Prepping for prep- what should I know that hasn't been said?
July 19, 2024 10:02 AM Subscribe
Just finished (ahem) digesting this excellent previously. Anyone have some new tips or recommendations you can share about getting through the actual "purge" process?
I think this has been asked quite a few times before - pretty sure I’ve answered it at least twice! Maybe have a read through the AskMe posts tagged ‘colonoscopy’ and you’re sure to get good tips. Not necessarily the questions at the top of that list, but have a scroll down.
posted by penguin pie at 10:37 AM on July 19 [1 favorite]
posted by penguin pie at 10:37 AM on July 19 [1 favorite]
You’re going to do a lot of wiping. Put a dab of petroleum jelly on your anus every few times. Stock up on popsicles, Italian ice, jello, broth. Save red or orange for after.
posted by theora55 at 10:49 AM on July 19 [2 favorites]
posted by theora55 at 10:49 AM on July 19 [2 favorites]
I have not personally been through this yet. However, one of my favorite substack authors Anne Helen-Petersen wrote about her colonoscopy process recently. It seemed to have a lot of great information, and the comments section has lots of additional tips as well.
posted by bluloo at 10:56 AM on July 19 [1 favorite]
posted by bluloo at 10:56 AM on July 19 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Having a, well, polyp-rich colon (all benign, so far), I have had more colonoscopies than most people my age. so I have a lot of local knowledge here...hahaha. Anyway, here's a few things I've learned over the five I've had in the last decade-plus.
1. I've always had Gavilyte as prep, so YMMV, but what I do is have two glasses ready to go - one with the dose I need, and one with water. I drink the dose through a straw, all at once, in one go, with my nose pinched shut (seriously, just exhale deeply then suck it all down at once, do not stop for any reason), and then when it's gone, IMMEDIATELY chase that with a swig or two from the glass of water. That way, I taste literally nothing.
2. As burntflowers says, this process goes from zero to 100 with no stops in between; and once it starts, it. does. not. stop. Annoyingly, it does not, however, start at a predictable time after you take your first dose of prep. It may be 10 minutes. But it may be 30! It may be 5! So just...be ready.
2a. You will be stunned at the volume of material that exits your body, even with the last dose of prep you take. This is normal, and is the point of this process.
3. However you normally entertain yourself during long bathroom visits, have that ready to go BEFORE the fun starts. Whether that's just making sure your phone is fully charged and on your person, whether it's having a book or whatever in the bathroom, or something else - the last thing you want is to be sitting there, evacuating, waiting, and either just being bored as hell, or having to be like HEY OTHER PERSON IN MY HOUSE CAN YOU BRING ME SOMETHING while you're in the midst of all that.
4. Soft toilet paper will be your friend, but honestly, if you've got a little spare cash and a little spare time before your procedure, get yourself a bidet. We have one of these and it's amazing. It's easy to install and even after the procedure, you'll wonder why you ever had a toilet without one. No need to dive down the rabbit hole of super sophisticated bidets at this point; save that for when you're not prepping for a procedure, but for now, this will help out a ton.
5. Before you go to the place you're having the procedure, identify a good/favorite place to eat close to the facility; once you're fully awake after, your body will be all I NEED FOOD RIGHT NOW I CANNOT WAIT WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME, and whatever you eat will be the best meal you've had in weeks, so treat yourself to something you love.
Overall, it's not the worst thing in the world. It's uncomfortable, but it's short-lived.
posted by pdb at 11:50 AM on July 19 [6 favorites]
1. I've always had Gavilyte as prep, so YMMV, but what I do is have two glasses ready to go - one with the dose I need, and one with water. I drink the dose through a straw, all at once, in one go, with my nose pinched shut (seriously, just exhale deeply then suck it all down at once, do not stop for any reason), and then when it's gone, IMMEDIATELY chase that with a swig or two from the glass of water. That way, I taste literally nothing.
2. As burntflowers says, this process goes from zero to 100 with no stops in between; and once it starts, it. does. not. stop. Annoyingly, it does not, however, start at a predictable time after you take your first dose of prep. It may be 10 minutes. But it may be 30! It may be 5! So just...be ready.
2a. You will be stunned at the volume of material that exits your body, even with the last dose of prep you take. This is normal, and is the point of this process.
3. However you normally entertain yourself during long bathroom visits, have that ready to go BEFORE the fun starts. Whether that's just making sure your phone is fully charged and on your person, whether it's having a book or whatever in the bathroom, or something else - the last thing you want is to be sitting there, evacuating, waiting, and either just being bored as hell, or having to be like HEY OTHER PERSON IN MY HOUSE CAN YOU BRING ME SOMETHING while you're in the midst of all that.
4. Soft toilet paper will be your friend, but honestly, if you've got a little spare cash and a little spare time before your procedure, get yourself a bidet. We have one of these and it's amazing. It's easy to install and even after the procedure, you'll wonder why you ever had a toilet without one. No need to dive down the rabbit hole of super sophisticated bidets at this point; save that for when you're not prepping for a procedure, but for now, this will help out a ton.
5. Before you go to the place you're having the procedure, identify a good/favorite place to eat close to the facility; once you're fully awake after, your body will be all I NEED FOOD RIGHT NOW I CANNOT WAIT WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME, and whatever you eat will be the best meal you've had in weeks, so treat yourself to something you love.
