Colonoscopy prep

[Shugardrawers]

If I'm clean as a whistle in there, how can it stink?
Oh crap (no pun intended) are we doing the dreaded H word? Or are we still considered on topic?

 

[Tigger&Belle]

I'm pretty sure that discussing farting and pooping is still on-topic.

 

[cheerful chickadee]

my mom had a colonoscopy about 2 weeks ago and the her prep was to take 4 dulcolax tablets the day before, drink a certain amount of water and 2 gatorades. Then after 6pm she could only drink clear liquids. She didn't have to take any pills, the dulcolax and liquids were enough for her! lol Poor thing.

I hope your doc calls back with an alternative!

 

[Dakota_Lynn]

I totally understand. I have a VERY sensitive gag reflex also. I have blown a barium "shake" all over an exam room! I have had 2 colonoscopies and could not drink the stuff at all.

Does your doctor have an on call number? If so, CALL IT! Let them know you are having problems and ask for an alternative. You could also call the pharmacy, but the Dr. is your best bet. If you can't reach your Dr. or his sub, then call the local ER and see if you can talk to a nurse.

I ended up having to take a bunch of OTC laxatives. I had cramping and stomach pain, but I really preferred that to gagging down and then puking up the liquid stuff. Just get some pillows, a heating pad, and reading materials and camp out in the bathroom when they start working. You may be up all night.

But the test is important. I would rather endure a day of stomach cramps and diarrhea than untreated Colon Cancer.

Good Luck

I totally agree with that! Call your doctor tonight; he or she will help. When I had to do this horrible preparation a few months ago, I started getting sick about three liters through it (I could NOT finish the fourth and was ready to cancel the test). I called the on call doctor near tears I was so sick. He told me that they get several calls a night from people struggling with that preparation crap. I was happy when he told me three liters was plenty and he said I could throw out the rest. So maybe your doctor will let you off easy too! And maybe there are other alternatives too.

It sure sucks, doesn't it? Not fun at all. The procedure itself is no big deal, but the preparation is just unreal.

 

[luvflorida]

I talked to the doctor this afternoon. Well, it was the doctor on call, not my regular doctor. I explained that I couldn't keep the prep down, and he was very understanding. He asked what I wanted to do, and I asked what the alternatives were. He said there was another type of prep that can be mixed with Gatorade, but I told him that anything I had to drink would come right back up. I don't even like Gatorade without mixing something in it.

I was waiting for him to mention the pills, but he didn't, so I told him I had done some research on online and read about the pills. He then said that yes, there was a pill prep. He said it required taking 35 pills with a lot of liquid.

I asked him if there was any other way to do this prep, and he asked if the colonoscopy was a screening and not because there were any problems. I told him it was a screening due to turning 50, and there were no problems, that I know of. He said the other alternative was to cancel the appointment, and that I was the boss and it was my appointment, and if I wanted to cancel he would notify the hospital. I told him I wanted to cancel the appointment. I just couldn't see taking the pills and drinking more liquid. I still feel sick from this morning, and right now, I can't imagine drinking anything.

He said he was sorry it made me so sick. It was nice to be able to talk to a sympathetic doctor. I told him I'd make an appointment with my regular doctor and see where to go from here.

I feel kind of stupid that I couldn't do this prep thing.

 

[mickeyfan2]

I had to drink the stuff before surgery. They told me not to mix it with anything, it just adds to the volume of it and does not hide the taste. I downed the 1.5 oz in one gulp and then chased it with grape juice. It worked for me.

 

[sugarpie]

I'm glad you talked to a nice doctor. Definitely go the pill route next time. I'm a nurse and I rarely see doctors prescribe anything but the pill prep anymore.

Oh, the stories I could tell you about patients and those jugs of Go-Lightly.

 

[RoyalCanadian]

I have had both a colonoscopy and a sigmoidoscopy. I much preferred the colonoscopy as major sedatives were involved. Not so with the sigmoidoscopy.

The Fleet Phospho-Soda is most vile and I also had the serious vomitting the first time I took it.

The second time I took the Phospho-Soda I deadened my sense of taste by sucking on an ice cube for a while and then took a teaspoon of concentrated lemon juice. I never tasted the saline solution at all and it did its stuff.

 

[sammi]

Ughhhh I had to prep for a barium enema a couple of months ago and had to drink 1 whole flippin' gallon of Golightly! It was the most putrid stuff I've ever had in my life...I actually drank it through a straw and then had a white grape juice for a chaser...will never ever drink grape juice again!

I managed to get most of it down me and the nurse at the hospital said she has lots of people coming in that could not finish it......ughhhh I can still taste it now! My heart goes out to you!

 

[Laura]

I had a colonoscopy and EGD on February 28--my prep was two full doses of phospho-soda (evening before and morning of the procedures). At the advice of a co-worker, I got a couple of straws and drank it down that way. Stuck the straw practically at the back of my throat so I couldn't really taste it. What made me nearly puke was the fact that it had to be followed immediately by 3 more big glasses of water. Maybe you can suck on some strongly-flavored candy (mint, lemon, cinnamon--as long as it's not red) to fill your mouth with another flavor before you have to drink the stuff. Or rinse your mouth out with Listerine and numb the $*%@ out of your tongue.

Everyone, please get your colonoscopies. I'm only 31, and I'm fine (just diagnosed with IBS and a hiatal hernia) but a woman at my workplace is 38 and has recently been diagnosed with colon cancer. She does have a long family history of colon cancer, though. She underwent surgery and they think they got it all.

There's nothing better than waking up from a procedure like that and being told there's nothing wrong with you. So get screened!!!!

 

[Christine]

I've heard that the Fleet stuff was awful. I used the pills when I had mine last month and they were WONDERFUL!

