New split-dose preps. Prep is essentially a laxative, which means you'll spend a lot of time on the toilet. Please follow the instructions carefully to ensure a successful prep. Having my first colonoscopy and endoscopy at the same time on Friday! Dont risk undetected cancer just because you are afraid. All night..nothing. Instead of water I mixed it with orange Gatorade and left in the fridge for a long time. It's been 4 days since my procedure, I'm eating normally but have to make a bowl movement about every 3 hours! I just sat on the toilet shivering and unable to get up do to the lack of control. I followed Kaisers suggestions for the three days before. Hi Lois, Thanks for your comment. You can do it! It also worked and I had my colonoscopy as I needed, PDQ. I found it worked within 30 minutes but then again, I have IBSD so I live with diarrhoea every day so Im used to it. . Thank you for sharing and letting people know that prep is not the worst thing: A colorectal cancer diagnosis is the worst thing. You could smell a flavor but not taste. Both daughters are doing awesome now . Used this hideous prep as it is the only one the gastroenterologist would prescribe for colonoscopy. Hi Jody I was very apprehensive about doing this and avoided it for a long time. My prescription is 89.00 and do not want to pay this! I was told to take 8 Dulcolax after 2 hours and my second dose at 4 hours. The second dose needs to be taken around . But I got i. t down both times within about 20-25 minutes. They removed 3 polyps so awaiting pathology. My doc made me promise to get screened. By 8:45p I got another 16oz of ice water but wound up on the toilet with it. The second dose this morning at 3:30am was a bit harder to swallow, but a gulp of gatorade between swallows helped the taste. Almost passed out. It is inconvenient for one night of your life, but there is no nap like a colonoscopy nap. DO NOT put flavoring in mix. It doesn't have to be this way.Read More Read Less, Worst colonoscopy prep Ive ever had. I am 58 and had my first colonoscopy/endoscopy. My doctor this time is giving me Suprep. They wanted to reschedule but I passed on it. I wish I could offer some helpful advice but the one time I did suprep it went disastrously bad and I heaved the second dose up within moments after downing it. I did not find this sight until I was beginning my cleanse so I did not change my diet prior to cleanse and eat steak and chicken the day before the prep. Where I laid with a fan blowing on my wet face and managed to fall asleep. I have been on a clear liquid diet since 06/01/20 to help alleviate some of my pain. Instead, consume only clear liquids like clear broth or bouillon, black coffee or tea, clear juice (apple, white grape), clear soft drinks or sports drinks, Jell-O, popsicles,etc. The first go round was awful. Dont know why they cant make it easier to drinkI had the last one In Nov I7. My husband went for an emergency appendectomy which was supposed to be an outpatient procedure, and ended up staying 9 days in the hospital because they had to remove about 4 inches of his colon. Theres no such thing as being too young. Saturday morning I had a cup of green tea and a lemon Italian ice, and I turned on my heating pad. And the ladys suggestion above about strong ginger or peppermint tea as a chaser is brilliant! I finished it in 10 minutes. I had this scheduled once before and cancelled due to anxiety. The best tips I received were to drink the solution through a straw, and to take 2 Gravol tablets about a half hour before the solution. I dont know why banana, but trust me. line on cup. After 30 minutes, drink a third cup of water (16 ounces) by mouth, over 30 minutes. A ginger beer chaser is definitely helping, but I cant believe Im missing the Gatorade/Miralax prep. By 11:30p I was done and sleepingonly to get up Tuesday at 6am to start again. Read More Read Less, I had a sudden change in my bowel habits and needed to have a colonoscopy. Great job getting screened! I mixed each glass with crystal light powder tubes. If you do feel like laying down be sure to put a water resistant pad on your sheet before you do. I knew that something was wrong and it was. Doesnt that sound reasonable? It is not safe for those with renal issues and can mess up your electrolytes. Colonoscopy enables gastroenterologists to detect and remove polypsthe small growths that can develop into colon cancersas well as small cancers before they have spread to other parts of the body. AGAIN with the gallon of liquid prep and my only comment (as I drink the stuff) is YUCK! I knew something was going on, and I wanted to see what. Give yourself plenty of time for the laxative