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[wombat62]

Hi Ladies

I have the dreaded next week and have stocked up with the scary powder, jelly, hydrolite and all the rest of it (including vaseline!).

I'm not too worried about the procedure itself as hopefully I'll be nice and sleepy (apart from what they may find) but the prep and how bad the emptying part will be. I asked the centre about the low fibre diet before and they said not to bother but when I was going back through some threads on here someone said it did help to lessen the effects shall we say. I'm also a bit concerned about getting weak and dehydrated especially as I may end up going without water for 12 hours if I end up sleeping in (to pass the time without food or water) or do I get up early and have a drink? It's annoying it's not until midday but it was the day that was most convenient.

Any hints and tips on the prep would be appreciated. Thanks

[RedFraggle]

I found it all ok. I was expecting it to be like having a bad tummy bug but it wasn't. I wasn't having to run like lightning for the loo.

[Ju Ju]

Be near the loo and wear easy to remove bottom halves! And some good reading matter. The stuff didn't make me feel ill. It just made me want to keep going.

[Justjules]

The prep is worse than the procedure! Like Ju Ju says, wear something easy for the loo. It just makes you feel a bit empty and washed out but good for the system! Get some natural yoghurt that has live cultures in it afterwards as it strips the bowel of all the good flora.

Good luck Wombat.

[Galadriel]

Yup - prep is definitely worse than the procedure. I did the live yoghurt thing afterwards as Justjules advised.

I hope it all goes well for you wombat... I did yoga relaxation breathing exercises throughout the procedure, it really helped.

The surgeon gave me some yoga exercise advice for afterwards - to help get rid of the air in the gut afterwards.

When you feel you need to trump - be on the loo first, just in case 
Peppermint tea or ginger tea was advised as well to help get rid of the air.

Good luck

Galadriel x

[coldethyl]

Make sure you have someone with you when you are doing the pre-op prep as it can make you lightheaded and unsteady.

[Joyce]

First time I had the prep I was already in hospital. Was very unpleasant experience. Second time I asked for different prep medicine, wasn't nice to swallow but results weren't as violent.

Think it depends on how your body reacts. But definitely be near a look.

[countrybumpkin]

It also depends alot on the prep they are using!  When I had mine about 7 years ago they were still using the appropriately names prep called Fleet ( of foot I presume!) because it was so powerful nothing and I mean nothing was left to obscure the camera but it caused alot of problems in people with slightly iffy kidney function etc and I am glad to hear that it is hardly used now.  Picolax and moviprep are the most common. Moviprep is usually reserved for the elderly and frail as it is the least horrible but not good for the Drs and camera seeing. Picolax is better than Fleet etc.

With Fleet I literally lived in the bathroom on  a chair next to the toilet for about 4 hrs after each dose and even then it was a close call, it also made you feel quite ill with heacache but this was because it dehydrated you so much you could not drink enough to replace.

The other ones are much better but moist toilet wipes and vaselline are a must. Drink at least as much if not more than they recommend to counteract the dehyration effect.

Good luck with it all and hopefully the results will show nothing nasty x

[Kathleen]

Hello wombat62.

I've had two Colonoscopies since 2010 with a different prep each time. The taste of  the stuff was awful but other than needing to be near the loo I felt okay throughout. I had sedation for the procedure itself and that was okay too! I was told they used liquid diazepam which was most pleasant.

Take care and I hope all goes well for you.

K.

[RedFraggle]

It was picolax that I had. Probably TMI but be prepared to pass things you know you didn't eat for weeks!! I was like, OMG, really?

[countrybumpkin]

    Fleet turned all contents to liquid, think of high pressure hosepipe breathing fire. 
Lovely topic!

[Joyce]

Countrybumpkin, OMG yes, awful stuff. I got into trouble from a nurse for being a wimp with that stuff. Said OAPs coped better. Well excuse me for keeling over! I won't go into  details, but it was extremely violent!

Picolax wasn't nice but much less violent.

[wombat62]

Thank you ladies!

I've got Picolax to take and I'm going to start to eat less high fibre stuff from now on. I've got to take 3 lots, 2 hours apart from 4pm. The nurse said it should be over by bedtime, hope so!

I will have OH at home in case I get wobbly, I do feel a bit weird when I get dehydrated so I'm a bit worried about that but I've got plenty to drink in. I have warned him!

Do you get bad cramps or just the need to run? (Fast!)

[Kathleen]

Hello again wombat62.

I didn't get cramps at all just some gurgling and the need to go to the loo. The first time I used the prep I was having an Ulcerative Colitis flare so things were a bit explosive but the second time I was well and everything was calmer though just as effective lol. A friend of mine was using Picolax yesterday to treat chronic constipation, she tells me it was working well and she felt fine, just needed to be near the loo. A nurse told her that we have 22 feet of bowel so it does take a lot of clearing out!

I hope this helps you and take care.

K.

[countrybumpkin]

Think of picolax as the pussycat to Fleets lion