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Prepping for a Colonoscopy

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 4/24/2006 2:59 PM (GMT 0)

yeah HELPFUL TIP IN PREPPING FOR A COLONOSCOPY

The colonoscopy prep involves two parts, a laxative part and a purgative part. During the first part, a laxative such as Biscodyl is used to empty the bowel and during the second part a purgative such as Phospho Soda is used to cleanse and flush the colon lining. The problem with many prep instructions are written with a patient be darned attitude in that they do not leave enough time for the laxative to work before beginning with the purgative unnecessarily resulting in abdominal pain, cramps and discomfort as the purgative works through any solid stool in the bowel. From physiology the prep instructions should not begin the purgative procedure until the laxative results in a bowel movement emptying the bowel. Solid stool acts as a block to the cleansing and flushing procedure. You can avoid a lot of agony by taking a tap water enema to empty the bowel before beginning with the purgative. The empty bowel allows the purgative to flush through cleansing the colon lining without any of the abdominal pain, cramps and discomfort commonly associated with the procedure.

Posted 4/24/2006 3:04 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Janet,

Good info... however I would just like to remind everyone to ask your doc about alternatives to the instructions he gives you prior.

Welcome to Healing Well!! Why don't you share a little bit about yourself. Looking forward to your posts.

Take Care
Posted 4/25/2006 5:40 AM (GMT 0)
I have had two different GI Doctors and neither used the Biscodyl part and one had me doing a suppository the morning of the other didn't. There are other methods also. I used Fleets phospha soda for both adn I was totally cleaned out according to them and they ought to know. The one drs. preference was to drink huge quantities of something gross and I asked for an alternative when I found for some people with some health problems he did not have them do that. The fleets is really yucky stuff but not much of it and you can put it is clear juice(didn't help much though) Salty and oily. So do ask for alternatives.
I
Posted 4/25/2006 12:08 PM (GMT 0)
Fleets Phospho Soda is pretty much history as a prep due to the increasing
number of kidney damage and kidney failure incidents that are being
reported from the entire spectrum of the user population the young and
healthy to the elderly with known ailments. MiraLax is an alternative to
any of the lytely preps. Having an empty bowel before you start
eliminates much of the discomfort associated with taking any of them
Posted 4/25/2006 3:01 PM (GMT 0)
Really? That's what the last G.I. I saw wanted to give me--the phospho soda. She refused to let me have the pills because "they don't clean you out well enough." I looked at the nurse and said "I have diarrhea everyday. How much more cleaning out do you think I need?" She didn't have an answer to that. I ended up not having that colonoscopy because I knew it was pointless; I didn't even have IBS symptoms as bad as most people on here, much less bad enough to think that I might have an IBD. And I had already had one like 5 years before and had a clean bill of health. I ended up just curing myself, mainly with calcium.
Posted 4/25/2006 5:13 PM (GMT 0)
I am scheduled for a colonoscopy on May 15.

My doc has ordered a clear liquid diet the day before. And phosphosoda the night before and the morning before the test, with tons of water the day of the exam. I was given the option of GoLytely or Phosphosoda - maybe I made the wrong choice.

Sounds painful to me! Oh well, wish me luck.

Mary
Posted 4/25/2006 5:18 PM (GMT 0)
I can only speak from experience but I would take the phosphosoda over the golytely any day. Even though all preps are just not fun at all, some of us have preferences over others and most people aren't the same. The preferences are from the people that unfortunately have had enough colonscopies to try different preps. My doc gave me the option of visicol last time but I hear that a lot of doctors just don't like it.
Posted 4/25/2006 6:12 PM (GMT 0)
Golyghtly is so nasty that some people can't even keep it down. It's kind of thick and tastes salty. I kept thinking about a commercial skit I saw on Saturday Night Live for Swill--a drink made from the sludgish waters around NJ. When they went to pour it out it had the viscosity of ketchup (or less). The Golyghtly wasn't that bad, but I couldn't help but think of that skit when I was drinking it. Tasted like something found off a NJ beach.
Posted 4/26/2006 12:57 AM (GMT 0)
I just had a colonscopy in Jan. and was told to use Phosphosoda which is the second time I have used it. I would rather drink that little amount than all that other stuff. I have not read anything about it being dangerous. Seems to me that I have read the GoLytley is hard on kidneys and certainly not good for people with heart problems and diabetes. I thin the phosphasoda is just gross being like mineral oil and a shaker of salt and could barely get the last down in the AM because my scope was scheduled in afternoon. I got up and drank it before I was even awake and it started to come back up.

CoolJanet, I am wondering why you posted about the phospho soda if it is not being used anymore. My Drs. would not approve the pills either. Said they don't always disolve.

