Liquid Diet Before Colonscopy

[cahill]

I am having a colonscopy done in a week or so. I am not happy about it but I have put it off for way to long.

I am concerned because the bowel prep contains sodium, my DH is going to go nuts I have Gilbert's and some reduced renal function so the bowel prep and IV sedation are going to make me sick.

I am trying to make sure I detox my body as much as I can before and as quickly as possible after the procedure .

So to my question:

I have to be on an clear liquid diet the day before the procedure. They suggest fruit juice,soft drinks,Gatorade aid,sports drinks, jello,Popsicles,hard candy none of which I eat/drink because of the dyes,chemicals ,HFCS ect...

I am going to make some homemade no salt broth but does any one have any other suggestion as to what to drink the day before my procedure??

[kareng]

I am having a colonscopy done in a week or so. I am not happy about it but I have put it off for way to long.

I am concerned because the bowel prep contains sodium, my DH is going to go nut I have Gilbert's and some reduced renal fiction so bowel prep and anesthesia are going to make me sick.

I am trying to make sure I to detox my body as much as I can before and as quickly as possible after the anesthesia.

So to my question:

I have to be on an clear liquid diet the day before the procedure. They suggest fruit juice,soft drinks,Gatorade aid,sports drinks, jello,Popsicles,hard candy none of which I eat/drink because of the dyes,chemicals ,HFCS ect...

I am going to make some homemade no salt broth but does any one have any other suggestion as to what to drink the day before my procedure??

What about Welch's white grape juice? says no added sugar. Open Original Shared Link

Juicy Juice apple juice is just apple juice with perservative of vitamin C & malic acid.

Might find some juices at the "health foods section"

The bowl prep around here is 4 Ducolax then 64 oz of Gatorade with Metamucil type stuff mixed in. You could do it with water. The gatorade tastes better thats all.

[cahill]

What about Welch's white grape juice? says no added sugar. Open Original Shared Link

Juicy Juice apple juice is just apple juice with perservative of vitamin C & malic acid.

Might find some juices at the "health foods section"

The bowl prep around here is 4 Ducolax then 64 oz of Gatorade with Metamucil type stuff mixed in. You could do it with water. The gatorade tastes better thats all.

The welchs white grape juice sound like a good idea.

the bowel prep she ordered is Halflytely & bisacodly tablet

[kareng]

The welchs white grape juice sound like a good idea.

the bowel prep she ordered is Halflytely & bisacodly tablet

If the bowl prep has stuff you can't have, why not ask for a different one? Like I said, around here, the bowl prep isn't anything special. It's stuff you get at the drug store.

[GlutenFreeManna]

What about Simply Juice? they make things like orange juice, apple juice, etc with no HFCS and no dyes or artifical flavors.

Open Original Shared Link

[Marilyn R]

The best thing I drank on the day of my colonoscopy prep was the glass of water I took with .5 Xanax. It made everything easier.

[cahill]

If the bowl prep has stuff you can't have, why not ask for a different one? Like I said, around here, the bowl prep isn't anything special. It's stuff you get at the drug store.

I have never had a colonscpoy before and I didnt know what was in the prep until I went to pick it up I will have to call her and see what else I can use . Thanks

[cahill]

The best thing I drank on the day of my colonoscopy prep was the glass of water I took with .5 Xanax. It made everything easier.

[mushroom]

I agree to check carefully the contents of the bowel prep. I, too, have reduced renal function and I had to do two preps a week apart (he couldn't get 'around the bend' so I had to do a barium swallow). The prep stuff was loaded with sodium and I swelled up like a balloon and my ankles have never been the same since There are lots of alternatives I didn't know about then. But I would still personally avoid a colonoscopy for myself as much as possible remembering those two horrors.

[love2travel]

Just a tip - prior to my colonoscopy I was told not to drink anything red or orange as it could be misconstrued as blood. I just drank lots and lots of water.

[txplowgirl]

Due to all the colon cancer that has run on both sides of the family I need to have one and I keep putting it off. I am not looking forward to it. Uuuuuuh. More the prep than the actual procedure.

[IrishHeart]

The prep for colonoscopy the doctor ordered for me was ... 64 oz. of something clear, like ice tea or plain broth or white grape juice with a container of Miralax mixed into it.... then, 2-4 Dulcolax tablets with water...lots of water.

None of those have dyes in them, that I know of.

I am not sure of the sodium content, sorry.

Can you ask your doctor if you can use those?

I assure you, that will clean you out.

Drink a lot of water to avoid dehydration!!!

Start early in the day and get "the purge" over with. The last thing you want is to be up all night in the potty.

