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bruni31
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Well its my first scope tommorrow, i have to start the prep today a 2pm, i hear all sorts of stuff about it, kind of nervous. Is the taste really that bad? and does the scope hurt at all?
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Kev
Senior Member
Hi bruni31.. Unfortunately, the scope prep liquid DOES taste pretty awful, unless you're into sickeningly sweet/salty drinks of approx a gallon or more (4 liters).. Its just a matter of forcing it into you, and spending the rest of the day on or near the toilet as it cleans you out. Here's the catch.. the more you drink, the more 'clean' the tract will be for the scope... and the more the doc will be able to examine. If you focus on how important it is to give the docs the 'best' possible view, it makes it almost bearable to drink the whole container of prep.
Far better to go thru it all 'once'... Vs take a chance, quit drinking early, pray that a.) the doc doesn't miss something vital cause it isn't clean enuff up there
b.) you come out of the anesthetic just to be told the tract wasn't clean enuff so they have to schedule another... only thing worse than going thru it once is going thru it again... esp. if it's that soon afterwards the memory is still fresh.
As for the scope procedure itself, I've never had a bad experience. unconscious from the anesthetic, I've never felt anything, or experienced any discomfort or pain... I used to think it was such a mild procedure that the hospital insisting we have someone with us post anesthetic was just being overly careful. But I changed my mind the last time. I literally had no recollection, tho I was awake, of several things I did AFTER coming out of the anesthetic.. like, getting dressed and talking with my doctor, or leaving the hospital and going shopping while on the way home. Did all of those, absolutely no memory to date of any of them.
So, short story.. take someone with you that you trust to mind you afterwards.
Far better to go thru it all 'once'... Vs take a chance, quit drinking early, pray that a.) the doc doesn't miss something vital cause it isn't clean enuff up there
b.) you come out of the anesthetic just to be told the tract wasn't clean enuff so they have to schedule another... only thing worse than going thru it once is going thru it again... esp. if it's that soon afterwards the memory is still fresh.
As for the scope procedure itself, I've never had a bad experience. unconscious from the anesthetic, I've never felt anything, or experienced any discomfort or pain... I used to think it was such a mild procedure that the hospital insisting we have someone with us post anesthetic was just being overly careful. But I changed my mind the last time. I literally had no recollection, tho I was awake, of several things I did AFTER coming out of the anesthetic.. like, getting dressed and talking with my doctor, or leaving the hospital and going shopping while on the way home. Did all of those, absolutely no memory to date of any of them.
So, short story.. take someone with you that you trust to mind you afterwards.
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If a person starts a clear liquid diet ahead of time, you really do not need to drink all of that slop. All they are concerned with is that you are cleaned out. I started ahead of time and still took all of the pills and water, but I was cleaned out long before I was done with the whole ordeal. I did not have too much trouble just drinking the water so I finished anyway, but I would not have had to.
Just make sure you are running clear, if you know what I mean.
Dan
Just make sure you are running clear, if you know what I mean.
Dan
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I assume you mean colonoscopy and not endoscopy or some other form of scope. My experience was that I was up all night taking laxatives and sitting on the toilet while I vomited large amounts of fleet's soda. That was the terrible part. Going in for the scope was no problem at all. I went in, laid on a bed, the nurse hooked me up with the IV, they started the drip, and I pretty much fell asleep. They woke me up once during the procedure so that I could move for them to get the scope deeper. I don't remember it being painful at all but they weren't moving the scope at the time I was awake. Afterward we had a debrief from the doctor and I had an extreme amount of trouble walking to the car. I couldn't balance or keep focused on a direction so I tended to walk in a spiral unless I was guided.
While they expect you to have a severely hampered memory I have extremely vivid memories of everything that happened while I was conscious. I wasn't just forgetting about the actual scope. I was actually asleep. I was exhausted after being up over night on the toilet and the anesthesia does make you sleepy.
While they expect you to have a severely hampered memory I have extremely vivid memories of everything that happened while I was conscious. I wasn't just forgetting about the actual scope. I was actually asleep. I was exhausted after being up over night on the toilet and the anesthesia does make you sleepy.
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bruni31
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scope
thanks, just drank a liter.....oh my god this stuff is #$@!%$@%^, well 3 more liters left, will i rememeber what the doc will tell me after the scope.
thanks, just drank a liter.....oh my god this stuff is #$@!%$@%^, well 3 more liters left, will i rememeber what the doc will tell me after the scope.
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Oh yeah.. the scope is a piece of cake if you are put out... its the prep that sucks. I didn't drink all of mine (only like 1/3rd) but at that point I wasn't eating much and so it wasn't a big deal. Next time I will DEMAND the pill form of the prep... that Go-Lytely crap tastes like sweaty olive oil.
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You may, or may not remember what the doctor says afterward. There will be a follow-up appointment at the doctor's office though and they'll present the official findings. They'll likely do some things that require lab tests so it'll take a few days to have a final answer.
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yeah like Katie said, the prep is the worst part, both scopes I drank ALL the prep, but the second one they gave me half pills, and half a gallon of prep (the first one I had 1 gallon, I almost drowned in prep, right before I almost barfed it all up). The scope, if you're out properly, will be a very vague memory like a weird (very weird) dream.
