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Honored Contributor
Posts: 15,519
Registered: ‎09-01-2010

Re: Question about colonoscopy prep

@Lipstickdiva,

I agree that not everyone needs the same amount of laxative.   

 

My husband had to do a 2 day prep for his 2 previous colonoscopies at the VA.   As a diabetic, a 2 day prep is just too much.   With his last one, he ate lighter prior to the prep, did a one day prep, and no one ever knew the difference.   

 

I prefer to prep using Miralax and Gatorade, and clean out quickly.   My doctor says I can stop drinking the laxative once I reach a certain point.   

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,913
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Question about colonoscopy prep

[ Edited ]

 

I have never heard of a 2 day prep for a colonoscopy. What exactly is used to induce the colon cleaning that takes 2 days? 

 

My experiences are known to those that have read this forum, and my posts, for some time. My list includes 15 colonoscopies and 5 Double Balloon Enteroscopies, since 2008. That equals 20 gallons of the prep Go or NuLytely, over a different number of hours for some of them, but never over a 2 day period.

 

Most of them I wasn't concerned about what I ate or drank, mainly because most of them were as an in-patient on a "Clear Liquid Diet(their word not mine)", which for me was Apple Juice and Orange Jello. Was on this regimen for 17 days on my month/plus hospital stay.

 

If their is a stomach(colon) that needs or than 1 gallon of Go/NuLytely to clean it? For comparison, my colon is 3' longer than most of those several of my Gastroenterologist's have seen, and 1 gallon never was too little, with 1 exception. There was 1 Double Balloon Enteroscopy he could not finish, not because of food or it's remnants, but because of "dried blood" from the source of my bleed, which was the Right Colon.

 

Go/NuLytely, for me works quickly enough, but it requires more than 1 or 2 visits to the throne. Then again, when a person has had nothing but Apple Juice and Orange Jello for over a few days/a week, or almost 3 weeks, can't be much to move out of even an exceptionally long colon.

 

My story of, just the facts, nothing but the facts, and I am sticking with it, because unfortunately I lived it. Have a great day everyone, if you made it this far.  =^..^=

 

 

 

hckynut(john)

 

 

hckynut(john)
Esteemed Contributor
Posts: 6,788
Registered: ‎08-18-2016

Re: Question about colonoscopy prep


@Lipstickdiva wrote:

This has nothing to do with the OPs issue exactly but I cannot figure out why they don't tailor the prep to a person's size.

 

A friend of mine just had to have this done. She is a very small person and a light eater.  She finished half of the prep drink plus about another cup. That was all she could manage to get down and she was getting physically ill from it.  She had the test done and they said it was fine. She was "cleaned out." 

 

Doesn't make any sense to me that she would need to drink the same amount of prep as a larger, heavier person.       


 

It's not so much our size, as what we eat. They have to assume we all eat the typical All America Diet, and the prep is needed to clear that mess out.

I've avoided the American Diet for decades, and I swear that prep nearly turned me inside out.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,913
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Question about colonoscopy prep

 

@x Hedge

 

My post a couple minutes before yours, does mention sizes of a colon. But that, as you say, is not the only criteria involved in what is required to completely prepare the colon for a Colonoscopy, or in my cases, a Double Balloon Enteroscopy.

 

I was on Orange Jello and Apple Juice for more days than I care to remember, not because of the length of my colon. Add the presence of my colon bleeding, which was the reason for so many of these 2 procedures, thus a very different than usual complication.

 

I don't use the word "diet", because too many associate that word with "weight loss".

 

 

 

hckynut(john)

hckynut(john)
Respected Contributor
Posts: 2,817
Registered: ‎03-14-2010

Re: Question about colonoscopy prep

We're not all built the same, and not everyone's system works the same.  There actually are people who do a two day cleanse.  My DD is one of them.  We were talking about it with the assistant while at the hospital.  She said that some people still need an enema after a cleanse.  Not everyone has the same "output".  My DD's colon moves very slowly and she takes medicine every day to be able to "go".  Has nothing to do with diet.  My gastro even had a medical term for it:  sticky poo.  

