Not sure what your doctor prescribes for prep but we've found it's much better now than it was 15 years ago. Our gastroenterologist said they're trying to make it more tolerable because the prep is often what prevents people from having the screening. I just follow the instructions and tolerate the prep well so no tips from me. I don't like it but I've not had the problem you describe.

I would suggest you ask your doctor/nurse/office for more detailed advice.

My mother had colon cancer near the end of the colon, so back then (late 80s) it was not able to be reconstructed; she wore a colostomy bag until she died in 1996 (from a brain aneurysm). Since her diagnosis, and at the recommendation of my doctor, I get a colonoscopy every five years. The procedure IS much better now than it was 30 years ago!

My tip is to eat VERY lightly for several days before you even start the prep. There will be less to deal with! Good luck, and I am happy that you are pro-active about this.

I suspect what you are describing is caused by irritation of going a lot more than what you have eaten, unless you are into super spicy or acidic foods. Definitely something to discuss with your doctor or nurse. If you haven't had a test for 15 years because it came back very clean last time, you could ask about the box option -- it doesn't require the same kind of prep. If that is not an option definitely let them know what you are dreading.

I can confirm the prep has changed a great deal. The first time I about the prep, I considered it barbaric. By the time DH had one, it had been reduced or simplified and by the time of his last one, I think it was all taking small pills - no drink at all. I can't tell you if it is gentler on the other end, but am thinking they might be able to suggest a softer TP, wipes (sensitive skin, medicated), a medicated cream or something ok to use to create a protective barrier. I feel certain they can help make it easier on you. Hope so.

Nothing red, no seeds for several days before in addition to whatever they said.

As my GI said to me - Vaseline is your friend - early and often.

He also suggested a clear liquid diet the day before.

Clear liquids are required yhe day before. i had my colonoscopy a couple of weeks ago with no issues. of course the stuff you drink does not taste good but the smaller portion

(x 2) is easier to handle. In my experience thw prep worked pretty quickly and i only got up once or twice during the night. Ditto what Pal said. actually i think my directions said no red , purple or orange.

Edited to add: Lascatz, my dr offers the pills also. I believe ge said 12 pills and he also warned that a good many of his patients who used that option became sick to their stomach.

Baby wipes. Pat yourself gently clean, don't scrub or wipe vigorously.

I have had 4. (Kill me now. 🙄 They keep finding precancerous growths. Fun!) I still find the prep absolutely heinous. The one they force me to use involves mixing a drink that tastes like hair spray, and I have 2 rounds of that. It makes me gag and almost throw up, and then I sit on the toilet for hours shivering and chilled to the bone.

I hate it so much. But yes, better than the alternative, so I suffer through.

Start soft foods at least 2 days prior to procedure. Vaseline or a bidet should help.

For those of you who gag from the prep, use a cup with a lid and a straw.

I don't know what kind of instructions others get but my clinic provides specific instructions about what to do each day prior to the appointment including when to quit eating anything with fiber, when liquids only, when NPO and what pills and liquids at what specific times.

Unfortunately, there are no short cuts. When I was in recovery from mine, and another time from a different procedure in a different hospital, I heard one patient who did not do the prep properly so they could not proceed, and the second patient this was the second time that they had done inadequate prep, and they were going to have to do a third procedure. Of course they were anesthetized and on the table when this was discovered.

What a waste of manpower, surgical time and a surgical suite.

Tina Marie, I had not hear that about the pill prep option. DH had no trouble with them, but what I don't remember is whether it was all pills or if there was a small amount to drink. I think he's had 3 and the prep for each has been different. He's never had anything found and has reached an age where they are not routine. He want's to be sure, so he and his doc talked about doing the box. No real prep, but they could make it more discreet. It comes in a box with the printed name across it just like you have probably seen in an ad. Fortunately the return box you have to drop off does not.

Always 1step, you might enjoy this article from the NYT

Link here ⬅️

I've had a couple of colonoscopies. I much preferred using the pills called Sutab for prep over the foul liquid. With the pills you're only drinking water. I also agree with eating very lightly/blandly, as well as eating less fiber, 2-3 days in advance. That way there is a lot less to expel. Hope it goes well!

