Please help me prepare for my colonoscopy.

[Ning Ning]

8 ounces? I drink gallons of water every day. My last prep (#3) were 2 smaller bottles that I chugged (and then read should be sipped, too gross, that wasn’t happening). I messed up by skipping dinner the night before my prep, that hurt a bit, was eating plain fat free yogurt the next day (which I love with lots of berries, kind of sucked plain). My blood pressure was not good the next day so I had to wait a couple of extra hours (which was hard, I’m a huge water drinker, but I was complimented by the check in staff for bringing a water bottle and bagel in a bag for after, my husband had work calls scheduled for around when I’d be picked up and I remembered how thirsty and hungry I was in the past (5 year plan).

The Sutab prep is 24 tablets, so 8 oz. with each tablet is a lot of water! It's just a lot better for those who can't stand the taste of the GoLYTELY liquid prep.

 

[Nora03]

I had mine on Tuesday, the day OP posted this. I couldn’t answer as I would have scared her off. My instructions were nothing with seeds, flax, corn, etc, a week before. I was careful about what I ate as we usually have a multigrain bread. The procedure went fine and everything is good. However I had a really hard time drinking the gross and large amount of Golightly. I managed six glasses and then started shivering and felt nauseous. DH went and got me Gravol and it helped but I couldn’t drink any more that night. At 5:00 a.m. I took a Gravol and managed another four glasses. But I knew I was cleaned out. As a PP said I wish I’d had a better solution for running to the bathroom. It just ran out of me. The doctor said I don’t need another one for ten years, but since I’m 74 I don’t think I’d go through this at 84 unless I was having symptoms, or if I didn’t have to drink that stuff. My DH has had many and hasn’t had any of the problems I had. But he did have to have surgery and we’re thankful that it was caught and resolved. It’s been six years since his surgery and all is good. Good luck OP. While this isn’t fun it does save people’s lives. I hope you come back and tell us your experience and outcome.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

The doctor said I don’t need another one for ten years, but since I’m 74 I don’t think I’d go through this at 84 unless I was having symptoms,

The general consensus is after age 75, depending on other risk factors, a colonoscopy is not necessary.

 

[MrsPete]

She suggested potatoes and rice.

Potatoes and rice are fine choices for a low-residue diet, but you don't have to restrict yourself to just those things. I've had problems in this area, and I have to have a colonoscopy every five years. I've actually made myself a laminated grid with food choices (things I actually like!) laid out -- so I don't have to think about it.
I'm a little conservative /overly careful with what I eat because the most important thing is to do it right -- you don't want the doctor to wake you up and say, "Sorry, I couldn't do the procedure because you weren't adequately "cleaned out".
The point of the whole thing is to completely empty your colon. So you want to avoid most vegetables, whole grains, fried foods, red meat, and food dyes (which can mimic blood). It's also wise to eat lightly in the days before your procedure -- less in, less to come out.
Here's the gist of my plan for the days leading up:
- For breakfast, an egg cooked in butter + a piece of white toast or biscuit (butter or honey are okay, but no jelly) + canned peaches or pears.
- For lunch, a turkey and cheese sandwich with mayo on white bread + canned peaches or pears.
- For dinner: Simple fish + baked potato with butter and sour cream. Chicken + waffles (made with white flour) with honey instead of maple syrup. Shrimp scampi over spaghetti.
- For snacks: Vanilla pudding or ice cream. Cheese and white-flour crackers. Italian Ice (in lemon) is great because it takes so long to eat.
- For drinks: Ginger ale, Iced tea, White or yellow sports drinks.
- Day before the procedure is most important: After 10:00 am, liquids only. Broth is the go-to, but Boost or Ensure in vanilla are acceptable, and while I don't really like them, they make a world of difference. Your last food should be mid-afternoon.
- Do yourself a favor and buy wet wipes (don't bother with toilet paper) and baby butt cream. Excessive wiping will do your skin no good.
- Day of the procedure, nothing at all -- not even water, gum or mints. Hopefully you get a very early appointment, then you go out to eat a big meal afterward!

Make sure the special drink is nice and cold!

This is SO IMPORTANT. I mix the liquid up and put it in the coldest part of the refrigerator, I drip a heavy glass in water and put it in the freezer -- and I get a big, fat straw. The cold, cold, cold is your friend.
I like to mix the prep with White Grape Juice. It adds some good flavor to the prep. My doctor says "a clear liquid" is anything through which you can read the newspaper.
You can have white or yellow gummy bears, as they turn to liquid once they're inside your body.
My method: I drink 5 big slurps through the big straw, pop a single gummy bear into my mouth, and walk around the kitchen once -- then back for another 5 big slurps. Letting it sit /waiting isn't going to make it any easier.
The GoLyte is not pleasant, but neither is it unbearable -- mixed with White Grape Juice, it tastes salty and is not refreshing like a drink should be, but you can get it down. I can drink the whole glass in about 5 minutes.
Then you have to follow up with two bottles of water -- you have an hour to get them down, so no need to chug them. If you go too fast, your stomach may revolt and vomit, and the water bottles aren't a chore you're trying to get over fast.

For all of you talking about still drinking the liquid prep, there is now a prep in pill form.

