Colonscopy! WooHoo!

it is not as bad as people make it out to be. Which prep do you have? That will help with advice. I've only done the gallon jug (which you do NOT drink all of!) and it was fine. Stock the bathroom with whatever you will need because you wont be leaving it for several hours. And once you start drinking, NEVER trust a fart.

  Ask me how I know... 

Drink, drink, drink. Be very hydrated or they won't be able to find a vein when it's time and it becomes a big hassle.

I've had 2 already this year. Prep is the worst part and isn't that bad. Plan on being home at 5 pm when you drink the first bottle. It's probably that magnesium stuff. Keep it in the refrigerator, I've done lemon, it's not bad. Has taken about an hour to start working for me. I wasn't confined to the bathroom, just back and forth a few times.

The first one I was very dehydrated so I felt horrible. The second one, I was better hydrated so I felt better. First one I was trying to stomach Gatorade and water with electrolytes. I hated them so I didn't drink as much. Second time around I stuck to regular water and did much better because I could stand more of it.

They have you out before they start and you won't remember a thing. Some people go out to eat on their way home. I felt fine, but was tired so I headed home.

I also had to drink the second half more slowly, since the first half made me vomit. I started the second half of the liquid an hour early.

The procedure itself is a piece of cake.

I hope your procedures find the cause of your heartburn.

My last colonoscopy was 2016 and I’m not due until 2027 for the next one. I wrote myself a list of reminders that I add to my planner every year so I don’t forget when the next one rolls around.

Soft, soft toilet paper. And nice wet bottom wipes, too.

Preparation H if you have a problem with hemorrhoids. The prep seems to aggravate mine terribly.

Have Gas-X ready for the gas pains you get after the procedure.

That’s my list! You’ve gotten good advice here, you’ll be fine!

I had my first two weeks ago. Things I did/wish I had known/would do differently:

1) Drink lots and lots of water. My prep started at 7 the evening before with 32 oz. of Gatorade and Miralex. Part 2 was the same mixture at 4 a.m. I was EXTREMELY light-headed and felt awful because I was so dehydrated when I got up at 4. I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do the procedure but eventually felt better. I hate Gatorade but managed to get it down.

2) I had to take Dulcolax at 9 a.m. the morning before the procedure. Thank goodness I was at home and not at work. It would have been ugly.

3) I set up a TV tray in the bathroom with my iPad and had some youtube videos ready. That worked well.

4) I had a lot of gas after my procedure, so DH and I went on a little walk so it could work its way out. DH was only willing to do that because he was starving and wanted me to feel well enough to go to lunch.

The rest was fine. The actual procedure was a breeze. DH has had several, and the liquid diet was the worst for him (See #4 -- he's always hungry). He was pretty damn hangry for two days.

A Pea suggested having a lemon to suck on between sips of the prep. I think this was spot on. I’d normally never suck on a lemon, but it worked with the prep.

My purging symptoms lasted much longer than usual with my drinks. It was a 2 hour drive to the hospital where I was having the colonoscopy, so I got up at 3 am to do the second part of the prep. It still wasn’t early enough. It was a loooong ride to the hospital in DC morning rush hour traffic. The lack of sleep and all the stress of incontinence was the worst part of the procedure.

If you are a natural redhead and it’s no longer obvious (my hair has gone auburn over the years), be sure to tell them. Many redheads carry a gene where it takes longer for redheads to go under anesthesia (or meds to take effect), you need more medication to be effective, and it takes longer to pull out of it for that reason. I woke up mid scope, but slid right back under again.

Look up a low residue diet and start following it now.

Boudreaux butt paste, put that on before the action starts.

One of those squeeze bottles full of warm water. Spray yourself clean and gently pat dry.

I agree that if you have normal/healthy bowel habits anyway then the prep is no big deal.
I probably went to the toilet 4 times in total, then it was done.

Main advice - follow whatever instructions your doctor gives. Don't mess with the prep based on what anyone tells you online. You don't want it to be cancelled or have them not be able to see what they need to because you didn't follow the instructions correctly. That just wastes everyone's time...including yours.

If you are struggling with the taste of the prep - drink it through a straw, that way it goes down the back of your throat and misses most of the taste buds.

Walk around as much as possible afterwards (unless for some reason they tell you not to) this will help you to pass the gas that they use to inflate the bowel.


No it doesn't. This is completely false in several ways.
If this were to happen something has gone VERY wrong and they perforated your bowel.
In a colonoscopy they pump gas into the bowel only...there is no way it can "migrate" upwards through various body parts, the only way out is via a fart. The gas will grumble around the abdomen and may cause crampy pain until it is released (farted out).

In laparoscopic abdominal surgery they inflate the abdominal cavity which is a different spot to where the gas in a colonoscopy goes.
In those instances it also does NOT "migrate" upwards to between the shoulders...the gas can sit under the diaphragm and irritate the phrenic nerve which can feel like shoulder tip pain....but there is no gas between your shoulders.
*If* (very rare) you were to get shoulder tip pain after a colonoscopy then something is very wrong (ruptured bowel, internal bleeding etc) and you need to go straight to ER...do not sit in a recliner for several hours and wait.

I had to do the gallon of Gatorade and Miralax prep and had to go to the store after the first half because I knew I would puke if I had to drink any more of that one flavor of Gatorade. I normally don’t mind Gatorade but after that much of the same kind it was pretty disgusting. Needless to say, I haven’t had a single sip of Gatorade since!