prep for colonscopy dont make any sense --asked several times

[L&Lfan]

I really couldn't tell you. But I've had 2 procedures and the prep was around10 pills taken at intervals followed by a bottle of water. I was surprised I never had to take the " drink" as I'd heard horror stories about how hard it was. I will try to contact my gastroenterologist and get back to you, but I'm sure a pharmacy could tell you. I guess it all depends on whether your doctor will approve and write you a script.

I think it's called something like osmoprep.

 

[SharonZ]

I also use the Prepopik, and it is very easy. It was 5 oz of solution, followed by 5 8 oz glasses of clear liquids, repeated again 5 hours before procedure.

 

[marthachick]

I hate the drive to the surgery center the morning of the procedure. It is about 20-10 minutes away and I am always so scared that I will have to "go" again.

We are 30 minutes away from our surgery center. I was seriously worried about that also! But nothing happened! And no polyps or problems!

 

[lucas]

We are 30 minutes away from our surgery center. I was seriously worried about that also! But nothing happened! And no polyps or problems!

Oops - I made a mistake in my post - typo! I meant to say 20-30 minutes (not 20-10 minutes, duh!). I corrected my original post.

 

[manning]

I'm able to do the pill method with water so I've never done the drink. My prep begins the day before and I'm done before I go to bed. I've had 2 colonoscopies in my life and am due for another in 2019. Good luck to you.

I stay away from the pill method. There is potential kidney damage.

 

[Alpental]

If there are any doctors who read these posts. I have been reading about studies done for several years now about ending the starvation before the colonoscopy. These studies say a low residue diet results in just as good a result as the clear liquids only on the day prior. You can eat the low residue diet up until you begin drinking the prep or at least lunch on the day before. One of the theories is that having something in you could help move things through to accomplish the clean out. So why are doctors so reluctant to try this? I've heard there are not nearly as many cancellations, last minute. Also more people are willing to do the test when allowed to follow this diet.

Second question is about the prep. For an otherwise healthy person why prescribe things like Golytely "sorry if I didn't spell it correctly" which involves drinking huge amounts of foul tasking liquid. The prep where you drink one small bottle with gatoraide afterward, then another small bottle the morning of is alot more pleasant. My boyfriend did both and complained much less about the two small bottles prep. So why don't doctors give patients the option.

Third question is about the anesthesia. My boyfriend had a colonoscopy and asked the doctor if he could do it without the happy juice and the doctor refused. During this test the doctor found a large "flat" polyp and he was sent to another doctor for another colonoscopy to have it removed. He asked the second doctor if he could do it without the happy juice and he said sure. He was very happy with the result. He said he had to grit his teeth once or twice but nothing bad at all. Having a tooth pulled was much worse. So my question is why should anyone have to fight with their doctor to do it without the happy juice?

 

[mom2rtk]

If there are any doctors who read these posts. I have been reading about studies done for several years now about ending the starvation before the colonoscopy. These studies say a low residue diet results in just as good a result as the clear liquids only on the day prior. You can eat the low residue diet up until you begin drinking the prep or at least lunch on the day before. One of the theories is that having something in you could help move things through to accomplish the clean out. So why are doctors so reluctant to try this? I've heard there are not nearly as many cancellations, last minute. Also more people are willing to do the test when allowed to follow this diet.

Second question is about the prep. For an otherwise healthy person why prescribe things like Golytely "sorry if I didn't spell it correctly" which involves drinking huge amounts of foul tasking liquid. The prep where you drink one small bottle with gatoraide afterward, then another small bottle the morning of is alot more pleasant. My boyfriend did both and complained much less about the two small bottles prep. So why don't doctors give patients the option.

Third question is about the anesthesia. My boyfriend had a colonoscopy and asked the doctor if he could do it without the happy juice and the doctor refused. During this test the doctor found a large "flat" polyp and he was sent to another doctor for another colonoscopy to have it removed. He asked the second doctor if he could do it without the happy juice and he said sure. He was very happy with the result. He said he had to grit his teeth once or twice but nothing bad at all. Having a tooth pulled was much worse. So my question is why should anyone have to fight with their doctor to do it without the happy juice?

If you don't want general anesthesia and your boyfriend found a doctor that doesn't require it, why not just use your boyfriend's doctor?

 

[anniemae]

If there are any doctors who read these posts. I have been reading about studies done for several years now about ending the starvation before the colonoscopy. These studies say a low residue diet results in just as good a result as the clear liquids only on the day prior. You can eat the low residue diet up until you begin drinking the prep or at least lunch on the day before. One of the theories is that having something in you could help move things through to accomplish the clean out. So why are doctors so reluctant to try this? I've heard there are not nearly as many cancellations, last minute. Also more people are willing to do the test when allowed to follow this diet.

