Starting my prep for my colonoscopy today (sorry if this is TMI).

[Laffy Kat]

I'm on all clears and drink the first of the "Redi-prep" this afternoon. Any words of wisdom? It's just a screening, btw.

[flyingfysh]

1. No wisdom, just follow directions and get it over with

You probably won't have to put up with it for another year.

Look on the bright side: you will probably experience a safe and legal dose of fentanyl.

[Laffy Kat]

3. I hope not fentanyl, makes me sick.

And hopefully another five years if all clear, right?

[flyingfysh]

26. then tell them about how fentanyl affects you

They have alternatives

[Dave in VA]

35. It's usually Propanol

They call it milk of amnesia.

Wife has Ulcerative Colitis and has to have this done once a year. UC can quickly turn into colon cancer, so well worth the effort.

Both my grandfathers died of colon cancer, so I have to have the screening as well. Yeah, the prep is a pain in the ass (pun intended, hehe.) Our gastro doc has a sign in the examination room that says, "once you see one bare ass, you've seen them all!"

Good luck and hope that everything goes easily and the results are excellent for you.

[Laffy Kat]

40. Yes, I do better on that, but they still need to administer an antiemetic.

As long as I have an anti-nausea aboard I think I'll do OK this time.

[Freddie]

53. My doc was "see you in 10 years"

After my first “good” colonoscopy. Finer words never spoken.

[pangaia]

54. More like every 10 years, depending on results.

[Va Lefty]

2. Good luck! Hope you have something to read!

[safeinOhio]

4. It'll be a piece of cake.

After you get home.

[Laffy Kat]

7. Cake, why did you say cake? I am already starving.

I will eat an entire cake tomorrow.

[dameatball]

5. The only words of wisdom are "good for you." You never know what they may find. On my fifth

colonoscopy they found stage one colon cancer. I am so glad I didn't wait around until it became stage two or three or four.

But I have grown to pretty much hate green jello.


By the way, there is a very brief period before you go under where you will think you are very humorous and intelligent. Then you wake up and everything is over.

[Laffy Kat]

9. Gosh, no kidding.

Glad I'm going. Guess it's worth a night/morning in the bathroom. Do you have to go once a year now?

[dameatball]

16. Yes. I just did the follow up a few weeks ago and all was well. Lost about 15" of colon in the

initial procedure, but the follow up at the end of 2018 was good. I go back towards the end of 2019. Good luck!

[Laffy Kat]

20. Damn.

[Kali]

6. fun times

[Laffy Kat]

21. LOL. I was saving the above "potty" smilie for an update tonight.

[NRaleighLiberal]

8. As a veteran of five "experiences...."

(which included two poor/relatively ineffective preps leading to a next year, and next week repeat..yuck)

I take it this is your first of this "journey"?


The prep is the worst. Getting the prep down for me the absolute worst....then the waiting. Once you get busy, you will be really busy...get some crosswords or a good book in the bathroom!

Just know that the prep and dealing with the Great Evacuation is the worst part - the procedure itself is nothing.

good luck!

[Laffy Kat]

14. I had one a few years ago but honestly don't remember a thing about it.

I remember throwing up when I got home, though. I don't do well under any anesthesia. Maybe I block out the memories of the prep, I just don't know.

[pangaia]

56. I have never had a problem with drinking the prep stuff.

And actually, there was no really 'great evacuation.' I eat well, lots of 'roughage, etc, yoghurt, I've never experienced the constant toilet thing so many talk about...

[The Polack MSgt]

10. I put a dozen Far Side books in the bathroom

For the night of a hundred waterfalls.

I guess candy crush would work too

[Laffy Kat]

19. Never got into Candy Crush.

I did get a new crossword book recently, and I'll have DU, plus a NYTs.

[Yonnie3]

11. A bible misquote for you

"This Too Shall Pass"

I've done this prep three times and have no great wisdom. At one point I just stayed on the throne and read DU on my iPad rather than circling back and forth every few minutes.

[Laffy Kat]

18. Yes, I guess I'll do a lot of DU.

I'll spare everyone the updates, though. (Well, maybe one update to gross everyone out, LOL.)

[Yonnie3]

22. I think I whined once here in the Lounge

but not an OP

I recall complaining once they put me too far under and I didn't get to watch the screen. The Nurse said I begged for more sedative. Was I uncomfortable or was I drug seeking?

