# which prep do people prefer?



## 22299

I have seen several different preps here. Mine (monday test) involves stopping food tonight (Sat.)at 6 pm. Magnesium Citrate at 8. Sunday fluids only. 1.5 oz fleet phospho soda at 11:30 and 5:30. Then 4 dulcolax at 8 pm. Lots of water. I know alot of you do those lyltely drinks and wouldn't have to start their prep til tomorrow for a monday test. Which prep do you prefer? I know it's hard if you haven't done both. Sometimes I wonder about asking for the lytley drink instead? Thoughts?


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## SpAsMaN*

Is it for a colonoscopy?I didn't remember that you have to fast one day.


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## 22299

Sorry...I should have mentioned what it was for! Yes a colonoscopy. All the preps include not eating the day before. Some, like mine, actually start a little earlier than that!


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## buttmunch

I prefer the magnesium citrate. It tastes a whole lot better than Phospho-Soda. There's also the pill version of the Phospho-Soda, but I can't remember the name of it.


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## 22299

See that's what I mean by a lot of different preps. I had to do magnesium citrate AND phospho soda. Buttmunch did you only have to do one? I had to do magnesium citrate 2 nights before and then phospho soda 2x the day before! Also 4 dulcolax.


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## 17729

Well, I've had several colonoscopies, and one coming up. I've had different doctors as I have relocated several times because of my dad's job. This colonoscopy coming up is the Miralax prep, and it's my first time using this prep method. It doesn't sound like it will be that bad aside from the amount of Gatorade I have to drink. I didn't really care too much for the Magnesium Citrate, although that is not as bad as the phospho soda, which I really did not care for.


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## 21881

I have only had one colonoscopy and did the 4 Ducolax & Miralax prep. It was easy and went quickly. I took the Docolax at 5pm, started the Miralax at 7pm drinking 8oz of Gatoraid/Miralax solution every 15 minutes. I felt no naseau, very little cramping, and had no soreness of the bottom. I had several BMs that night, slept well, had a couple when I woke up and it was all over by 7am. My procedure was at 2pm.


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## willie

None better or easier than the Dulcolax prep...one that was initially related to me by an IBS board member several years ago. Ived used it for six colonoscopies as well as my colon resection surgery...each time it was easy, effective and thorough with no cramping, side effects or other unpleasantness.Take a light diet the day before and the day you start the prep...nothing extensive, just easy to digest. Then two days prior to the test you take two Dulcolax at 10PM. Next morning (1 day prior to the test) you begin a clear liquid diet and take two more Dulcolax tablets at 10AM...and then two more at 4PM..thats it. You take nothing by mouth after midnight. Then the next morning you have your colonoscopy....then end. Works like a charm everytime.







willie


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## stinky too

I just had mine done and I had to take 2 pills in the AM. Then about 5ish I had to drink a gallon of gator aid with Miralax. I watered down the gatorade with water. Got everything out OK but couldn't keep all that gatorade stuff down. Didn't eat a thing the day before.Wound up with so much gas and couldn't get a fart to come out. When I finally did get a couple of loud ones out the nurse said it sounded like music to her ears. I wanted to ask her how it was to her nose. There were about 6 of us in a little area all farting in harmony.







Must have been the farting capitol of the world.


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## SpAsMaN*

THANKS WILLIE FOR THE DULCO PREP!!!That's what i don't like about Miralax(Golytely) the gas is extremly uncomfortable before it gets out.I didn't know you were musician Stinky.


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## stinky too

SpAs, I was then


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## willie

My next Dulcolax prep is around the corner...next colonoscopy is 9 November...its almost become routine now.


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## 22299

Willie-is this the prep your dr. gives you? or do you do this instead of the one the dr. gives you. Mine usually gives me the 1.citrate of magnesia 2. fleet phospho 3.another fleet phospho 4.dulcolax. I'd love to just do dulcolax but am afraid to just go ahead and do what I want. What if prep isn't sufficient?


