Doing the prep for a colonoscopy

Overt scat thread

Eat red and purple foods.

Lots of it.

Your doctor will thank you.

Rare roast beef is good too.

Eat lots of corn, OP!

Pre-lube.

Bring your tablet or a good book to the bathroom . Use wet wipes or a bidet -your ass is gonna be sore from wiping. Know that they often inject air into the bowels during the procedure, so afterward you're going to fart at a Trump-like level (only they won't smell). Don't try to hold it in -let 'er rip and you'll feel much better. Finally, have a trusted other with you in the recovery room -you're not gonna remember a thing the doctor tells you about what s/he found.

Ask to be awake during the procedure so you can enjoy your prostate stimulation.

Corn?

When did I excrete corn?

Pretend you’re having the most epic weekend of your life and there’s no room for mess.

Start using wet wipes or baby white BEFORE your ass starts to hurt. Dry TP will rip your hole to shreds after hours and hours of repeated abrasion all in a singe day.

That's not a problem r10 if you've stepped up to the exciting world of a bidet.

You'll love demerol and versed!

Swallow a single silver dollar.

[quote]That's not a problem [R10] if you've stepped up to the exciting world of a bidet.

Not everyone can afford that R11. 90% of Americans do not have a bidet in their homes. I was assuming OP was in that majority.

10 percent do have a bidet?

I'm having a colonoscopy later this month and we just installed a bidet after a trip to Japan. Decided we could no longer live without one.

Poppers

Eat gobs of cherry Jell-O and you'll hear their frantic screams through the anesthesia.

Make sure you follow the instructions about abstaining from food and liquids for the length of time your doctor requires prior to your colonoscopy. At my last colonoscopy several months ago, two different people there had to reschedule theirs because they had consumed food/liquids too close to the procedure. It's always spelled out in the instructions, so I don't know how they could have missed it, and make sure you don't, either.

Oh please, OP. It's simple. Is this your first, one every ten years? I have it every two years, for the last TEN. It gets easier and easier.

SERIOUS RESPONSE: I watched my grandmother, who maintained a healthy diet and lifestyle her entire life, waste away into a wraith that resembled something worse than a concentration camp survivor due to colon cancer that metastasized to her pancreas and liver. Colon polyps/tumors are now 100% detectable, treatable, and preventable with medical advances, but in her day these procedures were in their infancy.

Every time I prep for a colonoscopy, I think of her and AM SO GRATEFUL that this procedure is now easily accessible. I am humbled that my grandmother signaled this genetic predisposition for my mother and me - she extended our lives by 20-30 years. I do not dread this procedure and when I have to do the prep I just think of her during her last days.

P.S. If this doesn't convince you, just think of it as the ultimate gastrointestinal/alimentary CLEANSE.

I'll be having my 6th or 7th in May.

For the disgusting liquid, I hold my nose and chug. The old grade-school lesson of how you can chomp on an onion as though it were an apple if you hold your nose.

As for elimination, start the fasting a few days earlier than required.

Hate it all but the floating aftermath.

I had mine in early November. Instead of that disgusting liquid, I was given pills - a total of 12 (6 the night before and 6 the morning of).

No kidding about the farting. I blasted my way out of the hospital.

It's too late for the OP, but don't eat any beef for at least 4 weeks before the examination. r3 was being a joker.

Make sure you have a nice bouquet of flowers with a “Thank You” card attached in your twat for the Gastroenterologist.

Thanks guys! I took the four ducolax pills tonight and tomorrow night I'll start the liquid cleanse. I haven't been eating much this week anyway, so hopefully it won't be so bad.

I'm with R21. My dearest friend is dying of metastatic colon cancer after procrastinating for nearly a year after she knew that she had positive colon blood tests. She delayed enough that she had a perforated bowel at the time of surgery, but managed to live through the resections and repeat surgeries for peritonitis. After a comfortable few months, it's now obvious that the cancer is everywhere.