Second question is about the prep. For an otherwise healthy person why prescribe things like Golytely "sorry if I didn't spell it correctly" which involves drinking huge amounts of foul tasking liquid. The prep where you drink one small bottle with gatoraide afterward, then another small bottle the morning of is alot more pleasant. My boyfriend did both and complained much less about the two small bottles prep. So why don't doctors give patients the option.

Third question is about the anesthesia. My boyfriend had a colonoscopy and asked the doctor if he could do it without the happy juice and the doctor refused. During this test the doctor found a large "flat" polyp and he was sent to another doctor for another colonoscopy to have it removed. He asked the second doctor if he could do it without the happy juice and he said sure. He was very happy with the result. He said he had to grit his teeth once or twice but nothing bad at all. Having a tooth pulled was much worse. So my question is why should anyone have to fight with their doctor to do it without the happy juice?

in answer to the bolded: I think each doctor has a different method they prefer for the "clean out." Some like Golytely and some prefer Miralax prep. DH's dr. has completely different prep than mine. Different prep product, different "eating schedule" for the day prior etc. Each dr. has their own preference, much like we all prefer different brands of products.

 

[NotUrsula]

Doctors will prescribe a method that they find is effective, but IME, most of them really don't care what you do as long as you come in with the bowel condition that that want. If you know of a method that you can deal with that will work as needed and that you will actually follow properly, then ask to do that.

My doc prescribed one of the gallon liquid methods, but when I tried to drink it I could not keep it down; the amount of salt in it made me vomit instantly. I was having the procedure on a Monday and could not reach the doc, so I just looked up methods suggested by leading hospitals, and decided to go with the one I thought I could best tolerate. That turned out to be the Gatorade and Miralax method from the University of Michigan Med Center. it takes a substantial amount of Miralax powder and several quarts of pale Gatorade, plus a couple of laxative tablets. I don't like swallowing Miralax powder, so I mixed 1/2 cup of it with 12 ounces of a pale juice drink, mixed and chugged that down, and drank the Gatorade on ice slowly in between doses. My system was fully cleared out when I went to bed late that evening, so I got a decent night's sleep with no worry at that point. Doc was surprised when I told him afterward that I had had to use an alternative prep; he said he did not notice a difference from what he had expected. He told me that getting a clean result is more important than which method is used, and that any method that isn't fully followed is a bad choice because getting the job half-done screws up their ability to properly perform the test.

https://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/MPU/UMHS_Colonoscopy_Miralax_Gatorade_Prep.pdf

 

[seashoreCM]

... (the doctor) told me that getting a clean result is more important than which method is used, and that any method that isn't fully followed is a bad choice because getting the job half-done screws up their ability to properly perform the test."

Very true. Some doctors might fine tune their prep procedures to add more steps depending on their own experiences performing the colonoscopy itself. But doctors might be reluctant to delete steps because different persons' digestive metabolism speeds differ and a doctor found that an extra liquid run through by going to a liquid diet sooner does work better.

The purpose of the foul tasting preparations with funny names is to speed up the overall bowel clean out procedure. For some persons the speed up is fast enough to threaten projectile diarrhea.

Also, different people have different pain thresholds. Over the years I came upon at least two "colonoscopy trip reports" where someone said he did not get enough "happy juice" and awoke during the colonoscopy to paralyzed muscles (enough happy juice only for that part) and excruciating pain (his bowel much more sensitive than average).

Just for kicks, if your washing machine spews* out waste water into a laundry tub (instead of into a drain pipe on the wall) then try running the freshly washed clothes through a second cycle without detergent. You might see a lot of soap suds pouring out suggesting that one regular cycle did not rinse the clothes adequately. Then you might from that day forward choose to always run part or all of a second cycle to assure an adequate rinse. (I always repeat just the rinse part of the cycle for each load.)

* If you don't see the waste water then you cannot conduct this test although some of you might just take my word for it and start rinsing clothes twice.

 

[DebbieB]

If you don't want general anesthesia and your boyfriend found a doctor that doesn't require it, why not just use your boyfriend's doctor?

I don’t think they usually use general anesthesia. They use conscious sedation, which is less risky. You don’t need a breathing tube and maintain your own cardiac function. In my case, propofol, aka Michael Jackson drug. That was the best part! Went under and came out of it on a high for a day. The first one they said I couldn’t drive for the rest of the day. Second time was 24 hours. It was in the afternoon, which meant I couldn’t drive to work the next day (so I worked at home).

