# Had colonoscopy using Visicol...would not do again!!!



## Rose (Mar 25, 1999)

I had my colonoscopy this past Wednesday. The procedure itself was a breeze. They knocked me out completely and I didn't feel a thing. I am so glad I had it done, because my doctor did find and remove 3 large polyps. Anyway I used Visicol pills for the prep and I would NEVER do that again. The main reason being you have to take 20 pills around dinner time and then you have to take 20 more 5 or 6 hours before the procedure, which in my case meant taking the last 20 between 2 and 3 in the morning. I did not sleep one wink all night, plus I was still expelling watery stuff right up until I left for the hospital and even in the hospital while I was waiting to be taken in. I have to have another colonoscopy in one year due to the polyps and as much I don't like the colytle or nulytle, I would rather take one of those instead of the Visicol. At least with nulytle you drink that between 4pm and 7pm the night before your procedure and you are pretty much cleaned out by bedtime and are able to get some sleep. With the Visicol, I was so week from dehydration and lack of sleep, I almost felt like I was going to pass out. Anyway, this was just my experience, so I thought I would pass it along.


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## shineon7 (Mar 19, 2004)

I had a colonoscopy and just had to drink the phospho soda stuff that i mixed with apple juice(you can mix it with any clear drink but this made it taste the best) i had to take one bottle the evening before and got to bed fine later that night...then i had to get up around 6 to take the 2nd bottle and was still going a little right before the procedure but it was basically not bad at all. Drinking it with the apple juice also gave me sugar so i didn't feel faint at all even thoguh i had to fast for a day and a half.you might want to ask your doc if you coudl do this kind of prep.


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## flux (Dec 13, 1998)

> quote:The main reason being you have to take 20 pills around dinner time and then you have to take 20 more 5 or 6 hours before the procedure, which in my case meant taking the last 20 between 2 and 3 in the morning. I did not sleep one wink all night, plus I was still expelling watery stuff right up until I left for the hospital and even in the hospital while I was waiting to be taken in


I'm a bit confused. Why do *have* to take an additional 20 tablets 5 or 6 hours before the procedure? What would have happened had you take the first 20 tablets around lunch time and then the second 20 tablets say 10-12 hours before the procedure? What would have happened had you taken only 20 tablets and the skipped the second set of 20?How much clear liquid did you consume with the tablets?


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## Rose (Mar 25, 1999)

All good questions, Flux....everyone one of which I asked the company who makes the Visicol. I called them the day before I had to start taking the pills to make sure I was taking them correctly. The only answer I got was that they worked best in the clinical trials by taking them as directed. I was told the first 20 pills will get rid of most everything and the last 20 are like an "insurance policy" that if there is anything left ...they will get rid of that also. They did clean me out, I have to admit, but I don't feel they did a better job then the Nulytle I took a few years ago and at least I only had to take that between 4 and 7 pm and I was done. I didn't have to be up in the middle of the night taking more as I had to with the Visicol. With regard to the liquid I had to take with them. I had to take 4 pills every 15 minutes with 8 ounces of water...except the last 4 pills had to be taken with 8 ounces of ginger ale. I had to this between 5 and 6 pm and then again between 2 and 3 am. All I can say is NEVER AGAIN. I will go with the Nulytle or Colytle next time.


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## TechChick (Jun 27, 2002)

I am doing the pill prep for my colonscope. Here is my doctors directions: no solid foods the day prior to the exam, starting at 6 pm take 4 tablets every 15 mins till 7 pm for a total of 20, the day of exam, take a total of 6 tablets.It sounds like starting the prep earlier would prevent so many trips to the potty in the middle of the night. That only makes since, I just wonder why they have us start the prep so late in the evening.


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## michaz (Apr 17, 2004)

I used the Visicol tablets yesterday for my colonoscopy. I started mine at 10:30 AM and was finished taking them at 11:15AM. I was well done running for the toilet by bedtime, around 10:00PM.  My appointment was for noon so I took the next round (12 more) at 7:45AM and contined (4 at a time) till 8:15AM. By the time I left for the hospital at 11:45AM I was done with the toilet. With my Dr, if you choose the pills you won't be scheduled early so you don't have to get up early. He takes Monday's and Friday's to do his tests and does them all day. It worked for me as I would never again drink that stuff!! Michele


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## selenae25 (Apr 4, 2004)

When I had a colonoscopy I had to drink the phospho soda. I had to drink two bottles of it so many hours apart. I was so sick from the first one and could barely get it down it was so awful. Its been nearly two years and I still get the goose bumps just thinking of that stuff. I did not know they had pills you could take. Hopefully if I ever have another test I can get those otherwise I would not care if I was dying I would not drink that stuff again lol.