I bit the bullet and finally scheduled my own colonoscopy. Luckily, only one very small polyp was removed, so I do the repeat in 7- 10 years. The only thing that I would do differently would be change the disgusting blue Gatorade + MiraLAX that was prescribed, along with Dulcolax tablets, for coconut water or something more palatable. By the second quart of the stuff, I was upchucking. I had to take anti-nausea meds to finish the prep.

Also, I would have doubled up on the puppy pads I was using when I tried to sleep for a few hours before going to the hospital. Thank goodness the bathroom was very close for emergency showers.

Like R21, I'll be serious: no colon cancer in my family -but most everyone died before the age of 65 from cancer and heart/lung issues. I had my DNA done, and it showed a much higher risk for colon cancer, so my primary physician requested that I get a colonoscopy at age 48. They found nine cancerous and pre-cancerous growths that they removed. I had to get colonoscopies every year after that, tapering down to the normal every-five-years schedule since the subsequent exams came back clear. I'd be like R21's grandmother if I had waited and postponed like most of my friends have done. My insurance won't cover the easy cleanse -I always have to swallow that two-gallon jug of nastiness. But you know what? It's worth it.

I hope all of you -trolls and Erna and and Defacto and all the rest -go out and get yours done when the time comes. It's a very small price to pay for decades more of life.

Plenty of vaseline before, especially during (the clean-out process), and after.

Next time, plan ahead and get one of those Toto toilets with the built-in bidet installed. You won't regret it.

Colonoscopies are the medical version of presenting hole!

Write an amusing message on your posterior.

Do not enter

One Way Only

Zipper Merge ahead

Even better - hide something special or humorous up there R32! Sort of like an anal easter egg!

At least you didn't have to go through this.

My colonoscopy prep wasn't as bad as people said it would be. I was running clear before I finished that jug of laxative. (I didn't have to drink it all.)

For food, I had lemon Jell-O. I bought the jumbo-sized can of Campbell's chicken noodle soup and drained out the solids. The broth is pretty good.

This isn’t a date op

OMG the Marys! on this thread. In my parts you prep the night before and no special diet. Only mild sedatives and the last two I rode my bike two and from the appointment.

r38 - where do you live??

The last 2 colonoscopies I've had specify you need to have a ride from a friend or family member (no driving home on your own, uber/lyft or cab rides accepted). And they were approximately 10 years apart.

OP, When you're scheduled for a colonoscopy, I have found that preparation starts a few days ahead of the day when you start drinking that prep stuff to clean you out. You need to begin to eat lighter, and start the cleansing process before you chug t hat stuff. It will go easier for you. I had soft, bland foods, salads, soups, etc. and didn't eat heavy foods re d meats, etc. I started about 4 days before prep. It made the purge a lot easier.

Switzerland. My doc is old school. But with modern equipment. I wasn't driving I was on a bike and the doctor does not police me.

Ah, r41. Now it makes sense.

I ate liquid “meals” two days before prep.

Now they allow you to drink fluids while you're prepping.

Save some for do-it-yourself colon cleanse later on.

Start slowly and ease yourself in. First the pinky, then a second finger and so on.

[quote]Now they allow you to drink fluids while you're prepping.

WTF is wrong with you, R44?!? Fluids have always been allowed during the prep process.

Just go away, put two leaches on your earlobes, hang a poultice around your neck, and DROP DEAD.

No one does the old fashioned prep anymore unless they have a very lazy MD. If you have to, ask for Movi Prep. It may not be on your insurance, and cost %50, but it's worth it over Go Lightly.

My current MD is the fast a day then drink a shitload of Gatorade with Miralax mixed in. Four laxative pills - 2 morning and 2 afternoon - in between. MUCH BETTER than those horrid preps.

Yes, I am glad I have not been eating much this week. I had a cup of chicken broth this morning and it tastes so good!

Are you getting the daily texts every morning exhorting you about what - and what not - to eat today? It's a new twist from the hospital where mine are done.

The whole prep period is a week, starting by eating a low residue diet and ending with two days of not eating much at all and none of it red (can be mistaken for blood during the exam): coffee, jello, ginger ale, etc.

I have ulcerative colitis and need it done annually, and have both with and without anesthesia. Lately I prefer the non-anesthetized version because I can drive home after the procedure is over.