 

[PixieDustTink]

I have had to have five of these things done in the last five years due to bowel problems. Now I sort of have a way I do it that makes it SLIGHTLY easier.

This time they gave me the ONE GALLON thing to drink and I will NEVER agree to do it that way again. I would rather have the mag citrate any day.

But I go on a liquid diet a full day before I do this prep now. That way I find my tummy is not sooo upset and the whole "process" goes quicker. They get an empty bowel and decent pictures and I do not have to suffer so much.

If you only take liquids before hand earlier enough it seems to really help! NOW you really do need to stay hydrated sooo gatoraide is a good choice of liquid, broth is good too or any other clear liquid but I steer clear of solid food before drinking any of these prep concotions.

The prep is way worse than the actual proceedure though I DO wish they would knock me out a bit more than they do.

 

[Daxx]

Feel your pain. I had to undergo this in 2005 so they could see if my appendix (which was infected) had any cancer at the end of it. I guess they have to take a different method to remove the appendix if it's cancerous. Anyway, I had to do the gallon of liquid w/the prep in it. I got half the stuff down and wound up vomiting it up. DH called the doctor and he gave me the phospho stuff. I drank it straight ... one bottle. I couldn't do the second bottle b/c I knew I'd upchuck it. DH said that the Dr. wanted me to have two but was hopeful that some of the stuff that I puked up stayed down and the one bottle would do the trick. I wound up only doing the one bottle and saying "screw it" b/c I was so tired of being sick all the time. I was sick w/the infected appendix for over a month b/c the Dr. waited to see if it would heal itself.

I wound up staying the night on the bathroom floor b/c I got tired of running from the bed.

I guess the single bottle did the trick b/c I had the colonoscopy and everything went well.

Now, the thought of having to do another one in 5 yrs. (b/c my Grandmother on Dad's side died from colon cancer) just makes my stomach roil. However, I do have to say it was the easiest thing to go through once the prep was over with.

 

[shortbun]

I used cut up limes and lemons to bite on after I drank it. Just like a shot of tequilla. Worked for me!

 

[luvflorida]

I hate to sound so negative, but I know that I wouldn't be able to get the prep down using any of the methods that have been mentioned here.

It's been almost 10 hours since I tried the prep for the second time, and if I even think about the stuff, I start to gag. Even reading this thread is making me feel sick. I can still taste the prep from this morning, and my stomach is still upset.

I probably have a real block in my mind about the whole prep procedure now. Like I mentioned before, I'm not at all afraid to have the colonoscopy. The problem is what I have to do to prepare for it.

I'm not going to give up; I'm going to see if my doctor has any answers.

Thanks so much for all the ideas and kind thoughts!

 

[minnie56]

We had dinner last night with friends...she is a Psychiatrist and he is a Radiologist. He was telling us that 'Virtual' Colonscopies are all he ever does these days. I had never heard of it?!?!? Has anyone else? He said it's soooo easy and takes no time at all. Not tooo many facilities do it this way routinely but sure sounds promising!

 

[nephthys43]

We had dinner last night with friends...she is a Psychiatrist and he is a Radiologist. He was telling us that 'Virtual' Colonscopies are all he ever does these days. I had never heard of it?!?!? Has anyone else? He said it's soooo easy and takes no time at all. Not tooo many facilities do it this way routinely but sure sounds promising!

they're all the rage these days, but no insurance carriers will cover it and if they find something, they'll have to do a regular one anyway to remove and biopsy the polyp. and you have to do the exact same prep for a virtual one.

our office does not use the pill prep. it's a horrible prep that doesn't work as well as the others. we use half-lytely or trilyte. we also very rarely use the phosphosoda as it can cause an electrolyte imbalance.

i've tasted all the preps. the gallon jug ones taste the best unfortunately.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

I was given pills instead of the liquid because I have a weak gag reflex. Of course I ended up throwing up the pills BUT when i took the pills with carbonated tonic water they stayed down.

 

[floridafam]

Just had a colonoscopy on Thursday. I told my Dr. here in Florida that my last test in Michigan 3 years ago was incomplete because I couldn't keep the prep down-Fleets- and I wasn't completely cleaned out.

He prescribed the pill prep and it was not the best but FAR better than the Fleets. I had to take a total of 28 Visocal (sp?) and 4 Dulcolax. I started at 4pm and had to take 4 pills every 15 minutes until 20 were gone. I also had to do the same thing at 9pm with the 8 remaining pills. At bedtime I had to take the 4 Dulcolax. I was supposed to wash the 4 Dulcolax down with 2 cans of Ginger Ale but only managed one and I did tell my Dr. this before he started the test.

Everything was fine this time. I was completely cleaned out and everything looked good.

The Visocal pills were huge so I had to cut them in half. I never have a problem taking pills so this was a surprise for me.

I've had all the different kinds of preps out there and I prefer the pills the best.

People are correct when they say the prep is the worst part. The actual test is a breeze!

I have to go back in 3 years since my brother passed away from colon cancer. The only thing I am not looking forward to is the almost unbearable shoulder pain I get afterward. It's unbelievable! After a few farts, it's better.

I wonder why your Dr. won't prescribe the pill prep? I would definately ask for it and say that is the only way you see yourself being completely prepared for the procedure.

I asked my Dr. about the virtual colonoscopy and he said that they aren't covered by insurance, you still have to do the prep and that they may still have to do a normal one if they find any polyps.

I also caution people about getting the flexible sigmoidoscopies. They are good to a point but they don't look at the whole colon. It's like going in for a mammogram and only getting one side done.

Keep us posted on what you end up doing and good luck!!

 

[DISUNC]

4 PAGES ON A COLONOSCOPY PREP!!!!!!!!!

I COULDNT EVEN READ THE RESPONSES! yuk