Different Colonoscopy preparations

[StarGirrrrl]

Having had my instructions, and confirming a few things on the phone, I was surprised to find my Colonoscopy prep not as complicated as I have come across on here. Have had flexible sig before but my first (and doubt it'll be last!) big C. So, would love to find out where you live and how detailed your prep was!

I'm in the UK, and my appointment has an arrival time of 2pm. Light lunch day before procedure and no food thereafter. 1litre laxative solution 2-4pm and another litre 4-6 pm. Third and final litre next day between 6-8 am (wanted a lie in, oh well!). No fluids of any kind, not even water, from 8am procedure day. No medication stoppages except iron tablets. Double checked and can carry on with Codeine Phosphate as normal.

Will be given twilight sedation and pain relief before procedure.

 

[rygon]

I was restricted to certain foods for 2 days before my colonoscopy. Basically consisted of boiled chicken potato (without the skin) butter, cheese and rich tea biscuits

Could have lucozade, bovril, clear soups and jelly as well.

Get some soothing cream for your arse, definately need it. The sedation leaves you pretty zonked out for the rest of the day. (makes you very forgetful) so make sure you have someone who will take you there and back and can be called if needed

 

[Rebecca85]

That's quite similar to mine (I had Moviprep). I had 9am appointment. Light breakfast, then clear fluids only the day before. 1 litre prep 4-5pm, 1 litre 8-9pm. 1 litre of water to be drunk after each litre of prep. Nil by mouth from 7am on the day. But next time, I would take the prep earlier, as I was still going while waiting for the procedure.

 

[Mister_Hotspur]

My first colonoscopy was when i was diagnosed 3 years ago, and i had Klean prep, which sounds like youve got? it was the foulest tasting stuff ive ever had, was extremely difficult to take down, if you have this i recommend putting ice cubes in and mixing with orange squash or something.

My more recent scope was a couple of weeks ago, luckily this was a little easier, i had to take 10 laxatives and stuff called citramag - didnt have to drink much of it and it wasnt so bad, kind of like gone off Sprite lol. I just had Soup and Jelly the day of prep.

I completly forgot how brutal it is once it gets going, so definately get some cream, my pre med for this one was fentanyl 50ug and midazolam 2mg which im guessing isnt much because i watched the whole thing, luckily it wasnt as bad as the first time.

Also make sure you finish it all otherwise they will make you have an enema!

 

[DustyKat]

Matt had Picoprep. His scope time was 8am so the day before he was on a light diet until lunch time and then approved fluids only, basically anything that wasn't dark or red coloured, until midnight then only water if needed until 4am. His actual prep was one glass of Picoprep at 2pm and one glass at 6pm and drink 2-3 litres of the approved fluids.

Dusty.

 

[Kathryn]

I've down 3 different preps over the past five years. I've done Movi-prep, the sodium phosphate and one other that I cannot remember the name. For all of them, it was clear foods the day before prep, clear foods until lunch day of prep and then prepping in the afternoon.

I think the sodium phosphate tastes the worst and felt the most "violent" coming out. But the other two had too much liquid to consume that about half-way through I spent all my time sitting on the toilet holding a trash can expelling from both ends!

None of them were particularly hard, just particularly gross.

Hope your prep and colonoscopy go well!

-Kathryn

 

[bushydougie]

My prep was very similar to you SG. I'd recommend also getting moist toilet paper (if you don't already have some) and wear pj or tracky bottoms - much easier to get down quickly
Oh and keep a good book next to the toilet
It wasn't a nice thing to go through but nor was it the worst. I actually would far rather have a camera go up that way than down my throat again...
Hope it goes as well as it can and I hope you find some answers

 

[julesinfrance]

I Live in France and most importantly am not fluent in the language. Here, you always stay in the previous day when you have a procedure, including a colonoscopy. The nurses appeared with this bottle with a huge long top, spoke french obviously and left the room. I sat looking at this bottle, thinking do I drink or does it go up the other end! Eventually I summoned enough courage to call the night staff, whilst praying please be a woman! Anyway A young male nurse turned up and spent the next 15 minutes describing how I insert this thing up ( you know where) and to squeeze the bottle, then to go back to the bed and try to wait for 10 minutes. Well I was so embarrassed! 10 minutes!, within about 30 seconds I was running to the toilet.Then I had to do it all again in the morning. The Colonoscopy itself was a walk in the park compared to this!
Really, nothing to worry about. Good luck!