Good luck, hon ((hugs)).. it's not so bad....I've had a few of them. Not the best way to spend a day, for sure...

[kareng]

Due to all the colon cancer that has run on both sides of the family I need to have one and I keep putting it off. I am not looking forward to it. Uuuuuuh. More the prep than the actual procedure.

You, my friend, get your butt, literally, to the GI for this procedure. My hub just had it after putting it off 1 1/2 years. He had a golf ball sized polyp that the pathologist said was months away from being cancerous. I read the report, and that is true. No family history of colon cancer.

For me, I was miserable but I hadn't gone gluten-free yet. For hub, it wasn't too bad. He ended up staying up going to the bathroom until 3 a.m. But he never felt very bad. I was quick, probably because of my active Celiac mess and was exhausted by 10:30. You come home after and take a 2 hour nap & you are good to go.

Wanted to add: while many GI docs are idiots about Celiac, they are really good at colonoscopies. They make a lot of money off these.

[love2travel]

Due to all the colon cancer that has run on both sides of the family I need to have one and I keep putting it off. I am not looking forward to it. Uuuuuuh. More the prep than the actual procedure.

It truly wasn't bad at all. Sure, it was a pain drinking a gallon of stuff, but it was liquidy like water, not thick or weirdly textured. It gives you frequent diarrhea but it was nowhere near as yucky as I thought it would be. The worst part for me was not being able to drink anything for nearly 18 hours - my scopes were scheduled late the next day and I was not allowed anything after midnight. Being in such bad chronic pain prepares one for that sort of thing. In fact, the colonoscopy and gastroscopy took my mind off my back pain briefly! The only other thing that takes my mind off my pain is going to the dentist - but that is another story...

I encourage you to get it done. Most of the horror stories just are not warranted!

[cahill]

It truly wasn't bad at all. Sure, it was a pain drinking a gallon of stuff, but it was liquidy like water, not thick or weirdly textured. It gives you frequent diarrhea but it was nowhere near as yucky as I thought it would be. The worst part for me was not being able to drink anything for nearly 18 hours - my scopes were scheduled late the next day and I was not allowed anything after midnight. Being in such bad chronic pain prepares one for that sort of thing. In fact, the colonoscopy and gastroscopy took my mind off my back pain briefly! The only other thing that takes my mind off my pain is going to the dentist - but that is another story...

I encourage you to get it done. Most of the horror stories just are not warranted!

I had my endoscopy last fall, so it is just the colonscopy this time.

I am a bit concerned about the timing,, I have to work the day before until 3;30 so I cant start the prep until I get home. I have a 2 hour drive the morning of to the hospital that is doing the procedure. It could be a long drive

[kareng]

I had my endoscopy last fall, so it is just the colonscopy this time.

I am a bit concerned about the timing,, I have to work the day before until 3;30 so I cant start the prep until I get home. I have a 2 hour drive the morning of to the hospital that is doing the procedure. It could be a long drive

You have someone to drive you, right? Here they don't let you in until they have actually seen your ride home.

Anyway...I have 2 words for the ride there.... Maxi pads. You will mostly be emptied out but might have a few small dribbles. Hub was still peEing from all his Gatorade and water.

[cahill]

You have someone to drive you, right? Here they don't let you in until they have actually seen your ride home.

Anyway...I have 2 words for the ride there.... Maxi pads. You will mostly be emptied out but might have a few small dribbles. Hub was still peEing from all his Gatorade and water.

yes my daughter is driving me

I thought of taking a change of clothes ( just in case )

but never would have thought of maxi pads, thank you and my daughter,who's car we are taking , thanks you

[Marilyn R]

I had my endoscopy last fall, so it is just the colonscopy this time.

I am a bit concerned about the timing,, I have to work the day before until 3;30 so I cant start the prep until I get home. I have a 2 hour drive the morning of to the hospital that is doing the procedure. It could be a long drive

Someone's going to drive you, aren't they? And your doctor knows about your work/prep schecule? Wish you well...and hope your answers are "yes" to both of those question!

[kareng]

yes my daughter is driving me

I thought of taking a change of clothes ( just in case )

but never would have thought of maxi pads, thank you and my daughter,who's car we are taking , thanks you

And to be a bit gross...what little that comes out the next morning on your ride to the hospital, will be more watery than poopy.

Good luck. Bring a pillow, a light blanket ( anesthesia can make you feel cold) ,some soft music & a Teddy bear to sleep on the way home. Have some chicken & rice ready to heat up at home. Also, bring a big bottle of water for the ride home.

[sa1937]

I had my endoscopy last fall, so it is just the colonscopy this time.

