It will depend on your prep instructions and your body. The first prep I had I think I finally got to bed in the very early morning because I did not dare go to go to bed before then. You will probably need to forgo your exercise class. Depending on the type of prep, things have changed since I had my last one about 5 years ago, I would suggest purchasing a small container of vasoline so that after the experience you can toss the remainder.

A good friend of mine has to have a colonoscopy every two years because of family history. The day before if we have a scheduled run or gym class, even in the morning, she doesn't do it. Now, I know for her, she is also restricted as to what she can eat/drink and because of that her doctor has suggested that she not do anything strenuous.

I do not know which drugs I was given but I have to agree that they are good. Unless the doctor has told you otherwise normally they want you to have a driver to drive you home after the procedure. I remember one person being denied because of this the last time I went. Call to find out unless the instructions say otherwise. My instructions mentioned nothing about this need.

Last one I had, about a month ago, took about 8 hours. I started at 5 pm, went to bed about 1 am. My procedure was first thing in the morning. There are different prep methods, and each one works differently, so it would be worth it to call the dr office and ask them. I don’t think you will want to go to the class. Hope it all goes well for you and they don’t find anything! Oh, and stay hydrated!

My husband has had quite a few. His prep always took just around the 8 hours. Since the prep is to clean you out and it will I'd advise you to stay very close to the bathroom. Besides exercise can make things happen without control.

Good Luck I hope all goes well.

You’re thinking of taking the class and THEN starting the prep, right, in my opinion, skip the class and start the prep earlier.

If you really want to delay the prep so you can take the class, you could limit how much you eat and what you eat in the days prior. Eat easily digestible food on Wednesday - low residue food - and it should make the prep go faster.

I have had two. I am up all night using the bathroom. DH seemed to be having a regular night when he had his. Go figure.

I am going to need one again this year. I am hoping the preps are different and have improved.

Lo residue foods the day before the prep really help with the prep...the less material you have to clean out of yourself, the easier it is.

Since you've not done it before and don't know how your body would react, I'd skip the exercise class. You may feel wiped out in more ways than one.

I have had several myself. The instructions always say to eat no food other than stuff like jello or chicken broth the day prior to the procedure and to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. I would skip the class and start the prep as early as you can. The instructions will also tell you not to drink anything for 8 hours prior to the procedure.

Enjoy a nice breakfast at your favorite spot after the procedure. I always go for the biscuits and sausage gravy myself.

In addition to the prep solution, whatever it may be as recommended by your doctor, you'll be on a full day of clear liquids. Meaning, you won't get any "food" the day before, but jello, broth, flavored water, etc. That alone could make your exercise class difficult as you WILL be hungry until you start the prep and your body starts reacting to that.

I would not go to your class either.

It's ok to skip a class ever so often, and this is the perfect time for skipping!

Sounds like I’ll skip the class and get started as soon as possible. Thanks for all your help.

Drink as much water as you can until the time when you have to stop liquids. I got very dehydrated last time I did this.

When I picked up the medicine, the druggist told me to make sure I had really soft toilet paper!

I had my first one last November. I remember the nurse asking the man in the bed next to me how he was feeling as she prepped him for his procedure. He answered, "tired, hungry and thirsty". I thought to myself that he'd pretty much covered it.

For most the prep and procedure are easy and drama free. They have been for me. Be flexible and go with the flow, the whole episode passes quickly.

Moist, flushable wipes and soft TP are both required by me and as Elmer says go with the flow.

I would skip the exercise class. I had my first and only (so far) one done 2 summers ago. I was scared. There was no need to be. I started the prep even sooner than the instructions stated. These are the instructions they emailed to me. You can have gatorade, jello, kool-aid, just make sure they aren't red. I bought lemon flavored everything, and chicken broth. The drugs are amazing. The anesthesiologist asked me a question, I started to say, "well, it's......" and then I woke up! Good luck, it will be fine.

I usually use a stool softener the 2 nights before the day of the prep. That way things are soft and moving easier. Drinking water and liquids is extremely important.

My favorite prep was the pills but most doctors don't use it. Because some people don't drink enough water with them.

The worst part for me was getting up at 3 am because I needed to drink more of the solution before my morning appointment. Trying to get that down early in the morning wasn't fun.

If you have a hand held shower wand rinsing may be gentler than wiping as frequently as you would have to wipe. The Vaseline I mentioned above, misspelled, is for the tenderness from the wiping. Sounds gross but a shower can be disinfected. Raw and bleeding parts can last for a while.

Remember those so called flushable wipes are made of plastic and do not dissolve in the sewer system. They are causing major problems in many cities.

