Prep (fleet phospho-soda)

[lsgs]

I'm doing a prep starting tomorrow evening 7pm for colonoscopy and endoscopy on Thursday evening at 5:30pm.

Can anyone offer any advice on getting the fleet down, keeping it down, and generally how to make this a more manageable experience? Now I have the two little bottles in my hand it has become too real :eek2:

I am not allowed to eat after 1pm the day before, this seems like an awful long time. Any advice on how to stave off hunger/horrible yucky weakness from not eating as this is what I remember being the worst about my last colonoscopy, albeit 5 years ago.

Also, I have been feeling good with no pain or diarrhoea for 3 days now, and no bleeding for about a week. Is it likely to still show anything, if there is anything to show? Prior to this I had been feeling pretty rotten but things are unusually calm at the moment, sods law.

Just any words of wisdom would be great, thanks!

 

[Jennifer]

Hi lsgs! I know prep is never ever fun no matter which one you're drinking. What I do is use something like Squirt or Sprite and mix the prep with the drink (you can use another beverage if you don't drink soda, just has to be a clear liquid with no red or purple dye) about half and half which makes it easier to chug. Always chilled too. Keep in mind that if you're mixing the prep with something else you will need to take breaks to allow it to work its way through your system otherwise it might start backing up and you might throw up from being too full. I always take a drink of something else after chugging prep to get the taste out of my mouth (many people have mentioned sucking on a lemon wedge to get rid of the taste). Remember that once you're running clear as in your output is the same color as your input, you're done. You can also have the prep an hour earlier so you aren't kept up in the bathroom all night. I started mine early for my last one as I'm always up past midnight still going to the bathroom.

You can do a liquid diet for now. Could be jello (lime, orange, lemon etc), broth (chicken, beef or vegetable as long as its clear), tea, juice (apple, white grape etc) etc. You can have anything clear that doesn't have red or purple dye.

It is possible the scope will show something even though symptoms have improved. It will show any scarring that may have occurred from inflammation or ulcers etc. If your disease was or is active in the colon they should be able to see what's going on. They will be able to look into the terminal ileum but wont be able to move in and take biopsies inside if that's where your Crohn's is located. They will take an image though and should be able to tell if there's a narrowing or anything else visible going on.

Be sure to get some wet wipes as regular toilet paper feels like sandpaper after a while. You can also try getting some Calmoseptine (they have it at drug stores, ask the pharmacy clerk as they may have it behind the counter, that's where it is at my local drug store). If they don't have any of that I have used diaper rash cream and that worked well.

Hope that helps and keep us posted on how you're doing and when you get the results!

 

[lsgs]

Hi lsgs! I know prep is never ever fun no matter which one you're drinking. What I do is use something like Squirt or Sprite and mix the prep with the drink (you can use another beverage if you don't drink soda, just has to be a clear liquid with no red or purple dye) about half and half which makes it easier to chug. Always chilled too. Keep in mind that if you're mixing the prep with something else you will need to take breaks to allow it to work its way through your system otherwise it might start backing up and you might throw up from being too full. I always take a drink of something else after chugging prep to get the taste out of my mouth (many people have mentioned sucking on a lemon wedge to get rid of the taste). Remember that once you're running clear as in your output is the same color as your input, you're done. You can also have the prep an hour earlier so you aren't kept up in the bathroom all night. I started mine early for my last one as I'm always up past midnight still going to the bathroom.

You can do a liquid diet for now. Could be jello (lime, orange, lemon etc), broth (chicken, beef or vegetable as long as its clear), tea, juice (apple, white grape etc) etc. You can have anything clear that doesn't have red or purple dye.

It is possible the scope will show something even though symptoms have improved. It will show any scarring that may have occurred from inflammation or ulcers etc. If your disease was or is active in the colon they should be able to see what's going on. They will be able to look into the terminal ileum but wont be able to move in and take biopsies inside if that's where your Crohn's is located. They will take an image though and should be able to tell if there's a narrowing or anything else visible going on.

Be sure to get some wet wipes as regular toilet paper feels like sandpaper after a while. You can also try getting some Calmoseptine (they have it at drug stores, ask the pharmacy clerk as they may have it behind the counter, that's where it is at my local drug store). If they don't have any of that I have used diaper rash cream and that worked well.

Hope that helps and keep us posted on how you're doing and when you get the results!

Hi Crabby! Thanks for the reply.

What do you mean take breaks if you're mixing with something else? I was planning to do the soda thing, do you mean take it slow to help you stop feeling sick? I'm mainly concerned with preventing nausea as I don't deal with it very well.

I bought chicken broth in a tin and I'm planning on straining it so it's just the liquid, I read it helps stave off hunger. Does that sound ok?

Also am I allowed jello (I bought lemon and lime) after 1pm today (the solid food cut off?) It's not clear in the instructions.

I have to say, the combination of things I just bought in the shops must have made me look insane.

I am so scared!!! :shifty-t: I've also managed to come down with a cold, went into hospital and they said the consultant may cancel it tomorrow but as it stands just now it should be ok!!!! I may be prepping for nothing tonight!