Overall, it's not the worst thing in the world. It's uncomfortable, but it's short-lived.
posted by pdb at 11:50 AM on July 19 [6 favorites]
Yes, get a bidet. You should have one anyway but especially now. I've never been so glad for mine in my life.
posted by HotToddy at 12:11 PM on July 19 [1 favorite]
posted by HotToddy at 12:11 PM on July 19 [1 favorite]
Never trust a fart or sneeze or cough while prepping. Also, slather on petroleum jelly on your anus after every evacuation.
posted by Sassyfras at 12:29 PM on July 19 [3 favorites]
posted by Sassyfras at 12:29 PM on July 19 [3 favorites]
I was given prep in the form of pills and I would avoid even if they seem easier to take than a volume of liquid. They made me vomit and I couldn’t complete my prep, which the on-call doc said was a known issue.
For me drinking a big amount of something that doesn’t taste good is way less bad than vomiting over and over.
posted by jeoc at 1:08 PM on July 19 [1 favorite]
For me drinking a big amount of something that doesn’t taste good is way less bad than vomiting over and over.
posted by jeoc at 1:08 PM on July 19 [1 favorite]
Wet wipes were helpful for me. I ate some lemon jello or lemon Italian ice in between glasses of the prep to wash the nasty taste out of my mouth. My body was more or less cooperative with telling me NOW and giving me a minute to scoot into the bathroom, so I was able to chill in the room next to the bathroom in between bouts, but I did not stray far.
I was told to follow a low fiber (and strictly nothing with seeds, they especially called out strawberries and poppyseeds) for a few days before and did so. I got a successful clear rating, so it worked. I also may have over stocked on potential hydrating clear non food things for purge day and ended up only wanting the comforting tastes I already liked. Just get what you know you'll drink/ eat and don't take this as an opportunity to try something new. Turns out I can't stand bottled coconut water.
posted by carrioncomfort at 2:04 PM on July 19 [1 favorite]
I was told to follow a low fiber (and strictly nothing with seeds, they especially called out strawberries and poppyseeds) for a few days before and did so. I got a successful clear rating, so it worked. I also may have over stocked on potential hydrating clear non food things for purge day and ended up only wanting the comforting tastes I already liked. Just get what you know you'll drink/ eat and don't take this as an opportunity to try something new. Turns out I can't stand bottled coconut water.
posted by carrioncomfort at 2:04 PM on July 19 [1 favorite]
Witch Hazel. It helps amazingly when your poor butt gets raw from all the going. I soaked a cotton facial pad thing and used it each time I went. Really helps with the sting.
posted by annieb at 6:44 PM on July 19 [2 favorites]
posted by annieb at 6:44 PM on July 19 [2 favorites]
I had a colonoscopy not long ago and had Clenpiq for prep. It’s a “split dose” where, for a procedure at noon, you’d drink a 175 ml bottle between 5 PM and 9 PM the day before, then a second bottle at 7 AM and no more fluids after 10 AM. You are meant to drink a lot of water when taking it. You go on low/zero residue foods for a couple of days and liquids only for the last day before the procedure. I found it surprisingly not that bad, to such an extent that I worried it wasn’t working right—but my prep was described as “excellent,” and that was reflected in the pictures in the report. I had been dreading prep because friends had described having to choke down seemingly endless amounts of viscous goop that sounded really unpleasant. Yes, i did have to visit the bathroom a lot, albeit nowhere near as often as I thought I would, but it’s effectively just silty water due to the diet in the days beforehand. You definitely want to be at home on prep day, but I did not find myself running to the bathroom on an emergency basis. I remarked to the doctor that I had been expecting prep to be a nightmare based on what I’d heard, and he said the (relatively new?) split dose method was just as effective and much easier on the patient and that’s what he was prescribing most everyone nowadays. I’d suggest asking if Clenpiq is a possibility.
posted by slkinsey at 4:22 AM on July 20 [2 favorites]
posted by slkinsey at 4:22 AM on July 20 [2 favorites]
Seconding Clenpiq. I had colon cancer in 2017 and when I was going through all the pre surgery stuff, I was terrified they would tell me they couldn’t do it because I hadn’t been able to finish the giant jug of Golytely. It made vomit—that stuff is just viscous and like trying to pound down a Costco sized bottle of cooking oil—and all the advice is about making it taste better but the taste isn’t the problem.
Fortunately the surgeon told me it’s not as important to have a perfect preparation for the operation as it is for the colonoscopy. And when I found out there were some other modes I could use even though they didn’t usually prescribe them (Clenpiq costs a bit more and insurance doesn’t always cover it, fortunately mine did), I begged for it and it made such a difference in my follow-ups. I get a lot of colonoscopies!
I was in the bathroom much less, the split dose gave me some time to sleep, it was easier to gulp down despite the taste…just an all round winner. If you read through the older threads, you’ll also see some suggestions that if you don’t have a bidet, the little portable bidet squeeze bottles are a lifesaver. And if you’re still feeling like you need to go but you have to head out to the clinic, Depends are your friend!
posted by kitten kaboodle at 11:10 AM on July 21 [1 favorite]
Fortunately the surgeon told me it’s not as important to have a perfect preparation for the operation as it is for the colonoscopy. And when I found out there were some other modes I could use even though they didn’t usually prescribe them (Clenpiq costs a bit more and insurance doesn’t always cover it, fortunately mine did), I begged for it and it made such a difference in my follow-ups. I get a lot of colonoscopies!
I was in the bathroom much less, the split dose gave me some time to sleep, it was easier to gulp down despite the taste…just an all round winner. If you read through the older threads, you’ll also see some suggestions that if you don’t have a bidet, the little portable bidet squeeze bottles are a lifesaver. And if you’re still feeling like you need to go but you have to head out to the clinic, Depends are your friend!
posted by kitten kaboodle at 11:10 AM on July 21 [1 favorite]
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posted by burntflowers at 10:22 AM on July 19 [5 favorites]