Gonna be a long night...colonoscopy prep--GOOD UPDATE

[Ali in OR]

This sucks. Can I say that on a family board? I've followed the diet restrictions for 5 days now. No eating today. Have been trying to drink the laxative prep since 3:00 and just can't keep it down. The on-call doc called in a different prescription and an anti-nausea pill, but the pharmacy didn't have the different laxative in stock. Pharmacist recommended Miralax in Gatorade and I did take the anti-nausea pill. So starting all over at 8:15 at night. 8 oz down, 56 to go. The joys of turning 50.

 

Update: All went very well. The propofol nap was lovely (no one else snoring in your bed, no cat walking on you). From lights out to time to wake up was only 20 minutes--I wouldn't have minded a longer nap. I heard all normal while I was still waking up and had thought the short duration was a good sign. The doctor gave me photos--no polyps, everything looks good, see you in 10 years (yay! no prep for 10 more years!). I asked him if the prep was okay and he said it was fine which was good to hear since I went off-script for that. So in hindsight, the low-point was definitely trying to get the laxative down. Everything today was lovely--warm blanket, nap, people pushing your bed around for you. All good. Just had some scrambled eggs and toast and now I'm going down for another nap.

Edited May 23, 2016 by Ali in OR

[hornblower]

Was it the the lemon flavoured magnesium citrate that you couldn't tolerate? 

[JFSinIL]

I got only a bit over 1/2 way through all the beverage and then started to upchuck - called the doctor's office and was told ok to stop drinking it (since pointless if coming back up the wrong end) BUT to wake up extra early (4am) and get three more 8 ounce glasses down in one hour. That I could tolerate.

Edited May 23, 2016 by JFSinIL

[Guest]

Bless your heart. That is the worst. Coming from an IBS sufferer who has had more colonoscopies than I can recount I will say for future reference never accept the gallon of gag. Insist on the laxative pills and the little bottle of lemony fizzy stuff. It is so much more tolerable. Good luck on your test. I hope your night isn't too miserable. 

[Ali in OR]

It was Gavilyte-N with a lemon flavor pack that I couldn't handle. The taste, smell, texture--everything just set off the gag reflex. Didn't matter if I drank fast, slow, straw, no straw, long wait between, holding my nose, holding my breath, alternating sips with a different drink--eventually it all came back up. So far first glass of gatorade is staying down, but I wish they had had some other non-red flavor. I think I'll never drink lemon-lime anything again!

[SKL]

I was advised to take the powder in orange gatorade + miralax tablets.  It did not bother me.

 

Good luck!

[ondreeuh]

I'm sorry. I gave that jug hidden in the closet as I don't want to think of it until next month when I have to use it. Last year I was given a choice of a few protocols and I chose the jug because it was cheapest. This year the MA insisted I take the jug because it gets better results. I certainly did feel scrubbed from the inside out last time! Well I want it to be worth it so I'm agreeing to do it, but I will take my office chair and book (and scented candle!) into the bathroom again this time and make the best of it.

[sbgrace]

:grouphug:   I really struggled to drink the stuff too.

[G5052]

I'm headed for that again this summer. I felt horrible the whole way through and was wiped the next day.

 

But my dad had precancerous polyps multiple times, and I had three myself on the first run. 

[Chris in VA]

Thanks for being a good example. You are brave. I have some bleeding and need a colonoscopy very soon, and know the prep is making me aviod it. I am very anxious. Hope yours goes well.

[Valley Girl]

Thanks for being a good example. You are brave. I have some bleeding and need a colonoscopy very soon, and know the prep is making me aviod it. I am very anxious. Hope yours goes well.

 

Please don't put it off. It's important. (I'm sure you already know that.) Honestly, not everybody has a terrible experience with it. The prep certainly isn't fun. But it wasn't a big deal, for me at least, although I don't care to ever drink orange Gatorade again. The procedure? No biggie either. (The knock-out meds are REALLY good.) The reassurance that everything is OK or that something has been caught early is well worth it.

