Colonoscopy prep filter: What can I eat when I'm not supposed to eat?
July 3, 2016 11:04 AM Subscribe
I'm having a colonoscopy this week. The prep instructions say no food the whole day before. I would usually follow their directions, except that:
this is my 6th colonoscopy (lots of cancer in my family), and it's the first time the prep instructions didn't allow breakfast the day before the procedure. I've always been told that my prep is fine (that is, that I did it well enough). The instructions are just slightly different from the last ones I used - same stuff, same amounts, just different timing - and I can't believe I won't be good and cleaned out if I have a small, carefully-chosen breakfast 24 hours before the test.
I did try asking the receptionists about it, but it's a huge, impersonal place, and all they'll say is "follow the directions".
I feel like they're being over-cautious, and since I have a lot of problems not eating, I'd like to eat breakfast. But I'm willing to eat stuff that will digest quickly, if that's the right way to phrase it.
I know to stay away from nuts and granola, but am not sure about yogurt, cereal, milk, toast or eggs. I'd appreciate any advice.
Thanks!
this is my 6th colonoscopy (lots of cancer in my family), and it's the first time the prep instructions didn't allow breakfast the day before the procedure. I've always been told that my prep is fine (that is, that I did it well enough). The instructions are just slightly different from the last ones I used - same stuff, same amounts, just different timing - and I can't believe I won't be good and cleaned out if I have a small, carefully-chosen breakfast 24 hours before the test.
I did try asking the receptionists about it, but it's a huge, impersonal place, and all they'll say is "follow the directions".
I feel like they're being over-cautious, and since I have a lot of problems not eating, I'd like to eat breakfast. But I'm willing to eat stuff that will digest quickly, if that's the right way to phrase it.
I know to stay away from nuts and granola, but am not sure about yogurt, cereal, milk, toast or eggs. I'd appreciate any advice.
Thanks!
My colonoscopy was on a Monday morning, and my prep instructions specifically said to not consume any solid food on Sunday. This point was repeated several times by the doctor and his staff, up to an including the receptionist as I was leaving. I could have all the broth and non-red/non-purple liquids or jello or candy I wanted, but no solid food at all.
posted by ralan at 11:17 AM on July 3, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by ralan at 11:17 AM on July 3, 2016 [2 favorites]
Just had one, at 8:40 AM. No breakfast.
Boil a chicken, strain it for broth and season to taste. It's sustaining and satisfying during the hungry day.
Follow the instructions in your movi-prep or su-prep kit, and they say no yogurt or dairy the day before.
posted by the Real Dan at 11:19 AM on July 3, 2016 [2 favorites]
Boil a chicken, strain it for broth and season to taste. It's sustaining and satisfying during the hungry day.
Follow the instructions in your movi-prep or su-prep kit, and they say no yogurt or dairy the day before.
posted by the Real Dan at 11:19 AM on July 3, 2016 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Yet another voice here adding "don't eat breakfast."
There's a lot of doctors who will say someone cleaned out "good enough" because they don't want to upset the patient or because so many people prep so badly (everyone hates prep, people frequently cheat). The key to finding anomalies, however, is to have the cleanest colon possible going into the procedure.
My dad died of colon cancer because the doctor missed a polyp on a post-cancer colonoscopy, in large part because he struggled with the prep. (This was 15 years ago and the prep procedures have evolved a bit, I think.) I am, as a result, fanatical about my prep. Last time I fasted for four days before my colonoscopy; I had to fast for a blood test a couple of days before the procedure and I figured I'd just keep it going. The good news is that though fasting is tedious, it does make the "clean-out" process a lot less uncomfortable. Also, it's kinda fun to have a doctor be absolutely ASTONISHED at how clean your colon is.
posted by rednikki at 11:44 AM on July 3, 2016 [19 favorites]
There's a lot of doctors who will say someone cleaned out "good enough" because they don't want to upset the patient or because so many people prep so badly (everyone hates prep, people frequently cheat). The key to finding anomalies, however, is to have the cleanest colon possible going into the procedure.
My dad died of colon cancer because the doctor missed a polyp on a post-cancer colonoscopy, in large part because he struggled with the prep. (This was 15 years ago and the prep procedures have evolved a bit, I think.) I am, as a result, fanatical about my prep. Last time I fasted for four days before my colonoscopy; I had to fast for a blood test a couple of days before the procedure and I figured I'd just keep it going. The good news is that though fasting is tedious, it does make the "clean-out" process a lot less uncomfortable. Also, it's kinda fun to have a doctor be absolutely ASTONISHED at how clean your colon is.
posted by rednikki at 11:44 AM on July 3, 2016 [19 favorites]
Best answer: Funny you should ask this right now, there has been a new study about colonoscopy prep actually presented at the Digestive Disease Week this year. They compared the traditionally recommended "clear liquids" regime with low-residue diet.