 

[Jennifer]

I'm in California. The prep I've gotten over 20 years has always been generally the same.

Day before procedure, liquid diet after 12pm (I don't eat anything that day though, less to clean out ), ~6pm drink some nasty crap and poop all night until it runs clear (be sure to have creams and wet wipes), then nothing to eat or drink after midnight. Its ok to take medication minus certain ones (no asprin I remember). Nothing to eat or drink before the procedure.

 

[StarGirrrrl]

Wow it's interesting to read all these. As I said I have had a flexible sig so know what to expect, that was 1 litre the night before, eat in the morning, and then a small tube you know where to finish off.

Hope i'm not still going when it's time to leave for the Hospital, I have a 30 min journey ahhh! Was planning anyway on eating little Monday and even less Tuesday so hopefully will be ok. Can't/won't get up any earlier than 6am anyway to take the last of the prep, will make sure to drink it all as fast as possible.

 

[LittleCellist]

This sounds similar to my most recent scope prep.
For the first few scopes I had I had to drink Miralax with a clear drink (usually a large bottle of gatorade) 3 xs a day for 2 whole days. On the second day I wasn't supposed to have any solid foods, just clear liquids with no red food coloring. On the 3rd day (day of the prep) I was to have absolutely nothing until after the procedure.

My most recent scope though was a lot like this one though. Two nights before the scope I was to down a bottle of Magnesium Citrate. Awful tasting stuff!! But boy it got my system moving. Next day I was on clear liquids only and between 4-7 pm I was to drink a gallon of water mixed with Go-Lytely. 8 oz every 10 minutes on the dot. That was awful tasting, too. And I was always falling behind in the 10 minute drinks because I'd find myself in the bathroom! Fortunately for me I only had to drink half of the gallon. I'm a pretty small person and there is no way I could down a gallon of anything in a single day, let alone within a 3 hour period. Plus, by the time I was half way through the jug, all that was coming out was entirely clear liquid, which meant my insides were empty.
Next morning I had to drink another magnesium citrate. Gosh that stuff is nasty. It's a 2 hour drive to the hospital I go to for Crohn's and I threw up twice on the way there because the mag citrate was so bad. That was no fun. It also screwed up my blood pressure and I couldn't be sedated at first because it was so low because I was so dehydrated from the prep and from vomiting.

Good luck with everything, let us know how this goes! Hopefully the drink you have to drink won't be as foul as Go-Lytely!

 

[allieinwonder]

I had the prepacol prep. My appt was at 7:45am, the day before consisted of coffee or tea for breakfast, broth for lunch, then only tea or plain water the rest of the day. Oil-like laxitive at 2pm, then pills at 5.

I HATED it because I don't like tea or plain water (I know the water thing is weird..I have no idea why but it tastes nasty to me). So by 6pm I couldn't get myself to drink anything. Ended up throwing up the little amount of tea I had gotten down. I hadn't thrown up in 8 years!!!

BTW, my appt was an hour drive away...I didn't have issues even though I was still going when we started our way over there. It wasn't intense at that point so I was able to patiently wait through the drive.

During the actual procedure I was given pre-medication and I was out. I do not speak German though, so I have no idea what I was given.

I will be looking for your thread on your results star! You and I have similar stories so I am curious how yours goes! GOOD LUCK!

 

[partlycloudy]

I've had several preps, all similar to your's. Liquids only one day then the day before I choke down whatever that salty stuff is that you have to drink. It's called Go-Lytley (spelling?) here in America.

