Tips for first colonoscopy?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get some disposable underwear (i.e. adult diapers). If you lay down to try to get some rest the night before and your toilet is more than about 10 steps from your bed, accidents can happen. I also wore them the day of on the drive to the procedure -- I didn't end up needing them but I was so nervous about a leak in the car. Pack regular underwear in your purse. Throw out the disposables when they have you change into the gown.

I always wonder about this. I haven't had one yet but was told the last drink has to be taken 4 hours before. That seems like too little time. I'd want to be absolutely sure I'm done before I leave. In my normal life I'd never take a laxative a few hours before leaving for work in the morning.

I was still needing to go urgently every 20 min or so before we needed to leave. But something about getting in the car signaled to my body to hold it. I was grateful to be wearing the diaper regardless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Make sure you do the low residue diet leading up to prep-makes prep even easier. You don't want to get sore so get Desitin or whatever your doctor recommends and use toilet paper wet wipes for cleaning.

For the low residue diet, the first time I did it I stuck to processed foods and felt lousy. Most recently I chose mostly non-processed- eggs, white rice, boiled carrots, chicken without skin, potato, banana, melon, etc. I felt good. Then during prep I tried to keep things low chemical. Bone broth made me feel nourished and I made my own Jello with organic fruit juice that didn't have added sugar. The only high chemical stuff I had besides the prep itself was Gatorade and that kept me feeling hydrated and didn't make me feel gross the way things like jello and gingerale do.

Your body must be super sensitive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve never had a pill option but I would take it. I hate the drink- it makes me super nauseous and sometimes I throw up.

I tried the pills because the liquid made me throw up. I ended up throwing up from the pills too.

[Anonymous]

SuTab - DH and I’ve used it for our past 2 colonoscopies. My previous 3, I used Suprep liquid and it was like living in a nightmare. So my vote is SuTab.

Some offices also give the option of a miralax prep these days.

Ask your doctor about using Gas-X during prep. Once the day before and again the day of. It helps you feel much better and also helps for the actual scoping.

Other than that, just accept that you’re going to poop a LOT. Use wet wipes. And a zinc cream for irritation.

And drink up. Pre-hydrate for a few days ahead of time to avoid dehydration. On your clear liquid day(s), include warming liquids like broth drunk from a mug as well as apple juice which helps keep your blood sugar up. And, of course, ginger ale in case you feel nauseous (I’ve never felt that but DH does).

And, overall, just remember that it’s not that bad in the end despite how it feels for those 2 days!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Keep in mind that if your procedure is scheduled for the morning you will have to wake up pre-dawn to finish the prep. I choose late morning/early afternoon procedure appointments and get a regular night's sleep the night before.

In my experience the prep is not bad, aside from the sheer volume of liquid you have to drink. I opt for the miralax/gatorade prep because I can stomach the taste better than the prescription stuff.

How do you sleep when you need to use the bathroom so frequently?

[Anonymous]

Mine was a few weeks ago. I got the liquid and mixed it with Sprite. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. I stated it on Thursday at 5pm and went to bed around 10:30 after the first dose. I woke up at 2am for the second dose which was easier since there wasn’t much left to clean out. It was a lovely sleep during the procedure. I got there at 7am and left around 10ish.

Follow the diet they give you. I started the clear diet 48 hrs in advance and the clean out process wasn’t as bad as I thought. GL!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two things I learned:

If you do the liquid prep, it’s more tolerable if very cold and mixed with apple or white grape juice vs water.

I (female) was asked for a urine sample when I arrived at the procedure and was not prepared for that (stopped drinking hours before, had spent the morning on the toilet voiding, etc). They let me move forward anyway but there was some drama and if you are not menopausal, you will likely be asked for the same.

I wasn’t prepared to give a urine sample either but they ran the IV into quickly so after 30 minutes or so, I could give them a little urine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Keep in mind that if your procedure is scheduled for the morning you will have to wake up pre-dawn to finish the prep. I choose late morning/early afternoon procedure appointments and get a regular night's sleep the night before.

In my experience the prep is not bad, aside from the sheer volume of liquid you have to drink. I opt for the miralax/gatorade prep because I can stomach the taste better than the prescription stuff.

How do you sleep when you need to use the bathroom so frequently?

I only slept from 11-2am. Afterwards I came home and took a great nap. I did it on a Friday so I had the weekend to sleep in too.

[Anonymous]

I always switch to a liquid diet a full day (at least 24 hours) earlier than the suggested day/time to start a liquid diet. This seems to make the bowel cleansing go a little easier.

[Anonymous]

All good tips. Here are my contribution -

- Be super hydrated from a week before you start your prep. This means that you drink up to 2-3 liters of water with lemon juice every day. This will really help in getting the poop and pee moving during the prep. It will also keep you hydrated even during the process.

- Smear some Vaseline on your anus after each poop. This will prevent chafing with wiping.

- You can try using a hand held toilet spray to add to your butt cleaning.

- Use a squatty potty to make the process of pooping easier and less messy.

- Spray Poo-Pourri before each poop to keep your bathroom smelling good.

- Layer the pot with toilet paper when you use it to prevent splashback. Flush two times because the last thing you need is a backed up toilet. Also, keep a toilet cleaner, poo pourri, toilet brush, clorox wipes near so that you can keep the toilet and toilet area clean. Depending on your gut health (especially with celiac disease), you can have greasy poop that sticks to the pot.

[Anonymous]

Stop seeds, nuts a few days leading up to your prep. I did pills too and would absolutely do them again. I too had an early morning appointment and while I wasn’t in the bathroom, I just felt very crampy and uncomfortable so I didn’t get much sleep those last few hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Keep in mind that if your procedure is scheduled for the morning you will have to wake up pre-dawn to finish the prep. I choose late morning/early afternoon procedure appointments and get a regular night's sleep the night before.

In my experience the prep is not bad, aside from the sheer volume of liquid you have to drink. I opt for the miralax/gatorade prep because I can stomach the taste better than the prescription stuff.

How do you sleep when you need to use the bathroom so frequently?

I've done this several times and never had that issue, the prep starts at 6 or 7pm and all cleaned out within 4-5 hours.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Keep in mind that if your procedure is scheduled for the morning you will have to wake up pre-dawn to finish the prep. I choose late morning/early afternoon procedure appointments and get a regular night's sleep the night before.

In my experience the prep is not bad, aside from the sheer volume of liquid you have to drink. I opt for the miralax/gatorade prep because I can stomach the taste better than the prescription stuff.

How do you sleep when you need to use the bathroom so frequently?

I've done this several times and never had that issue, the prep starts at 6 or 7pm and all cleaned out within 4-5 hours.

The second half of the prep is best prevents you from sleeping all night. I woke up at 2am to do the second half.

[Anonymous]

Prep definitely sucks and you’ll be glued to the toilet for a day. Have a phone, maybe a spray bottle if things get sore, and insist everyone leave you alone if you live with others. Procedure itself is nothing since you’ll be asleep and wake up feeling GREAT. Big relief to get it over with, and it’s one of those things you’ll realize you dreaded more than you should have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Two things I learned:

If you do the liquid prep, it’s more tolerable if very cold and mixed with apple or white grape juice vs water.

I (female) was asked for a urine sample when I arrived at the procedure and was not prepared for that (stopped drinking hours before, had spent the morning on the toilet voiding, etc). They let me move forward anyway but there was some drama and if you are not menopausal, you will likely be asked for the same.

I am female and my doctor lets you give your urine sample before you start prep (2 to 3 days before the procedure)