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Post by katlaw on Mar 1, 2018 6:01:23 GMT
If you find you are having problems drinking the drink try a straw. I put mine in a tall glass with a straw and am able to just drink it quickly. I was not chained to the bathroom but agree with the poster who suggested this is a good day to just stay home around your own washroom.
I had no pain or cramping at all and I have done this 3 times now.
Gross TMI but when it looks like yellow Gatorade you know it is successful, that is just bile coming out.
A couple days before stop eating whole grains, nuts, seeds, dried fruit, or raw fruits or vegetables.
You can have Gatorade but nothing with red, blue or purple dye. I generally don't drink Gatorade because it is all chemicals but I do have one the day before a colonoscopy to sip on.
It is really not that bad, the fear of the unknown was much worse than the reality.
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 19:49:10 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2018 6:04:19 GMT
Mine was gatorade based. I could pick any flavor as long it did not have a red dye in it. Then a LOT of miralax was mixed in. I don't recall how much but if you google gatorade colonoscopy prep you'll find the recipe. eta: The nice thing about the gatorade prep is you get to pick a flavor you like (just read the label and pick on without red dye) and it is only two 32 oz bottles (half a gallon) instead of a full gallon or more of the traditional prep. I didn't have the soreness issues others had. I can guarantee you that even if you like the flavor you pick at first, you will NEVER like that flavor again after. Mine was a year ago and I still don’t want to even LOOK at Gatorade much less drink it.  I didn't have that reaction to it. I've never been a big fan of gatorade but that prep didn't put me off. If I have a reason to drink it again I will. |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Mar 1, 2018 6:15:12 GMT
I can guarantee you that even if you like the flavor you pick at first, you will NEVER like that flavor again after. Mine was a year ago and I still don’t want to even LOOK at Gatorade much less drink it. I didn't have that reaction to it. I've never been a big fan of gatorade but that prep didn't put me off. If I have a reason to drink it again I will. It’s just the sheer volume of it and having to drink it so quickly that puts me off. I think I had to down an 8 oz glass every 15 minutes until it was gone, and I had to drink TWO pitchers of it because I had a two day prep. Twice the fun. |
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Post by dewryce on Mar 1, 2018 6:17:35 GMT
I was one of the lucky ones to get to do the two day prep because I have a history of constipation. Yay, me. So I had to mix up TWO of the giant jugs of Miralax with a gallon (or two?) of Gatorade and drink them over the course of two days. It was awful simply because of the quantity of liquid. I maybe, MAYBE drink 24-30 ounces of water or anything TOTAL in a normal day, so having to chug down that much liquid of any kind that fast was torture for me especially on top of having to be on a liquid diet those two days. DH went somewhere while I was doing the prep and I ended up having to risk going to the store myself to get a different flavor of Gatorade the next morning because there was NO WAY after drinking a whole pitcher of one flavor that I would be able to drink any more of that flavor. It was so gross. And the citrate stuff you drink early the morning of your procedure HAS to be very, very cold. It’s disgusting. Drink it as fast as possible with a straw so you won’t have to taste it as much. The procedure wasn’t as bad as I imagined, but that was because I told them up front that I have white coat phobia and that I absolutely wanted to be totally knocked out for it, so that’s what they did. I was dehydrated and had to have a bag of fluid before going in because I was so light headed. My reward for surviving it was that DH took me to a bakery afterward and bought me a box of donut holes.  The man knows me so well! The best part was that I was given a clean bill of health and I don’t need to have another one for ten years. Hopefully by then they’ll have something better and less invasive for diagnosing colon cancer.I don't see colonoscopies going away though. They are fabulous in that they actually remove any polyps they find to help prevent colon cancer before it starts. So even though they a pain the the butt *giggles* they are so worth it. My biological father died from gastro and colon cancer and I was having issues so I went in at age 42 and already had 9 polyps, one kind of large and some medium. Not even 2 years later they found 8 small polyps. I'm kind of paranoid about my health in general and petrified of cancer, but this procedure helps me feel more in control of this issue. So I'll be drinking the nasty drink and going back annually. Hopefully they can improve the drink! |
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Post by malibou on Mar 1, 2018 6:24:30 GMT
I got to mix my prep with Chick-fil-a lemonade, I had no problem getting it down and I still like lemonade.
I would recommend a little Boudreaux butt paste mixed with a couple drops of lavender oil instead of Vaseline, and put it on before the party starts.
Remember, that what ever you eat over the several days before hand will need to come out. Look up low residue diet and see if you can follow that for a couple of days before your prep diet starts. It will absolutely make your bathroom part of the prep easier.
Another way to get the prep down is to use a big fat smoothie straw. It kind of just rockets it right on back.