I get extremely nauseous drinking it and last time requested Zofran, which helped tremendously. It was still hard to get down and I mixed it with sugar-less (not even artificial sweetener) lemonade to make it super sour, but the Zofran kept me from being nauseous and I got it ALL down for the first time ever.

The procedure itself is a breeze, and due to the drugs, almost enjoyable after such a miserable previous 48 hours.

 

[Mayflower537]

I'm in the southern US. My GI prescribed the pills (Osmoprep). My instructions were clear liquids (no red was the only prohibition on color) the entire day before my scope, which was in the morning, and then start the pills around 5 PM that afternoon. I took the first set at 5 then the other set at 8 and shortly after set #2 was downed, the fun began. Supposedly I wasn't allowed anything at all after 12AM but that part wasn't on my sheet and I had some water, but they said that was fine.

They sedated me with propofol and I don't think anything else was used. No memory, no pain. Propofol rocks.

 

[partlycloudy]

I've never gotten the pills and wish I could. I don't mind the constant diarrhea as much as drinking that awful liquid.

 

[StarGirrrrl]

I'm a great believer in "straight down the hatch" with medicine, because the sooner you do, the sooner it's gone. Even I am daunted though with 2 litres in 4 hours lol. Got some straws, 7up and 2 kinds of squash so hopefully will be ok, if I find it too much plain.

Not looking forward to waking up at 6am and then downing another litre either lol, stomach is rolling at the thought! Want to finish it in good time so I am okay to travel at 1pm and so I can have some normal fluids before the 8am cut off.

 

[Jennifer]

I've never gotten the pills and wish I could. I don't mind the constant diarrhea as much as drinking that awful liquid.

I believe there's more than one problem with using the pills. The first being that due to human error, many people have to reschedule because they weren't cleaned out enough because they didn't follow the directions. Apparently you have to drink A LOT of water even though the pills make you feel bloated and you don't want to drink anything. Drinking LOTS of fluids helps clean you out when taking the pills. The second problem is that taking Osmoprep while having Crohn's disease is not a good idea because of the possible side effects such as bleeding, ulcers etc. which are already symptoms of Crohn's and UC.

 

[partlycloudy]

Crabby, I didn't know that regarding Crohn's and the pills. At least I can now officially give up on my "take the easy way out with the pills" fantasy.

I've requested the pills in the past (due to other health considerations I have to bowel prep before any surgery) and every single time was refused because the doctors preferred the liquid for the reasons you stated.

My theory is if doctors had to undergo bowel preps annually beginning at, say, age 40, there'd be some serious research money committed to developing a less disgusting formula.

One can dream....

 

[Entchen]

I've said this elsewhere, but I did two preps and a three day clear liquid fast last time, because the 4 litre Colyte didn't do a blessed thing for my first colonoscopy. So, for c-scope number two, on Day 1 it was a clear liquid fast, Day 2 was clear liquids + Pico Salax, and Day 3 was clear liquids + Colyte (because they insist it works, even though it clearly doesn't for me, lol). This STILL didn't get me fully prepped, but it was better than the first time (Colyte only). We suspect my loopy colon might be behind the poor prep outcomes.

 

[Jennifer]

My theory is if doctors had to undergo bowel preps annually beginning at, say, age 40, there'd be some serious research money committed to developing a less disgusting formula.

One can dream....

I think they will. They've already improved barium for the barium swallow test. Its not chalky, feels creamy, doesn't taste that bad (a little citrusy) and you drink less of it. I finished the barium in less than 10 min tops easy. Maybe 5 min actually. Now all we need to do is have the new barium formula sent out to every hospital out there so no one has to drink that chalky nasty crap anymore.

 

[partlycloudy]

I don't think I've ever had the chalky stuff but did have some awful stuff last year. I guess my opinion on just how awful it was would change if I'd had the chalky stuff.

 

[Jennifer]

Sounds like there are multiple types floating around. Perhaps you had a love child of the two.