The dreaded colonoscopy prep is up on me.

[Gumbo4x4]

I have done the prep a number of times and it is best to get a mid morning appointment, because you will have not eaten the entire previous day and will be forced to do the prep during the early morning hours if you go in later in the day. I am going to ask a question though the next time, and this may be TMI, but a few month ago I had a situation that had made me pretty plugged up. (if you get my drift) I was in the hospital for a different procedure, but, once that was done they came in with an 8 ounce bottle of something. I got a glass and some ice and easily drank it down. Now bear in mind I hadn't had any movement at all for over 4 days. Anyway, I drank it and within an hour things started to happen, and happen and happen... absolutely equal to anything I had done for my previous Colonoscopies. I swear I passed stuff that I ate when I was in grammar school. I don't think I could be anymore cleaned out. It was simple, it didn't taste awful and it worked incredibly well. So before I drink the gallons of stuff the next time, I am surely going to ask for an explanation as to why that alternate system would not work.

I prefer 1st thing in the morning. The no eating is brutal. As for the choice of liquid, I believe that is the choice of DR. Last time I went to the "go to" guy in our town, that's what he gave me. 2 concentrated bottles to chase with several glasses of water each. MUCH better. This was 6 years ago. Last year, saw a new guy & it was the gallon of salty syrup again. I was not happy.

 

[manning]

Our doctor has changed procedure to having us drink half the night before and half REALLY early the morning of (supposedly gets cleaner results).

One thing that has really helped me in the past is to start eating lightly a week before, lighter and lighter each day (easily digestible stuff), and then going to only liquids even a little bit earlier than what they recommend. Also, to drink LOTS of fluids.

My DGM suffered terribly with colon cancer, so our entire family started getting colonoscopies early and regularly, so I'm kind of used to them at this point. 24 hrs of discomfort is a small price to pay for early detection.....

Terri

I had mine in January with the new drink and had it with the old. It is like night and day. It works much faster and you don't drink as much. My doctor also said you get a cleaner result. I'm surprised they are still using the go lightly.

The procedure is easy. You are in a twilight sleep and won't know what is happening.

Don't forget to wear earplugs in the recovery room. There will several others there and it gets pretty noisy. They pump you with air during the procedure.

OK, here is the colonoscopy joke.

The patient is wheeled in for the procedure. A new nurse comes in with a tray containing the instruments. On the tray is a can of beer. OMG, I'm being scoped by a drunk doctor let me out of here. The doctor comes in and looks at the tray. He calls out to the nurse "I said I want a butt light, not a bud light".

 

[aprilgail]

Its been years since my dr has used that gallon of slime water to drink- had one done this year and it was using a prep called prepopik- around 4pm 5 ounces of water with lacket of prep mixed in then five glasses of plain water over 5 hours. Then 9pm repeat it but just 3 glasses of plain water over the next few hours. It wasnt so bad- i can deal with all the water just not that gallon of salty slime water with the old prep.

 

[BrianL]

Well, just be near the bathroom. It takes a little while to start working, and you may be wondering when it will. You may forget about it since you feel fine. Then...it will happen and happen fast! Wear easy clothes. You don't want to be fumbling with any belts or zippers or anything! And, once you think it's over...it's not! At least, that was my experience.

 

[Micca]

it was the gallon of salty syrup again

That must have been the stuff I had mixed with Crystal Lite lemonade. It tasted like the worst ever Margarita.

 

[fairymum]

Hydrate hydrate hydrate. I did one a year ago with Preopick or however you spell it. It sure worked. I had a headache until we got the IV going due to dehydration. Also, the moist flushable wipes are a nice touch. I charged all devices and camped in the bathroom for a while.
I had mine New Year's Eve because who doesn't want to start the year off with a squeaky clean colon? procedure itself was easy and I managed to get a nap in that day. My kids are 8 and 5 so that's a huge win. I hope you get good results and an easy prep!

 

[Jennasis]

The stuff that I hated was the Magnesium Citrate. I had to drink a small glass bottle of the stuff. I have a high tolerance for pain and unpleasant things and can choke down just about anything but this stuff...this stuff was horrid. I had to chug plain water in between tiny sips just to get it down. Blech. It was so salty and sour. Reminded me of when the cartoon characters would trick each other into drinking/eating "alum" and their faces would pucker up.

Other than that, being hungry was the worst part. Right after my procedure Dh too me to McDonald's. I'll show my colon whose boss!

 

[mickman1962]

the new way is soooo much easier, you have nothing to fear

 

[nkereina]

My dad just went through this last weekend, had his colonoscopy this past Monday. The worst part for him was watching what he ate in the days leading up to his prep. The toilet part itself was ok, and he was fine once the colonoscopy was over. Good luck!

 

[mickman1962]

No more of this "Magnesium Citrate" stuff, that would make you vomit

 

[longboard55]

Here is my colonoscopy story, so I go in after 5 years and get mine, fun. Then I get all these bills from the doctor that insurance will not cover. Like $4000 worth. Insurance covered absolutely nothing. So I say hold on, Colonoscopys are suppose to be screening and 100% covered. Well they say since they found polyps and removed them it is not screening its a procedure so pay up. I am so pizzed, this is the problem with the medical community, we throw so much money at them they have totally lost any sense of what reasonable companies do. I got a pre exam for $90 out of pocket, not once did they tell me, oh btw sucker if we find a polyp the covered procedure is not covered. I have been getting some dental work and they always sit down and tell you the costs. Doctors never do.