Honored Contributor
Posts: 15,519
Registered: ‎09-01-2010

Re: Question about colonoscopy prep

@hckynut,

A 2 day prep thru the VA is always with GoLytely.   

 

According to my husbands former PA, many colonoscopies at the VA had to be rescheduled because a one day prep was not resulting in clean colons for many veterans.   Their approach to reducing the rescheduling was to insist on a 2 day cleanse on every patient; but every veteran doesn’t have a slow system from their medication.  

 

 

Honored Contributor
Posts: 10,672
Registered: ‎05-13-2010

Re: Question about colonoscopy prep

I believe we each know ourselves. If we begin to eat lighter 2-3 days ahead hopefully it's natural to be lighter the day before with whatever prep one chooses. As well along this line it probably would make sense that a full 64oz of prep may not be needed for everyone.

 

Dr's rule of thumb they tell you is that when everything runs clear you're done, ready for your exam. I agree w/you @RedTop on this.

Honored Contributor
Posts: 13,913
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Question about colonoscopy prep

 

@PINKdogWOOD

 

I agree with most of your post. With me, the "all runs clear did not apply". Was doing just that, but since my colon bleed is at the farthest end of my extra 3' long colon, all was "running clear", and the presence of the "dried blood" was not visible.

 

Was 2 extra days in the hospital, and a repeat Lower Double Balloon Enteroscopy, on the 3rd day. And of course 1 more gallon of NuLytely. My Gastroenterologists will not do either a Colonoscopy or a Double Balloon Enteroscopy on 2 consecutive days.

 

As far as 2 days of actual drinking of NuLytely? While I have done that, mine went like this. Drink half of the gallon late in the evening prior to the procedure(either of the 2 mentioned), and finish the other half gallon of NuLytely minutes prior to the procedure.

 

My doctors wanted me actually bleeding, during the procedure. That was the only way they were able to find the source of my bleeding. That was after 6 Colonoscopy's and "during" my 1st Lower Double Balloon Enteroscopy.

 

Was still only a total of 1 gallon, and while it was on 2 different days, I did not consider it a 2 day "cleaning out period" since it was only several hours apart. I had just never heard of drinking 1 gallon times 2 Consecutive days days of what, to me, equals 2 gallons of NuLytely. That was why I said "I have never heard of a 2-day prep".

 

 

 

hckynut(john)

hckynut(john)
Honored Contributor
Posts: 33,580
Registered: ‎03-10-2010

Re: Question about colonoscopy prep


@RedTop wrote:

@Lipstickdiva,

I agree that not everyone needs the same amount of laxative.   

 

My husband had to do a 2 day prep for his 2 previous colonoscopies at the VA.   As a diabetic, a 2 day prep is just too much.   With his last one, he ate lighter prior to the prep, did a one day prep, and no one ever knew the difference.   

 

I prefer to prep using Miralax and Gatorade, and clean out quickly.   My doctor says I can stop drinking the laxative once I reach a certain point.   


@RedTop, my best friend was prescriped the Miralax/Gatorade combo but she said she doesn't think it was any better.  She had to start off taking Dulcolax earlier in the week.  Then she had to mix liquid Miralax with Gatorade. She said she had to drink 6 of the 32oz bottles of Gatorade and she was gagging that down as well.  Neither flavor could be red or purple and that's what she likes. LOL

 

This is another instance where she probably weighs about 115 pounds max.   

Valued Contributor
Posts: 694
Registered: ‎09-09-2010

Re: Question about colonoscopy prep

A little late, but my husband had a colonoscopy this am & it was a breeze! He had no dietary prep restrictions, just CLEAR LIQUIDS all day yesterday..

2 step prep with  Suprep, #1 at 6pm, #2 @3am today..nothing by mouth after 5am..very small volume of  prep (no horrendous golightly) he was taken back & was in recovery, drinking ginger ale & passing gas, ready to go home less than 90minutes later. The anesthetist used Propofol for sedation.

He has had 2 bowel surgeries due to diverticulosis, so this was not his first scope, but by far, the easiest..I hope this may calm someone’s fear of the prep or the procedure.