 

[Jennifer]

Prepping for nothing is no good. If they are going to cancel it should be before you begin prep, not the day of the procedure. Hopefully it wont get canceled cause prep is never fun. D:

Yes I mean take it slow. If you start feeling full just let it settle. As long as the chicken broth isn't cloudy it should be fine.

Most preps say that eating a light breakfast or light lunch is ok on the day of prep. For me I never eat on prep day because that's just more time on the toilet. But your tests are late in the evening so if you want to do a light breakfast or lunch then that should be fine. After that its all clear liquids. Then start chugging prep at 7 as directed or earlier if you want to go to bed earlier. Sleeping helps the hunger for me.

You cannot have anything approximately 8 hours before your procedure (no more clear liquids or prep). So for you that's noting after/around 9:30am the day of the procedure. Says you're doing the endoscopy too so you can't have anything in your stomach. I just had both done too.

 

[lsgs]

Man I wish I had started earlier! Its taking me forever to get this stuff down. I keep feeling too full. Its been an hour and a half and I have a quarter left is that bad?? Still no action either, I thought fleet was fast. I'm supposed to drink over a litre of water before bed I dong think there's any way ill manage so so so stressed right now

 

[Jennifer]

Reduce the mix with the prep and drink mostly prep. I know its gross but it should help with the full feeling. Chase it with another drink. Usually anytime its in a giant jug it takes a while to make its way through your system for some reason. Quickest prep I had recently which had minimal amounts of drinking required was Suprep. That one was easy. Maybe you could ask for it in the future.

Sometimes it can take up to a couple hours for things to start moving for some people. Just do your best. If its possible to stay up later until you're running clear and then sleep in the next day then I'd do that. Cause remember you can't have anything around 8-6 hours before your procedure.

Edit: No I don't think having a quarter left to go is bad.

 

[lsgs]

Reduce the mix with the prep and drink mostly prep. I know its gross but it should help with the full feeling. Chase it with another drink. Usually anytime its in a giant jug it takes a while to make its way through your system for some reason. Quickest prep I had recently which had minimal amounts of drinking required was Suprep. That one was easy. Maybe you could ask for it in the future.

Sometimes it can take up to a couple hours for things to start moving for some people. Just do your best. If its possible to stay up later until you're running clear and then sleep in the next day then I'd do that. Cause remember you can't have anything around 8-6 hours before your procedure.

I have to do this all again tomorrow morning though :'( I am not dealing with this well at all!! It's only two small glasses too not a huge amount

 

[Jennifer]

Remember, once you're clear, you're done. That means no prep in the morning either. I was "supposed" to drink two bottles of Suprep, one the day before and one the day of. Well with the one the day of I'd had to start at like 4am cause you can't have anything 6-8 hours before the procedure and why do that when there's nothing left to come out? You're already running clear, there's no point in dehydrating your body more and destroying more good gut flora. The prep the day of is for people who are not running clear after their first go with the prep.

Edit: I only did one bottle the night before the procedure and was completely clear for the scopes. My output was the same color as my input the night before.

 

[lsgs]

Thanks for the help crabby. Still no action I am feeling so sore in my tummy and can't stop shivering. Not a peep from my bowels as of yet. I am in hell! Sorry to be a moan but I just feel like I don't have the energy for this :O

 

[Jennifer]

The shivers are a sign of something to come soon. I always get them during prep. It tends to happen not long before a bowel movement. Hopefully yours will let loose soon so you can stop feeling full and crumby. D: If all else fails, you may have to do the second prep early in the morning. I'm hoping you wont have to though.

 

[lsgs]

The shivers are a sign of something to come soon. I always get them during prep. It tends to happen not long before a bowel movement. Hopefully yours will let loose soon so you can stop feeling full and crumby. D: If all else fails, you may have to do the second prep early in the morning. I'm hoping you wont have to though.

Crabby you genuinely have no idea how grateful I am for your replies on this thread. I have only had one bm so far. :S quite worried. So tired too, desp to sleep!!!!

 

[Jennifer]

Were you able to finish the prep? Maybe you could get up early and try doing some more in the morning so you'll be clear by the time you have the scopes done.

 

[lsgs]

Were you able to finish the prep? Maybe you could get up early and try doing some more in the morning so you'll be clear by the time you have the scopes done.

I nearly finished it, only a tiny bit left. Couldn't do any more due to pain. Thankfully the nausea and tummy pain are much better and things are moving. If I'm not mistaken it might be running clear already?! Seems strange so soon but fingers crossed I don't need another prep tomorrow, that would make me very very happy!!

 

[Jennifer]

Good to hear! Try to keep drinking clear liquids to continue flushing everything (including the prep) out.

 

[lsgs]

Eugh looks like I'll be needing my second dose in an hour

Don't feel like its working that well

 

[Jennifer]

May need less mixing and more prep. Hold your nose and chug, do your best!

 

[lsgs]

Is it normal to have fairly sharp abdominal pain this late on. Everything has worked but the pain in my belly is awful and tender to touch. Sitting with a heat pack on but it's so sore. Don't remember anything like this last time. Also don't remember bleeding from my bum last time :-/