Also, Gavascon (? sp) or other gas-reducing pills help you swallow and retain all the liquid clean-out stuff (Go-lytely or similar) so you won't be belching.

R47 there's not a thing wrong with me. As an Eldergay I can testify to the fact that they didn't allow us to drink in the hours preceding the procedure. I'm talking back in the 80's. It was dangerous because it caused blood pressure to drop precipitously (this happened to me) and it was dangerous. THings go much smoother now. So much easier than the old days. R28 and R29 I'm a candidate for colon cancer, so I get checked every two years and they find polyps every damned time. But so far I'm managing.I'm especially careful of my diet.

r14 You can buy a bidet toilet seat attachment for less than $50.

My secret was to drink cold white grape juice before and after each sip of the clean-out gunk.

Get a colonic.

[quote]Colonic irrigation has been shown to be a non-oral alternative to traditional oral BP procedures. Colonic irrigation is an effective and low-risk alternative to oral preparation prior to colonoscopy.

Besides being told you have cancer, it's no fun to go through the prep and anesthesia only to wake up and be told that it wasn't clear enough in there and you have to re-do it all!

Flowers, candy and a mixtape.

If I smell beef broth I get nauseous...thanks to a prior colonoscopy.

I've had colonics before. Not that bad. I think you'd have to be careful of what you ate beforehand, though. It could move down into the colon after the colonic. You'd probably still have to fast or do clear liquids / Jell-O before the colonic.

Just do it- there is no way of “making it better”. And do exactly what they instruct you to do you get a clear pic and you don’t have to do it again!

Have your partner wrap his dick in a Brillo pad.

I don’t like the way corporate medicine/big pharma TELLS you to prep — drink lots of toxic chemicals!

I simply lie prone, open the passage, and invite dung beetles in — to clean me out naturally and organically.

Biden doesn’t WANT you to know this!

The best prep would have been to start a few days ago and eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and no crap, so that by the time you were drinking that gallon of awful stuff to clean you out, most of it had already been cleared out.

Also, drink a lot of water. You can get pretty dehydrated.

My instructions say not to drink any water after 12am tonight. The procedure is 9am tomorrow morning. I think it's because anesthesia can make you vomit, and there's a risk you could choke on your vomit. I will probably drink a little water anyway-- I'm one of those people who drinks water constantly.

OP if you stop drinking water about 3 hours before the procedure you should be ok. just small sips, though.

[quote]You can buy a bidet toilet seat attachment for less than $50.

It will change your life. Do it!

I’m never having another colonoscopy.

The first 2 were fine. I drank one or two little bottles of Fleets PhosphoSoda.. I think it was 6 oz total. Pooped, was able to keep up my fluid intake.

They changed the prep and I was sick as a dog. Went through the whole prep and just before getting into shower to go to Dr office I started suffering severe abdominal cramps and puking. Dehydration. I had to call and cancel. They were like, “Can’t you just get in the car and have someone drive you? We’ll give you IV fluids.”

No, I can’t. I’m writhing on the floor and still expelling fluid from my anus, thank you very much.

So I had to do it again.

This time I couldn’t drink it all. I was weak and I knew I’d hit maximum dehydration if I drank anymore. Went to dr anyway, where he proclaimed the procedure was “very messy,” as in “you weren’t cleaned out.”

Oh and I did that coloplast test 3 times. First time they said not enough DNA (I filled the whole damn bucket with poop) Then they said the 2nd kit was outdated. Third time they said, “You have abnormal changes. You need a colonoscopy.”

Anyway, I’m done. No mas. I keep telling doctors “I have a problem with dehydration that nobody cares about. No matter how many times I say, ‘I can’t take in that much fluid,’ nobody believes me. So I’ve shut down the dehydration parade. No more medical tests that put my health and life in danger. Buh bye.”

[quote]My instructions say not to drink any water after 12am tonight. The procedure is 9am tomorrow morning. I think it's because anesthesia can make you vomit, and there's a risk you could choke on your vomit. I will probably drink a little water anyway-- I'm one of those people who drinks water constantly.