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## willie

Both.....way back when I was about to have my first colonoscopy, I was a member of this board and a wonderful lady saw that I was anxious about the whole procedure and sent me an email detailing the Dulcolax Prep. When I went to my gastro doc to schedule my colonoscopy I explained the prep to her and she said that it sounded fine to her versus the horrible alternatives. Things went great....I even asked her after the first procedure if I was well prepped and she said she hadnt seen any better. So from then on, when I go in she keeps telling me to keep doing what I have been doing. When I had to go in for colon surgery, the surgeon also agreed that the prep I had been using should be fine....it was. So, its not just something that I trumped up in defiance...its a great procedure that works wonderfully well without all the problems. You must take in a lot of fluids on the day prior to your colonoscopy. Perhaps the only downside of this prep is that it takes a bit longer which is fine with me.willie


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## 22299

Hmmm something to keep in mind for my next one. 22 months and counting...







Thanks!


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## Tiss

Tomorrow I can't eat at all--







and at noon have to take 4 delayed-release tablets of Bisacodyl. Then, about 4 hours later I have to drink 1/2 gallon of Half-lightly (8 ounces every 10 minutes). We'll see how it goes. I haven't done this prep before. I am being put out with Propofol(sp?) so I am doing this outpt in the hospital at 1:30pm on Thursday. God, I only weigh 100lbs I can only imagine what my weight will be by Thursday evening having had nothing to eat for 2 days! Good luck to everybody going through this ordeal. I hope I get to report that this time around I remembered NOTHING about the procedure.


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## Tiss

I've been sick as a dog from the pills. Vomiting. I feel better right now. Have to start drinking the half-lightly around 5pm. Wish this was over.


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## stinky too

The stuff made me barf too, but at least it wasn't like I was barfing and having D all at once, like from a migraine.you will get thru this. Hopefully all will come out OK







rooting for you stinky


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## willie

I can't believe people still subject themselves to that horror....its barbaric. Im so sorry you have to go through all that. If I had to take that #### I'd likely have died from colon cancer....instead, the anxiety and misery was minimized to the point that the prep is just an inconvenience really. Many thanks to an IBS board member named Cece that passed the Dulcolax prep on to me and I have since passed it on to hundreds of others that no longer have to gag and suffer. The easier you make the whole procedure, the more people are likely to get checked. Bonne chance, willie


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## willie

Colonoscopy went nearly perfectly today. Nothing found of consequence which is exceedingly good news. The prep went better than usual this time though I did have a lot of irritation toward the end. I should have also indicated in the pure Dulcolax prep that the diet prior to starting this prep is important. A day or even two days prior to starting this prep you need to ingest a fairly low residue, easy to digest diet. I'd stay away from pork or beef. I like pasta and the like just before I begin the prep. I also found that Mango flavored Gatoraide is great. All done for a while now...I hope this info will help some of you that have the courage to talk to your physicians about it and not just accept what they throw at you. Best of luck, willie


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## Tiss

Good news Willie. Glad it went well. Mine went well too!I was told that the ducolax in the bisacodyl (sp?) is what made me so sick.


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## willie

Honestly, I doubt that very seriously. The incidence of adverse reaction for Bisocodyl preparations is quite low, but still...with virtually any medication you ingest there is always some potential for a side effect or adverse reaction. Folks with IBS likely account for the bulk of side effect claims since we can come up with more strange somatic complaints than the average Joe...







Glad your test came out well...mine was a breeze...couldnt have been easier.


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## 22299

I'm not sure the dulcolax only prep would work for me. It takes FOREVER for any fiber product I take to work. When I'm constipated, I take dulcolax. And wait. Take more so many hours later. And wait. There have been times I've taken a couple doses and it still takes a couple days for me to go. So I don't think I could use this.


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## willie

bump


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## RoseL

willie said:


> Both.....way back when I was about to have my first colonoscopy, I was a member of this board and a wonderful lady saw that I was anxious about the whole procedure and sent me an email detailing the Dulcolax Prep. When I went to my gastro doc to schedule my colonoscopy I explained the prep to her and she said that it sounded fine to her versus the horrible alternatives. Things went great....I even asked her after the first procedure if I was well prepped and she said she hadnt seen any better. So from then on, when I go in she keeps telling me to keep doing what I have been doing. When I had to go in for colon surgery, the surgeon also agreed that the prep I had been using should be fine....it was. So, its not just something that I trumped up in defiance...its a great procedure that works wonderfully well without all the problems. You must take in a lot of fluids on the day prior to your colonoscopy. Perhaps the only downside of this prep is that it takes a bit longer which is fine with me.willie