[Harding]

This sucks. Can I say that on a family board? I've followed the diet restrictions for 5 days now. No eating today. Have been trying to drink the laxative prep since 3:00 and just can't keep it down. The on-call doc called in a different prescription and an anti-nausea pill, but the pharmacy didn't have the different laxative in stock. Pharmacist recommended Miralax in Gatorade and I did take the anti-nausea pill. So starting all over at 8:15 at night. 8 oz down, 56 to go. The joys of turning 50.

 

please please please, do not forget to update later because I am in a pretty similar situation to yours and I'm very interested in the end of it.

Edited June 3, 2016 by Harding

[Ali in OR]

The gatorade and miralax did stay down and did work. Wasn't done drinking the stuff until after midnight (starting at 8:15) and wasn't able to get to bed until 3:30 I think. Feeling okay this morning. Procedure is at 10:15 and I'll update from whatever I learn after that.

 

Dh did this a little over a year ago and he had no trouble with the Gavilyte-N. He had more trouble with fasting but I'm doing fine with that! They gave him the all clear soon after he was conscious--hoping for the same here.

 

[Ali in OR]

bump for update

[G5052]

Update: All went very well. The propofol nap was lovely (no one else snoring in your bed, no cat walking on you). From lights out to time to wake up was only 20 minutes--I wouldn't have minded a longer nap. I heard all normal while I was still waking up and had thought the short duration was a good sign. The doctor gave me photos--no polyps, everything looks good, see you in 10 years (yay! no prep for 10 more years!). I asked him if the prep was okay and he said it was fine which was good to hear since I went off-script for that. So in hindsight, the low-point was definitely trying to get the laxative down. Everything today was lovely--warm blanket, nap, people pushing your bed around for you. All good. Just had some scrambled eggs and toast and now I'm going down for another nap.

 

That's great news. Take it easy, and you'll bounce back. 

 

On my last one I foolishly did it the day before starting back teaching, and I had to lie down at lunch and then went home and went to bed.

 

Because of polyps, I'm headed back in August. Oh, the joy...but I'll get in earlier and plan for downtime.

Edited May 23, 2016 by G5052

[trulycrabby]

Glad it went well! Propofol is so nice; it's the only anethesia that doesn't make me vomit for hours even with zofran and scopolamine. :ack2:

 

The prep isn't so bad once you figure out what works.

Edited May 23, 2016 by trulycrabby

[dirty ethel rackham]

Thanks for the info and the update.  I know that I need one, but I am dreading the prep. (Over 50, family history of colon cancer.)  I struggle with hypoglycemia and have no idea how I will manage it.  I think my family will have to move out and I will need to pay someone handsomely to put up with me - I can be that unpleasant with no food.  Dh had one and had some polyps so he had to repeat it 3 months later.  His last one came out normal so no more for 3 years.

[Ali in OR]

Thanks for the info and the update.  I know that I need one, but I am dreading the prep. (Over 50, family history of colon cancer.)  I struggle with hypoglycemia and have no idea how I will manage it.  I think my family will have to move out and I will need to pay someone handsomely to put up with me - I can be that unpleasant with no food.  Dh had one and had some polyps so he had to repeat it 3 months later.  His last one came out normal so no more for 3 years.

You can drink as many sugary clear drinks as you want while fasting (sodas diet or not, apple juice, white grape juice). And eat jello. Does that keep hypoglycemia in check? The fasting wasn't as bad as I expected--I was hungry around lunchtime but once prep started I didn't think about food at all. But, yeah, the prep was no fun and I'm very glad I didn't end up having to have a repeat anytime soon.

[dirty ethel rackham]

You can drink as many sugary clear drinks as you want while fasting (sodas diet or not, apple juice, white grape juice). And eat jello. Does that keep hypoglycemia in check? The fasting wasn't as bad as I expected--I was hungry around lunchtime but once prep started I didn't think about food at all. But, yeah, the prep was no fun and I'm very glad I didn't end up having to have a repeat anytime soon.

Actually, sugary drinks make it worse. While the sugar will bring my blood sugar up temporarily, I usually crash about an hour later. Then I go through a cycle of peaking and troughing for the next 3 days. The only thing that keeps my sugars stable are high protein, moderate complex carb meals and snacks.

 

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