Don't drink any water after midnight.

I was suggesting you drink water before you start the prep and while you're drinking that huge jug of stuff that cleans you out.

In the last 15 years I have had three endoscopies, two colonoscopies and a prostate biopsy. The only procedure I remember for the biopsy was to pump an enema in that morning. With the other procedures, I drink Gatorade and loads of water. The one time I did not drink Gatorade was my first endo, and I was weak and hungry leading up to the procedure. The lemon mix with the Golightly makes it palatable for me. The most recent colonoscopy in November, they instructed me to down it all even if you are cleared out. Basically, I drink the second half because they told me to.

The best thing to me is that after a colonoscopy, I do not fart or crap for at least 4 days.

This is not complicated.

I LOVE THE PROPOFOL

It's not complicated, but it's something unpleasant that many of us have gone through. That's why I started the thread. Also, who doesn't love to discuss poop?

I've had five or six. (Can't remember.) History in the family.

I recommend toilet paper and some type of cream/lotion rather than wipes; the wipes can be an irritant and some of them contain alcohol which does a job on your asshole.

On the positive side, if you like getting fucked, find yourself the biggest one you can take and someone that can get through to your second ring, because you'll never be that clean again after the procedure. The top will be ever so grateful. Win/win.

Look, if the prep they give you is t oo strong tell them to give you something else. And some of the suggestions on t his thread about eating light, and getting a lot of fluids broth, soups, etc. in the few days leading up to the Prep will definitely help. But don't stop getting your colonoscopies.

My tip is get an early appt and a pack of depends. You may not need it, but you'll sleep much better.

Even before those last two days, go very light/liquid about a week before (as others have suggested).

Limit yourself to maybe some toast or soup with crackers, and some juices. It can feel like a challenge, but it's better to do it slowly and treat it like a cleanse than to SHIT YOUR FUCKING BRAINS OUT all at once.

That way, the diarrhea during those last days won't be as severe.

The hardest part is having to fast for 24 hours before the exam. Literally nothing but water or clear liquids. You have to drink so much water that they tell you it should come out clear when you sit to poop. Cleaner than a douche.

I might hve to look into that whole colonic thing.

The last time the prep was hard - it hurt worse than the symptoms I was trying to have them look at......

[quote]why I started the thread..love to discuss poop

Duh.

[quote] Duh.

I threw that in there as bait for the Scat Troll Accuser Troll. You're welcome!

💩 🧵

Ok, I'm into the first hour of the Colyte, and I haven't pooped or anything. Is that normal?

Yes OP, it took me almost all night to poop. I think I finally went at like 2am. It ended up being fine but was exhausting.

The guys that decided to get one just to be safe, what were your symptoms? Is it better to do it at a private clinic?

I’m high risk due to family history of colon cancer, so had it done at 41. I did it at a hospital but only because I’m in NYC and that was the option the doctor gave me.

The prep is unpleasant but the procedure itself was nothing. Most annoying part was finding someone to pick me up since I’m single and it was on a work day. But we’ve had other threads about that issue…

I'm curious about the doctors you're seeing. I had my first colonoscopy six years ago. I was prescribed some liquid that wasn't at all unpleasant (yes, it was expensive) and had to drink water. Last year, it was just drinking water, some over the counter stuff, and a few laxative pills. I had always heard about some disgusting beverage you had to drink a gallon of, but I didn't know it was still around.

R84, I found an ambulate service referred to me by the hospital that provides round trip service for under $100. Worth it.

R85 I had always heard that too but my doctor just prescribed miralex. I guess that works too. I was surprised.

[quote] Is it better to do it at a private clinic?

If you are a generally fit, healthy person with no heart issues, no breathing issues, etc. you are probably fine to have it in a non-hospital setting - there are numerous centers that have the capability to do a colonoscopy on an outpatient basis.

If you are overweight or obese, have any heart or breathing/allergy/asthma issues, or have other risk factors, then you'd want to have it done in a hospital. I had mine done in a hospital due to severe asthma. Age can be another risk issue. (Joan Rivers, for example, should have probably had her throat procedure in a hospital setting and not in a clinic for this reason; if your body goes into distress, a hospital can respond more quickly.)

