lol

I had my first one(and only one I've ever had) 2 years ago. Yes, I did the diet. I had a HUGE vanilla milk shake the day before......that's a liquid! ;0)

I took epsom salts along with the usual, gave it a little boost. :0)

I also did it drug free and was awake the whole time....it was a breeze. Seriously....

Now I'm not giving you advice, just sharing "my" experience....

This post was edited by nicole__ on Tue, Apr 16, 13 at 22:39

Yes, you need to be on clear liquids......no use in having the procedure unless you are properly prepped.
Make jello, drink broth, eat popsicles.....
Usually the hunger pangs will pass.
You can so it!

Sleeperblues, I had the same concerns as you before my colonoscopy, but it wasn't as awful as I'd feared. I don't drink Gatorade, etc., so I bought Smart Water, which has electrolytes in it. I drank 100% juices (white grape and peach, I think), mostly diluted with the water. I also dissolved plain gelatin (for protein) in broth.

I'm sorry to hear you are stuck with the "jug prep." My doctor's preferred prep was Miralax (very easy!), and more and more I'm hearing the same from other people.

I'm going to discuss the possibility of a second colonoscopy with my doctor. I don't feel it should be necessary, considering the way I eat (my diet sounds like yours), but I want to hear what my doctor says. If we decide to do it, I'll be consulting with Nicole because I'd want to do it drug free. I have HAD it with drugs that impair your memory.

I had a drug-free sigmoidoscopy many years ago that was no fun, but manageable. I've read that if the colonoscopy is done slowly, it can be manageable too.

Good luck!

I have had a multitude of them, but they saved my life so I can't say I hate them. However prep for them is never fun and you certainly don't want to plan on going anywhere on that day because you will be living in the bathroom. At times I thought it would be easier to just put a pillow and quilt on the floor and shorten the distance. On prep day or the day before the procedure you can not have anything other than Clear liquids a milkshake isn't clear so don't try that. I go with tea, sprite, popsicle that is not red or purple and no food or drink that color. It can cause the tissue to be discolored. Broths, you can suck on hard candies of the right color. I basically just spend that day relaxing as much as possible, read, sip on liquids. I have never been told to stop eating prior to the prep day except for things with seeds and for. grains because those can look like growths in the colon through the scope.

I personally will never use the gallon jug of ick . I can't believe that there's doctors still using that ancient horrible method. It is because of those kinds of preps that colonscopy get such a bad rap. I will change doctors before that. Thankfully I have had wonderful cutting edge doctors who are using much better preps that are not nearly as upsetting, and easier tolerated. I have for the past several times used only the pills, which you don't have to start nearly as early but you do have to drink a lot of water. I can handle water.

You should have nothing coming out other than Clear liquids, if you have grit or matter still coming out on procedure day, it may require them using enemas, but the doctor could refuse to do it and then you have to go through it all over again.
That happened to a friend of mine, I warned her that she had to be clear, she thought she was close, well he let her know close ain't gonna get it. lol

Yes it's not fun but it is just a couple of days and it could save your life too.

It's expensive too. They charged me nearly $300 just for the "recovery room" fee, which was the same room I went into for the procedure. If you aren't clear they won't be able to see anything. Waste of time and your money. One day of clear liquids really isn't that bad.

I also have had several colonscopy's. You will not starve from the prep. Milk shakes, clear broths jello's clear soda's. Over in minutes. Nothing like doing the prep work and then the place you were sent to will not work for you and I had to go to a local hospital. Thankfully it was close by and they took me. I'm a renal failure patient. So the clinic was not the place for me. All well from the colonscopy. When its over you will say now why did I worry. Good luck to you. After the first one the doctor said I'll see you in 10 years and I thought to myself that's what you think doctor.

I'm so sorry that you didn't post earlier...or did you and I didn't see it? There is a lot of things you could have eaten this week and still complied (mostly) to the very unusual dietary requests. Are you vegan?

I'm not going to give you suggestions now....it's too late. But I will suggest that you cancel your appointment if you feel weak or ill because of the past few days of deprivation.

Upon rescheduling, make sure that your doctor knows about your daily diet. Ask him or her what reasonable suggestions they have. You are not supposed to be starved for days before this procedure!

By the way, I believe that your doctor's request is very unusual. Ask why.

Today, it's imperative that you follow the clear liquid rule...frozen, jellied, hot. No milk shakes and no cheating. If you do, might as well cancel.

Keep us informed.

Edited to add....BANANA POPSICLES!

This post was edited by rhizo_1 on Wed, Apr 17, 13 at 8:20

I'm not vegetarian or vegan, just don't eat a of meat. I think the reason I'm weak is that I have really been kind of unintentionally getting a lot of exercise because the weather has been nice. I ran 5 miles both yesterday and the day before, did weight training, and then some intense aerobics with a friend when she got home from work. So I broke it up during the day, but burned off about 1000 calories two days in a row. I have been doing a lot of protein shakes, but I am just "off" not having my fruits/veggies/nuts/flax/bran/chia seeds/etc.

I put a double protein shake in my coffee this morning, and will stick to the clear liquids for the rest of the day. I just plan to take my dogs for a leisurely walk today and then not do much else.