to start working. Take it the same way as the first dose by mixing it with Gatorade , Ginger Ale, or Sprite . Of course strict Covid check in, then a short wait. and prepare a few days before by not eating so much. The 1st dose was not pleasant, but it was the second dose that was my deciding factor on not doing this again. I thought someone else might be looking for that answer. I its not fun having to drink all this solution and have diarrhea, but itll be over before you know it. I drank them as soon as I could and certainly well before that 1 hour mark. I drank the 1st half in about two hours this evening. "Things have changed a lot in the past 10 years," says Dr. Catherine Cheney, a gastroenterologist at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Once it subsided I waited a bit longer to make certain, cleaned up and went to bed. I am prepping now with a similar procedure & scheduled for one in the late A.M. tomorrow. However, some people will begin to have multiple urgent bowel movements within 30 minutes of drinking the solution and others may not have a bowel movement for 3-4 hours. Within the first 2 hours and 3 cups I had already had 7BM and they were already clear. My personal response would be to clear out in the evening (feeling like that would provide enough time to fully clear out. Sutab Experience. My doc is a colo-rectal surgeon. Other than the disgusting taste of the Suprep (two doses, second was harder to take), the process was seamless. By large volume, I mean 2-2.5 quarts. Get it done, its honestly not bad at all youll be fine and the scope can see polyps that Cologard cant. Same scenario. After one hour, drink a second cup of water (16 ounces) by mouth, over 30 minutes. We are hoping everything goes well. This procedure may sound scary but it isnt. Use Sprite, Ginger ale, or pulp-free lemonade to mix the solution. The best advice I give family and friends during the prep stage is to apply Desitin or Boudreauxs Butt Paste to the area prior to beginning prep and to reapply several times. Good luck to all. Hi Lynn, We appreciate your comment so much! I took the pills, so taste was not an issue. You may eat a light breakfast or drink clear liquids (including water, strained fruit juice without pulp, lemonade, plain coffee or tea, chicken broth, gelatin without fruit) on the day before your colonoscopy. PLUS, the latest news on medical advances and breakthroughs from Harvard Medical School experts. first dose of SUPREP . I took my last dose around 730am and hoping Im cleaned out in time for my noon appt. It was FOUL. I feel like my scenario strays from most that Ive read about. Nor sure what yet. I had extreme anxiety going into the prep because of having heard horror stories. This time I'm almost certain i threw up blood. But the prep sucks. The peace of mind I got from finding out I didnt have cancer was worth all the prep and the procedure. This stuff is a living hell, and it will drive people away from getting the screenings they need! Split-Dose (two-day) regimen consists of two doses of SUPREP Bowel Prep Kit: first dose during the evening prior to colonoscopy and second dose the next day, during the morning of colonoscopy. In case anyone wants the followup: my first dose of Suprep took 2 hours to begin working and lasted on and off for one hour. I was lucky they only found a couple of benign polyps. I have taken my linzess 290 and 1 hour later a Senokot, hopefully to correct my guilty mistake. I am doing a spit prep of the intense cherry-flavored-salty-chemical cocktail that I like to call S**tstorm. Been out for about four years and is generally reviewed up against Plenvu and Moviprep. 8 dulcolax, 8.3 oz miralax and 2 6oz suprep. Lmao. IBS cannot be cured, but the good news is it can be managed to minimize the effect on your overall health and quality of life. We wish you continued good health, and thank you again for taking time to encourage people to get their colonoscopies! Thank you for the tips! If your irritation continues, some find that a cool, wet washcloth or drawing a bath also helps with irritation. What really made my event was the discovery and removal of a polyp. Should it have already been clear? Extremely helpful. Dr. asked if I ever had a colonoscopy. Im not in great shape right onw, either physically nor emotionally, and there would be no one to attend to me, or help me keep my perspective, either before or after ANY procedure. This one is cruel and unusual punishment. It worked fine for me hell Id do this all over again feels like wrestling camp!!! Drinking the water did not cause problems because I drank it several hours before the procedure. Be sure to finish it at least 2 