Your doctor or gastroenterologist should be able to tell you where they think it would be best for you to have it.

I think you can go to an outpatient clinic or the hospital, but it depends on your age and other health issues.Ialways goto the hospital and I alway get Propofol. Love it. I think the last time I did it they ran an IV for me too.

[quote]How can I make it better? I just started tonight.

In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun.

You find the fun, and... SNAP! The job's a game!

And every purge you undertake, or bowel movement that you make

Becomes a spree, it's very clear to see...

Before your first poop lube your ass with Vaseline both inside and out like you getting really to be gang banged bareback by an entire NFL team.

OP I recommend getting immersed in a mindless YouTube channel when you are doing the prep. I was up all night and watched some woman who lives in a van with her dog (voluntarily - they travel around the west). By the time I was done at 4am, I felt like I was in the stupid van with them. But it passed the time.

R88, ITA. Having mine in a hospital.

The last time my late husband had one, when I went to take him home, I found myself in the hospital scene from "The Godfather"! Absolutely nobody around, he wasn't in his room, and I'm like WTH?! "Nurse, you know my husband? Men are coming here to kill him."

Turns out, he had developed excruciating gas to the point he was examined for a heart attack, and when I arrived he was being walked around trying to expel the gas!

Good idea, r92! I'm re-watching the series "Extras." I'll start the second half of the Colyte in a few minutes.

Thanks R21, R28, and R29 you convinced me to finally listen to my doctor and get one done. He strongly recommended it, even gave me prescription. I am 63, very healthy, no health issues except BPH, and no history of colon cancer in my family but he still says I should get it done. Thanks also for all the advice from the other posters. I learned a lot.

With my first one, years ago, I had to ingest a lot of some v”most unpleasant tasting liquid. It was the worst part of the experience. As a result, I was dreading my next procedure, but I was most surprised that that liquid was not used. And that’s been the case for my last two colonoscopies, also.

When I did mine, the drink tasted like Crystal Light pink lemonade, which was a good thing.

I bought adult diapers ahead of time, thinking I wouldn't be able to handle the constant shitting. But it turned out I didn't need them. Yes, I spent a lot of time on the toilet, but after awhile I felt cleaned out.

I had to drink a gallon of the nasty liquid that makes you poop. Although I hear now that pills are available instead of the liquid.

Don't listen to the jokers. You want to avoid anything red, so in the days leading up to the procedure you'll want to drink clear liquids.

I was surprised at how easy the procedure was. I woke up a little woozy, but there was no soreness. One polyp was pre-cancerous, but the surgeon said he removed it and I didn't need to worry.

If he says, "See you in five years," you're golden. If the timeline is shorter than that, he/she found something that needs closer attention.

They had me on a low fiber diet for 5 days leading up to the procedure - it was all saltines and white rice and white bread and Mac and cheese. Kind of a nice excuse to eat all those carbs that I would otherwise limit.

My brother didn’t prep as well in terms of his diet and the doctor told him next time he will need to start a low fiber diet 10 days prior because they had to suction out a lot of shit to do the procedure 😳

This low-fiber stuff sounds counter-intuitive.

It’s low fiber insomuch as low fiber means low residue. Leave nothing behind, so to speak…

A colonoscopy is an inconvenience. It is 24-48 hours of inconvenience every two or five years. And when you consider possible alternatives, there's really no excuse for not having one.

R93, they pump the colon with air to expand it for the scope to safely pass through. Everyone has “gas” after the procedure.

R103, I'm r93, and also r22; I know all about the procedure, and then some. I've had my share of flatulence, OKAY?

Perhaps you missed the part about my husband's gas's being so severe the DOCTORS thought it was a heart attack?! Please do not try to tell me that's common. Because....no.