If I am not cleared out after the prep, I guess I'll just not do the procedure. However from what I have heard about the jug prep, it won't matter what I've eaten today because it is quite harsh. This is just a screening for me and only because my doctor keeps reminding me that I need to get it done. I've put it off for 4 years now. If I ever do this again, I will make sure to find someone who uses a more gentle way of prepping. Thanks for all your responses.

I have Chron's disease and have had several colonoscopies. I never went on a diet for a whole week. Just clear liquids the day before (no milkshakes - they aren't clear!), and nothing the day of. (I usually schedule the first or second procedure of the morning so I don't have to starve all day)

Good luck tomorrow! It isn't as bad as it sounds.

severe Crohns disease here-just had my last colonoscopy in late Feb.

You HAVE to follow the diet restrictions-mine was the same as yours-no seeds,fibre etc for 5 days prior and then the clean out and clear fluids only.

I was only really "hungry" the actual evening befor the clean out stuff-then that just passed

I continued living "normally"-wasn't that big a deal,really.

You can do it-it'll all be over before you know it

Sucking lemon drop candies helped me. Once you start the prep you will not be thinking about your mouth or stomach parts.

I tolerated the liquid prep best by using a straw and cool, but not icy cold liquid. Position the straw in the back of your mouth, and you won't taste the stuff as much. I used two of the flavor packets: Orange and Pineapple. I sucked on a Lemon Drop candy in between doses.

I got very weary with a divided prep on a secondary colonoscopy last November: Half of the liquid late afternoon and half starting at ten p.m. I was still "going" hours past my bedtime.

I arranged for general sedation, not Versed. Costs a lot more, but I was not groggy afterward. (I've heard that most MD's avoid the Versed.)

My friend had her first colonoscopy a few months ago and was told by her doctor to eat very lightly the two or three days before the procedure. I've had two and have not been told to do this; I figure everything gets cleared out well on the day before anyway.

one thing I do is for the 2 nights before the prep day I will take a stool softener NOT a laxative just a softener so that makes you have a much easier time of it less solids to break down when it is already soft. Then prep day I do the pills and a ton of water.

Be careful about taking that walk!! I am telling you don't plan on leaving the house! And don't wander far from the bathroom. IT hits hard and fast! I wear a comfy dress length gown and no undies that way it is much faster and easier in an intense moment.
I always have to get Phenergan added into my drug cocktail because I will wake up throwing up and very nauseated from the other drugs. I don't tolerate those kinds of meds well.

As everyone said, the prep was way worse than the procedure. I swore after what I went through last night I would never do that again, no matter what! But alas she found 2 polyps. I was very, very surprised. Seems I will need to have another scope in 5 years. Loved the anesthesia, though. Turned on my side, next thing I know they were done.

Glad to hear it went well! Did you have propofol? I probably spelled that so badly you'll barely recognize it. lol

They found one polyp during mine five years ago. I was recently told it was "not the dangerous kind." I need to ask my doctor about this. Hopefully yours weren't "the dangerous kind" either.

happy to hear that you went thru with it,Sleeper

glad its over for you!!...I've had three and they send me a note when its time...i think the next time is 5 years...my dad had colon cancer...so I had my first one at 48...the first time they removed 6 polyps...the second and third time was ok...just lots of diverticuli...which thankfully hasn't reared its ugly head in awhile!!

It's the prep that is the worse...but my doc has gotten much easier since switching to the miralax..

Hubby met with his urologist recently and has to go for a prostate biopsy. He has a 50/50 chance of having prostate cancer.

His regiment prior to having his biopsy (basically a colonoscopy) is to take an antibiotic the day before, the day of, and the day after.

A FLEET enema is to be done by himself, and a suppository after doing the enema. It says he can have a normal breakfast and lunch. and do the enema 2-3 hours before the biopsy. So no drinking of a vile drink, or clear liquid diet, etc. Just an enema.

I had my colonoscopy at age 55. Docs told me to stop certain meds,like no coumadin (which I've never taken anyway), no aspirin, for about a week, 2 days before eat "lightly", no salad or nuts, then the liquid diet, I drank a lot of flavored broths, there are some good ones, but no red drinks, then "the Prep" which I could only drink half the bottle. When I went in for "procedure" docs said that was okay. Procedure itself I was unconscious. I woke up and passed some ah-hem "liquid". Results were I had some hemorrhoids and diverticulosis or diverticulitis. but no polyps. They encouraged me to have a big breakfast afterwards. Good luck.

jasdip -- That sounds like the prep for a sigmoid exam, not a complete colononoscopy. It will empty the lower end of the colon.
I hope your hubby's biopsy shows he can just 'watch and wait'. This seems to be something that used to be pounced on by the doctors...now is of lesser concern. Many, many men will die of natural causes long before a cancer of the prostate becomes a threat. I do know two men who had the 'seed implant' at around 65 and have done well with that.

Sleeper -- Glad it is o-v-e-r with no big problems. I've been reading recently that we are overdoing it with this test. Kinda like mammograms -- too much stress for too little important result.