Colonoscopy prep questions

Good morning all,

I have a colonoscopy scheduled for June 25th. This will be my second one, and my first time with this prep, so I was hoping for some advice. I asked my GI to please give me a strong/effective prep because last time I did the Miralax/Gatorade prep and nothing happened. Miralax just doesn't seem to work on me. Then I was sent home with a prescription for Colyte, which worked much better. An extra day w/o real food and drinking laxatives was hard on my body, though, so I don't want that to happen again. I was really dehydrated.

My colonoscopy will be on a Wednesday, and Monday night I am supposed to drink a bottle of Magnesium Citrate. Then Tuesday eve I start drinking lemon-lime Nulytely and drink the other half Wednesday early a.m. I am also supposed to follow a low fiber diet for five days before the procedure.

1. Is this an effective prep to get me cleaned out, even though I sometimes have issues with constipation?

2. What has your experience been with Magnesium Citrate and Nulytely? Is Nulytely similar to Colyte--tastes like oily salt water? Did you add anything to the Nulytely or just drink it as is w/the flavoring?

3. How strict should I be with the low fiber diet? Last time I did prep I wasn't given any dietary restrictions so I just ate whatever. Does low fiber mean I can't eat cooked veggies at all? That would be tough for five days. I am on the SCD (plus no dairy) so that basically leaves fish, seafood, meat and eggs if no veggies are allowed. I hope a few veggies are ok. If they are pureed in a soup does that make it better? I really like carrot coconut ginger soup and pea leek soup but these are probably not low fiber.

4. I was reading online that coconut water is nature's Gatorade and am planning to drink it to prevent dehydration. I saw Coffeencake wrote that she drank coconut water during her prep. I was curious how much coconut water and when you start drinking it. Coconut water is SCD legal so I would rather drink that than Gatorade.

Thanks everyone! You are the best!

Hi Amy,

Thanks for writing! I'm glad the magnesium citrate was effective but I'm sorry you threw up. Does it taste really bad, or does it taste ok?

Thank you, Coffeencake. I'll pick up a lot of coconut water before my prep. I tried the Harvest Bay brand and it's pretty tasty.

I'm sorry you were so sick during your prep. My fingers are crossed that you won't need another colonoscopy for a long time. This is my second one in 10 months and I'm thinking of asking my GI for a two-year minimum guarantee until my third one. ;)

Post Edited (colitis32) : 5/14/2014 7:32:24 PM (GMT-6)

Here's my 100% foolproof method for prep, nothin' fancy. Works every time, never got caught!

Ask for Suprep, its the 6oz thingy.

Get an 8 oz. glass of chocolate milk, and put extra chocolate syrup in it...keep putting it in until its just before its almost too chocolatey to even drink. THEN pour the bottle of Suprep in it. Drink, and I guarantee you that you will almost not even notice the taste of the Suprep. After you down that, follow it with THREE ice cold, not the two glasses of water they tell you to drink within an hour.

Works every time, and I don't even do the one in the morning they tell you to do.....works like a charm. The extra glass of water is what gets the extra stuff going through you, and teh chocolate is the perfect mask for the salty taste.

The problem is that especially in UC, you will always be generating some sort of fluid, so don't obsess over it too much. They are prepared to suction whatever is in there, and the prep will clear out 96% of what the need to. It's never going to be 100% clear.