Good luck, by this time I assume you're done w/ the prep, so the hard parts over...
Good luck, by this time I assume you're done w/ the prep, so the hard parts over...
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bruni31
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scope
All done with the prep, scope is at 1pm cant wait to eat, thanks for all the info and advice, my stool is not clear, is it supposed to be? Its yellow water. I drank all 4 liters.
All done with the prep, scope is at 1pm cant wait to eat, thanks for all the info and advice, my stool is not clear, is it supposed to be? Its yellow water. I drank all 4 liters.
Kev
Senior Member
Great photos.. And, altho 'clear' better.. it may not be possible. First off, are you sure that the colour isn't from urine. Second, before the clear-out, did you eat a lot of fat? Third, have you had any gall bladder or pancreatic symptoms? Fat can show up as yellow remnants... but so can excess bile. You might have some mild 'Habba like Syndrome' at play here. If you've consumed ALL the prep, and still are seeing yellow... DON'T panic. If you can at all tolerate it, try a little clear fluids... water, etc.. (as long as within scope prep guidelines, OK?)
If not (and been there, done that, so I'm not being judgemental or critical, OK)
then go for the scope... Afterwards, express your concern over the 'clarity'. If the doc expresses any doubt/concern... THEN you deal with it.. a 2nd scope?
I think most likely (99.9999% sure) doc will tell you the view was more than adequate... If not, and you do need to repeat the process, here is what I did once (can't recall if it was my 3rd, 4th, or 5th) but anyways, I was in really poor shape. Didn't think I had it in me (no pun intended) to go thru the prep again. An old, wise, GI nurse told me to do it over 2 nights, fasting in between. Now, at the time I had absolutely zero appetite... so fasting wasn't a big concern. I found it way easier to drink 1/2 1st nite, deal with the cramping, etc.. then fast the next day (nothing but clear liquids) then do the 2nd 1/2 the next nite, b4 the procedure the following morning. and, by that time, I was running clear as spring water..
If not (and been there, done that, so I'm not being judgemental or critical, OK)
then go for the scope... Afterwards, express your concern over the 'clarity'. If the doc expresses any doubt/concern... THEN you deal with it.. a 2nd scope?
I think most likely (99.9999% sure) doc will tell you the view was more than adequate... If not, and you do need to repeat the process, here is what I did once (can't recall if it was my 3rd, 4th, or 5th) but anyways, I was in really poor shape. Didn't think I had it in me (no pun intended) to go thru the prep again. An old, wise, GI nurse told me to do it over 2 nights, fasting in between. Now, at the time I had absolutely zero appetite... so fasting wasn't a big concern. I found it way easier to drink 1/2 1st nite, deal with the cramping, etc.. then fast the next day (nothing but clear liquids) then do the 2nd 1/2 the next nite, b4 the procedure the following morning. and, by that time, I was running clear as spring water..
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When I had mine done I had yellow water too... of course I had some chicken noodle soup broth for dinner 
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I was sooo eating pizza.
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I had chicken and rice soup as my last meal I believe. The memorable thing is that I cheated and ate a taco just before I went in. The taco probably hadn't even left my stomach during scope so I got away with it. I had been up all night. I was so tired and so hungry I gave in to temptation.
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Just a note when I did my prep I used ginger ale to mix it with, made sure it was cold and drank it though a straw. (side note make sure all the carbonation is out of the ginger ale) It still wasn't fun, but I got it all down. I know this is to late for you now, but just thought I would share the info.
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For me it depended on what they gave me to clear me out.
First colonscopy, I had some little bottle of stuff that tasted like chocolate, but I couldn't stomach; another small bottle of stuff with a taste that still haunts me--like pop with all the fizz let out and a pile of salt dumped in (also threw it up); and 2x enema *shudders*. But even with that, I was empty enough...
2nd colonoscopy was 2x powder that you added with a small amount of water into a coffee cup, wich turned hot. Stomached that no problem at all...
3rd colonoscopy was 4L of what seemed like a diluted version of of the salty flat pop. I drank 2/3 of it, until I couldnt take another swallow without instantly throwing up (i think the most I ever had in my life). And i BARELY emptied enough, but he did it anyways. Maybe it was because I had travelled 18 hours to get there.
I hope for your sake though it turns out well!!
~ Lisa ~
First colonscopy, I had some little bottle of stuff that tasted like chocolate, but I couldn't stomach; another small bottle of stuff with a taste that still haunts me--like pop with all the fizz let out and a pile of salt dumped in (also threw it up); and 2x enema *shudders*. But even with that, I was empty enough...
2nd colonoscopy was 2x powder that you added with a small amount of water into a coffee cup, wich turned hot. Stomached that no problem at all...
3rd colonoscopy was 4L of what seemed like a diluted version of of the salty flat pop. I drank 2/3 of it, until I couldnt take another swallow without instantly throwing up (i think the most I ever had in my life). And i BARELY emptied enough, but he did it anyways. Maybe it was because I had travelled 18 hours to get there.
I hope for your sake though it turns out well!!
~ Lisa ~
