want me to try Go Lytely. Bleh.

YUK YUK YUK!!!!! :kissgrits: I will NEVER willing do that prep again.....makes me vomit......

What about trying a smaller dose of the miralax?

 

[calmygal]

i was dehydrated from my prep and was hooked up to ivs also but i don't think i was as bad as you cat...but i did get horrible headaches and did vomit and think it was a horrible experience. Just my two cents lol.

 

[cruxy]

Anyone with good ideas about mixing the fleet with something else to better the taste? I should take my second drink in 25 minutes?

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

YUK YUK YUK!!!!! :kissgrits: I will NEVER willing do that prep again.....makes me vomit......

What about trying a smaller dose of the miralax?

I doubt they'd let me do a smaller amount. This prep was 1/2 amount already, don't know how much smaller of a dose I can do and still get cleaned out properly. I don't want to get dehydrated but I also don't want the test to be ruined because they can't see what needs to be seen. It's tough to find the balance between those things.

 

[kenny]

I am doing the 4L colyte prep right now actually. I was just reading the label and it states that you should have zero net loss of fluids and ions with the colyte. Yummy Pineapple flavor needs improvement though . . . .

 

[Cat-a-Tonic]

I am doing the 4L colyte prep right now actually. I was just reading the label and it states that you should have zero net loss of fluids and ions with the colyte.

The zero net loss of fluids and electrolytes, that's why the nurse suggested I should try Go Lytely next time. Supposedly Go Lytely is formulated that way, although the nurse did say that she thought the Gatorade & Miralax prep was also set up to be that way, so who knows. I'm sure if I try Go Lytely I'll end up puking and will thus lose fluids and electrolytes anyway, so either way I really don't know what to do if/when I need to do prep again in the future. Maybe I'll just mix a teeny bit of Miralax in with a ton of Gatorade and add more if I need to. I just don't know what to do - I hate vomiting and I hate getting dehydrated, I wish there was an easier way to prep!

 

[Rebecca85]

Maybe you would be better off prepping in hospital, so you can get IVs as you go. I know they do it for diabetics, so maybe they would for you seeing as you always need the IVs!