My first was in 2010, second 2016. Same doctor but they changed the prep. Last time I had Suprep. Not as bad as the first time.

 

[mjkacmom]

I don’t think they usually use general anesthesia. They use conscious sedation, which is less risky. You don’t need a breathing tube and maintain your own cardiac function. In my case, propofol, aka Michael Jackson drug. That was the best part! Went under and came out of it on a high for a day. The first one they said I couldn’t drive for the rest of the day. Second time was 24 hours. It was in the afternoon, which meant I couldn’t drive to work the next day (so I worked at home).

My first was in 2010, second 2016. Same doctor but they changed the prep. Last time I had Suprep. Not as bad as the first time.

This is correct, it’s light sedation, much easier to wake up from.

 

[Boardwalk Jedi]

I don’t think they usually use general anesthesia. They use conscious sedation, which is less risky. You don’t need a breathing tube and maintain your own cardiac function. In my case, propofol, aka Michael Jackson drug. That was the best part! Went under and came out of it on a high for a day. The first one they said I couldn’t drive for the rest of the day. Second time was 24 hours. It was in the afternoon, which meant I couldn’t drive to work the next day (so I worked at home).

My first was in 2010, second 2016. Same doctor but they changed the prep. Last time I had Suprep. Not as bad as the first time.

My never-did-drugs hubby talked about propofol for three days after his colonsocopy. LOL

 

[Dznypal]

OP back---just noticed that my post from March was brought back and thought that maybe some of you who responded and gave me great advice would like to know how things turned out

it was an adventure--get there get all ready and the dr is running 90 minutes late--seems his first patient had issues--my app was 930 I looked at the clock when it was finally my turn and it was 1055

the last thing I remember was talking to the RN about the fentanyl making sure it was in a vial so as to not have to be filtered

I had told DH as soon as my eyes were opened to get me out of there ASAP--so I came too asked DH why we weren't out of there yet

he replied there were some issues Ill tell you when we get in the car--I told him if there were issues I wanted to know now

so he said when the dr came in after it was done he told DH that I stopped breathing only for a few seconds but it happened twice

well hearing this sent me in a tail spin--I was not to happy to hear I wasn't breathing even just a few seconds or not

it was from the anestethic seems even though I was out I was still moving so they kept giving me more fentanyl which wasn't taking when it finally did take hold it all rushed in my system at once--basically causing me to OD on fentanyl to which they had to give me Narcan to reverse it

so I had to stay for 2 hrs to be watched--finally after much insisting they let me order food I was starved by this time--it was already 1 pm

finally at 2 I got to leave got there at 830 for the procedure at 930 and finally got home at 2--then they wonder why I have meltdowns

the next day I was still freaked out about the stopped breathing part so I called to have them send me the dr notes on what happened

well on the notes it says STATS dropped to below 60--nothing about not breathing--which leads me to believe things were being covered up
it was funny too cause the dr called a few weeks later he felt bad he didn't call sooner

seems he was on vacation when I called for the notes and he thought I wanted him to call back--which all I wanted was the notes-he had left a message to call back--seeing I all I wanted was the notes I didn't feel it necessary to call back--he calls again a few days later

he has an accent and for me a little hard to understand so I had DH talk--they were talking about the breathing and the more the dr was explaining the faster he was talking and getting fluster--

they better come up with something different "next time" or there wont be a next time

 

[FergieTCat]

Since this thread has made it's way back --

My endo told me that the "first sell" is always the easiest and he can rarely convince someone to have an "optical" procedure twice. I hope I will be able to use a Cologuard test in the future.

 

[Alpental]

Doctors will prescribe a method that they find is effective, but IME, most of them really don't care what you do as long as you come in with the bowel condition that that want. If you know of a method that you can deal with that will work as needed and that you will actually follow properly, then ask to do that.

My doc prescribed one of the gallon liquid methods, but when I tried to drink it I could not keep it down; the amount of salt in it made me vomit instantly. I was having the procedure on a Monday and could not reach the doc, so I just looked up methods suggested by leading hospitals, and decided to go with the one I thought I could best tolerate. That turned out to be the Gatorade and Miralax method from the University of Michigan Med Center. it takes a substantial amount of Miralax powder and several quarts of pale Gatorade, plus a couple of laxative tablets. I don't like swallowing Miralax powder, so I mixed 1/2 cup of it with 12 ounces of a pale juice drink, mixed and chugged that down, and drank the Gatorade on ice slowly in between doses. My system was fully cleared out when I went to bed late that evening, so I got a decent night's sleep with no worry at that point. Doc was surprised when I told him afterward that I had had to use an alternative prep; he said he did not notice a difference from what he had expected. He told me that getting a clean result is more important than which method is used, and that any method that isn't fully followed is a bad choice because getting the job half-done screws up their ability to properly perform the test.

https://www.med.umich.edu/1libr/MPU/UMHS_Colonoscopy_Miralax_Gatorade_Prep.pdf

I have heard such terrible reports on the preps which require you to drink a gallon of foul taking liquid. I don't understand why doctors use it. As you discovered it didn't really matter which prep you took.

