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Original poster

Does anyone know about colonoscopy prep? Posting here for traffic.

30 replies

sashh · 21/08/2025 19:51

So I'm booked or a colonoscopy tomorrow. I have spent the week doing an extended prep of a low residue diet and movicol.

The last part is moviprep this evening and in the morning, but I have just vomited up the prep.

The department are closed and 111 say someone will call me back from a 'local service'.

I'm guessing that I won't be having a colonoscopy tomorrow but does anyone know what I can do, or should do.

I'd actually taken an antiemetic just in case.

Does anyone have any advice.

OP posts:
Purplebutterups · 21/08/2025 20:08

Take the second sachet now. Call them first thing, they may be able to give you a replacement second sachet and put you last on the list.

Original poster
sashh · 21/08/2025 20:17

The problem with that is I'm supposed to start the second prep at 6am. They don't open until 8am.

Oh and the icing on the cake I also have a utility.

OP posts:
Original poster
sashh · 21/08/2025 20:17

But thank you.

OP posts:

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General health
tinyspiny · 21/08/2025 20:25

Take the second one , or as much of it as you can in the morning . Make sure it’s really cold and sip it through a straw . I was very ill when I had my last colonoscopy, and only took about 1/2 of one sachet of prep but had been very strict on the prep and it was fine , they could see everything .

Mary46 · 21/08/2025 20:25

Ah hope you ok. Yes maybe take 2nd prep early hopefully it clear you out. Had it done last nov god awful stuff isnt it.

Original poster
sashh · 21/08/2025 20:31

I had one a week and a bit ago. But the colon wasn't clear on the prep they gave me, hence the week long prep. They found some polyps that should be removed tomorrow.

OP posts:
Lemonade2011 · 21/08/2025 20:35

I chilled my prep and drank it though a straw. The first one I kept it down but it wa truly foul the second time I was throwing up hit my gag and back it came I’d continue with the second sachet have some strong squash to chase it down with blooming horrid isn’t it
hope it all goes well tomororw

Limehawkmoth · 21/08/2025 20:37

Ok…did you vomit/gag while drinking or a while after you finished the entire jug full?

… if later call 111 for advice

if former then it’s likely a response the sheer vileness of it . In which case advice is to wait 30 mins now then finish up this evenings dose, and then do the mornings prep and go in as planned, if am appointment . One site says 75% of people who vomit will still be able to go ahead. Key indicator is if you pass nearly clear diarrhea by last bowel movement in am.

speak to them as soon as you arrive and explain.
try to estimate how much you’ve thrown up
and advise them of your bowel movements (eg was last void clear ?)

best advice I have to avoid vomiting while drinking ( I’ve done this 3 times in last year so far) is to

  1. cool the prep as much as possible. I pour made up solution into 4 even glasses (it is roughly 4 large glasses full for each phase) and store in fridge . Possibly put in bottle and freeze for a few mins till really chilled
  2. Down a glass at a time in one go. Don’t pause. Literally neck it back. i find the taste doesn’t kick in for a second and if just downing in one and really chilled, it takes till last swallow for vile taste to kick in and gagging. I do it standing over kitchen sink so I know if I gag I have sink to hand,
  3. i don’t bother with straws or flavouring they suggest…just prolongs the vileness imhe. Sipping it slowly is like water torture frankly. You just constantly have the taste in your mouth
  4. once each glass is downed, take a few sips of water immedately, breath deeply and slowly and walk around a bit . Don’t lie down.
  5. Also wipe your mouth with damp cloth immedately after glugging it down. Agian taste on your lips of you lick is repulsive . You can even rinse your mouth immediately and spit it out with fresh water
  6. continue to drink plenty of plain water in period between doses, as per instructions. But do this more slowly.
  7. Try not to think about taking it. Set a timer between each glass and spread evenly over time allowed . Distract yourself..trouble is once you’ve associated it with vomitting it gets worse.

if you continue to vomit as you try to get rest down tonight or tomorrow , call 111 and speak to them….especially if there are any other symptoms

dont take any other meds…probably shouldn’t have taken antiemetic … again tell them when you go in that you’ve taken it.

be aware lots of people (including me) don’t get any bowel movements after first dose, doesn’t start till morning and then it hits very quickly within 20 mins of finishing second phase. So don’t think , just because you don’t open your bowels tonight, that what you’ve managed to keep down hasn’t worked.

Good luck, imho it is worst part of whole camera in bowels milarky…I dread moviprep ! Hang in there…

Ryanhairbag · 21/08/2025 20:38

i had to drink it through straw and ice cold with a Sprite chaser and felt sick as a dog but just rocked back and forth a bit and it passed off pretty quickly Good luck lovely lady.