Good Luck to you.

[Laffy Kat]

24. Waaaay back in my 20s I had a sigmoidoscopy w/o anesthesia and it was PAINFUL.

I remember thinking that I would never do that again.

[qazplm135]

33. if it's like mine you'll be out before insertion

I did briefly wake up during, but felt nothing and could see the tube going through the colon on the screen (but thanks to the anesthesia remember nothing about what I saw)...then up and awake as they had wrapped up and were about to wheel me back to the recovery room where I instantly sat up and started walking around.

No biggie

I could have actually drove myself home but had an escort per the law and common sense...but I felt zero effects. I felt more from my wisdom teeth anesthesia than this one.

[Iliyah]

12. A book in the restroom!

[Laffy Kat]

17. I still have one more trip to the store before I drink the stuff.

I may treat myself to a Sunday NYTs! You gave me a great idea!

[IggleDuer]

13. When the doc is just about to insert the scope .

... tell him “I don’t ordinarily do this on a first date”.

[Laffy Kat]

15. ...

[Ohiya]

23. Fasten your seatbelt!

Don't hit your head on the bathroom ceiling!

[Laffy Kat]

25. Yikes. nt

[Ohiya]

46. Dave Barry wrote a column on this subject...

He said something like, "I don't want to be too graphic, but have you ever seen the space shuttle take off!"

I felt like I was about to achieved lift off!

[dem4decades]

27. You have a great opportunity to tweet all afternoon.

If you catch my drift.

[bobalew]

28. One thing helps the irritation

Colorless Aloe Vera juice, instead of or along with the requisite water...
This helped me several times for mine...

[Laffy Kat]

39. Didn't know there was such a thing.

I'll look for it.

[YessirAtsaFact]

29. The prep is far worse than the procedure

Best of luck.

I’ve had several polyps, probably had half a dozen or so, removed in the last 10-15 years.

This procedure didn’t allow them time to become cancerous.

I encourage anyone past 50 to get the screening colonoscopy regularly.

[secondwind]

30. It's not as bad as you imagine. You will be

very relieved when it’s over and there is good news. 🤩

[qazplm135]

31. chase it with Sprite

just did this two weeks ago...the Sprite washes out the taste...you can add countrytime lemonade and it's about 20 percent less vile as well.

As long as you kept to a liquid diet, it really isn't that bad...start early enough so that it's over before you go to bed.

[smirkymonkey]

47. I actually mixed mine with Fresca and it went down a little easier.

I agree with most people here though, the prep is by far the worst part of the ordeal. The procedure itself is a doddle. The first time I was awake enough to watch the whole thing on a screen, but did not feel any pain. The second time, I was pretty much out a few minutes after arriving in the procedure room.

I was a little groggy the rest of the day, but no major after-effects.

[Freddie]

57. Yes, ice cold Sprite chaser

Gets the vile taste out of your mouth.
I was totally dreading having the procedure because I hate diarrhea even worse than I hate Republicans. Having a stomach bug is a totally traumatic thing for me (used to get norovirus about once a year when it went around the assisted living place where Mom was, haven’t had it in 5 years since she’s been gone). But the colonoscopy prep, unpleasant as it is, does not come with the abdominal cramps, nausea and chills like a stomach virus. Just be real close to the bathroom.

[Hoyt]

32. Procedure not bad, you'll get great nap. For me, prep wasn't bad. Afterwards, felt light on my feet.

[Laffy Kat]

37. I'm hoping to get back into my size eight jeans after it's over.

Probably not for long, though, LOL.

[Hoyt]

42. It's quite possible. Seriously, I felt good after prep and nap during process.

[yewberry]

36. Oh dear. The drink is the opposite of delicious.

Don't plan to leave the house for any reason. Don't begin any task that you can't walk away from.

Don't eat too much on the other side, even though you'll want to. Ease into that.

I didn't do very well-- my fear of all things medical took over and the morning of the procedure all I could do was shake and weep uncontrollably. They took pity on me and brought in the anesthesiologists.

[Laffy Kat]

38. Gosh, yewberry, that sounds traumatic.

I'm pretty good with medical stuff (an EMT) but do see many people who feel the way you do.

[Thunderbeast]

41. Margarita Mix!

No pulp.
Goes great with the salty stuff.