Yes on the day or 2 prior to the fast day to eating lightly and minimizing the normally good whole grains, nuts p, and fruits with seeds like berries.

Yes to a straw; easier to drink more and taste it less.

I used the pills once and the only thing you drink is water. It's a lot, but to me it was much more bearable than that nasty stuff you normally drink.

Some recommend a low Fodmap diet for about a week prior to the procedure. Its basically a very bland diet, and you should just google and figure out what you can eat. You should not drink or eat anything colored red, and no seedy or grainy things like rice.

i always got really hungry having to drink liquids or have jello the day before. I can’t stand Gatorade so i drank white grape juice. i went to my favorite Thai restaurant and bought a pint container of their soup with a chicken stock base, strained it at home and drank that, which surprisingly filled me up better than anything else.

I’ve had several colonoscopies over the years. Once, the instructions allowed yogurt. I knew that could not be right. Called the doc’s office. They were aghast. I had been given the wrong instruction sheet.

The taste is awful, but the volume of liquid makes me nauseated.

My best advice is buy a Toto washlet seat. 😎

I didn’t know there were pills. I was given the liquid. I’m a rule follower, but even I started gagging on that stuff, until a friend suggested I drink it through a straw. It went down more quickly. Highly recommend a straw if you do the liquid prep.

Soup the day before helped. I drank a lot of bone broth.

It’s all so unpleasant, but necessary that you follow instructions for everyone involved. Do it right the first time.

After 4-5 colonoscopies, (family history,) I cannot manage the ’stuff’ anymore and used the pills last time. It was still very difficult to get all that water in and I barely made it. Outside, what kind of Thai soup did you get and strain? I too get really hungry, and grouchy. 😜

FYI, Gatorade's Lime Cucumber flavor is actually tolerable.

Pills sound nice…compared to the vile tonic. My BFF has frequent colonoscopies due to family history, and she taught me to make the drink as cold as possible, use a straw, and aim that straw as far back as possible in your mouth (basically trying to avoid contact with taste buds as much as possible!).

Here's the question I have about the volume of liquid.....They give the same instructions to a 5', 100# person as they do a 6'3" 200# person. You can't tell me they need to drink the same amount of liquid to get the job done!

The last time I did the prep, I just drank enough to make "things" clear several times over - that way I knew I was cleaned out. I didn't drink the full amount of water prescribed. Maybe 3/4 of it.

Sometimes, the ”prep” that you are given is driven by insurance. Some of the ”nicer” preps are more expensive than the gallon jug of vile stuff. After the last time, I have a note on my chart at the GI doc’s office to give me the nicer stuff and I will pay out of pocket for it. Somethings are just worth it!

I divide the amount to be drunk within an hour into quarters and use a 15 minute goal to get that amount down. Also, I use my nicest crystal stemware.

Yes, lower fiber diet, no nuts or seeds, no colored Gatorades like red and I’ve even seen blue or green or orange. I use the Frost which is white. Bidet is awesome if you have one

bbstx, i have not had the gallon fluid in my last 2 colonoscopies (10 years apart). i wasnt aware they still use that. My present dr and my previous one use the split method.

Gummy bears are a clear liquid!!

Good to know about gummy bears! RNmom, you are a hero! Being able to chew on something helps me a lot with hunger pangs so thank you very much!

As far as getting that vile liquid down - I chill it, I use a straw, I actually even hold my nose to dull as many taste buds as possible. It still tastes like hair spray, possibly mixed with shampoo, and should count as torture under the Geneva Convention. Ha. (Kidding/not kidding.) It must mess with my electrolytes or something, because it makes me so chilled that I shiver uncontrollably while I take care of business.

I fully agree it is magnitudes better than colon cancer so I suffer through. But it is a very unpleasant experience. I see the actual doctor for maybe 3 minutes after it's all over. All other communication comes from his office staff and they gave zero rat's behind about my concerns last year. I'm due again next year and I will press harder on alternatives this time around. Those pills some of you get sound so much nicer than the hairspray/shampoo drink of misery.

thank you all for the replies and suggestions. I think eating lighter up to the clear liquids day before prep day will help. This time I'll have vaseline or some type of cream on hand. There's a thai restaurant near me that has a very light brothed won ton soup I like. I'll get that for the broth. What I do remember from last time I had a colonoscopy, I remember feeling really good the days following.