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Post by malibou on Mar 1, 2018 6:34:59 GMT
My biological father died from gastro and colon cancer and I was having issues so I went in at age 42 and already had 9 polyps, one kind of large and some medium. Not even 2 years later they found 8 small polyps. I'm kind of paranoid about my health in general and petrified of cancer, but this procedure helps me feel more in control of this issue. So I'll be drinking the nasty drink and going back annually. Hopefully they can improve the drink! Both of my grandparents on my mother's side and my grandmother on my father's side all had colon cancer. When my mom and sisters had theirs, they had 10 - 17 polyps removed each. I was a wreck going in, and relieved that I had no polyps. I still have to go back in 3 years though. When I had mine, I did like any good pea and came here to search out tips. I was shocked at how many different preps there were, so I went investigating. Most current thinking is that as long as you do something to clean out, it doesn't matter which prep method you pick. I will definitely do it like I did last time. I had the powder that was mixed into lemonade. |
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Post by dewryce on Mar 1, 2018 6:51:44 GMT
That's great that you were polyp free malibou! Scary family history, so thankful this procedure is available for us. Does she want you to come back before the 5-10 years based on your family or do you get a longer reprieve? |
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Post by malibou on Mar 1, 2018 6:56:31 GMT
I have to go back every 3 years. She said my history is scary. Something about it liking to skip generations as well as being on both sides.
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Post by dewryce on Mar 1, 2018 7:27:31 GMT
I have to go back every 3 years. She said my history is scary. Something about it liking to skip generations as well as being on both sides. Eeesh, definitely not what you'd want to hear. But, 3 years is good. No polyps so far is really great! And a fairly simple procedure to take them out if they do happen to start growing, even better. Best wishes to you and your entire family! |
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Post by lesserknownpea on Mar 1, 2018 9:36:21 GMT
Confession: by the time I was passing lime aid looking stuff, I just sat in the tub in a few inches of warm water, and just kept emptying and refilling the tub as needed. The water was soothing, and no wiping or even patting was needed until it was over. It was such a relief to get off the toilet, and of course I washed well with nice soap before I got out.
I’m embarrassed to tell this, but if it brings comfort to just one person, it’s worth it to me.
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Post by mommaho on Mar 1, 2018 11:07:49 GMT
You have received some excellent advice and many tips I'll take along with me for my next colonoscopy. The best piece I can share is while drinking the prep is if you feel gassy - it won't be gas! Trust me on this! Stay near your bathroom during prep!
I had to do every 3 years for the past 12 due to polyps - but I have graduated back to every 5 years since the last 2 were clear!
You'll do fine!
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Post by miranda on Mar 1, 2018 11:43:06 GMT
You know the things like you need to drink a 10 oz bottle of magnesium citrate, Are you taking other prep as well as the magnesium citrate? That's sort of like a fizzy lemonaide.... Directions say 10 oz of magnesium citrate at 4, then another at 6, then another in the morning. Says to drink plenty of clear liquids all evening. I was planning on drinking lemon lime Gatorade for the day, does this count as clear or should I switch to water later in the day? Thanks for all the tips and advice, I think the bits and pieces i'd heard prior sounded worse than this sounds. I know not a picnic, but manageable. Glad to have tips to avoid hot shower, etc., too. Already anemic so will definitely be aware. |
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smcast
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,509 
Location: MN
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Post by smcast on Mar 1, 2018 11:44:37 GMT
I see my gastro doc tomorrow and will most likely have a combo endoscope and colonoscopy. And if he does the same prep as 5 years ago, it will be liquid diet the day before and prep starting with 2 Dulcolax pills and then the gallon of GoLytely. After the first one nearly 15 years ago, I learned to get some cheap Depends-type underwear inserts to catch if/when I couldn't make it to the toilet in time, and after the first glass of GoLytely, I pretty much drank it sitting on the toilet. And I agree about the Vaseline and peri bottle because otherwise your rectal area will be dreadfully raw. I guess your reaction would depend on what sort of prep you have. And really, I want to know which joker decided to call the prep drink mix "GoLytely." Ha ha. Funny. (not) It's a reference to affect your electrolytes less than the other options. |
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maryannscraps
Pearl Clutcher
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Aug 28, 2017 12:51:28 GMT
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Post by maryannscraps on Mar 1, 2018 13:14:44 GMT
Oh, and something no one ever told me that I wish I had known....you will wake up full of air. They'll be checking on you, and you're blushing because you'll have so much air from them using it during the procedure. I wasn't expecting that. They inflate the colon with air to smooth it out and see the whole thing. It's a wrinkly organ. The nurse said I could go home when I passed gas. She stuck around to make sure.  |
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Deleted
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Aug 18, 2025 19:49:10 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2018 13:24:50 GMT
Are you taking other prep as well as the magnesium citrate? That's sort of like a fizzy lemonaide.... Directions say 10 oz of magnesium citrate at 4, then another at 6, then another in the morning. Says to drink plenty of clear liquids all evening. I was planning on drinking lemon lime Gatorade for the day, does this count as clear or should I switch to water later in the day? Thanks for all the tips and advice, I think the bits and pieces i'd heard prior sounded worse than this sounds. I know not a picnic, but manageable. Glad to have tips to avoid hot shower, etc., too. Already anemic so will definitely be aware. Gatorade counts as a clear liquid as does things like chicken broth (no noodles, chicken or veg bits, just plain broth) That can help with the hunger feelings |
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lilypad
Junior Member
Posts: 83
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Post by lilypad on Mar 1, 2018 14:07:26 GMT
I had my colonoscopy last fall and it was not as bad as I thought it would be. You’ve gotten lots of great advice here. I did the prep exactly as indicated..didn’t want to have to do it again. Stayed home from the time I started.
