CONTACT US FIRST IF:
- You are unsure which prep you were prescribed.
- You’ve lost your directions. (If you received any special hand-written instructions and have lost them, our staff can review them with you over the phone.)
- You are unsure of the prep timeline.
- You ate or drank something on the disallowed list.
ONE WEEK PRIOR:
- Please notify our nursing staff if you’ve had any major health or medication changes since scheduling your colonoscopy. This could alter your preparation instructions.
- Arrange for a licensed adult driver to escort you home. After your procedure, you’ll need to wait about 2 hours before leaving. Your driver should stay in the lobby during your procedure. By law, you may not drive the rest of the day after the procedure. Public transportation is not recommended.
- Please ask for special instructions from our nursing or procedure scheduling staff if you take any blood thinners such as Coumadin, Plavix, Warfarin, Aggrenox, Effient or Ticlid.
- Make a medication list to bring with you the day of your appointment.
DIABETIC PATIENTS:
- Type II – Take 1/2 a dose of diabetic medications during prep.
- Type I – Contact your managing doctor for additional instructions.
STOP TAKING:
- IRON pills
- Vitamins or herbal supplements (in pill form)
- Fiber supplements (Metamucil, Citrucel, etc.)
- Do not take Weight loss drugs – GLP-1 medications – the day of procedure
- Phentermine – Do not take the day before and day of procedure
AVOID EATING:
- Seeds/Nuts
- Popcorn
- Berries
- Milk, dairy products, and nondairy coffee creamer
- Also avoid any red or purple liquid, such as cranberry juice, grape juice (or red/purple sports drinks) as the coloring can interfere with the results of your exam.
CONTINUE EATING
- Regular medications unless otherwise noted by office staff or nurse.
- Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Excedrin and Tylenol if needed.
PURCHASE:
- Review your prep instructions. Verify the pharmacy has your prescription and purchase that along with whatever else might be needed ahead of time.
- You should have been given a prescription when you scheduled, or had one faxed to your pharmacy.
- Acceptable clear liquids include, but are not limited to: Water, chicken broth, chicken bouillon (not Swanson brand), fruit juice without pulp, soft drinks, tea and/or coffee without milk.
- Important note: Avoid any red or purple liquid, such as cranberry juice or grape juice, as the coloring can interfere with the results of your exam. Also avoid milk, dairy products, and nondairy coffee creamer.
HELPFUL HINTS:
- To prevent irritation, you may apply Vaseline or “Desitin” diaper rash cream to the anal area before you start drinking your laxative. Reapply the ointment after each bowel movement. You may also want to purchase moist bathroom or “Tucks” wipes to help with irritation.
- Avoid dehydration by drinking plenty of water during your preparation. Our doctors highly recommend drinking Gatorade or Powerade the day before your laxative prep and during your prep to prevent dehydration. However, DO NOT drink any liquid with red or purple coloring.
- Your check-in time should be listed on your prep instructions. Note that your check in time is before your appointment time. Please arrive by your check-in time.
A colonoscopy is a visual examination of the entire large intestine (also called the colon) using a lighted, flexible colonoscope. To be certain you are comfortable and relaxed, you will be sedated through an IV. In fact, most patients are asleep during the entire process and remember little to nothing about it.
What to Expect
When it’s time to start the screening, you will be asked to lie on your side. Once sedation takes effect, the colonoscope is inserted through the rectum and moved gently around the bends of the colon, allowing the physician to see images on a television screen. Typically, the physician looks all the way to the end of the large intestine, and back, for anything unusual. The entire scoping process usually takes between 15 and 30 minutes. When complete, your nurse will take you into a recovery area, where the sedation quickly wears off.
What Can Be Found?
If very small growths of tissue called polyps are found, your doctor can perform a biopsy immediately. The biopsy involves passing an instrument through the scope to remove the polyp, which is sent to a laboratory to be analyzed.
You should feel nothing when a biopsy or polyp is taken. While the overwhelming majority of polyps are harmless, your physician will have it tested and confirm your results with you. Results are usually available within one week, depending on the day of the week of your procedure. Furthermore, since most colon cancer starts as a benign polyp, when these are removed, the chances of them growing into cancer is reduced.
What Happens Afterwards?
Once your recovery nurse determines that most of the effect of the sedation has worn off, you will be released. However, you cannot drive. Even though you will feel fine, the lingering effects of the sedation will make it dangerous for you to drive, so a responsible adult must be there to take you home. You should be able to resume normal activity the next day.
How to Prepare –
A thorough cleansing of the entire bowel is essential for effective results so there will not be a need for retesting. You should follow the specific instructions given by your physician, but cleansing the bowel can include a combination of the following: enema, restriction from eating solid foods a day or two before the test, and taking pill-form and/or liquid laxatives.
To avoid dehydration, patients should drink clear, fat-free bouillon or broth, gelatin, strained fruit juice (no grape juice or any liquid with red color), water, plain and unsweetened coffee or tea, or diet soda.
You may be told to stop taking aspirin or other blood-thinning medications for several days before the test as well. Unless otherwise instructed, continue taking any regularly-prescribed medication. Your physician may ask you to stop taking iron preparations a few weeks before the test if you are on them. Your doctor will also want to know if you have heart disease, lung disease, or any medical condition that may need special attention.