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## RoseL

Just saw this post. I realize that it's 5 years old, but...... I'd like to thank Willie for this option and ask if others have used it. I'm sure my gastroenterologist won't approve, but as long as I'm "good to go", I'm sure she'll be fine with it. Last time I had to cancel bc I was sooo very sick from trying to do the prep. When I called they said if I'd gotten at least half of it down,it would be fine. If half is fine, then why am I trying to drink all of it. I plan to do a 2 day liquid diet, in conjunction with the dulcolax tablets - just to make sure. Thanks Willie and hope all is well with you. I'd really like to use colon hydrotherapy, but no one in this area does that.... oh well, maybe next time


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## RoseL

Thanks for reposting Willie's response from 2006. I did a little research and before all the "osmotic" preps were available, diet and cathartic was the standard prep. I think that was in the 80's. Studies (at least those that I found online) comparing the "old" method to current PEP (polyetheylene glycol)show comparable results. The nice thing about Dulcolax is that it's enteric coated and isn't "activated" until it reaches the intestines so it doesn't cause any adverse responce in the mouth, esophagus or stomach. Which is my concern. If it takes a little longer, that's fine by me...... There are always individual variation, so one prep might not work for everyone, but this is a viable option for me and I'm going to give it try. My colonoscopy is scheduled for Mon..... Btw, does anyone know if Willie is still a member of these boards. I would really like to thank him and see how he's doing.


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## lidelg51

RoseL said:


> Thanks for reposting Willie's response from 2006. I did a little research and before all the "osmotic" preps were available, diet and cathartic was the standard prep. I think that was in the 80's. Studies (at least those that I found online) comparing the "old" method to current PEP (polyetheylene glycol)show comparable results. The nice thing about Dulcolax is that it's enteric coated and isn't "activated" until it reaches the intestines so it doesn't cause any adverse responce in the mouth, esophagus or stomach. Which is my concern. If it takes a little longer, that's fine by me...... There are always individual variation, so one prep might not work for everyone, but this is a viable option for me and I'm going to give it try. My colonoscopy is scheduled for Mon..... Btw, does anyone know if Willie is still a member of these boards. I would really like to thank him and see how he's doing.


Just happen to see this as my husband is due for yet another colonoscopy on Wednesday...which will be his 8th since 2001. Appreciate the kind comments about the Dulcolax prep posted by my husband (willie) who sadly is no longer a member of the board, but I will pass along your kind comments. Hope your procedure went well.


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## BQ

Let Willie know I'm wishing him all the best! And thank him once again for posting this for us! May all be ok with this procedure as well!


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## lidelg51

BQ said:


> Let Willie know I'm wishing him all the best! And thank him once again for posting this for us! May all be ok with this procedure as well!


Will do, and thanks. Willie is doing fine, still full of piss and vinegar as they say but still in the system for having these periodic colonoscopies because of the colon cancer found in 2002. He is coming up on 10 years now so hoping this scope will be unremarkable. Just got back from the store where I purchased his new supply of Dulcolax, aloe baby wipes, Swanson MSG free chicken broth and bananna popcicles, all the basic stuff.


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## BQ

Keeping everything crossed for an unremarkable & boring result!


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## lidelg51

BQ said:


> Keeping everything crossed for an unremarkable & boring result!


Well, all went pretty well as usual. The prep and procedure were a snap. He had 13 new polyps removed, but she (the doctor) said they didn't look like anything to be worried about. Waiting for the pathology report to come back by the 14th. Always anxiety provoking regardless of them telling us nothing to worry about.


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## BQ

Wow that's alot of polyps! Sheesh! Fingers crossed for a good path report!


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## lidelg51

BQ said:


> Wow that's alot of polyps! Sheesh! Fingers crossed for a good path report!


Pathology report was not remarkable. A few small adenomatous polyps and the rest totally benign; all removed of course. She said to recheck in 3 years as usual. Of course he wishes he had no polyps, but it has become routine for him to form these peduncular type polyps for some reason. These type, of course, can be removed quite easily during colonoscopy. The flat type (sissile) like was found back in 2001 and ended up containing cancer and resulted in his having 12 inches of colon removed in open surgery, are not so routine fortunately and hope they never come back. So far, so good at the ten year mark.


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## BQ

Yay! Tell him Congrats! And I'm glad if he has to grow extra stuff in there, that he is at least growing the right kind!


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