Miscellaneous Colonoscopy Advice Needed

June 20, 2022 3:16 AM

How do I survive the laxatives and what should be in my hospital go bag? Graphic details and longwinded story to follow.

Hello, I am the unfortunate Anon from this Ask.

I have decided to go for the colonoscopy. Thank you to everyone who answered that Ask, especially penguin pie and M. You have clarified many doubts.

I am on Day 2 of my low residue diet. I thought I’ll share what I have learned so far for the edification of other Mefites as well as ask some additional questions.

Luckily for me, my period ended just before I started my 3 days of low residue diet. I am allowed to eat the day before the colonoscopy (no liquid diet) but the list of foods allowed is very short, with not even fruit juice or jello allowed. I am not in the U.S. btw. It’s basically just white carbs (like white bread and rice), lean white meats like skinless chicken and fish as well as black tea (no cream or other dairy). So at the moment, my diet is very bland, unappetizing and lacking in vitamin C.

I cleared my schedule beforehand because I thought I would be hangry and unable to focus since I am eating a no-fiber diet that is 1/3 of what I normally consume. To my surprise, I am less hungry than expected and am actually eating less than planned with no snacks in between. I bought way too much food for the prep such as chicken broth etc.

I attribute this to my watery meals and drinking unflavored sparkling mineral water (I do not normally indulge due to the expense) in between meals. Be prepared to pee more than usual if you want to do this though. Apparently, all that water plus the gas fools my stomach into thinking it is full. There is actually a Japanese study on this.

I discovered Pacific Foods’ Organic Low Sodium Chicken Broth tastes terrible, bland and sort of gamey. Can someone recommend a nicer chicken broth for future reference?

I also discovered how much I have been relying on comfort eating to deal with stress and for distraction. Without chocolate and potato chips to help me get through the day, life seems unbearably dull and boring, especially given my bland, monotonous meals which don’t take long to consume. I have nothing to look forward to and was pretty low yesterday. I would like to find alternatives to comfort eating but few things that don’t cost money come to mind. Low concentration entertainment ideas also welcome since I would be waiting for my laxatives to work tomorrow.

Since I will be having my colonoscopy done at the endoscopy centre of a large public hospital, I am receiving no-frills healthcare and unable to choose the type of laxatives. I have been given three packs of PEG powder which I will have to dissolve in water and start glugging tomorrow after dinner. I am concerned how I will be able to consume two litres of PEG solution in a few hours without puking. Should I dissolve the powder in still or sparkling water? What would make it go down better? I do not like sports drinks.

Between the laxatives the night before and getting up at 6 a.m. to eat a very light breakfast and drink my final packet of laxatives, I don’t expect much sleep but that can’t be helped.

I will be packing my hospital go bag tomorrow. Will be bringing a bottle of mineral water, some biscuits, antibacterial wipes/hand gel, toilet wipes, my spectacle case, mobile, I.D., disposable panties, tissues as well as a garbage bag. Anything else I should bring?

I’ve been told that after checking in, I’ll be waiting around for a while for an unspecified length of time. Not sure if that means sitting in reception in my normal clothes or in a hospital gown. But I expect anxiety, boredom and hopefully I would have access to my mobile.

According to my family member who also had theirs done at a public hospital (albeit not the same one), they woke up afterwards in a communal recovery area, was served crackers and a hot beverage and then allowed to go home after about an hour.

I have furniture delivery people coming to my home the second day after my colonoscopy to deliver a new sofa and a mattress. Unfortunately, this appointment cannot be rescheduled. Would the average person have recovered enough by then to handle short visits? I would have home toilet access at least.

Thank you for making it all the way to the end of my long ramble.

posted by anonymous to Health & Fitness (13 answers total)

Well done for deciding to go. It sounds like you have it well sorted and actually don't have many questions! For the ones you do have:

* You'll be able to drink the prep when the time comes, because you'll know you have to and once it's done it'll be over and you're a colonoscopy-having badass - when things need doing, you get on and do it. Get it nice and cold, use a straw, don't make it fizzy - all the things you've probably read in all the other colonoscopy advice threads on here (You've read those, right? Read those. They answer all your questions and more).
* Sounds like you've got pretty much all you need. Yes, be ready to wait around. For me it was into gown on arrival and then sit on the bed waiting to be called. An easy book, or stuff you like to do on your phone will be fine. I think I was advised to bring slippers and a dressing gown so that once I was in the hospital gown, I could walk to the toilet or whatever without showing people my butt. YMMV.
* Yes, you'll absolutely be fine to have visits two days afterwards, or even the day afterwards - this isn't a surgical procedure and doesn't have a protracted recovery time at all. I felt absolutely fine immediately afterwards, though I didn't have sedatives. For you it might take a bit longer for the sedatives to wear off, but you don't need to expect a long recovery. Go home, eat a lovely meal, have a lovely sleep and you'll be fine the next morning. You won't be running to the loo from the laxatives or anything like that after the procedure - your digestive system will be empty. You'll be back to normal very quickly.

