SuPrep: Colonoscopy preparation

If you have ever had a colonoscopy, you can identify with the misery of the preparation. The traditional prep for it has involved drinking 2-4 liters of horrid tasting fluid over the course of a few hours. Well there is a new prep out that requires drinking much less of the nasty fluid.

The SuPrep is a two dose kit that requires taking one 16 ounce dose the night before your colonoscopy and the second one the morning of. Some people are happier with it as you get to drink much less water. Another upside is that some docs allow you to have a light breakfast the day before the exam and a number of hours before starting the prep. So you would not have to fast the entire day.

However, this prep is still no cake-walk. The fluid is still horrible tasting and while less fluid total, it can trigger the gag reflux. Some find the taste even more intense and just down-right unbearable. The other downside is that you have to take an additional dose the morning of- so just when you have weathered one whole round, you have to do it again the next morning. And depending on the time of your exam, it could likely mean waking up insanely early- such as 3-4am to take another dose.

Contents 1 Preparations steps 2 Side-effects to watch out for 3 Ways to make the experience less miserable 4 Related Articles

Preparations steps

Your gastroenterologist will give you a packet of information leading up to the exam. Make sure to read it at least a week beforehand. Elimination of certain medicines need to begin a week in advance- such as no Aspirin or blood-thinners. Iron supplements also needs to be eliminated a few days before. Additionally, certain foods like nuts, seeds, corn and a few others should be avoided a few days before the prep begins. Check with your doctor's office for specifics.

In preparation, the day before and the day of the exam:

1. Limit Diet the day before the exam.

• You can have a very light breakfast and then clear liquids ONLY for the rest of the day. Some docs do not even allow this.
• DO not drink milk or anything red or purple colored.
• Do not drink alcoholic beverages.
• Consume clear fluids only. Clear liquids include:
  • Water
  • Apple or white grape juice (no tomato, grapefruit, cranberry, purple grape, or orange juice)
  • Soda, clear
  • Gatorade® (not red or purple)
  • Jell-O® (without fruit and not red or purple in color)
  • Popsicles
  • Broth
  • Tea or coffee (no cream or milk; sugar is okay)

2. Follow the doctors advice on when to start ingesting the solution.

3. Make sure to pour the 8 oz in the fluid in the cup and add 8 oz more so that you drink a total of 16 oz.

4. For the following hour, make sure to consume 2 more 16 ounce containers of clear fluid.

5. Be near a bathroom as the solution begins to pass through you. In rare instances, people find that it takes hours for the solution to start working. For most, it begins to work within 30-60 minutes. Make sure to have your bathroom stocked with soft toilet paper and consider putting a pad in your underwear to collect any accidental leakage.

6. Stock your bathroom with soft toilet paper. And consider using Balneol soothing perianal lotion when wiping or flushable wipes.

7. Go to sleep and wake up 4-5 hours before your exam to begin the second dose. Follow the same steps as above.

Side-effects to watch out for

• Vomiting is a possible side-effect when using this solution.
• Diarrhea is a given and is proof that the solution is working.
• Abdominal cramping.
• If you have extreme dizziness or seizures, contact your health care provider. Some of the extreme side-effects would be due to electrolyte imbalance.
• As with any medication, make sure your prescribing physician is fully aware of all your health conditions and health history.

Ways to make the experience less miserable

• Dont think about it too much before the day arrives to actually do the prep. In other words, try to stay in the present and try not to fret about it. This will just make everything worse.
• Try not the be around food too much the day of fasting- this will just make you hungrier.
• Some say drinking the liquid with a bunch of apple juice is better than water as it can mask the salty taste. Others say that it is best to stick with water as you might actually never want to drink apple juice (or what other liquid you pair it with) ever again. One thing is for sure, it is easier to get the salty viscous liquid down if it is cold. So use chilled water or add ice cubes to the mixture before drinking it down.
• Drink the solution down at once but not too quickly. Normal but frequent sips might the best strategy. Try not to breathe through the nose as you drink it. Some of who have gulped the whole thing down quickly report nausea or vomiting by the end.
• As soon as you are done drinking the solution, have a glass of water ready by the sink. Aggressively swish water around in the mouth, then gargle a number of times to clear the taste out of the mouth and throat.
• Rent some of your favorite movies or shows and hunker down for a (semi-) relaxing night at home.
• You can chew gum or suck on lollipops to take your mind off the hunger pangs.
• You can think about what foods you want to eat once the procedure is done- maybe make some preparations so you can have a stocked fridge for after the colonoscopy is done. You will be hungry!

Sadly, colonoscopy prep is a necessary evil for almost everyone at some point in their lives. And those who have bowel disease are very experienced in colonoscopy prep. So if you are given SuPrep as your prep method, enjoy any of the possible benefits.

Related Articles

• How to prepare for a colonoscopy
• Colonoscopy