So gummy bears really are ok to have?? I think that would help with feeling like you are actually eating something.

Jello in the non red or dark colors is also a clear liquid along with broth. If your instructions say clear until XXxx time, any of those should be ok.

I have been known to mix the Miralax to an incorrect ratio to decrease fluid volume. I have issues drinking all that liquid.

Watch the dyes in the Gummy bears, dyes are the no-no.

The brand Albanese has some gummy bears that don't have dye, from what I can tell on the ingredient list. Even if I dont have gummy bears, broth, jello and popsicles would be fine too.

I don’t remember my prep being so bad so I looked up my instructions. Clear liquids all dat, and then I had 2 dulcolax tablets at noon and added a bottle of miralax to 64 ounces of clearish gatorade to chill. Starting at 1, drink 8 ounces every half hour until finished, then two more dulcolax an hour after that. 64 ounces isn’t a lot of liquid for me, and the miralax didn’t have any taste, so it didn’t seem too bad. I think they recommended diaper cream. I did eat light colored jolly ranchers, can’t remember what else.

For a couple of days before, go on a low-residue diet. This will keep the amount of material you have to expel to a minimum. Yes to vaseline. Clear liquids include apple juice, not cider and jello but not red.

Be sure to talk to Dr about any medical issues. There can be serious complications if you have kidney issues or heart disease depending on the type of prep: Oral Sodium Phosphate (OSP/NaP): Contraindicated in patients with renal dysfunction, acute phosphate nephropathy, kidney disease, dehydration, hypercalcemia, or those on ACE inhibitors/ARBs.

https://coloncancercoalition.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Colonoscopy-Prep-Brochure-Web.pdf

Also, if they find a large flat polyp tell him to be sure to clip it. DH almost died bleeding out after the dr. didn't clip his colon after removing such a polyp. They finally fixed it with a 2nd colonoscopy where they clipped the heck out of it. He almost died 5 times in one day from bleeding out. Not a good thing.

Water Wipes baby wipes (99.9% water?), extra soft TP, Desitin cream, and Vaseline help soothe your sore behind during all the eliminating.

Annie, what doyou mean ”clip” it? suture? Yikes, I’ glad your DH is okay.

PS I posted but think it did not appear because I named an anatomical body part that may be on the banned list. ”A*us.”

DH is having one soon. This is what the office gave him for the 3 days prior to procedure.

(Ignore the ink, as I marked to point out a few things to him.)

petalique, no there are small clips that they use to pinch off any arteries that may be affected by the surgery. They usually eventually fall off, but DH still has some of his so now can't get an MRI. Be sure to find out, if they use clips, if they are MRI compatible. Some are, some aren't.

Annie, yes, i guess ’low Fodmap’ is more comminly called ‘low residue’ now. Same thing. And what Allison posted sums it up nicely. I’m surprised this information wasn’t provided to the OP.

Ive seen these instructions and they make me sad because most of what I survive on is on the do not eat list.

thank you for that food list. good info.

Low FODMAP is different from low residue. From AI: Low-residue eliminates almost all raw veggies, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Low-FODMAP allows many high-fiber foods if they are low in fermentable carbohydrates (e.g., carrots, quinoa, blueberries).

The point of the low residue diet is just that...minimizing the amount of undigestibles in your diet such as fiber and roughage so the volume of residue (stool) is minimized. So things like white breads and rice and meats/poultry are fine. Not allowed are things like raw vegetables and bran cereal.

15 years ago? Why, because you were 50 and that was the recommended age to have the first one. (BTW, the age has dropped to 40 because there is so much colorectal cancer found in younger people.). Obviously, everything was fine for you. Let's say you are now 65 and will undergo another one and everything is fine. Then you will get a ticket to ride...come back in 10 years. By then you are 75. Having any problems? If not, you will want to talk to the surgeon. He will say it is up to you if you want another one. You can research this opinion, which is "don't do it". The risks outweigh the results.

Remember that you can only drink clear liquids....wine is clear.