Kenamon, did you mean Golyghtly is nasty or the phospho. Which do you think is worse.
Posted 4/26/2006 1:31 AM (GMT 0)
Phosopho Soda is still being prescribed! But, many GIs are beginning to
shy away from using it after reading the reports that are appearing in
increasing numbers in the medical journals about the kidney failure
and kidney damage cases. All of the preps are taxing on the kidneys
but, all of the Lytely preps are diluted in a gallon or half-gallon of liquid.
Phospho Soda is diluted in a 8oz or 10oz glass of water, the very
high concentration is causing a problem. The fact that it's prescribed
to be taken in only a single glass of water as opposed to a gallon or
half-gallon has made it very popular.
Posted 4/26/2006 2:37 AM (GMT 0)
Yes, the Phosphosoda is diluted in an 8 or 10oz liquid, however, the instructions do say to drink 1 more glass with each dosage. It also goes on to say "keep drinking liquids." I used the stuff and I didn't mind it. My dad had a scope not long before me and he had to use the gallon sludge. It was a nightmare. When I need another scope, I'm going to stick to the soda (if at all possible).
Posted 4/26/2006 5:36 AM (GMT 0)
I had to keep drinking something just to get the taste out of my mouth. If I have to have the gallon sludge I am not doing it. Maybe by the time of my next one they will figure something better out. 2 years to go. It is all pretty gross stuff.
Posted 4/26/2006 2:42 PM (GMT 0)
I was talking about the golyghtly stuff being such nasty swill. I never did drink all of it. Probably just as well; I was still pooping water before my test and you're supposed to quit needing to do that a few hours after stopping it.

I haven't had the soda stuff. I never went for the colonoscopy where they prescribed it.

What about that pico salax stuff they have in Canada? Some months back someone on here was just raving about that stuff. Said it tasted like Tang, wasn't thick, didn't have to drink a gallon of it, and didn't cause cramping. If I have to get another test done in the future, I'll be importing me some of that!
Posted 4/26/2006 3:49 PM (GMT 0)
Usually I go the two days, take a laxative both days, and then finsih up with a enima the morning before the procedure. However, when I had my last one, tme was a factor, so the doctor just said to fast for one day, drinking clear fluids, and take the laxative the night before. All in just one day. So I did, and when I asked how it went afterwards, the doctor said that I was cleaned out sufficiently for the test to be performed.

Just one day.... in comparison to a friend that just had a colonoscopy, and had to do the prep for THREE days. That to me is crazy.

I cheated once too, a couple of years ago. Was to go two completed days without eating. But on the first day, I ate a good meal at noon, the stopped for the remaining 1.5 days.

I was advised that I was cleaned out good, and the test was successful.. So I am not sure what or what is not the proper procedure, seems to vary from doctor to doctor....

Regards
Posted 4/26/2006 4:03 PM (GMT 0)
That does seem weird, Beau. My colonoscopy was in the early morning, so the day before I could only have clear liquids and the golyghtly stuff. I think I hated going hungry worse than I hated the golyghtly stuff, and that's saying something, lol.

I've never heard of anyone having to fast more than one day. I would have certainly laughed my way out of the doctor's office if he had suggested it. I don't go without food. Come to think of it, I have never heard of anyone having to take laxatives for more than 24 hours before the test, but maybe people who are really constipated have to get started ahead of time to give themselves a chance to get it out without making their system cramp up trying to get it out all at once.
Posted 4/26/2006 4:40 PM (GMT 0)
A word of "warning" regarding the phosporo soda and your favorite drink... When I had my colonoscopy last month, I got ginger ale for the 'soda' and apple juice (amongst others) for my clear liquid diet. The first round of 3 drinks (p-soda) I used the ginger ale, the 2nd round of 3 drinks (p-soda), I accidentally grabbed my apple juice (I wanted to get the stuff down in a hurry and wasn't paying attention). Drank it and now I can't even look at the apple juice bottle. Made my husband drink all of the apple juice that was left (2 half gallons worth) in a hurry.

Mix the p-s with something you really don't care for...trust me!

