Today, there are many options available for bowel preps to be taken in advance of colonoscopy to clean out the colon.
Keep in mind: the prep is designed to clean out your colon so that Dr. Sinha can see the lining of your colon. If there is feces, debris, or sludge in your colon this can cover up polyps and other abnormalities resulting in missed lesions and diagnoses. Not taking your prep as indicated may result in a poorly cleansed colon.
The prep is designed to clean out your colon. It WILL and SHOULD cause multiple bowel movements within a few hours. You will know that your bowels are clean when your stools become watery and you can see through them. They may be tinted depending upon the color of the liquids you have been drinking. FINISH YOUR ENTIRE PREP. If you have any problems before, during, or after taking your prep call our office immediately or go to your nearest ED.
When appropriate, options are available for SMALLER DOSE bowel preps with just two, 6-ounce containers of medication taken 12 hours apart. All bowel preps require lots of fluid to flush out your colon, so regardless of the prep used, hydration will be key.
A sample bowel prep might look like this:
SUPREP Bowel Prep (or generic equivalent) SPLIT over 2 days:
You will take the FIRST 6-ounce bottle of SUPREP the EVENING before your colonoscopy at 5PM and the SECOND 6-ounce bottle of SUPREP the MORNING of your colonoscopy completed 6 HOURS prior to your scheduled procedure.
The EVENING of the DAY BEFORE YOUR PROCEDURE (at 5pm):
1. Pour ONE (1) 6 oz bottle of SUPREP liquid into the mixing container provided in your kit.
2. Add cool drinking water to the 16-ounce fill line on the container and MIX.
3. Drink ALL of the mixed liquid in the container.
4. Next, drink TWO (2) more 16-ounce containers of water over the next ONE HOUR.
5. Continue drinking liquids throughout the evening if possible (i.e. Gatorade or water)
MIDNIGHT Before your Procedure
1. Have nothing to eat or drink until after the procedure. This includes water! (The only exceptions are the second dose of your bowel prep to be taken the morning of your procedure and completed 6 hours prior to your scheduled procedure, and any medications like blood pressure medications that you’ve been told to take with tiny sips of water as instructed by your prescribing physician.)
The MORNING of your Procedure (8 hours before your scheduled procedure)
**To be completed 6 HOURS prior to your procedure
***Repeat exactly what you did last night:
1. Pour ONE (1) 6 oz bottle of SUPREP liquid into the mixing container provided in your kit
2. Add cool drinking water to the 16-ounce fill line on the container and MIX.
3. Drink ALL of the mixed liquid in the container.
4. Next, drink TWO (2) more 16-ounce containers of water over the next ONE HOUR.