# Will colonoscopy prep cause reflux problems?



## madge

I need another colonoscopy. Have had several in the past, but not when I had reflux or GERD. I have questions about the prep this time, because my doctor prefers that I use Nulytely liquid prep. He feels it does a more thorough job of cleaning. a person out that the other preps. I haven't had any problem with Nulytely in the past, other than that I'd get a little nauseous if I drank it too fast and too frequently.This time it's different, though, because lemon lime works the best for me, and it's citrus. Citrus fruits really give me heartburn now. So do salty things, and most all of the preps contain a lot of salt. I asked my doctor, and he said he didn't know whether it would trigger reflux or not. So I'm asking those of you here who have had a colonoscopy and whether the liquid prep caused any reflux problems for you. I've finally been able to eat a little more normally since taking Nexium, and would hate to go back to full-blown reflux again.The doctor did say I might be able to use visicol tablets and water for the first half of the prep, then finish up with just half the gallon of Nulytely. That sounds a little better, but I don't really know if it is.What do you think? I could use some advice here. I've had some rectal numbneses, aching and fullness and the doctor really thinks I should have a colonoscopy. It's been quite awhile since my last one.Madge


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## madge

Sorry about the typos in my first post! I should have proofread.


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## firstone

with reflux, you wont know if something is going to give you a reflux until the time of the reflux. it sucks big time as we all know but since you are only gonna go through that in only one day, I would just tough it out and get it over with...


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## madge

I will go ahead and have it done. Am just hoping that the very concentrated prep won't cause a lot of inflammation in my esophagus again. Maybe someone will have information on a prep that is easier for a person with reflux.


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## firstone

Boy, I just hope everything comes out alright with you... I know the feeling of a reflux aftermath....


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## buttoneer

I hope it went well for you. I know every doctor has a different prep regimen. Mine lets me do all Visicol now. I find it's easier to swallow 28 pills over an hour or so than it is to drink of the preparations associated with colonoscopies, and it seems to work just as well (I have to have a colonoscopy and an endoscopy once a year).


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## madge

buttoneer, My colonoscopy isn't until next Wednesday (the 19th). Do you have reflux as well as IBS, like I do?My doctor will only let me do the Half-lytely prep, in which I take 4 bisacodyl tablets plus water, then half a liter of Nulytely a few hours later. I hope that will work okay. It will be hard enough to deal with the prep since I have a painful anal fissure and hemmies. I don't need a burning chest and throat besides, from drinking all that salty stuff. Keeping my fingers crossed. The other colonoscopies I had (before reflux), weren't bad. But this time I'm rather nervous about it. Guess I've heard too many horror stories about the prep from those with GERD.


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## firstone

Hey good luck madge, im really hoping everything goes well for you.... HANG IN THERE.


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## madge

Oops...I should have said I take the four tablets and later drink 1/2 GALLON of the liquid prep, not 1/2 liter. I do the low-residue diet tomorrow and the clear liquid prep on Tuesday. (Sure wish I could still drink soda and fruit juices like I used to before the reflux hit, but I can have still drink weak herbal tea and watered down white grape juice.) Scope is on Wednesday morning. If I get through the prep without reflux, the rest of the procedure should be okay. And hopefully, they won't find anything wrong.


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## Screamer

I have reflux. I'm not sure about NuLitely because we have different brand names here but I had to take the Bisycodal tablets too and then drink litres and litres of this lemony flavoured liquid prep so it was probably similar. I didn't find the prep gave me heart burn but I did end up in hospital the day after as my relux was so painful they thought they may have perforated something (I had an endoscopy as well though and that's what irritated it). As someone else said, you can't know until you drink it, but if you talk to your doctor about it I think they recommend taking your Nexium right up until the night before you start the prep and then starting it again the night after the colonoscopy so there shouldn't be too much of a gap where you're not taking it and hopefully it will help stop any reflux anyway. Good luck!


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## madge

I had the colonoscopy and my reflux didn't act up. The first part of the Half-lytely prep was 4 bisacodyl tablets with a glass of water. I did have a nasty stomach ache and then intestinal cramps with the BMs. After an hour or two, the trips to the bathroom stopped but some mild intestinal cramping continued. That wasn't too pleasant, but was bearable. When I began the second half 6 hours later (drinking the 8 cups of Nulytely liquid), the cramping stopped. I had a much easier time, no pain, and no reflux. I did drink the liquid without any flavoring, because I found it wasn't bad at all. The doctor found and removed a polyp from where the large and small intestine meet. Lab report said no cancer, but I'll need colonoscopies every 3 years from now on. Part of the reason is that it's the second polyp they've found in 7 years, and the other part of the reason is that they said I have a redundant colon. That means my colon is about 10 inches longer than normal and it loops around. That explains why I always have so much gas and bloating. The doctor said it takes a lot longer to do a colonoscopy on someone with this, so I guess it was no fun for him either. He did say I'll have to be careful to stay regular, since constipation can cause people with redundant colon to have intestinal blockages more easily. Since I can't have antibiotics, that would not be good. And they don't do surgery to remove the extra, loopy colon unless a person can't go for weeks at a time and has a lot of pain. The doctor said it's major surgery and sometimes people end up with chronic diarrhea afterward. And for that surgery, I'd need antibiotics too. I can usually manage to go every day as long as I take Fibercon and Culturelle with my evening meal, drink lots of water, eat plenty of cooked veggies and go easy on bread. So far, so good. At least now I understand why I get constipated when I try to eat a lot of foods that normal people can (like pizza, fried foods, spicy foods, lots of sandwiches). I also found out that the numbness and pain I was feeling in my tailbone area is just that...from problems with my spine, nothing in the lower colon or rectum to worry about. I also still have the anal fissure, but it's healing. That's about it, I guess.


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## firstone

Im glad to hear everything turned out fine, madge...


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