hours before your procedure time. Use a straw to swallow it. I'm scared. It was anticlimactic to say the least. Im very thankful for all those who have shared tips. It wasnt unbearable and I didnt mess with a straw. I was nervous for the procedure, but that was over in no time. I always start mine earlier and was done by 10:00 to go to bed. Best tips for prep I found are wet wipes, diaper cream, stay on the loo with a book, panty liners. Have you tried drinking the prep in 15 minute increments? I wasnt rushing into the bathroom either. Do the prep and get your colon checked! Please see someone for your irrational thoughts of being assaulted with a colonoscope. My advice just get it over with. Having a clean colon allows your provider to see the inside of your colon more clearly during a colonoscopy. BTW The low fiber diet is something new this time too. So what was the end result? The second dose is to be taken the day of this exam. why wouldnt they tell you to start earlier in the day so you can relax and sleep after the big unwind/out pour is over? I always have a burning sensation on my phynter after bowel Hi, this is a comment. You must clean out your colon so the doctor can get a good look at the inside! Hi Clairissa, Thank you so much for your comment. Break up your prep drink. Not a taste Id choose (exactly like the description, it was syrupy and salty). Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. We did want to make sure you knew there might be at-home options like a FIT test or stool DNA that wouldnt require the bowel prep or any diet modifications, might ask your doctors office if thats an option for you! You may not make it to the bathroom in time! Not really helping and now Im just not sure there is really a reason to drink a gallon of go lightly, when I have had no solid for two weeks straight and pure diarrhea for almost three months. My question is, should he contenues the prep and just deal with the agonizing pain? Im currently prepping for a colonoscopy two days from now. The colonoscopy is scheduled for 8 am. Unfortunately, I also have many allergies and am sensitive to the PEG type of protocol, so this product was ordered for me. First have the conversation with your GI and take notes. Rating 2.1/5 Back to work and the loo for me or as my wife likes to call it John. Some colonoscopy preps are taken in one evening, others may be a split-dose and taken between an evening and the following morning. The evening before colonoscopy: dilute one bottle with water to a total volume of 16 ounces (up to the fill line) and drink the entire amount. Drank the rest of prep at 10:30pm. Having said that, Suprep contains both Sucralose and flavoring agents, so it may not taste as bad as has been suggested. Loved hearing about your smooth, uneventful prep! Thank you for encouraging people to forge on with their colonoscopies, even when challenges arise along the way! For those that have an unbearable time with the prep, can they get a colonic instead? I was given the usual instructions for split-dose bowel prep: 1) Clear liquids only the entire day prior to the procedure; 2) Take the first dose of prep at 5 PM and the second dose of prep 5 hours before the procedure start time; 3) Nothing to eat or drink after the second dose of prep. Hope this helps. Just one persons opinion. The liquid diet was pretty annoying but doable. Follow that up with five 8oz cups of water that you drink at your own pace over the next few hours. Prep: Magnesium citrate (many over-the-counter brands). Tomorrow will be my sixth scope. Dont wait! The diet is only for one day of your life! A few examples are listed below. We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information. LOL. Ill be cleaning my floors tomorrow. *2pm BM normal (the double BMs might be because I was getting a little nervous about taking the laxatives nerves are my natural laxative) Mild bowel movement only despite following doctor's instructions. Ill just drink water and get it over with. I know that you cant give medical advice but from experience, what do people recommend? I slept through the night without any interruptions. 