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Nervous about first colonoscopy

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 9/22/2014 10:24 PM (GMT 0)
I am having my first colonoscopy October 6 at 11:30 a.m. I'm really nervous. I had an endoscopy in June but I'm really nervous about the prep for this. Has anyone else used these as prep before? Do you think the timing they suggest is accurate? Do you get severly constipated the next few days after having your colon cleansed? Any way to prevent that?

If your appointment is booked between 10:30 am and 4:00pm:
1st Pico-Salax packet……………..= 7:00pm (on the evening before the test)
2nd Pico-Salax packet……………..= 6:00am (on the morning of the test) if your test is before noon OR
8:00am if your test is in the afternoon.
Posted 9/22/2014 11:23 PM (GMT 0)
I am unfamiliar with that prep procedure, but in my experience, the prep is not nearly as bad as a UC flare. I might even go so far as to say that doing a prep while flaring seemed to improve my symptoms a little bit.

Just make sure to drink the entire volume of water/clear liquids they recommend with your prep.
Posted 9/23/2014 1:18 AM (GMT 0)
A lot of doctors recommend a low residue diet a few days before prep, and then a clear liquid only diet the day of prep.

And I second the comment to drink as much water and clear liquids as you possibly can.

Your bowel will be empty after the scope. You will probably have some gas because they inflate your colon to see better. It will take a couple of days to have enough fecal matter to move your bowels but the prep should not make you constipated.
Posted 9/23/2014 2:10 AM (GMT 0)
It's really not so bad. The prep is done in the privacy of your own home, much better than an average day out and about with diarrhea looming, lol. I usually skip a day or two pooping after the prep has cleaned me out but I'd not say I was constipated.
Posted 9/23/2014 9:56 AM (GMT 0)
I thought the sigmoidoscopy was worse than the colonoscopy as far as the procedure goes.

I have had only one colonoscopy and don't remember what I took for the prep but I know I had to drink a whole lot of liquid stuff and after a few hours I started going and it wasn't painful or anything like that it just came out.

They usually knock you out for the colonoscopy so I don't remember a thing, oh but the sigmoid was awful, I was awake with no drugs at all and it was very uncomfortable and afterwards I could not stop going to the bathroom. I guess the fleet that I had to take in the morning before procedure started working after the scope.

I did not get constipated after and I do seem to get constipated a lot.
Posted 9/23/2014 10:49 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks for your help, I feel more reassured now. I'm supposed to take dulcolax and pico salax. My appt is at 11:30 am. So it looks like they want me to take 2 dulcolax pills at 9 am the day before, first pico salax at 7:00 pm and second at 6 am the next day. Does that sound about right?

DULCOLAX: Before 9:00am on the day before your procedure, take 2 tablets of Dulcolax. This is a laxative but will not prevent you from going to work that day.
1st Pico-Salax packet……………..= 7:00pm (on the evening before the test)
2nd Pico-Salax packet……………..= 6:00am (on the morning of the test) if your test is before noon OR
8:00am if your test is in the afternoon.
Posted 9/23/2014 12:29 PM (GMT 0)
Sounds about right on the prep. Not familiar with pico-salax specifically but many different preps are used for it. You are going to want to stay at least within eye sight of (or maybe even arms reach) of the toilet after each dose of the prep. And set aside a couple hours, after each prep dose as you'll need it. Doesn't hurt just very effective...
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