My brother-in-law had this, and I asked for the same thing -- but my doctor said he won't prescribe it. He says it's very hard on the kidneys, and he won't prescribe it unless the patient absolutely needs a colonoscopy and has failed to tolerate the prep drink.
I don't want to do anything extra-hard on my body -- not when the prep is simply unpleasant.

As far as the procedure goes, the prep was worse than the procedure.

So much! The procedure is nothing; you'll be asleep. When you wake up, your head will be perfectly clear, though your reactions may be a little slow for an hour or so.

Yes…otherwise, my boss can deny vacation request. Due to nasty prep, starting 2nd night before procedure day. Plus, who wants to waste 2 vacay days on this, I would rather take time off unpaid.

You really don't need two days off for this. You can follow the diet while working -- you won't start, um, pooping your brains out until you drink the prep the evening before. You definitely need one day off for the procedure, but if you have the procedure in the morning, you'll be yourself by the afternoon again.

 

[mjkacmom]

This is what I used for my last one, wasn’t too bad. https://www.mountainside-medical.co...noscopy-prep-kit-ready-to-drink-oral-solution

 

[JBRB828]

The general consensus is after age 75, depending on other risk factors, a colonoscopy is not necessary.

^ This
I had my third one in December and all were clean. This time the doctor said I was clean again and no more are needed, I was 73.

 

[Christine]

My brother-in-law had this, and I asked for the same thing -- but my doctor said he won't prescribe it. He says it's very hard on the kidneys, and he won't prescribe it unless the patient absolutely needs a colonoscopy and has failed to tolerate the prep drink.
I don't want to do anything extra-hard on my body -- not when the prep is simply unpleasant.

Are you sure your doctor thought the new Sutab pills were hard on the kidneys? They are the exact formulation as the Suprep which is no harder on the kidney than other similar preps. The old "Osmoprep" tablets were very hard on the kidneys and were pulled of the market for a time. I took those 10 years ago and man, they made me SOOOO thirsty I felt insane over it. So I can see how those would be problematic for the kidneys but they were a different formulation back then.

 

[clh2]

You really don't need two days off for this. You can follow the diet while working -- you won't start, um, pooping your brains out until you drink the prep the evening before. You definitely need one day off for the procedure, but if you have the procedure in the morning, you'll be yourself by the afternoon again.

The physician’s normal protocol for a regular screening colonoscopy starts with taking an OTC laxative the night before the Prep day. Ie you will be pooping starting early the morning the day before the procedure. So, I’m not willing to work “that day”, in an office where there is sometimes a line to use the restroom. And, the physician recommends not working the day before. (As was already mentioned, he has a strict protocol, and, I’m just going to follow it and not make up my own protocol before this.)

 

[kdonnel]

This was submitted with only a couple of weeks notice. Appointment needed to be rescheduled due to physician having a last minute conflict. It was originally scheduled for last week of June. My other issue…vacation time has been getting used up slowly, due to my mom passing away, my dad trying to get his house ready to sell etc. so, I’m not wanting to actually loose a real (and needed vacation) vacation in the fall due to “this”.

Stories like this make me thankful for the various jobs I have had in my life.

I have never worked anywhere that required any notice for medical related time off.

I hope you get it worked out and the actual procedure goes well and gives you the results you want.

 

[Dixie1337]

I can’t manage the giant jug of salty tropical oil. I threw up the first sip I drank. I immediately went to the pharmacy and they suggested pico salax and something like a gallon of Gatorade. That stuff actually tasted good and I don’t know why they torture people with the other stuff. I told the nurse when I arrived at the hospital what happened and they said should be fine and it was. I’ve since had another (my mom had colorectal cancer so I’m on the 5 year plan) and I said I can’t drink that stuff and they sent me the prep info for pico salax. I guess the other stuff works better but not if you can’t keep it down.

 

[MrsPete]

Are you sure your doctor thought the new Sutab pills were hard on the kidneys? They are the exact formulation as the Suprep which is no harder on the kidney than other similar preps. The old "Osmoprep" tablets were very hard on the kidneys and were pulled of the market for a time. I took those 10 years ago and man, they made me SOOOO thirsty I felt insane over it. So I can see how those would be problematic for the kidneys but they were a different formulation back then.

Yes, kidneys. Since the prep was simply unpleasant, I'm not willing to take any risk to an important organ.

The physician’s normal protocol for a regular screening colonoscopy starts with taking an OTC laxative the night before the Prep day. Ie you will be pooping starting early the morning the day before the procedure. So, I’m not willing to work “that day”, in an office where there is sometimes a line to use the restroom. And, the physician recommends not working the day before. (As was already mentioned, he has a strict protocol, and, I’m just going to follow it and not make up my own protocol before this.)

No, that's not the schedule I've followed. Of course you should listen to your doctor, but I've never heard of "pooping" the day before the procedure.
Have you taken OTC laxative before? Since this isn't going to be a particularly strong (or prescription) medicine, you could do a "test run" ahead of time.

 

[clh2]

No, that's not the schedule I've followed. Of course you should listen to your doctor, but I've never heard of "pooping" the day before the procedure.
Have you taken OTC laxative before? Since this isn't going to be a particularly strong (or prescription) medicine, you could do a "test run" ahead of time.

No way for a test run in advance, not taking chance that I would need restroom AT work in a hurry. Would not want to use work’s sandpaper-like toilet paper either! DH (retired) was at home when he did this too. Being anywhere but at home is not feasible, which is why I will need two days off work.