Ok, I just got back from the procedure. They said everything is totally normal and I don't have to go back for ten years (I am a 50 year old woman). I ate a big bowl of pasta with butter and parmesan, and I'm having some coffee to wake up. I am glad I started eating light last weekend because it made the prep a lot easier. I probably ended up drinking about 3/4 of the liquid and was able to get a few hours sleep.

Thanks everyone for your insights-- If you wonder why women come to DL, it's for the mix of black humor and compassionate comments seen in this thread.

R104, it appears you need another kind of medication.

Glad it went well and you don't have to go back for 10 years!

Glad it went well OP. And glad it’s over.

As an update for anyone who might be reading because they are having a colonoscopy one day, I have had severe constipation since the procedure. The doctor today told me to take 3x the normal dose of Miralax to fix it.

Is there anything else I can do or take with the Miralax?

Ripe fruit, real fruit juice, and gradually reintroduce fiber in your diet. Hydrate lots, too.

And then when your shit's cleaner than the water in the Bahamas, 9 or 10 inches back there where they had the scope will have you back on your feet (or your back or your belly - positioning's up to you) in a jiffy.

R109, take yourself to a bookstore or library. As you walk down each aisle of books, scan the book titles as you walk.

Keep doing this until it activates your bowels.

It will.

When patients come to me for their first colonoscopies, the first thing I usually say is, “Congratulations!” As a gastroenterologist, I applaud them for doing something important for their health and share in their joy that the hardest part of the colonoscopy process — the preparation — is behind them.

Whether a colonoscopy is in your future because your doctor would like to investigate certain symptoms like chronic diarrhea or rectal bleeding, or you’re being screened for colorectal cancer (which is now recommended for most people to begin at age 45), you’ll need to prepare.

I spoke with other experts who shared tips on how to make the experience smoother.

Not your grandfather’s colonoscopy

If you’ve heard about colonoscopies from family members or friends, you may be surprised by how much the preparation and procedure have changed from prior generations.

You’ll still have to cleanse your colon beforehand, but there are many new laxative options — in liquid, powder and pill form — that won’t require you to chug more than a dozen cups of salty formula in one sitting. The Suprep Bowel Prep Kit, for example, requires drinking just two cups of liquid laxative — once in the evening before your procedure, and once the morning of. And Sutab, a recently approved pill-based option that involves swallowing two doses of 12 tablets, is enticing for many people who wish to avoid liquid- or powder-based laxatives (which may taste unpleasant).

The colonoscopy procedure itself has also modernized. There are now safer ways to puff up the colon to hunt for precancerous growths, better cameras to aid in the hunt, and more sophisticated techniques for removing abnormal tissue.

In fact, colonoscopies have become so much safer and more comfortable for my patients that it’s common for them to wake up after the procedure and ask, “Is that it?” or “When are we starting?”

Colonoscopies, like all procedures, can come with certain serious — yet rare — risks. And your preparation instructions will vary depending on your medical needs and the specific laxatives you are prescribed, so it’s important to review everything with your physician in advance.

Surge before the purge

Starting the day before your colonoscopy, you will begin the famous bowel preparation. This involves starting a clear liquid diet for a day before the procedure, and taking laxatives that cleanse your colon. Laxatives are split into two doses — one taken the night before the procedure and another taken the morning of. A poor prep is the reason up to a quarter of colonoscopies cannot be completed.

“A very substantial portion of precancerous lesions in the colon are quite subtle,” said Dr. Douglas Rex, a gastroenterologist and professor of medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine. “In order to see those well, the colon has to be clean.”

Three days before your colonoscopy. Cut out high-fiber foods like nuts, seeds, whole wheat bread and raw vegetables, as they take longer to pass through your digestive tract and can make it harder for your physician to see inside your colon.

Some people think of the few days before their liquid diet as their last chance to eat well, but overindulging can set you back — the more you eat, the more your body will need to expel.

You’ll also want to make sure you have someone scheduled to pick you up after the procedure (you won’t be allowed to drive because of the sedation).