I think docs would include the use of stool softeners in their standard instructions if they want them used by patients. Mine didn't and commented all three times that I did a good job of preparation.

If one has trouble with chronic constipation, there tends to be trouble with getting a good cleanout in time -- in that case, a stool softener is useful if one isn't in use already; one should start liquids (don't have to be clear) on the day before the prep; then clear liquids as instructed on the day of prep, and start the prep several hours earlier.

I didn't have to do the gallon mix...If I remember correctly mine was adding some type of saline solution to liquid and drinking it so many times every so many hours with an addition of ducolax pills. I started around 1pm...don't remember being up late with still having to use the bathroom...and YESSSS, buy something you can use to soothe your booty. I remember after going so many times it felt like it was in fire!!

It was recommended by the doctor!

Okay, special for you then. Not broadbased advice. Thanks for the clarification.

I wouldn't schedule a workout after you start the prep fluid. The process is often done in two stages: The first dose does the most clean-out, followed by a second dose to mop up and it takes almost 8 hours to sweep the intestines clear.

After the first dose, when you feel the need to go, you really HAVE TO GO! You would not wish to be in the middle of an exercise in a gym with other people.

My first colonoscopy is in the books. I'm quite glad I did not go to that gym class and started my prep around 3:00. I was pretty much done by midnight. I only had two snags for this procedure. Me and my sil had ran some errands yesterday and we decided to stop by Sonic for a drink during happy hour. I opted between a diet Dr Pepper and a cherry limeaid. Since my sil was getting a peach limeade, I decided to get a cherry limeade. It wasn't until a few hours later when I was facetiming my dd that I realized I was drinking something RED! I called my dr office and after a 15 minute wait, I was told to go ahead with the prep, but not to eat anything else today.

This morning me and my husband leave about 6:10, get there when the doors open at 6:30. I go to the counter, give them my name, and I was informed that my procedure was scheduled for tomorrow! I had it in my cell phone and on a piece of paper beside our home phone for 30th, but in their computer it was the 31st. Luckily, they were able to add me in to their schedule. I had one polyp removed and I need to eat more fiber. We were home by 8:30, slept on the sofa until noon. I'm glad I don't have to do this for another 5 years, but it was good to get the first one done.

Glad it is over. I am also glad that someone other than myself is running into the changed schedules. My Dentist's office has done this frequently in the past even though they send me a card with the time and date. I have gotten so I just take the card along. Yesterday it was a meeting that I was told 11:30 but the staff had it down as 11:00. I am getting old but when the documents show one date and when you get there the office has something different it ticks me off.

My last one was 2015 and was easy, as were the previous ones. I make the process a 5 day fast. Three days prior and two days after.

You forgot the most detail! Where'd you go for breakfast afterwards?

I make the process a 5 day fast. Three days prior and two days after.

WHY???? If I may ask.

I wondered the same graywings after five days my blood sugar and energy level would be so low I would be a danger to myself and others unless the term fasting as used means more than very little to eat.

I'm glad that you had no issues. I had mine a year ago and was told that I don't need to have another for 10 years. Yay! VERY glad, as it took me nearly 4 months for my bowels to get back into working order after the procedure. That was awful.

Glad it went OK. The peace of mind is worth the hassle--glad it doesn't have to be done every year.

Why do I fast during the 5 days? Why not? It certainly doesn't hurt a healthy person to fast for 5 days.

Honestly I wasn't up for going our for breakfast, but I did go to Panera for lunch. I ended up just having a bowl of cereal for breakfast. And I am just guessing about the 5 years, I thought that was the standard.

Five years is/was the standard if they find anything. Ten is the standard if nothing is found.

brushworks it may be the definition of fasting that is the problem. To me fasting is eating nothing and surviving on liquids like diluted fruit juice and nothing else like traditional fasters do. Your definition of fasting may not be of this type.

Glad all went well! I have never had one. They attempted to once about 10 years ago but stopped because of a too sharp of a turn. Since I was ready for the procedure, they sent me for an x-ray . they didn't find any polyps but I wonder what they would have done if they had. I forget the name of the procedure but it was how they did it before they started doing the colonoscopies. I remember drinking some kind of white drink. Yuck!

I'm so glad everything went well. Hope you're back to feeling perfect by now.

So glad to see that everything went all right. It's good you were able to get out for lunch:-).

You're right. My idea of fasting is limiting food intake before prep and slowly introducing food after procedure. Why gorge on food only to take a prep pill a few days later? Seems like a waste of good food and unnecessary colon excercise to me. :)

Brush, who on earth 'gorges on food' days before the prep ? Or after?

I just remember feeling full of energy the couple days after my colonoscopy.