The most commonly prescribed bowel prep formulas use a polymer-based laxative known as
At 6 p.m., take 3 tablets of Dulcolax® laxative pill with water by mouth. At 8 p.m. the evening before your colonoscopy start drinking the Gatorade®/MiraLAX® solution. Drink one 8-ounce glass every 10 minutes until completed.
Prepare Your MiraLAX Bowel Preparation
On the morning of the day before your procedure, mix all 238 grams of the MiraLAX powder with 64 ounces of a room temperature clear liquid until the MiraLAX powder dissolves. Once the MiraLAX is dissolved, you can put the mixture in the refrigerator. This is optional.
Two days before, continue eating only low-fiber foods. One day before, go on a clear-liquid diet. The evening before, drink half of a prescription laxative drink to clean out your colon for the procedure. (You'll finish it the next morning.)
You should try drinking the preparation more slowly. Slowing down is the most effective way to combat nausea. Second, cooling the preparation will help with nausea. Drinking the preparation through a straw will also decrease the degree to which you taste it and may help reduce nausea.
Don't mix MiraLAX with carbonated beverages (soda) or alcohol. Can I drink all of my prep the night before? No. We ask patients not to drink all of the prep the night before their colonoscopy, and to finish their dose the next morning.
What if I've taken all my preparation and am still passing solid stool on the day of my exam? In this case, your procedure will need to be rescheduled. You may be prescribed a different preparation for your next procedure. Please call the triage nurse to reschedule your procedure with a different preparation.
How can you tell if your colon is clean and ready for a colonoscopy? Your stool after finishing your bowel prep agent can act as a guide. Your stool should be clear, yellow, light and liquid. The presence of dark particles or thick brown or black stool means you are not ready for colonoscopy.
You should aim to drink one glassful (250ml) of the MoviPrep every 15 to 30 minutes until you have drunk it all. This should take you between one and two hours to finish the jug. Please do not drink it too fast as it may make you feel sick.
You will probably feel tired. You might feel dizzy, lightheaded, or nauseous. If you begin vomiting and cannot keep fluids down, let your doctor know.
The biggest culprits that will show up in a colonoscopy and obscure our view are foods like nuts, seeds and high-fiber cereals. You also want to avoid granola, coconut, dried fruit and fresh fruit with the skin on, like apples and pears, or fruit with seeds, like strawberries and raspberries.
After the exam, it takes about an hour to begin to recover from the sedative. You'll need someone to take you home because it can take up to a day for the full effects of the sedative to wear off. Don't drive or make important decisions or go back to work for the rest of the day.
Stay hydrated the day before your colonoscopy. Starting at breakfast, drink clear fluids, including water, tea, apple juice, lemon-lime Gatorade or Powerade, ginger ale and chicken broth. Don't drink any colored foods or liquids, as they could interfere with the test results.
The day before your procedure you can't eat anything solid. You should only consume clear (see-through) liquids. It is important to stay hydrated by drinking lots of clear liquids, such as sports drinks, clear juice like apple and white grape, and clear broth. Soda is OK, and so are coffee and tea, but without cream.
Will this help me lose weight? This is a rough way to do it, but yes, you will have a very temporary weight loss of one to three pounds typically. But, just as with your bowel habits, these few pounds will return as well once you resume your normal diet.
You can expect to have frequent loose bowel motions within 3 hours of taking the first dose of Moviprep. It will be similar to having diarrhoea and you need to ensure that you have access to a toilet that is close by at all times to avoid embarrassment.
Later You will have watery bowel movements for up to 2 hours after finishing your Moviprep. Allow plenty of time for your bowels to empty before leaving for your appointment. Remember to continue to drink plenty of clear fluids, one glass (250mL) every hour, until ONE hour before your appointment time.
Studies have indicated that colonoscopies done during the morning hours have actually contributed to more accurate findings due to a number of varying factors. Although it might not be a thrill to wake up earlier than usual, it could just help your overall health.
Can I shower, eat breakfast, or brush my teeth the morning of my colonoscopy? You may not eat anything the morning of your procedure, but you may continue to drink clear liquids up until 2 hours before your procedure. You may shower and brush your teeth.
You'll need to stay in the recovery area to wake up from the sedative medications, and you'll need someone to help get you home safely since you may be sleepy from the sedative for a few hours. You may pass a lot of gas (the air the doctor pumped into your colon) during the hours following the colonoscopy.
After the colonoscopy is completed, you'll move to a recovery area where you'll remain for about 30 to 45 minutes while you fully wake up from your sedation. Nurses will make sure your vital signs are stable and monitor you until the sedation wears off.
Will a colonoscopy prep keep you up all night? You make wake up once or twice to go to the bathroom, but it shouldn't keep you up all night. However, some people are required to wake in the middle of the night to take a second dose of laxatives at least four to six hours before their procedure.
Usually if a suspected colorectal cancer is found by any screening or diagnostic test, it is biopsied during a colonoscopy. In a biopsy, the doctor removes a small piece of tissue with a special instrument passed through the scope. Less often, part of the colon may need to be surgically removed to make the diagnosis.