Finally, you need to arrange for someone to drive you home after your procedure. The sedation will make it unsafe for you to operate a motorized vehicle until the next day.
Reasons for Colonoscopy
- Weight loss
- Rectal bleeding
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea and/or vomiting
- Personal and/or family history of colon cancer
- Screening
Possible Risks and Complications
A colonoscopy is generally a low-risk procedure. However, complications include but are not limited to the following:
- Perforation: Instruments may injure the GI tract wall, with possible leakage of GI contents into the body cavity. If this occurs, hospitalization or surgery may be required.
- Bleeding: Biopsies, removal of polyps, or dilation can cause bleeding. Managing this complication may include careful observation, hospitalization, transfusions, and/or a surgical operation.
- Infection: Entry of stomach contents into the lungs may cause pneumonia. Infection of the heart valve may occur on rare occasions.
- Missing: Polyps or significant tumors may be overlooked.
- Drug Reaction: Reactions to medications received before, during or after your procedure can cause nausea, vomiting, weakness, dizziness, lightheadedness and/or loss of consciousness, skin rash, itching, shallow breathing, decreased rate or absence of breathing, cardiac rhythm changes or cardiac arrest.
- Other Risks: Additional risks include reactions and complications from diseases you may already have. Instrument failure and death are extremely rare but remain remote possibilities.
YOU MUST INFORM YOUR PHYSICIAN OF ALL YOUR ALLERGIC TENDENCIES AND MEDICAL PROBLEMS.
Frequently Asked Questions
PLEASE NOTE: One week before your procedure DO NOT eat non-fat products containing olean or olestra. These leave a thick film on your colon wall making your colonoscopy very difficult.
Helpful Hints
You should coat your rectum with Vaseline or Desitin before you start drinking your laxative to help with irritation. Reapply after every bowel movement. You may also want to purchase moist bathroom wipes or Tucks wipes to help with irritation in between bowel movements.
Our doctors highly recommend drinking Gatorade or Powerade the day before your laxative prep and during your prep to prevent dehydration. However, DO NOT drink any liquid with red color.
Colonoscopy FAQs
➕ How long will this procedure take?
It’s usually 1-2 hours from start to finish.
➕ Do I have to drink all the prep?
Yes. Even if your pharmacist tells you something else, and even if your poop is clear, you must drink the entire prep. If you don’t your colon may not be clean enough, which can result in an incomplete procedure and may require rescheduling.
➕ What if I don’t like the taste of the prep?
Sucking on something sour, such as lemon wedges or sour candies, takes away the saltiness of the prep.
➕ When will I begin having watery poop, and what should I do if it doesn’t start?
You may start having watery poop before finishing the entire prep, and that is fine. You must finish the entire prep even if you are having watery poop. If you don’t your colon may not be clean enough, which can result in an incomplete procedure and may require rescheduling.
➕ My prep made me throw up or I am having a hard time finishing it. What should I do?
Some people do get nauseous or may even throw up the prep. If that happens, stop drinking the prep for 1 hour and restart more slowly. If you throw up again or still feel sick, you must call our office for instructions.
➕ What is a clear liquid?
Allowed: water, black coffee, tea, clear fruit juices, soda, Gatorade (no red or purple), chicken broth, chicken bouillon (not Swanson brand), popsicles, and JELL-O. Not allowed: any red liquids, alcohol, milk, creamers, juices with pulp (orange juice).
➕ Can I take my medications during prep?
Yes, you can take your usual medications except as specified by your doctor (for example blood thinners, which need to be discontinued per instructions on your sheet). Also, diabetic patients need to follow specific instructions given to them.
➕ What should I do if I get low blood sugar?
You can have sweetened drinks during prep even if you are diabetic. This includes Popsicles, JELL-O, juice, and soda. These are all fine to drink and considered clear liquids.
➕ Can I come for my colonoscopy if I have a cold?
No, because you will be under anesthesia you should postpone your procedure. Also, please reschedule if you have a fever >100.4°F, are feeling very ill, or have trouble breathing.
➕ I take antibiotics before my dental procedures because of a heart murmur. Will I need them before the procedure?
No, you don’t need to take antibiotics.
➕ I didn’t follow the prep instructions about food and drink. Can I still have the procedure?
Usually a small dietary mistake will not ruin the prep, but you must call our office for additional instructions.
➕ Can I take herbal supplements before the procedure?
You should stop taking iron, vitamins or herbal supplements 7 days before your procedure.
➕ My bottom is sore and itchy. May I use something for this?
Yes, you may use any hemorrhoid remedy such as Preparation H or Tucks Medicated Pads. Vaseline or diaper rash creams may prevent chafing and tender skin. You may reapply as needed.
➕ Can I drive myself home? Can I walk home, or take a bus or taxi?
No, you will be sedated (made sleepy) for the procedure. Someone must drive you home. You will not be allowed to take a taxi or bus unless accompanied by a responsible adult. You may not walk home after the procedure. If you have not made arrangements for a ride, we will cancel your procedure.
➕ Does someone really have to stay with me the whole time?
Yes. You are having a medical procedure which requires you to have someone present in our lobby the entire time. If you come without a driver or a responsible adult, we will cancel your procedure.