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## TechChick (Jun 27, 2002)

I used the Visicol prep for my colonoscopy last monday. The procedure was scheduled for 8:30 am. This prep was the breeze, I started taking the pills at 5:00 pm (the doc told me 6 pm but I thought that was a bit late) finished them at 6 pm. I was flushed clean by 11 pm went to bed and slept till 5 am then took the last 6 pills. I went a couple of times when I got to the hospital.The thing I liked about the pills is that they worked well with my body, if I had to do it again, I would definatly opt for visicol. I have to have my ovary removed on May 10th and have to do a bowel prep with the fleet stuff. I start gagging when I think about having to drink that nasty stuff. Oh well..LOL


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## redlight (May 28, 2004)

Hi TechChick and everyone - I'm relatively new here and still trying to figure out what's going on with me. I have a colonstopy tomorrow, and had to drink the fleet stuff (I still have 1 more round to go and am getting ready to get sick thinking about it). Anyway, if you have a post to your story and symptoms and how they figured out you had chron's, or if you could summarize, I'd like to know (if you want to share). Can you link it back to anything in particular?Also, you probably heard of Jordan Rubin who was diagnosed with chron's at 19 and he eventually turned his life around with 'the maker's diet' (1st book was 'patient heal thyself' but they're pretty much identical except the maker's diet has more food ideas and says you can increase certain foods every 2 weeks approx.... at some point though, there's still no sugar, dairy (unless goat's milk), and a lot of limitations. But he looks a hell of a lot better (went from 180 pounds to 100).Anyway, I tried the 'special diet' (incl. pro-biotics incl. his 'primal defense'... cut out caffeine, sugar, fried foods, mostly everything (except certain fiber fruits (i.e. blueberries), certain veggies (i.e. spinach, brocolli, romaine lettuce, and 1x corn on the cob... but that didn't sit well, ocean caught fish (i.e. salmon, blue, halibut) too many 'organic' free-roaming eggs (which I'm sick of), homemade chicken soup (with brown rice vs. the normal white rice or noodles), and an occassional 'grass-fed' steak. Oh yea, I only drink water any more (which I was never a big fan of unfortunately). And not only do I have D every day (not just mornings), I lost 20 pounds in 5 weeks, am chronically fatigued, and it wakes me up sometimes,.... it's very frustrating. I generally bounce back from things pretty fast... but this one is really scaring me.Of course my doctors (incl. the GI) wanted to label it IBS without anything more then blood & stool samples. Thank God he's doing a colonstopy tomorrow, but if he doesn't find anything there, shouldn't I demand more tests since *weight loss*, fatigue, *waking up with D symptoms during the night* are red flag symptoms that it's not D? Plus, since I cut out practically all food triggers that people report, wouldn't I feel better? Instead I feel worse.I had symptoms starting about 6 weeks ago. Then I had bad shell fish about 4 weeks ago and I've been sick ever since (the other 2 people that had the same shell fish at the same rest. were only sick for a day and then were fine).What other tests should I consider after the colonstopy?BTW - I have had what I call 'true' IBS a few years ago and occassionally before with stabbing like pains and such, but never did I loose weight, feel fatigued, nor did it impact my sleep. That's one of the reasons I'm not convinced it's IBS.I'm also 35 yrs old w/2 kids (nine and seven years old... whom are both getting worried about me, and frustrated that I'm so exhausted and miserable all the time).SORRY FOR THE LONG POST. IF ANYONE HAS ANY OTHER IDEAS ON ADDITIONAL TESTS,... I'M ALL FOR IT (I.E. ultrasound, MRI, etc.)Thanks


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## NancyCat (Jul 16, 1999)

Rose-I'm sorry you had such a bad experience with those pills. I never knew they were an option but I havent had a colonoscopy for 2 years (need one in another 3)so maybe they are new. I had to do the fleet phospho soda and i still remember it as being disgusting and giving me a nasty taste in my mouth for almost 24 hours. I remember going all night from it. Glad you had the polyps out before they caused you any trouble.


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## NancyCat (Jul 16, 1999)

MY GOODNESS- I didnt look at the dates.


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