2023 by The President and Fellows of Harvard College, Do not sell my personal information | Privacy Policy. I had to drink half a gallon within two hours of the laxative.Haha yea that didnt happen. There was no cramping or sweating like you have with regular diarrhea; my doctor prescribed childrens anti-gas to supplement the water so that might have helped. I have IBS. Suprep does it's job but has extreme side affects! It took 70 minutes to start to work. The only thing that seems different about me is I also like citric acid candy, like the old Fizzers. My wife hates tomatoes and she had it in her burger and asked i eat them. I prayed a lot and had a lot of friends and family praying for me to be able to take it. Wish me luck on my way to emergency room now. I would recommend an adult diaper for the trip to the hospital for your appointment, it will save you going to a hospital bathroom every 5 seconds just in case. The worst part of the colonoscopy is this detestable drink. Here this costs the equivalent of 20 dollars. Youll be fine. !?!?! Two packets mixed with water. Its still brown . Once I was finished, it took about 15 minutes to start working. Saw some quack dr. that have told me there is no suck problem called IBS. Thanks so much for all the great tips! Im not leaving myself open to being assaulted too. I will request Suprep when I have my next Colonoscopy. Another study found that split-dose prep made prescreening bowel movements easier. It may be tempting to stop drinking all of the colonoscopy prep if your stools are running clear, but its important to complete all of the steps.Its not uncommon for the laxative to work right away and within the first few trips! I do not know why the magnesium citrate continues to be ordered. That your doctor is giving you an option of night or morning indicates that either must be effective). I then poured it into the 32 oz Gatorade bottles and kept them into the fridge. Theyre the ones who have the medical insight and would be better able to provide you with a successful prep. Some require prescription and costs vary, but you do have options when it comes to prep. Start the low-fiber, bland diet three days beforehand. I did a split prep. Way to stay on top of your screening! ning dose went down easier. Suprep dosage forms. Read the reviews and was completely freaked out. I did start it an hour earlier than they told me, partly because I was nervour waiting, and partly because I had read it gives you more time afterwards to settle down for bed. I never had a problem my 3 prior times when doing it all at once. I just finished bowel prep and the worst part for me was the taste of the drink. Results and pics reviewed with doctor (1 benign polyp removed), wheeled to my waiting ride, and absolutely no discomfort, nausea, dizziness, gas, bloating, or bleeding. I have a colonoscopy scheduled for Jan 11 and I am scared and angry about it. Lots of trips to the bathroom but by 10:00 I went to bed. Nearly nothing solid was expelled, just a rainbow of brown and yellow water. Its sorta light salty lemonade with a slight fizz. She did not. 4) For me mixing the Miralax with flat ginger ale worked best, as ginger is stomach-soothing. Its a dual dose solution that you drink the night before and the morning of your colonoscopy (timing of the dose depends if your scheduled for morning of afternoon). The then next day you went on a clear liquid diet, took 2 more Dulcolax at 10 AM, slammed liquids all day and took two more Dulcolax at 4pm with nothing else by mouth after midnight. I spent 4 days in the hospital then had some major medical issues directly after that some people are saying was caused by the perforation in my colon. Tastes better too. Read More Read Less, NEVER AGAIN! The opinions expressed in WebMD User-generated content areas like communities, reviews, ratings, or blogs are solely those of the User, who may or may not have medical or scientific training. But they can also become somewhat desensitized to procedures (such as colonoscopy) that they routinely perform. This is in spite of the claim the changes are supposed to make things easier, but that is just my take on it. I just had my first colonoscopy for screening at age 46. The no-sedation option is definitely something Ill be doing in the future. By morning I was furious. I really dont know, but I expect FAR more than what I have experienced. I didnt realize it had grape flavor in it (which when I mentioned it to my doctor, she assured me that it didnt! That was perfect for me because I really didnt think Id be able to handle the taste of the liquid prep! If you begin drinking the colonoscopy prep in the evening, start a few hours earlier to prevent running to the toilet all night. . I have had two colonoscopies prior to this with a different prep (I believe it was Moviprep), and while the prep wasn't my favorite thing to do, I always described it as "not bad." Mostly, I just drank a bunch of water. Taking the prep with cold water is much better! I will not be sleeping until my procedure. Here is some info about timing. Their staff should have suggestions for what you can do to ensure success with your colonoscopy. Ive gone to the bathroom four times and each time has been