JackalJackal · 21/08/2025 20:38

I have had many colonoscopies, joys of ulcerative colitis! I have always struggled with the prep and have thrown it up multiple times, I second the making the water as cold as possible and adding a dash of squash if you like that. Also if you can't get through it, still go to appointment and ask the nurse if it's possible to do an enema. They'd rather do that than waste the appointment - especially if they've scheduled time to remove polyps. Id think if you've done the extended prep you'll likely be ok anyway. Good luck for tomorrow, the idea of it and prep towards it is always the worst bit x

Sweatybettyinthisheat · 21/08/2025 20:38

Sip it through a straw do you cant taste it

WishSheWouldGoAway · 21/08/2025 20:40

Can't you have anything else. At mine, I got ten senna, tablets and citramag. I don't remember it being unpalatable.

Original poster
sashh · 21/08/2025 22:50

Thank you everyone.

@Limehawkmoth I have a number of medical conditions so I have to take meds but the colonoscopy staff are OK with it.

And can I get to sleep? No.

OP posts:
Original poster
sashh · 22/08/2025 05:44

OK wish me luck, I have the prep made up and n the fridge, I have orange squash to drink between prep. I have taken my antibiotic and an antiemetic so it will be an hour after that when I start the prep again.

I also have range of fizzy cans and fizzy water but I don't think they are a good idea.

I did get a call back from 111 at about 11.30pm to say call endoscopy at 8.00am.

I suppose one thing that might help is I didn't eat any lunch yesterday. I was planning to but the UTI needed antibiotics so I was in the urgent referral unit passed the last time to eat.

I don't know if this is TMI but I'm passing liquid.

Thank you to everyone who replied.

OP posts:
Original poster
sashh · 22/08/2025 07:31

It's down and it is working.

I chilled it and then measured out 250ml at a time.

OP posts:
tinyspiny · 22/08/2025 22:15

How did it go @sashh , were they able to do what they needed to do?

Original poster
sashh · 23/08/2025 05:58

@tinyspiny In the report the prep is, "worked very well, with excellent views". I can't complain about that.

They removed some polyps but the Dr seemed to struggle getting round so I had some pain from the colonoscopy.

The bad news, one of the polyps is the type that can become cancerous so they tattooed it and I have to go back in three months.

I had no idea you could have a tattoo in the colon.

OP posts:
tinyspiny · 23/08/2025 10:48

@sashh nor did I , hopefully the polyp will come to nothing .

250mlmax · 23/08/2025 10:53

I had to have a colonoscopy last year. I'm emetophobic and have read threads like yours on here over the years about the prep. I simply couldn't bring myself to drink it, so I just did the special diet for a week, did 24 hours fasting and then had a colonic irrigation. The colonoscopy went ahead and they could see everything they needed to.

mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork · 23/08/2025 13:56

For future reference, Moviprep makes me (and many patients) sick and I ask them if I can have something else instead when I go to pick up the prep. They usually have Picolax if you ask and I can tolerate that.

WishSheWouldGoAway · 23/08/2025 16:12

mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork · 23/08/2025 13:56

For future reference, Moviprep makes me (and many patients) sick and I ask them if I can have something else instead when I go to pick up the prep. They usually have Picolax if you ask and I can tolerate that.

I also had no issue with Citramag. It was quite palatable.

Original poster
sashh · 24/08/2025 08:48

Thank you everyone. I will make a note of the different preps, thank you again.

OP posts:
RedFatball · 24/08/2025 08:54

I was going to say, I had Citramag and mixed it with squash and it was absolutely fine

ScottBakula · 08/09/2025 12:44

Thankyou for starting this thread @sashh , I am due to have a colonoscopy on Wednesday 🥺

After reading all your horror stories of the prep I am not looking forward to any of it.
I am due to have my 1st does at 6pm on Tuesday then the 2nd one at 6am on Wednesday.

Did the 1st dose give any of you diarrhoea , or was it just the 2nd one .
How long did it take for the 2nd one to get through your system?
I am due my 2nd dose at 6am , my appointment is at 2pm its going to take me about 3 hrs ( public transport) to get to the hospital .
I am worried that I won't of 'finished' before I have to leave home.

If anyone has any tips at all about how to make the procedure any better / more comfortable I'd be very very grateful.

@sashh they tattooed a polyp! It's a good idea but one that would never occur to me. I don't think you'd get a choice but I'd like a dragon please 🐲😀.
I presume you are going to have to go back for more poking about at some point , I don't envy you but it's good that they have seen it early on .and will be able to give uou treatment quickly.

WishSheWouldGoAway · 08/09/2025 12:56

It entirely depends on the prep. I took all of my prep over the course of one afternoon and it had stopped by the next morning. But then I had no more prep to take in the morning.