 

[Alpental]

OP back---just noticed that my post from March was brought back and thought that maybe some of you who responded and gave me great advice would like to know how things turned out

it was an adventure--get there get all ready and the dr is running 90 minutes late--seems his first patient had issues--my app was 930 I looked at the clock when it was finally my turn and it was 1055

the last thing I remember was talking to the RN about the fentanyl making sure it was in a vial so as to not have to be filtered

I had told DH as soon as my eyes were opened to get me out of there ASAP--so I came too asked DH why we weren't out of there yet

he replied there were some issues Ill tell you when we get in the car--I told him if there were issues I wanted to know now

so he said when the dr came in after it was done he told DH that I stopped breathing only for a few seconds but it happened twice

well hearing this sent me in a tail spin--I was not to happy to hear I wasn't breathing even just a few seconds or not

it was from the anestethic seems even though I was out I was still moving so they kept giving me more fentanyl which wasn't taking when it finally did take hold it all rushed in my system at once--basically causing me to OD on fentanyl to which they had to give me Narcan to reverse it

so I had to stay for 2 hrs to be watched--finally after much insisting they let me order food I was starved by this time--it was already 1 pm

finally at 2 I got to leave got there at 830 for the procedure at 930 and finally got home at 2--then they wonder why I have meltdowns

the next day I was still freaked out about the stopped breathing part so I called to have them send me the dr notes on what happened

well on the notes it says STATS dropped to below 60--nothing about not breathing--which leads me to believe things were being covered up
it was funny too cause the dr called a few weeks later he felt bad he didn't call sooner

seems he was on vacation when I called for the notes and he thought I wanted him to call back--which all I wanted was the notes-he had left a message to call back--seeing I all I wanted was the notes I didn't feel it necessary to call back--he calls again a few days later

he has an accent and for me a little hard to understand so I had DH talk--they were talking about the breathing and the more the dr was explaining the faster he was talking and getting fluster--

they better come up with something different "next time" or there wont be a next time

 

[Alpental]

I assume you were talking about a colonoscopy, you should ask the doctor not to use anesthesia next time. Some doctors will and some won't. If your won't find another doctor. I watched a YouTube video of a guy having a colonoscopy with no drugs and he didn't seem uncomfortable to me.

 

[Alpental]

Very true. Some doctors might fine tune their prep procedures to add more steps depending on their own experiences performing the colonoscopy itself. But doctors might be reluctant to delete steps because different persons' digestive metabolism speeds differ and a doctor found that an extra liquid run through by going to a liquid diet sooner does work better.

The purpose of the foul tasting preparations with funny names is to speed up the overall bowel clean out procedure. For some persons the speed up is fast enough to threaten projectile diarrhea.

Also, different people have different pain thresholds. Over the years I came upon at least two "colonoscopy trip reports" where someone said he did not get enough "happy juice" and awoke during the colonoscopy to paralyzed muscles (enough happy juice only for that part) and excruciating pain (his bowel much more sensitive than average).

Just for kicks, if your washing machine spews* out waste water into a laundry tub (instead of into a drain pipe on the wall) then try running the freshly washed clothes through a second cycle without detergent. You might see a lot of soap suds pouring out suggesting that one regular cycle did not rinse the clothes adequately. Then you might from that day forward choose to always run part or all of a second cycle to assure an adequate rinse. (I always repeat just the rinse part of the cycle for each load.)

* If you don't see the waste water then you cannot conduct this test although some of you might just take my word for it and start rinsing clothes twice.

 

[Alpental]

I did some reading on preps. Basically the preps where you drink huge amounts of foul tasking liquid works by flushing huge amounts of water through the colon. There are several other preps where you drink a small bottle of liquid, in split doses. Between you drink something like Gatorade or whatever you want but they instruct you to drink a lot. That prep pulls water from within your body into the colon to flush you out. So it's important to drink something like Gatorade to replace the liquid pulled into the colon and to keep your proper electrolyte balance. Both have the same result but why drink a gallon of salty foul tasking stuff which makes a lot of people throw up if you don't have to.