a let down. *BM loose . Mercy!! I found the comments here very helpful, and wanted to share my experiences, reiterating what I found useful from other folks. I was awake by 9am feeling fine, just light headed. Hey your also going to loose a few pounds! If I do, I know now what to do to get through.Read More Read Less, Worst colonoscopy prep ever. If I did not cleanse out so well he would have never seen it. Thanks again for sharing! Two days away from my first colonoscopy. So far, have not had any discomforts like feeling faint or stomach pain from the prep procedure. No pain, no cramping, no near misses, nothing other than just realizing you need to go. I divided the mixed solution for both prep bottles of solution in half each time so I could convince myself I could do it. If you have it there, ask your doc about using this prep youll get through this crazy easy! I downed first dose at 6 PM and was done three hours later. A precaution I must take because of my having had hip replacement a couple of years ago. Its a great taste. At 9pm I had to take the next dose. Thank you for any tips about when the action starts with this kind of timing. Also, kudos for getting ready for your colonoscopy. ( 2.3) o. Pediatric Patients 12 Years of Age and Older: The doctor told me he was concerned, and its been a rough couple of days waiting, but I got my results today. Hope all went well, Tommie. Not a big deal. My colonoscopy is scheduled for tomorrow morning. If you are sensitive to taste, have something ready to chase it down. I was diagnosed with Stage 3a rectal cancer and no family history of cancer. Definitely glad I had a driver, was a little more groggy than I thought I would be. Once I got done pooping my brains out. a day prior to the procedure and the second dose was given in the morning on the day of the . The last time I had the 4 liter jug and started vomiting just part way in. Guess that means no colonoscopy for me. Otherwise, take your regular medications, including the day of the exam. No fruits, vegetables, nuts or seeds 3 days prior. He told me to tell my sons (41 and 23) that now theyre high risk and to get their first scope at 40! I am having my colonoscopy Tuesday. The doctor told me to use magnesium citrate tonight though. No waking at night except to get rid of all that water I had to drink. Its ok at room temperature. I just had the procedure, and they found just one large (4 cm) polyp in my rectum. Hope this helps someone. Also I didnt hate the drink as much as everyone else. My husband also got almost no sleep due to helping me. . Endured significant anxiety in the days leading up to the procedure. My grandma died of colon cancer and I wouldnt wish that on anyone. It began working in about an hour. I have an endoscopy/ colonoscopy combo scheduled in a couple weeks and am obsessing about the potential for problems and/or flares. Now I have to get it done every 3 years. He struggles daily. I am on clear liquids today and tomorrow, start prep tomorrow at 4pm, then finish the prep at 10pm with procedure at 7am. I am to start my prep on Thursday at 6:00 PM. Then we head to Stans diner for some French toast and bacon. I dont drink any carbonated soft drinks and I absolutely hate the taste of citrus like lemon, lime. What Happens If You Accidentally Took 2000 mg Of Tylenol At Once? While the experience is not pleasant, I found it quite tolerable. I did not experience any nausea although I am a bit jittery from my body having all its nutrients removed. It was an orange flavored powder that you mix with 5oz of cold water. My own personal first experience is that I had prep that I had to take timed within each other. Taste was like a sweet tart- not my fav but drank some mixture then take a sip of ginger ale, etc over 20 min until gone. Try taking a handful of antibiotic before a twice yearly dental exam. . Its even worse because colon cancer usually shows no symptoms until its too late. That would be a huge relief just in case. 6.5 hours later, I awoke and had to dump. The prep for me was pretty awful Three days before the procedure I went to the low fiber diet with my last meal at 5pm that night. We encourage all people to speak with their medical provider or healthcare team for colonoscopy prep and all medical advice, since every person is unique and what might work for some (stop eating solid foods days in advance, for example) may not work for others. I never did get nauseous or cramps, so I repeated until I had downed 3 liters. Spit it out of course. Chilled both bottles and water used for mix. I am literally in the middle of prep for the procedure tomorrow morning. I was so worked up about this and for nothing. The ice