The day before your colonoscopy. When you wake up the day before your procedure, you’ll start a strict clear liquid diet (which can also include certain foods). Water, chicken broth and apple juice are allowed, as are foods like pulp-free Popsicles or even Jell-O, as long as everything is clear or light in color. (Red Jell-O, for instance, can be mistaken for blood.) Black coffee and tea also count as clear liquids, “so your mornings don’t have to be totally ruined,” said Dr. Audrey Calderwood, director of The Comprehensive Gastroenterology Center at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.

Usually by the afternoon or evening, you’ll be instructed to take the first dose of your prep, so plan for a cozy night in and stay close to the bathroom.

If your prep needs to be mixed with another liquid, that liquid must be clear, but don’t be afraid to get creative with the flavor combinations. Ginger ale, fruit juice, sports drinks or tea can make the solution more palatable — and you can even try a savory version by mixing in the flavor packet from ramen noodles.

Some people find the taste of certain preps unpleasant, so if you get queasy easily, ask your physician in advance for anti-nausea medication. Drinking your prep solution with a straw can help limit how much of it you smell; sucking on mints or menthol lozenges between sips can also help blunt any bad tastes. Chilling the prep in the refrigerator can also help with the taste; just avoid using ice if you aren’t going to drink it quickly, Dr. Calderwood said. When the ice melts, it will dilute the mixture, resulting in more volume to drink.

And whatever you do, don’t drink alcohol the day before your procedure. While it technically might be a clear liquid, alcohol can cause dehydration and interfere with sedation, which can make for a dangerous combination.

The purge will happen anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours after starting your laxative, so stock up beforehand on gentle toilet paper or wet wipes with soothing witch hazel or aloe vera. (Just don’t flush your wet wipes, even if they say “flushable” on their packaging, because they can harm the environment and clog pipes.)

The morning of your colonoscopy. Several hours before your procedure, you will likely be instructed to take the second dose of the prep. You will also need to stop drinking all liquids at least two to four hours before your scheduled procedure, as directed by your physician.

By this point, your stools should be liquid and see-through. If they’re not, be honest with your doctor. “The last thing you want is to put in all this effort, take time off and then the job doesn’t get done,” Dr. Rex said. It’s normal for patients who have certain conditions (like chronic constipation) or who are on certain medications (like opioids) to take longer to prep adequately, so be sure to review your medical history with your physician before getting started. Sometimes, simply taking the bowel prep for one more day will solve the problem.

Don’t forget to pack a snack for the car ride home — you’re going to be hungry and may want more than the salt-free crackers the nurses might offer you in the recovery area.

It’s very important that you follow your doctor’s instructions carefully in advance of your procedure. If you don’t, you’ll have to go through the process again much sooner — within one year as opposed to up to 10 years, as is recommended for most people with a normal examination and a clean prep.

“I think everyone would rather just do a ‘one-and-done’ and do it well, than have to come back again so quickly,” Dr. Calderwood said. “Often, we won’t know how bad the prep is until after the patient has already been sedated and we take a look.”

The bottom line

For many people, Dr. Calderwood said, the psychological aspects of preparing for a colonoscopy are more challenging than the physical ones. You’ll have to contend with (a lot of) diarrhea, a lack of solid food for 24 hours and sedation for a procedure — all of which can feel overwhelming.

“It’s almost like gearing yourself up to run a marathon,” Dr. Calderwood said. But just remember, it’s not an insurmountable task. “Lots of people before you have done it and are doing it every day,” she said.

Try to cut yourself some slack and feel good about why you’re doing this procedure, even when it’s hard. After all, getting a colonoscopy is an act of self-care that can give you and your loved ones peace of mind once it’s over.

“Any unpleasantness before the colonoscopy is going to be finite,” Dr. Calderwood said. “And then in all likelihood, you aren’t going to have to think about it again for several years.”

My colonoscopy is 6 days away now, so thank you everyone for all the useful tips!

The aftermath of a colonoscopy is that you feel really mellow and just want to nap; it's great.

Propofol is WUNNNNDERFUL!!!! One minute I was chatting with the nurse, the next I was sitting up asking when they were going to do the procedure, to which they responded that I was all finished and could leave.

If they were able to attach that tiny camera to a dildo, gay me would be scheduling the procedure every six months.