I am a bit concerned about the timing,, I have to work the day before until 3;30 so I cant start the prep until I get home. I have a 2 hour drive the morning of to the hospital that is doing the procedure. It could be a long drive

I had mine shortly before Christmas...wanted to get it over with before the holidays. The liquid diet was tough as I was starving. I could have coffee in the morning. Also had orange and peach Jello and after a certain hour, it was clear liquids only. I also had to avoid certain colors but don't recall what they were (red = my favorite strawberry and was a no no).

I had NuLytely to which I added Lemon Crystal Light to make it more palatable. If there is such a thing. I hate Crystal Light!!! I did take one prescribed Reglan tablet at 3 p.m. (for possible nausea, which thankfully I didn't have) and then started the prep at 4. Finished at 8:30. I never thought I'd be able to drink a gallon of it within that time frame but did. But once the prep was over, I was fine and had no problem the next morning. Thankfully I had to be at the hospital at 7:30 so didn't have time to think about it in the morning.

The procedure itself was a piece of cake...didn't feel a thing. Came home and had a light lunch and then a nap. I hope yours goes as smoothly!

[cahill]

I had mine shortly before Christmas...wanted to get it over with before the holidays. The liquid diet was tough as I was starving. I could have coffee in the morning. Also had orange and peach Jello and after a certain hour, it was clear liquids only. I also had to avoid certain colors but don't recall what they were (red = my favorite strawberry and was a no no).

I had NuLytely to which I added Lemon Crystal Light to make it more palatable. If there is such a thing. I hate Crystal Light!!! I did take one prescribed Reglan tablet at 3 p.m. (for possible nausea, which thankfully I didn't have) and then started the prep at 4. Finished at 8:30. I never thought I'd be able to drink a gallon of it within that time frame but did. But once the prep was over, I was fine and had no problem the next morning. Thankfully I had to be at the hospital at 7:30 so didn't have time to think about it in the morning.

The procedure itself was a piece of cake...didn't feel a thing. Came home and had a light lunch and then a nap. I hope yours goes as smoothly!

Thanks Syliva, I hope mine goes as smoothly

They told me no red products,no dairy and no solid food starting the morning before the procedure ..

Because it is just the colonoscopy my doc said I can drink clear liquids up until 3 hours before the procedure, which is good considering my procedure is not scheduled until 1:30 in the afternoon,,, way to much time to think about it

[ravenwoodglass]

I am concerned because the bowel prep contains sodium, my DH is going to go nuts I have Gilbert's and some reduced renal function so the bowel prep and IV sedation are going to make me sick.

It is not the sodium in salt that flares DH it is the iodine in iodized salt. You have no worries about the DH flaring unless something has gluten in it. Do call the companies and make sure the prep is gluten free. The big concern is the flavoring they use. When I had mine done I was told by the company simply not to use the flavoring.

Make sure the anesthesiologist knows of the Gilbert's and reduced renal function so they can take precautions to insure you don't get ill from it.

Don't worry about not being able to start the prep until late afternoon. That was when they had me start mine and I still had time to get a good nights sleep that night.

[sa1937]

Thanks Syliva, I hope mine goes as smoothly

They told me no red products,no dairy and no solid food starting the morning before the procedure ..

Because it is just the colonoscopy my doc said I can drink clear liquids up until 3 hours before the procedure, which is good considering my procedure is not scheduled until 1:30 in the afternoon,,, way to much time to think about it

Another thought...since you'll have a 2-hour drive back home again, you might want to bring something to eat (not sure what that would be) as I was absolutely starved but only half an hour away from the hospital. Plus I was dehydrated when I went in (small wonder, huh?) and was very thirsty. I think they gave me a coke afterwards. The one good thing is that I wasn't as loopy as after having the endoscopy when I asked my son and DIL at least six times what the dr. told me.

[cahill]

My colonoscopy is today.

I called and talked to my GI doc about the prep and my concerns.I felt much better about things after talking with her.

One of the nurses that will be in the room with me call and talked with me yesterday, to confirm my time ,ask if I had any concerns and to go over my recent renal function test.

I am feeling comfortable with / confident in the people doing my test. After years of dealing with incompetent, uncaring doctors that had no clue what to do with me it is a relief to FINALLY have a doc that has a clue!!

I was on clear liquids only all day yesterday then I did the prep starting at 3:30 yesterday. I was surprised that it was not as bad as I expected . I have had D like that just from Rice Dream before I knew it was a no-no.I did not use the flavor pack,even with out it the prep was not to bad.The worst part was having to drink sooooo much of it.

The prep has given me No cramping,No upset tummy nothing but the D.I am good with that .

My procedure is not until 1;30 this afternoon, I did pack a snack to have on the way home because I am STARVING