does help but because it is cold, you may have some cramping a bit, but not to bad though. Most of first dose gone in about 3 hours with a few residual squirts through, the evening and early morning. Refrigerate the mixed solution. The most common colonoscopy preparation calls for drinking 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of a polyethylene glycol solution. Maybe my memory erased the previous times. I am in my early 70s. Super thirsty but they said no liquid no nothing after the prep on colonoscopy day. Having colonoscopy on Friday. You owe it to yourself and your family. (This should be 4, 8 oz glasses) we have been doing it the same way for 50 years!!!! We cannot offer medical advice, so we recommend that you check in with your doctors office to ask this question, and ask them what their experience has been. I haVe nothing but liquids today and yesterday was light and for the previous week low fiber diet. Its 6:30, so Im almost done with my 3rd round of 16 oz. "), Smart Grocery Shopping When You Have Diabetes, Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Dogs and Cats, Latest Facts on COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters, History Does Repeat: Vaccine Resistance Is Not New, Synthetic Chemical in Many Products Linked to Early Death, New Drug for Early Breast Cancer: First Advance in 20 Years, Love Horror? Im litterly scared this is my first colonoscopy Im about to be 50 in March I hear the prep is horroable but there are stuff to sooth u help me here I need all the advice I can get but keep in mind I have several health conditions to take in I dont need to get nauseadded I get nausea on the regular so what u guys got to tell me an my birthday is March 3rd an I just decided to get this crap over with didn want to wait till bday my colonoscopy is dec14. The sensation was strange, but on a 1-10 pain scale Id rate it a 2 or so (except for the brief moment of 5). My prep consisted of 2 bicodyl(?) Great to hear you had such a positive experience and the tips for how you got ready days before. Read More Read Less, Since I read very mixed reviews of this ranging from light to be illegal to tasted like a magrarita I thought Id add one more it was fine for me. Its never going to be 100 percent pleasant having the runs for a couple of hours, but I was fine. I was suppose to take my Suprep at 5:00pm then 10:00pm. My fathers type of cancer is genetic which puts me at greater risk, will they find something? I had several accidents, got no sleep at all, at one point my husband had to come in with rubber gloves and bleach and clean up our bathroom. Good for you for realizing you should be screened now. I had prepped by smearing my nether regions liberally with Desitin to protect my sensitive bits from the moisture. She drank half the laxative ending around 6pm. "The more time that elapses after you take the prep, the more likely you are to have fluid in your colon," Dr. Cheney explains. If you take washed ginger root, grate an inch or two of it into a pot of water, bring it to a boil, and then strain it through cloth to take all the solids out, it makes a ginger tea you can use it to help relieve nausea. You can reach Your Patient Advisor with non-medical prep questions at: 800.349.0285 . Im a small figure who ways 95lb and my body reacts quickly with laxatives and anything that doesnt sit well in my stomach. One thing I noticed is that everyone I know who has had a colonoscopy tells horror stories about the prep and sometimes the procedure. The days of downing a gallon of laxative in one dose are gone. Great job and yay you for scheduling your colonoscopy! The study concludes: "The bowel preps with the best bowel cleansing and tolerability were MiraLAX with Gatorade, MoviPrep, and SUPREP under real-world conditions." I was a bit surprised to find that patient comments and ratings - admittedly unscientific - don't agree with the study. More like brown liquid vomit. You are right about people dying from the anesthetic and unknown health conditionsbut the team of Drs and nurses do not assault people! I have been given Sutab, which is 2 bottles of 12 tablets each. I'm able to go to bed at a reasonable hour without any urgency to run to the toilet. Sucked on a lime in between. 6) Buy a small pack of Depends diapers in case u have too much diarrhea after the prep. Got myself all worked up for nothing. The day before the colonoscopy: Don't eat solid foods. BONUS! Didnt feel any more urges and so within 30 minutes, I decided to take another pill of Ducolax. Split your SUPREP into a nightly and morning dose. The prep went better than I expected and I want to share my approach in case its helpful to anyone.