Yes, @TwinMom2023, that would be awesome if you could email me those directions!
It does seem to me if they were concerned I wouldn’t be cleaned out, they would have suggested it and sent instructions, but they didn’t even mention it.
It’s really hard to go low fiber. No doubt I will have hemorrhoids before even starting the prep. Really want to delay this. Why am I doing this over my vacation? What am I thinking? Have to eat like crap, feel bad, not want to exercise and then for the rest of my vacation I won’t be able to sit on a bike, or maybe even sit down.
I’m really talking myself out of this. I have 12 days off, couldn’t work if I wanted to. Wanted to get healthy and feel better over that time. I must be an idiot.
I just did mine this past Monday, with Suprep. I hated the Suprep – it was horrible tasting, and there seemed to be so much of it!! I used a tip someone on here once suggested: After I drank as much of it as I could stand, I chewed some sugarless gum. It really helped clean my mouth from the horrible gaggy flavor. Then I’d take the gum out of my mouth, drink some more, and pop the gum back in my mouth. I won’t say I enjoyed it, but it made it less bad.
I also did a low residue diet, for two days, and then nothing solid (or red) on the day before. There really wasn’t that much to clean out.
I found that it makes no difference for the taste of the stuff if it is cold or lukewarm. At least, with lukewarm liquid, I could gulp it down very fast. Can’t down ice-cold stuff quickly. So instead of prolonging my agony by sipping it chilled bit by bit, that’s what I did.
I had no problem with constipation on the low residue diet. But I did steer clear of red meat or anything with gristle. Still, if you’re worried, you could take a stool softener every day that you are on it.
It’s really NOT that bad, @busdriver. And the prepopik is the easiest prep around in my experience.
I found Prepopik easy. I ate low fiber beginning 3 days before the procedure and then just the permitted liquids the day before. I was well cleaned out.
My husband was told to stop eating anything with seeds or nuts one week before his procedure, then liquids the day before, but he decided to follow my example and also ate low fiber starting 3 days before his procedure. He used Clenpiq and was well cleaned out.
I’m sold on going low fiber beforehand. Next time I will make a point of drinking more fluids during my low fiber days, as I had cramps. H did not have cramps.
Oh, unfortunately for me, it is that bad. In fact, the hemorrhoids afterwards were the worst part of the entire process. Could barely sit down for some time, even while doing my job (which is pretty much impossible to do standing up). Three years later, I feel like I’m still suffering the after effects. And I didn’t do a low residue diet ahead of time to add on to it.
I’m definitely thinking of rescheduling. I went from planning on doing a European river cruise during this vacation (after a year of challenge and stress), to doing a short vacation somewhere exotic, to staying home and doing short day fun excursions…to a colonoscopy and cleaning the house. I don’t know what I was thinking!
I don’t know what is wrong with my brain! Maybe I just don’t know how to have fun anymore, but I’m thinking a colonoscopy is not it.
I’m starting to think more along the lines of doing something fun every day of my vacation. Unfortunately my husband is not on vacation, so it’s all on me. Rock climbing, biking on Lopez, some casino blackjack, movies at the Cinebarre with a friend, jogging up Mt Si…and I think this procedure would mess up a lot of that. Definitely wine tasting is a great idea.
Hmm, maybe I should start a “staycation” thread.
I think I’d have a better attitude about the colonoscopy if I didn’t do it over vacation! Good luck to the rest of you.
@busdriver, do you think it would help to use a liquid meal replacement like Ensure instead of solid foods for several days of eating low residue? Might that avoid causing or aggravating hemorrhoids?
I’m assuming that this colonoscopy is for screening purposes only? If so, and if you are at low risk, meaning that you do not have familial polyps or a family history of colon cancer, then you should understand that colonoscopy is only one option for colon cancer screening. The US Preventive Services Task Force recommends either colonoscopy OR yearly fecal occult blood testing for cancer screening. Outcomes research shows that both options decrease mortality from colon cancer equally. Since colonoscopies are costly and have definite risks that could lead to serious complications and even death, (medication reaction, bowel rupture, electrolyte disturbances from the prep, etc) you should seriously consider fecal occult blood testing as a viable option (You can buy testing kits for about $30). One of the reasons the colonoscopies are pushed so much is financial: the hospitals and health systems make big bucks off them, as do the gi docs and surgeons who perform them. In a larger sense, though, our country really can’t afford this kind of screening as it contributes to our surging health care costs. In England every other year FOBT is performed, with similar excellent resulting decreased mortality.
I read the labels for vanilla and chocolate Ensure; vanilla has less than one gram of fiber and chocolate has one gram of fiber. Low fiber = low residue. So sure, it would be fine to drink Ensure 3 days before and 2 days before the colonoscopy.
The day before the colonoscopy one has to limit oneself to clear liquids/ jello/ broth/tea/coffee, and Ensure does not qualify. But before that? Why not?
Would one really want any to only drink Ensure for three days? It looks like the main ingredient is different forms of sugar. Maybe one would be better off with just taking supplements and drinking liquids that have enough calories but no fiber…like wine. Just kidding.
Maybe soups and broths. And ice cream shakes for calories. I’m not much into sugar unless it’s for something really tasty. And macaroni and cheese would be pretty nice.
So my doctors assistant called and did say the doctor approved both the Prepopik and Clenpiq. With a warning that it could cost a WHOLE lot of money if insurance didn’t cover it. Well, my husband’s Prepopik cost $50, so no big deal. Would I really drink a gallon of lemon flavored sweat to save $40?
Just kidding.