So I am not paying and filing an appeal with the state, I have had good luck with state appeals in the past

 

[anniemae]

I prefer 1st thing in the morning. The no eating is brutal. As for the choice of liquid, I believe that is the choice of DR. Last time I went to the "go to" guy in our town, that's what he gave me. 2 concentrated bottles to chase with several glasses of water each. MUCH better. This was 6 years ago. Last year, saw a new guy & it was the gallon of salty syrup again. I was not happy.

I had that one, I think it's called suprep. It's a lot to drink, but most of it's just water. This time around, my dr. is using the miralax prep. The receptionist told me insurance won't cover the other prep anymore. I guess since miralax is OTC they would rather you use that. I wonder if more doctors will switch to miralax.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Here is my colonoscopy story, so I go in after 5 years and get mine, fun. Then I get all these bills from the doctor that insurance will not cover. Like $4000 worth. Insurance covered absolutely nothing. So I say hold on, Colonoscopys are suppose to be screening and 100% covered. Well they say since they found polyps and removed them it is not screening its a procedure so pay up. I am so pizzed, this is the problem with the medical community, we throw so much money at them they have totally lost any sense of what reasonable companies do. I got a pre exam for $90 out of pocket, not once did they tell me, oh btw sucker if we find a polyp the covered procedure is not covered. I have been getting some dental work and they always sit down and tell you the costs. Doctors never do.

So I am not paying and filing an appeal with the state, I have had good luck with state appeals in the past

$4,000 for me too. I remember when it was $75

 

[longboard55]

$4,000 for me too. I remember when it was $75

digging a little deeper with the insurance company it is getting down to the billing codes. They billed it 3 times. The basic colonoscopy was $790, but they billed it again with lesion removal for a $1000 then they added a surgical procedure for $3300 as if they were never in there the first place, and as if they had not already billed for it twice. The problem is I have a high deductible and look what the bill is for, Most of the time the insurance will just pay it because no one questions it.

I noticed the dermatologists love the surgical procedure code. They do a little 30 second snip and call it surgery

 

[runwad]

^^ I think you must've posted about having to pay before, or someone did and I thank you. Because of you I scheduled mine at a facility that my insurance will cover 100% any procedure, any operation, 100% coverage. I was telling the doc I came there because I had read horror stories of insurance not covering if anything was found. This doc didn't think that was true any longer, but I wasn't taken any chances and went ahead and drove the hour to the place that I would have 100% covered. So thanks if you posted about it before because I learned from you.

 

[klmall]

Well, just be near the bathroom. It takes a little while to start working, and you may be wondering when it will. You may forget about it since you feel fine. Then...it will happen and happen fast! Wear easy clothes. You don't want to be fumbling with any belts or zippers or anything! And, once you think it's over...it's not! At least, that was my experience.

BrianL, your post reminded me of that commercial where the little boy is in the bathroom and is trying hard to open his belt and says "I think we have a situation here!". I love it!

Totally agree..........I've had 3 colonoscopies and decided the last time to just put a check on a piece of paper to record how many times I had to get up and run to the bathroom and the verdict was: 17! I don't remember what the prep name was but it was 2 bottles of mixture I added water to and drank a short time apart. It wasn't too bad tasting but I wish I had known about the ginger ale.

That time I had a late morning appointment but it was significantly delayed due to the patient before me having a hypothermic reaction to the anesthetic (she came out fine). Three hours after my appointed time I was rolled into the procedure room starving and irritable. No polyps this time or the time before so now I am good for at least 10 years. In fact, we moved across the country and even though I had a small polyp the first time, my new primary says never again! Yeah!

Good luck to OP and hope results are negative!

 

[goofyernmost]

I prefer 1st thing in the morning. The no eating is brutal. As for the choice of liquid, I believe that is the choice of DR. Last time I went to the "go to" guy in our town, that's what he gave me. 2 concentrated bottles to chase with several glasses of water each. MUCH better. This was 6 years ago. Last year, saw a new guy & it was the gallon of salty syrup again. I was not happy.

I agree, but, around here first thing in the morning is mid-morning. I always try to be the first victim, err, patient.

I had 10 polyps on my last one, so I am on a 3 year cycle (Oh, joy) Most were nothing, but, there were a couple that were, in medical jargon, pre-cancerous. What does that mean exactly? Isn't everything pre-cancerous until it is cancerous? What is the difference between one and the other? BTW, they gave me 10 crystal clear photos of my insides and the polyps therein. I had a heck of a time deciding which picture to use on my Christmas card that year.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

I agree, but, around here first thing in the morning is mid-morning. I always try to be the first victim, err, patient.

I had 10 polyps on my last one, so I am on a 3 year cycle (Oh, joy) Most were nothing, but, there were a couple that were, in medical jargon, pre-cancerous. What does that mean exactly? Isn't everything pre-cancerous until it is cancerous? What is the difference between one and the other? BTW, they gave me 10 crystal clear photos of my insides and the polyps therein. I had a heck of a time deciding which picture to use on my Christmas card that year.

I've had a few over the years, none pre cancerous. Dad's had one pre cancerous one some years back & a few that were harmless. My grandmother died of colon cancer at 56.

 

[manning]

I've had a few over the years, none pre cancerous. Dad's had one pre cancerous one some years back & a few that were harmless. My grandmother died of colon cancer at 56.

I had it at age 50. Usually it is detected at a later stage. I got lucky, I bled. It was stage 3 and thankfully survived. Prior to the bleed I had no clue I had it.

For those who never had polyps or colon cancer there is a stool test. It uses DNA to indicate to get checked out.
If you have a history the only option is a colonoscopy.

Precancerous polyps the way I understand is there are several types of polyps. The one that is precancerous will be the one that will become cancerous.

 

[winterman]

Keep telling yourself that if you don't do this as instructed, to the desired effect, you will have to do it again!