Colonoscopy prep seems late?

[Dreamegg]

Having a colonoscopy on Tuesday. I've been given Picolax and the instructions say to take one sachet at 2pm the day before the procedure, and then another sachet at 6am on the morning of the procedure. (What a super Bank Holiday I'm going to have!)

But I've been asked to arrive at the hospital for 8am. If I take the second sachet at 6am, won't I desperately need the loo in the car on the way to hospital? It's around a 30 minute drive (partly on a motorway so can't really make a quick loo pitstop) and will need to leave home at 7.15ish. Or does the second dose not have the same effect as you're mostly cleared out? Quite worried!

You’ll be mostly empty by the second sachet. Doesn’t matter if you have it earlier than on the instructions. the first sachet is the one you need to watch out for. The second is the safety net for a clear scope.

In all honesty this is the better prep option.

Stop eating a couple of hours before they say, and make sure you got your most favourite snack for after.

What the pp said - picolax is the easiest prep to take you lucky thing. When I took it I was still passing yellow liquid at the end instead of the clear water that moviprep will give you but that’s to be expected. By the next morning you should be able to hold it if you get the urge to go enough to make it to hospital.

Thanks @Iwrotethelyricstoaxlf I was wondering if I could take the second dose a bit earlier, maybe 5am or something.

Thanks @ExhaustedPigwidgeon, why is Picolax easiest? There are worse options?!

Moviprep shudders

Due to having crohns I’m a veteran of many colonoscopies, and yes this is why I prefer an afternoon appointment! I think you’ll still be on the loo at 7am if you take it at 6.

Yes there are much worse options… Kleanprep for one. If you want to drink salty vanilla flavoured water with a hint of burning matches this is the one for you 🤢

Haha yes this is moviprep as well. Salty, vile stuff makes me heave 😭

Fleet is just as bad. So much so I think it's been discontinued now.

I'd take the 2nd one the night before about 9pm tbh. That way your all clear and can have a good nights sleep.

Good luck. Had about 25 colonoscopies x

@finished31, fleet is now known as Kleen.
I had it and it wasn't too bad (different strokes for different folks and all that - my gut is very sluggish). It was less than a year ago.

They must of improved it. Typically all the same citric flavour.

Hi OP, when I had mine done, I’ve always received two sets of instructions, one if your appointment is in the morning, one if the appointment is the afternoon - for the morning one, it’s normally both sachets on the day before, specially as you are not supposed to drink anything 2 hours before the procedure. Maybe varies by hospital?

My favourite is Citramag. It's more palatable and works well for me.

I agree OP, the bowel prep on the morning of the procedure seems too late. I would bring them both forward by 12 hours.

They all taste vile there’s just a lot less to drink when it’s picolax. With moviprep you have to drink litres and litres of it

I agree that the 2nd sachet so close to the appointment doesn’t seem wise. I had a morning appointment and took both sachets the day before. Grim. Good luck OP.

Surely if you take it the previous night it makes no difference?

@finished31, it tasted foul and was a lot to get down!
But as I said (not going to go into it here but medically proven via something else), my gut takes ages to respond to stuff like this (I was in the camp of thinking it really wasn't going to work), but I was lucky in contrast to others - yes, I had the urgency and yes, spent quite some time on the loo, but besides a lot of gurgling it was ok for me.

Plenvu is equally vile but less liquid than moviprep I’m told. This was my first one. ‘Twas grim drinking that nonsense

I have a sigmoid later this month and that’s Senna tablets with an enema

I had a 9am one and had to take 2nd sachet Plenvu at 6pm the day before, was still kind of “going” when made it to hospital but endoscopist said not to worry and I was rated excellent for prep but others were told same as you take at 7am so no sure if different rules in different health boards?

What time is your procedure? AFAIK you are not supposed to drink anything at all within 4 hours of the start of the colonoscopy.

I'd take the second dose an hour or two before bed.

Yup!

Plenvu is the devils piss
Vile

You can drink up to two hours before
Please take it as directed by the hospital or you may end up having to go back another time

Heads up, picolax took a while to kick in for me, longer than I'd expected. I thought the 1st sachet didnt work... I had zero warning but then suddenly was stuck in situ for a few hours. Prep liquids and screens/books/entertainment. I know some people struggle with pain from it (and my threshold is extremely low), but that was not my experience. Just zero options on the matter...

The key is drinking water in between. It seems to kick start it!

Good luck OP and everyone lucky enough to have tasted the deliciousbastard prep 😀

Hm have to disagree. I had a colonoscopy yesterday, had Plenvu mango flavour for first set. Managed it ok with a straw and a sip of elderflower cordial a straight after. The second lot was fruit punch, bit worse taste but did the same with a sip of elderflower after. I was just very thirsty during the night

op, am surprised you take some again in the morning. Mine was 6pm and 9 pm for a 10.00 am appointment, and I still had to go for a final time at the hospital

@Dreamegg this is the link from MK hospital for taking picolax, if it’s a morning appointment it’s 8am the day before and 4pm the day before

https://www.mkuh.nhs.uk/patient-information-leaflet/how-to-take-picolax