Good luck, and well done!
posted by penguin pie at 4:04 AM on June 20, 2022 [8 favorites]

Are you allowed to dissolve your prep powder in clear cola? I mixed mine with Sprite, which made it much more palatable.

As for recovery, I came home from my endoscopy/colonoscopy late morning, took a nap, and felt fine by dinnertime. I'm a frail person who usually takes a lot of time to recover from procedures, so I was surprised at how quickly I bounced back.
posted by champers at 4:06 AM on June 20, 2022 [1 favorite]

Good for you for having this necessary procedure! This internet stranger is very proud of you!
In my experience, the colder the prep beverage, the easier it is to drink it. Using a straw helps.
Can’t speak to what your actual hospital experience as I’m in the US and I suspect it’s different here. I didn’t take anything with me to my colonoscopy and was only at the facility a couple of hours.
I went to work the day after my colonoscopy with absolutely no issues. I personally wouldn’t hesitate to schedule a furniture delivery the next day.
Good luck!
posted by bookmammal at 4:07 AM on June 20, 2022 [5 favorites]

RE: the PEG solution, you aren't expected to chug 2 liters in a few minutes. You want to consume all of it, but not gulping it down like you're at a fraternity keg party.

When I had to do this, I found the solution to be a bit more palatable over ice. I see that you're not in the US, so you may not be as used to beverages "on the rocks," but it made it easier for me to drink than room temp water mixed in.
posted by kuanes at 4:10 AM on June 20, 2022

I preferred to drink the PEG solution warm rather than cold, so I mixed it with warm veggie stock (I don’t remember the brand, but it was whatever fanciest brand I could get from the shops, made about twice as strong as listed on the packet) and sipped that instead. It was fine! The volume of liquid was daunting, but I gave myself milestones (I think it was a small cup every 15 minutes) while watching a movie.

The evacuation process was fascinating, if I’m honest, and not wholly unpleasant. There was some cramping but I was used to that from the illness they were investigating (and it sounds like you might be too), so in a way it was “nice” to have mild cramping and know the cause of it. And at some point when you’re just passing fluid, it feels like urinating out of your butt, which I found just hilarious. I was easily amused by this point in the process! My insides felt squeaky-clean which was a very strange and interesting thing to think about.

Other people have addressed the day-of logistics well, my experience was very similar (public hospital in Australia). I had twilight sedation, don’t remember any of it, didn’t feel any residual pain anywhere, and had a brief nap on the ward (BEST SLEEP EVER) before going home. I went to work the next day feeling good.

I was so nervous about my colonoscopy, and in the end it went very well and I’m not dreading the next one at all. It sounds like so far you’ve been pleasantly surprised by the experience, and have learned some new things about your body and digestion. May I gently suggest that the same thing might be the case for the next phase?
posted by third word on a random page at 4:33 AM on June 20, 2022 [5 favorites]

I have no advice on the before but a little on the after. When you get home your air-filled intestine can be quite uncomfortable. I found that yoga was very useful for getting that air out. I remember down dog and cat/cow being very effective. It's a noisy yoga session, so certainly better in private. Post yoga there was basically no recovery for me, everything back to normal.
posted by Awfki at 5:00 AM on June 20, 2022

For the last two colonoscopies I had, I stopped drinking the prep as soon as what I was depositing in the toilet ran clear. This was at about the 7/8 mark both times. Both times the post-procedure report said my preparation was "excellent."
posted by Dolley at 7:00 AM on June 20, 2022 [3 favorites]

To drink 2L liquids over a few hours I would do still, cold/iced water with (sugar free) squash or sirop depending on what you have locally. This is totally doable, good luck!
posted by ellieBOA at 7:30 AM on June 20, 2022 [1 favorite]

You’ll be fine to have furniture delivered the second day after your colonoscopy. Depending on the sedative they give you, you may be a bit tired the day of your colonoscopy, but you’ll be totally back to normal the day after. It’s not surgery.
posted by rhymedirective at 7:43 AM on June 20, 2022

I had the same experience as Dolley. If you are willing to skip breakfast the day of the procedure, you can possibly also skip the final round of prep. Actually, my instructions didn’t allow me to eat breakfast.
posted by Comet Bug at 9:43 AM on June 20, 2022

Put a dab of vaseline on your anus, do that every time you poop. By the end of my prep, it got really miserable because I did not know this.
posted by theora55 at 1:54 PM on June 20, 2022 [4 favorites]

Part of the appeal of chicken broth (I might have been the person to contribute that suggestion) is the salt. So even though I'm trying to reduce my sodium intake as well, standard Swanson chicken broth was what I used, just during the prep. I feel that short-term suspension of most (not all!) normal diet restrictions is acceptable while preparing for a medical procedure. The intake of white bread and rice you mention makes my inner diabetic cringe...though the rest of me would go oh, yeah!
posted by lhauser at 6:40 AM on June 21, 2022

Don't forget to make sure your phone is fully charged, or bring a charger.
posted by QuakerMel at 11:53 AM on June 28, 2022 [1 favorite]