Things that helped:
Drink the liquid with a straw..this was huge!
Eat lightly in the days before you start your prep.
Jello
Beef broth or another hot clear soup because I was freezing cold from all he liquid and couldn’t get warm.
Hard candy..butterscotch tasted good to me.
Vaseline or A and D
It really wasn’t that bad and it’s so nice to get it over with! Good luck😊
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Post by revirdsuba99 on Mar 1, 2018 14:19:16 GMT
Directions say 10 oz of magnesium citrate at 4, then another at 6, then another in the morning. Says to drink plenty of clear liquids all evening. That's doable. Much better than most ..... |
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Post by crazy4scraps on Mar 1, 2018 14:33:48 GMT
The procedure wasn’t as bad as I imagined, but that was because I told them up front that I have white coat phobia and that I absolutely wanted to be totally knocked out for it, so that’s what they did. I was dehydrated and had to have a bag of fluid before going in because I was so light headed. My reward for surviving it was that DH took me to a bakery afterward and bought me a box of donut holes. The man knows me so well! The best part was that I was given a clean bill of health and I don’t need to have another one for ten years. Hopefully by then they’ll have something better and less invasive for diagnosing colon cancer.I don't see colonoscopies going away though. They are fabulous in that they actually remove any polyps they find to help prevent colon cancer before it starts. So even though they a pain the the butt *giggles* they are so worth it. My biological father died from gastro and colon cancer and I was having issues so I went in at age 42 and already had 9 polyps, one kind of large and some medium. Not even 2 years later they found 8 small polyps. I'm kind of paranoid about my health in general and petrified of cancer, but this procedure helps me feel more in control of this issue. So I'll be drinking the nasty drink and going back annually. Hopefully they can improve the drink! I’m glad it’s there for people with family history so you can be proactive with your health. I have no family history and had no issues with mine so it would be nice if people with low risk could do something less invasive like Cologuard for follow up testing. Then if that test showed something, go in for another actual scope. I get really skeeved out by doctors and anything invasive, which makes me tend to put things off longer than I probably should. But if I could do a simple test at home and send it off to a lab, I’d be much more inclined to do it on schedule. |
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Post by Deleted on Mar 1, 2018 15:40:49 GMT
My prep drink was awful. The drink was premixed and tasted like cherry cough medicine. I was barely able to keep it all down, had to drink through a straw and I added ice to make the beverage even colder. I was also told to not drink or eat anything (jello) with red dye in it and no dairy. I had no problems with cramping during the prep, but it did take a while for my bowel movements to get back to normal after the procedure. I also had an issue with the oxygen. I keep sneezing and had a runny nose for about 3 days after the procedure. Apparently some people do have issues with that. Best thing about a colonoscopy is that they are able to remove the polyps right there and then. I had a few, but nothing to worry about. DH had a larger one and was told by his doctor that it would have likely turned cancerous so it was great that they caught it.
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zella
Pearl Clutcher
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Post by zella on Mar 1, 2018 20:59:39 GMT
I'm not reading through all the responses, so this might already have been said.
You can do a Gatorade and Miralax prep instead of the disgusting go-lytely stuff. You can find directions for it online. The better GI doctors are using this while those who don't give a shit (ha!) are still using the nasty stuff.
I couldn't drink the prep. No way, not if my life depended on it. I've had 2 colonoscopies, didn't tell the doctors or ask "permission," I just did the alternative prep. It was easy to do (and I am someone who deals with frequent and often severe nausea), and my colon was clean as a whistle both times.
There is some belief that the traditional preps can be dangerous. They work by pulling massive amounts of fluid into your intestines, and that can really mess with your electrolyte balance. Also, if you have any leaning towards diarrhea, you can end up losing way too much fluid. The first time I did the prep I took the 2 laxative pills that were prescribed, then the Miralax/Gatorade. The pills almost cleaned me out by themselves, but I also almost passed out. I had to lie flat on the bathroom floor. So the second time I just used one pill.
So that is my "been there, done that" advice. The procedure itself is easy. Most people, I think, remember little to nothing of it. The first time I remember a few minutes, the second one is a complete blank.
Hope this helps!
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