Patients randomly assigned to the low-residue diet consumed small portions of solid foods, such as protein, carbohydrate, and fat, during meals up until 6:00 PM the day before the procedure.
"Patients could choose foods such as eggs, yogurt, cheese, white bread, chicken breasts, and ice cream,"
Those randomly assigned to the clear-liquid diet could drink only broth, black coffee, black tea, and other clear liquids the day before the procedure.
The low-residue diet performed better than the liquid diet on all measures (patient comfort, patient overall satisfaction as well as QUALITY OF BOWEL PREP).
posted by M. at 11:45 AM on July 3, 2016 [15 favorites]
Patients randomly assigned to the low-residue diet consumed small portions of solid foods, such as protein, carbohydrate, and fat, during meals up until 6:00 PM the day before the procedure.
"Patients could choose foods such as eggs, yogurt, cheese, white bread, chicken breasts, and ice cream,"
Those randomly assigned to the clear-liquid diet could drink only broth, black coffee, black tea, and other clear liquids the day before the procedure.
The low-residue diet performed better than the liquid diet on all measures (patient comfort, patient overall satisfaction as well as QUALITY OF BOWEL PREP).
posted by M. at 11:45 AM on July 3, 2016 [15 favorites]
Best answer: Bowel prep recommendations vary somewhat between practitioners. In general, they know what works, or what has always worked, and prefer the patients to not experiment too much. Many patients who come less than prepared tell us that they modified the prep a bit in a way that made sense to them. So if your endoscopist has always had the patients abstain from breakfast the day before, they might be very unwilling to let you modify this part.
For what it's worth, my own unit recommends a light breakfast the day before, and clear soup for lunch.
Also, I am usually a fanatic about bowel prep. It's true that good prep is absolutely essential. On the other hand, there are several foods that can mess up the prep even ingested a week before colonoscopy (poppy seeds -a real nightmare, small seeds in general, strawberry jam) and food that just gets flushed out (like ice cream). Jello, yoghurt, pudding and such like are pretty much flushed out like water. You can increase the quality of prep by drinking more fluids (tea, juice, water) than recommended, unless there are medical contraindications.
If in doubt, ask the endoscopy nurse (if possible). The receptionist is not qualified to dispense advice.
posted by M. at 11:56 AM on July 3, 2016
For what it's worth, my own unit recommends a light breakfast the day before, and clear soup for lunch.
Also, I am usually a fanatic about bowel prep. It's true that good prep is absolutely essential. On the other hand, there are several foods that can mess up the prep even ingested a week before colonoscopy (poppy seeds -a real nightmare, small seeds in general, strawberry jam) and food that just gets flushed out (like ice cream). Jello, yoghurt, pudding and such like are pretty much flushed out like water. You can increase the quality of prep by drinking more fluids (tea, juice, water) than recommended, unless there are medical contraindications.
If in doubt, ask the endoscopy nurse (if possible). The receptionist is not qualified to dispense advice.
posted by M. at 11:56 AM on July 3, 2016
Your health provider may vary, but mine will send you home if you don't follow their current instructions. That means you have to reschedule, take your days off again and go through the prep again. End result is that you have to follow their instructions the first time or you have to follow their instructions the second time.
posted by sageleaf at 11:58 AM on July 3, 2016 [12 favorites]
posted by sageleaf at 11:58 AM on July 3, 2016 [12 favorites]
I've also been in a waiting room and seen a patient sent home and have to reschedule for not following the instructions, for better or worse.
posted by rustcellar at 1:55 PM on July 3, 2016
posted by rustcellar at 1:55 PM on July 3, 2016
I've had several colonoscopies as well. I strongly urge you to no follow the dietary restrictions to the letter.
I do deviate from the bowel prep instructions in two ways:
- don't add the flavor packet - it makes the gallon/half-gallon of liquid taste like medicine. Without the flavor packet, it doesn't taste like anything.
- don't refrigerate the bowel prep solution. It is a lot harder to swallow a large volume of cold water, than it is to swallow room-temperature (or slightly cooler) water.
posted by yesster at 6:45 AM on July 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
I do deviate from the bowel prep instructions in two ways:
- don't add the flavor packet - it makes the gallon/half-gallon of liquid taste like medicine. Without the flavor packet, it doesn't taste like anything.
- don't refrigerate the bowel prep solution. It is a lot harder to swallow a large volume of cold water, than it is to swallow room-temperature (or slightly cooler) water.
posted by yesster at 6:45 AM on July 4, 2016 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: OK, you scared me into it. I ended up following their directions, didn't eat at all the day before the procedure. The results page they gave me said "the quality of the prep was good". I looked at the one from my colonoscopy 8 years ago (where I ate breakfast and lunch the day before), and it said "the quality of the prep was excellent". I realize that's not really proof of anything, but I think next time, I'll eat breakfast.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 1:10 PM on August 2, 2016
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 1:10 PM on August 2, 2016
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