I’ve had two colonoscopies. The first was several years ago with Moviprep (had citrus salt taste…palatable). The second one last month was with Suprep (tasted like stale grape juice… less palatable). They both work. Pharmacist told me that 90% of prescriptions they see are for Suprep. With insurance I only paid $30. I can only assume MDs prefer Suprep as it may be more effective in cleaning one out. Procedure itself was approx. 10 minutes although you’re out for about 30 minutes. I relied on lemon drops, Gatorade, popsicles, chicken broth (salted to taste). The not going without food wasn’t a big deal for me. I would say that with Moviprep I don’t remember any post procedure discomfort but with Suprep for up to two days I kinda felt like someone had punched me in lower abdomen. Although MD indicated I could use straw for Suprep, I just found it easier to guzzle both prep and water. All in all, neither procedure was any big deal.
I am making my own version of Moviprep next time - without the yukky sweeteners. I can easily drink salty water… I wish the makers had the sweetener in a separate pouch.
Would it be easier just mix it with the water?
Yes, but the sweetener is intermixed with the electrolytes powder, so it is impossible to make Moviprep unsweetened.
I did the Suprep a couple months ago and it didn’t taste as bad as I thought it would based on online reviews. @Jugulator20 describes it pretty well as “stale grape juice”.
This is a timely post to pop up as I browsed. I have Kaiser and they said there is a prescription waiting for me for Colyte. Has anyone used this before? My appointment is on the 23rd.
Some posters have problem with Colyte because its taste, I don’t have any problem with it. It works for the procedure. Your taste may vary,
My turn today. The prep was Clenpiq. Yesterday was very difficult for me with only the clear liquids. I went to work, and I was not a fun person by lunch time. I hadn’t planned well as far as my liquids (did take a Gatorade to work), but found a chicken noodle soup cup down in our cafe which I microwaved and drank the broth. I started the prep at 6 pm after I finished an important work conference call (I wisely didn’t start it during the call). It took over an hour and a half to start working. The taste wasn’t great but was tolerable. I didn’t think the 5 cups of liquids over 4 hours was bad. I had some jello, too, and chicken broth. I had to take the 2nd bottle of prep at 2:15 am and was awake for most of the night after that. I felt pretty miserable. They called me and said I could come in earlier from the procedure (was scheduled for 9:30 with 8:15 arrival), so it wound up that I was finished by 9 am. I am afraid of needles, so the IV was the traumatic part for me. I survived. Felt sort of dizzy afterwards and a little bloated, but went out to breakfast.
One surprising thing- I was looking forward to that low number on the scale this morning and it showed a number higher than I’ve seen in months! I suspect from all the sodium in the prep and the Gatorade. It was still surprising.
I really dislike the whole experience, but compared to health issues many are facing, I can’t complain. 10 years until the next one and that’s it for me!
Ugh, @MomofWildChild, that’s rough. I’m a tough stick, so I hate the IV insertion. 
My three-year followup is supposed to happen in December. I’m really hoping they will extend me to at least a five-year schedule after that. But I’m thankful they removed the polyp when they did, so I won’t complain, whatever they say.
@MaineLonghorn - I have that 3 year schedule too, from them finding one polyp on my first colonoscopy. I’m due for next one in Nov 2019 and also hoping to stretch out the following one a little longer (assuming that one is clear.) You’ll have to report back for me! 
@mysunz, I will let you know!
Before my colonoscopies I like to ask, “Doctor, should be establish a ‘safe word’?” It usually gets a chuckle.
I had my first one at 16 ( I have Crohns) and it’ll make you hate Gatorade that’s for sure. Watch some good movies and don’t get frustrated!
I had one patient who had his wife draw with a magic marker signs on the buttocks with arrows pointing stating enter only here.
Time to schedule my second colonoscopy. My first at 50 revealed polyps so I was told to come back in 7 years. I can’t bear to reread the thread…can someone share what prep is “best”? For me, best if the least amount of liquid, even if the taste is worse. I’m a small person and once, when I had to have a CT scan, I wasn’t able to drink all the liquid I was supposed to. Last time wasn’t terrible. I think I had to drink 32 ounces two different times but I’m not positive and nor can I be certain I’m remembering correctly. The taste was really bad but I had (non-red) popcycles on hand that I bit after each chug making it manageable.
@collage1, wow, you’re lucky! They found polyps at my first colonoscopy at 50, also, but I have to go back every three years! Reminds me I’m due for one this year since I’m 56. I don’t mind doing it, but I have to do a better job of getting cleaned out this time. My body is always sluggish in that regard.
“Rcvd my FIT (Fecal immunochemical) test results today - and they were negative. That was a very easy inexpensive test and I will happily repeat annually. For anyone who is on the fence re a colonoscopy - please ask about the FIT test. The best test is the one you will actually do.”
I negotiated hard with my doc for the home test since, in my view, it had to be better than me continuing to stall/evade the full procedure. Doc said the home tests are quite good. He’s beginning to prescribe them for people (who have had a prior clear colonoscopy history) as they get to 60 and beyond. Since if you are fully checked good at 60, then your risk of developing a problem later starts to decline.
One problem with the home test is that can be too sensitive. So it generates a lot of false positives – which then have to be followed up with the full procedure anyway. That convinced me to go ahead with the full procedure. That came back with the 10 year interval, so I think my first will be my only as well.
Smartly did the Surprep on a Sunday. Felt like hell – headaches, dizzy, dry heaves, and having to get up at 3:30 am Monday morning for the second dose. The procedure itself was nothing.
I had a clean colonoscopy in 2010, and they said “See you in 10 years.” In 2013, my sister had colon cancer, confined to the colon. In retrospect, that might have triggered a 5 yr schedule for me, but it didn’t. On March 17, 2018 I had emergency surgery for a blockage and was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer with a lot of lymph node involvement and one tiny met, all of which were cleanly removed. At that point I had “no known masses.” I am now almost halfway through 12 cycles of FOLFOX, and thorough scans last Monday revealed no masses or enlarged lymph nodes: essentially clean so far.
I am very lucky for a person who is technically stage 4: the consultant at Dana Farber said I was “Stage 3 1/2.” I didn’t have to have a colostomy. Unlike many people, I don’t have really strong side-effects to chemo so far: no nausea, although I do have a lot of diarrhea and some cold-activated neuropathy in my toes and fingers. (I am still waiting for that loss of appetite to kick in, LOL!)
Get the damned colonoscopy. One night of diarrhea is a HELL of a lot less than you will suffer if you develop cancer and it progresses, and anxiety over a single needle stick is NOTHING in comparison to the fear that every little twinge means your cancer has come back that even “survivors” suffer. Believe me, they DO NOT just put it behind them, no matter how confident they try to look in public.
I agree that there is no reason to not get the test. It wasn’t the night of diarrhea that bothered me- it was the whole day before of being at work and not being able to eat any real food. I, fortunately, only have to do this every 10 years, but it’s still not a fun event.
Consolation, I am so sorry to hear your news. I agree about getting the colonoscopy! I am an eleven year survivor of stage 4 rectal cancer. I too did 12 cycles of FOLFOX (with Avastin) and later after finding lung mets I did eight months of Xeloda. I also went to Dana Faber at one point. Now, I am treated at Lahey Clinic in Burlington Massachusetts and Sloan Kettering in NY. I wish you the best. It’s not always easy to get through, but it is doable. If you’re interested in an online support group the Colon Club has been invaluable to me over the years.