[Laffy Kat]

44. There's an idea.

Except I'd be afraid it would put me off Margaritas, one of the few cocktails I enjoy these days.

[snowybirdie]

43. Yes

TMI

[Laffy Kat]

45. Sorry! I have gotten some great advice, though, as I knew I would.

[Paladin]

48. My experience: The prep is the worst part of it, barring any negative test results.

Good for you, getting yourself checked out.

[luvs2sing]

49. I've had three, and each was different.

The first was the worst. I had chills the entire prep time, and I was ravenously hungry. All I could talk about was spaghetti. After the procedure, they couldn’t get me awake and, when they finally did, I had dry heaves. I usually am sick after any anesthetic. My husband had to practically carry me to the car and into the house, up the stairs to bed. I slept for eight hours, waking only when he came up to tell me the spaghetti would be ready soon. What a guy! It was the night before Thanksgiving, so I felt justified in taking seconds and thirds the next day.

My second was a year ago, and it went much easier. I woke up easier, though still not as fast as they wanted, and I wasn’t sick. The prep was much easier because I could have chicken broth, ginger ale, and lemon drops, so my blood sugar never got too low. I had a large precancerous polyp removed. I came home and slept about four hours, but I felt groggy most of the next day, left work early, and came home and slept four more hours. I had a meatball sub for dinner, and my system didn’t appreciate it.

My third was about a month ago to make sure they got all of that polyp the year before. I thought the prep was going very well. Again, lots of chicken broth, ginger ale, fizzy water, and lemon drops. The prep was Miralax mixed in lemon-lime Gatorade. It actually didn’t taste bad at all, but an hour after I drank the first series I threw it back up. Luckily, I didn’t need to drink anymore. I was quite cleaned out. What really helped me in recovery this time was to bring a bottle of water and some saltines to the procedure. I was still hard to wake up, but once I sat up, had a few slugs of water and a few crackers, I started feeling better. Hubby and I walked the length of the hospital to the parking garage, then went out for breakfast. After we got home, I slept for about four hours and woke up feeling fine. The results were all clear. Yay!

Every time, the hardest thing for me was pretty much being up all night. Ugh.

Good luck! It’s not the most fun thing in the world, but it’s sooooooo necessary.

[keithbvadu2]

50. Advice? Wear loose pants... Stay near the bathroom

Advice? Wear loose pants... Stay near the bathroom

After the procedure, I was farting like crazy. The nurses were laughing.

[SHRED]

51. The solution they had used in the past was way worse if that's any comfort

Plus we have a bidet and that is a godsend.

[samnsara]

52. WHITE WINE IS ACCEPTABLE DURING THE PREP!!!!!...get the best you can afford!

….but next time im doing that mail in thing...

[pamdb]

55. colonoscopy

I actually kind of like them, I can clean my system out the day before and when they
"knock me out' I can SLEEP. No phone, no dogs barking, nothing. I just wish they would let you sleep longer. I've had 3 of them and the mistake I made at the first one, was that I didn't pay attention to the directions and I was still working and instead of starting the liquid to make you clean yourself out (notice how I put that) I didn't start it until in the evening BIG MISTAKE I was up, on the toilet, until 2:00 in the morning. Learned from that mistake.


It's really nothing, lime jello and clear broth and then ginger ale. They actually told me I could drink before the 10 hour no liquid and I had a couple of gin and tonics It helped. And then you go to bed.

Easy peasy

[NotASurfer]

58. Two things if not too late

For me, involuntarily removing the contents of my intestines in just a few hours caused some inflammation at the exit point. Would have helped to have something in advance to apply to soothe the burn. Saw a suggestion to add aloe to the clear liquids and I might try that next time. Maybe it rockets through fast enough to help soothe things

And it took three days after the procedure to "refill" before the next normal bowel movement

You'll do fine. Procedure itself is the easiest part

[Laffy Kat]

60. A & D Ointment was on the instruction sheet..

And what I got. That will eventually help.

[NotASurfer]

61. Doctors here in TX treated me more like Alice in Wonderland

A bottle with the label "Drink This"

Guess you have to go through it once to get an idea of the questions to ask

[Ferrets are Cool]

59. It is so much easier now than 25 years ago.

Count your lucky stars you haven't needed one before now.