Colonoscopy prep—nonPrescription

[Anonymous]

I had movenprep. I did not find the taste horrible and was able to drink it pretty easily. But it did not clean me out fully.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is helpful, as someone who has been dreading the inevitable colonoscopy prep. I have real issues with swallowing bad tasting liquids after having multiple barium swallows and endoscopies as a young teen. I don't think I could handle the standard prep, but I probably could manage miralax and gatorade, even though I hate gatorade.

PP here--I'm not a big fan of gatorade either, but after a few days of lighter eating and then the day of where you're just drinking broth, jello, etc., it actually tastes somewhat refreshing! Chill it too--it will taste better. You're not supposed to drink red or purple gatorade since it can mimic blood.

[Anonymous]

I don’t have advice for a non-Rx prep, but I recently had a colonoscopy and had a pill- based prep. I think it is SubTab or something like that. In each of the two phases of the prep (first at 4 m the day before, second 5 hours before procedure time) I took 12 pills with 16 oz of water. An hour later 16 oz more water, and then another 16 oz 30 minutes or an hour after that. The pills are big “horse” pills, like a vitamin, but that was fine for me. And it worked fine.
People may want to ask their doctors if the pill option is available if that seems preferable to the drink. Also, my doc said sometimes insurance doesn’t cover the pills because they are new, but my insurance did— I paid nothing.

[Anonymous]

For the Miralax/Gatorade, can you substitute Crystal Lite or other liquid for the Gatorade - or is Gatorade a must? (For Surprep, I put crystal lite powder in the mix to dull the taste a tad) I don't love Gatorade but would certainly drink it as an alternative to surprep.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the Miralax/Gatorade, can you substitute Crystal Lite or other liquid for the Gatorade - or is Gatorade a must? (For Surprep, I put crystal lite powder in the mix to dull the taste a tad) I don't love Gatorade but would certainly drink it as an alternative to surprep.

You can use crystal light. We use it at the hospital all the time. The benefit of Gatorade is it helps replace electrolytes. We use Miralax to prep our patients

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is helpful, as someone who has been dreading the inevitable colonoscopy prep. I have real issues with swallowing bad tasting liquids after having multiple barium swallows and endoscopies as a young teen. I don't think I could handle the standard prep, but I probably could manage miralax and gatorade, even though I hate gatorade.

I've had many barium and surprep procedures (thanks cancer) and I find the clear liquids, while gross, are more palatable than the barium sludge. But, I'd definitely looking into the Miralax/Gatoratde prep, even tho I hate Gatorade.
Also, I start the slow down of the fibrous foods and seeds and red stuff a full week before the procedure. My (surprep) prep has been successful for all of my many colonoscopies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For the Miralax/Gatorade, can you substitute Crystal Lite or other liquid for the Gatorade - or is Gatorade a must? (For Surprep, I put crystal lite powder in the mix to dull the taste a tad) I don't love Gatorade but would certainly drink it as an alternative to surprep.

You can use crystal light. We use it at the hospital all the time. The benefit of Gatorade is it helps replace electrolytes. We use Miralax to prep our patients

I understand this. But comparing with the surprep prep, there's no replacement of electrolytes, is there?

Also, I'm the cancer pp and just want to thank you and all the medical professionals and staff who deal with this -- always so kindly and professionally.
It's such a shitty cancer!

Get your colonoscopy!

[Anonymous]

Miralax and Gatorade! It saved my prep when I tried to do Suprep and threw it all up 10 min after finishing the evening drink. I tend to get nauseous on an empty stomach and it just totally did me in. I am kind of traumatized by that experience. When I called the nurse line stressed about my prep not working they advised me to do the Gatorade/Miralax. It worked great and I am only doing that from now on… or maybe the pills PPs are talking about. Suprep made the 3 hour glucose test seem like nothing. It is the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted in my life, and I did plenty of cheap vodka and tequila shots back in the day.

[Anonymous]

fwiw, my doctor also was pushing for other types of prep. I told him I wanted to do miralax/gatorade, he did say he couldn't sanction it since it hasn't been approved by the FDA, but if I want to go this route and it results in a clean prep, he won't object. Just do what makes you feel comfortable OP! You don't need your doctor's permission. In fact, I did not even tell my dr I did this until I admitted it when I showed up for the colonoscopy. I had previously told him I was considering it, still picked up the prescription for the Suprep, and threw that stuff in the trash and did it my way. He was a little skeptical but was like okay, well let's get in there and see what we're working with. He said after it was a perfectly clean exam.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Miralax and Gatorade! It saved my prep when I tried to do Suprep and threw it all up 10 min after finishing the evening drink. I tend to get nauseous on an empty stomach and it just totally did me in. I am kind of traumatized by that experience. When I called the nurse line stressed about my prep not working they advised me to do the Gatorade/Miralax. It worked great and I am only doing that from now on… or maybe the pills PPs are talking about. Suprep made the 3 hour glucose test seem like nothing. It is the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted in my life, and I did plenty of cheap vodka and tequila shots back in the day.

Surprep is the worst thing you’ve tasted sounds to me like you have had a barium drink. But neither are anything compared to the cancer treatment. So, drink up!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Miralax and Gatorade! It saved my prep when I tried to do Suprep and threw it all up 10 min after finishing the evening drink. I tend to get nauseous on an empty stomach and it just totally did me in. I am kind of traumatized by that experience. When I called the nurse line stressed about my prep not working they advised me to do the Gatorade/Miralax. It worked great and I am only doing that from now on… or maybe the pills PPs are talking about. Suprep made the 3 hour glucose test seem like nothing. It is the most disgusting thing I have ever tasted in my life, and I did plenty of cheap vodka and tequila shots back in the day.

Surprep is the worst thing you’ve tasted sounds to me like you have had a barium drink. But neither are anything compared to the cancer treatment. So, drink up!

I’m sorry about your cancer. Is barium the same stuff you drink before a CR scan with contrast? I have had to do that once or twice and don’t remember it being bad… but maybe my stomach wasn’t as empty? One time it was to diagnose appendicitis and I had probably not eaten in like 10 hours but not the same as a multi day prep. Maybe the Suprep was so bad because I drank a bottle of magnesium citrate beforehand which made me queasy. The briny taste of those drinks just really gets me. I very rarely throw up but my body just totally rejected it.

[Anonymous]

My doctor has prescribed me something called Clenpiq. Anyone tried this? It was $90 with insurance!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My doctor has prescribed me something called Clenpiq. Anyone tried this? It was $90 with insurance!

Pls report back on this prep. I’m on colorectal cancer surveillance and have a regular colonoscopy coming up.

PSA: call and schedule your colonoscopy! This procedure (as others too) are still backlogged.

[Anonymous]

NP here - can the poster who was prescribed Clenpiq report back? I have new insurance and this is what they will ay for, not Suprep which i usuall use.