Sherree
Posted 4/26/2006 9:47 PM (GMT 0)
I don't understand the what you are saying about the rist round of 3 drinks. what 3 drinks. All I drank was the PS in 10 oz of gatoraid(clear) or applejuice. there were 2 little bottles of 4 oz each that I mixed to drink 2 times. I have never used a laxative for the prep and it takes a really long time for the soda to work on me compared to my friends. I have only liguids after breakfast the day before but my appts are in afternoon. He doesn't do morning ones.
Posted 4/26/2006 10:24 PM (GMT 0)
My prep was a bit different than yours. I bought 2 4 oz bottles of the phosphoro soda. The first round of drinks was at 1:00 - I had to drink 3 8 oz glasses of the 'soda' w/liquid within 20 minutes. I waited 4 hours and repeated with 3 more drinks in 20 minutes. 3 hours later I had to take 4 ducolax. This was for a late morning Friday c-scope. My GI's office has since changed the prep but I'm not sure how. I really started the prep (with different laxatives on the Tuesday prior as I ended up in the ER totally blocked- we thought I had an obstruction). So, I was on a clear liquid diet from Tuesday - Friday. Not the most pleasant of experiences and glad it's now over.
Posted 4/26/2006 10:49 PM (GMT 0)
I think when they tried to prescribe the phospho soda to me, they were going to have me drink it and later take a laxative. (Like someone with constant diarrhea needed much if any of it!)
Posted 4/27/2006 1:44 AM (GMT 0)
I guess the Phosphosoda prep varies.... I had 6 little tubes of phospho. Each 1 I had to mix in an 8oz glass of water. I drank 3 tubes the night before my scope and 3 tubes the morning of.
Posted 4/27/2006 3:03 AM (GMT 0)
Sounds different alright. I wonder if that would taste better as it would be diluted more. Wow, 4 Dulcolax would have blown me right out the door. I have heard of taking it before but never after. Really strange how they are all so different. They sure don't agree on this, it seems. Frankly, the GI docs in my area agree on very little.
Posted 1/23/2010 11:11 PM (GMT 0)

I had my first ever colonoscopy at age 49 yesterday.  I had done some research on this website and on others prior to the consultation and have to say thank goodness for the input from folks like you.  In any case, the prep was a little rough, not the actual solution but the fact that I was not allowed to eat ANYTHING the entire day prior to the procedure (my appt was at 1300).  So I pretty much was starving.  He gave me a prep called MoviPrep, and I had been instructed by the little ladies at the doctor's front desk to first mix it in a little water and then add a carbonated liquid, coke, ginger ale, etc.  The morning before the procedure, for the first liter, I put a tad of water to make sure the powders were mixed, and then filled it up with Ginger Ale, and put it in the frig.  They also told me to get straws.  So that was the mix and it was not bad at all, just felt really full of liquids.  My doctor had me drink 1 liter over 1 hour starting at 5 pm(8ozs every 15 mins) and 16 ozs of liquid right after.  I mixed up the next batch and put it in the frig. Almost immediately it kicked in and for the next couple of hours I had loose watery stool.  No cramps, no nothing.  At 9 pm I did the same thing, but by that dose most everything (I think) was out of my system.  Now of course, I did not eat at all the whole day (well, actually since 2300 the night prior), and I am a very light eater normally anyway, so there probably wasn't alot there anyway.

The procedure- I was so out.  Woke up as they were wheeling me out.  The doctor spoke with me about what happened and gave me a folder describing my treatment and pictures of 2 polyps that were removed and something else called a divicular.  He told me he performed a biopsy and that I should come to see him to discuss the results, but that all went well.  Now what he said next, I'm not happy about-I need to have another next year.  Boo Hoo.

Long story short, get MoviPrep- mix it with water and Ginger Ale, and be sure to get a straw.  Don't breathe- just suck those 8 ozs down as fast as you can. And make sure it is COLD!  No freezing, though, as it might not reconstitute properly when thawed.

Good luck!

 

Posted 1/29/2010 9:05 AM (GMT 0)
I am sooo glad I found this post! It is towards the bottom so I didn't see it when I first joined a few days back. I hope someone can move it to the top and make it stay there so it is easier to find. My first appointment with the GI clinic is in six days (Feb. 3rd). I've had two different docs tell me that they'll most likely want to do a c-scope because of my symptoms and family history. I'm nervous, but not for the scope part, but the prep part. My dad told me about his c-scope and said the procedure went fine, but it was the prep that was awful. He said that when he went for the procedure he was "weak as a kitten". Not looking farward to it, but I'll keep that MoviPrep in mind and see if we carry that at my hospital. I'm on an army base and we get our medications free from the pharmacy located in the hospital. We have a small co-pay if we get it off base. So, I am going to hope that they carry it at my pharmacy!
Posted 1/29/2010 9:53 AM (GMT 0)
It's really not that big a deal..........
Posted 1/29/2010 12:13 PM (GMT 0)
True, a colonoscopy is not a big deal. Unless your insurance doesn't cover the cost (my case!). Anywho, 9 out of 10 horror stories you hear people talking about pertain to the prep, not the actual procedure.

The worst part about the actual test? A needle prick for the IV. That is IT! I've had 10, I should know. But I was shaking like crazy for the first one, the nurse kept trying to calm me down, I hadn't even received my IV yet and she was asking me the pre-procedure questions. Even though she said a C. is nothing to worry about, I didn't quite believe her. I figured she was paid to say that.

But I was wrong and she was right.

Almost every time too, I ask the recovery nurses, have they started yet? And they all chuckle - honey, it's over, you can get dressed, go home and eat again.
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