Bowel prep tips anyone?

[Elizabeth N.]

It's time for the Great Rite of Passage tomorrow, the turning-50 colonoscopy, plus endoscopy since it's been a couple years since the last one.

I'm optimistic and nervous at the same time about the prep. Doc gave me Movi-prep and insists that I can start it this afternoon after work. It's clear liquids all day and then first dose of prep starting around 5 PM and second dose starting around 3 AM.

Anybody have any favorite tips/tricks to share?

 

[brooklyngirl]

Oh god, hold you nose and chug or you'll gag! I also kept a chaser right next to me to erase the taste immediately after.

 

[southernlady]

When dh had his about 2 years ago, it took MUCH longer than anyone thought to get him cleaned out. And he actually started his first dose about 2PM and at 7AM the next morning, we were still VERY concerned he was not cleaned out enough cause he didn't start clearing until almost 5AM (second dose was at midnight)

 

[Elizabeth N.]

When I did my preop scope, I did not clean out well, so I'm worried about that happening again. I'm hoping that this different product will be more useful, but am still concerned..... Thinking about priming with pump with some sugar free gummibears .

 

[brooklyngirl]

I used movi prep and I was, umm, shall we say, painfully cleared out? lol

 

[southernlady]

When I did my preop scope, I did not clean out well, so I'm worried about that happening again. I'm hoping that this different product will be more useful, but am still concerned..... Thinking about priming with pump with some sugar free gummibears .

Just avoid the red dye ones, LOL

 

[aaa]

I was told we have slower colons so it can take longer to clear everything out.

 

[DianaCox]

Use Suprep - smaller volume, FAR less obnoxious than GoLytely. And I cleaned out so completely from the first round the night before, that I only had to do half of the second round the morning of.
Use beef or chicken broth to drink after each swig - overcomes the disgusting taste better than water or soda.
Have Aloe buttwipes available rather than TP.
Tell the doc to do the endoscopy FIRST - I don't care how clean they get the camera after each use ... (That's a joke, of course.)

 

[newanatomy]

Good luck!

 

[Elizabeth N.]

@DianaCox GROAN.....

I'm part way through the first liter of Moviprep and haven't gagged yet. I'm using @Sheanie 's trick of licking a boullion cube and it's helping. Working on a quart of Chinese chicken broth (think egg drop minus egg) in between. I have pickle juice in reserve in case I really need to shock the taste buds.

Primed the pump with about a dozen sugar free gummi bears on the drive home from work. Yes, they are just as effective as the Amazon reviews say they are, though happily no torture so far.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

YAY first liter down and it was more or less tolerable. I mixed it with lemon Crystal light, which may or may not have helped. A sip of pickle juice after each cup did wonders to clear the palate.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

What @southernlady said.

For my last TWO bowel preps, that were supposed to start working in a couple of hours, NOTHING happened for eight or nine hours.

When I went for the second FMT, the damned bowel prep had BARELY started working. Doctor said it was clean enough and that I "did a good job." But if that was the the case, I must have just been empty for no good reason.

AND...until these two preps, previous attempts were normal.

So, imho, it wouldn't hurt to start several hours ahead of schedule.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

I think those sugar free gummy bears did half the job already.....

 

[bearmom]

Made the mistake of drinking the juice left in the pickle jar (no, even I don't know why I did it) on a train once. Not as dramatic as the sf gummis, but still quite a surprise.

 

[Elizabeth N.]

All done! I will be singing the praises of Moviprep for a long time. SO much more tolerable than any other type of prep I've ever done. I have a beautiful colon and the Dexilant has done wonders for my esophagitis/gastritis that looked pretty horrible a couple years ago. YAY!