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Cancer

Find advice & support if you or someone you know has been diagnosed with cancer

Colonoscopy: prep not working?

27 replies

CornOfCopia · 29/07/2025 22:57

Hi, I've got secondary breast cancer and my last CT scan showed a 'narrowing and thickening' of the colon. The oncologist thinks it's very unlikely to be cancer related but has referred me for a colonoscopy to check it out. The colonoscopy is tomorrow (Wednesday) afternoon.

I had a call on Wednesday to ask if I'd received my prep pack. I said I didn't know anything about this and that I was going away Thu to Mon. He said look out for it Monday and if I hadn't received it give them a call and they'd courier it. I asked what was involved and he said the instructions would be included.

Anyway fast forward to Monday (yesterday) and when we arrived home mid afternoon the pack was there. It asked me to follow a low residue diet from 2 days before, stop eating at 2pm today and then take the first pack of Plenvu at 4pm today and the second at 7am tomorrow.

I obviously only started the special diet yesterday afternoon as I didn't know anything about it before then. I had tofu and white rice for dinner. Today I had white toast with seedless jam for breakfast and tofu and rice again at lunchtime. I then sipped the Plenvu (🤢🤢🤢) between 4 and 5pm this afternoon as instructed, followed by plenty of water.

And since then... Nothing! I feel nauseous and bloated but it's almost 11pm and no sign of diarrhoea. What's going on? All the posts here, as well as on Reddit and everything else I can find take about it starting within an hour of the Plenvu, if not sooner. I can't find a single comment where it hasn't worked.

What do I do now? Do I take the second dose at 7am as planned? The second dose is by all accounts even worse than the first one and I'm worried they won't be able to do the procedure anyway.

Would it be due to what I ate before I knew about the low residue diet? Yesterday morning I had a Trek bar, some of those mini popadom crisps and a tropical fruit pot. On Sunday I had a smoothie, a pot noodle, some Doritos and a mezze bowl (I was at a festival - I usually eat proper meals!).

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CornOfCopia · 29/07/2025 23:38

Posted too soon: it's started. But strange it took almost 6 hours.

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rosalynd34 · 29/07/2025 23:43

Mine was exactly the same and I was frantically googling and searching online because it took so long to start and then hours to stop. I then got a couple hours sleep and got up the next day and started the prep a couple hours earlier than they suggested and I needed that extra time as it took a while to slow down and I had a 1 hour drive to the hospital.

The prep worked really well though and they said it really cleared everything out.

Just make sure you drink plenty initially and with the second one, I found that towards the end drinking more stopped it slowing down coming out again so I would ease up on the drinking half an hour before leaving off.

ReplaceTheLinen · 29/07/2025 23:43

CornOfCopia · 29/07/2025 23:38

Posted too soon: it's started. But strange it took almost 6 hours.

I was going to post: Give it time, it'll happen. :-) I had a similar experience. Started wondering if it wasn't going to work, then it did. All the best for your procedure OP.

CornOfCopia · 29/07/2025 23:48

Thank you both. It's reassuring to hear that it's taken a while for others but hasn't affected the procedure. I'll keep you posted!

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CornOfCopia · 30/07/2025 09:58

Been pooing for England since 11pm. Took my 2nd dose at 7am which has sped it up. Feel absolutely drained now. But at least it's working.

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CoastalCalm · 30/07/2025 10:03

You can stop once you are running clear

ReplaceTheLinen · 30/07/2025 10:22

CoastalCalm · 30/07/2025 10:03

You can stop once you are running clear

Her body might not stop though. I know I was going until the moment they took my into the procedure room. I was waiting right next to a toilet cubicle.

CornOfCopia · 30/07/2025 11:35

I bloody hope it stops, it's in central London and I've got to get the train... I think it might be neatly done though. Less frequent and almost clear.

Sorry for the TMI but it's such a horrible process it's actually helpful to chat to others who've been through it.

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CornOfCopia · 30/07/2025 11:38

Glad I namechanged for this post!

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Slinkyminky22 · 30/07/2025 11:40

Good luck.
Make sure the liquid is running clear (you should be able to see the bottom of the toilet bowl) or they may not do the procedure.
I had my first one 4 weeks ago.

Slinkyminky22 · 30/07/2025 11:42

CornOfCopia · 30/07/2025 11:35

I bloody hope it stops, it's in central London and I've got to get the train... I think it might be neatly done though. Less frequent and almost clear.

Sorry for the TMI but it's such a horrible process it's actually helpful to chat to others who've been through it.

Edited

Sorry just seen this. That's great if its clear. I found the prep worse than the actual colonoscopy. Take the sedation :)

ReplaceTheLinen · 30/07/2025 11:43

CornOfCopia · 30/07/2025 11:35

I bloody hope it stops, it's in central London and I've got to get the train... I think it might be neatly done though. Less frequent and almost clear.

Sorry for the TMI but it's such a horrible process it's actually helpful to chat to others who've been through it.

Edited

It will stop. I just always found when I went to the toilet there could be more. I just was anxious about what happened if there was liquid still in there, so kept trying.

I got my DH to drive me and sat on a towel on the way in 'just in case'. It wasn't actually needed.

CornOfCopia · 30/07/2025 13:30

I'm on the train. Left home a bit early, used the loo at station and will get off at least twice to pre-ermptively try. It's only a half hour train ride, they run every 10 mins max, and there are toilets at every station.

It's slowed down a lot in the last couple of hours so hopefully that will suffice!

God I feel so depleted and exhausted.

I'm taking the sedation!

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MakeMineADietCoke · 30/07/2025 13:34

Good luck OP - the prep was the worst part of the procedure for me. They do pump you full of air so you might be uncomfortable with trapped wind later but the rest of it is ok. Fingers crossed for good news for you

CornOfCopia · 30/07/2025 13:40

Thank you!

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CornOfCopia · 30/07/2025 15:06

Well I made it here with a couple of planned toilet stops but no accidents, thank goodness!

Just waiting now...

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Slinkyminky22 · 30/07/2025 18:27

I hope it went OK! Hopefully an evening of rest and your stomach should be back to normal within a few days.

neilyoungismyhero · 30/07/2025 18:55

Hope it wasn't too bad. For me the pain of the polyps cutting (horrendous pressure )was up there with labour pains/broken back. Hope you fared better.

CornOfCopia · 30/07/2025 19:42

Thanks for all the support and letting me know what to expect! The procedure was quite uncomfortable but only a bit painful for a few short stretches. They found and removed 6 benign polyps, strangely that didn't hurt!

Gold news is nothing to worry about, they just want to repeat it in 3 years.

I bought a sandwich on my own at out and it was the absolute best thing I've ever tasted!

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MakeMineADietCoke · 30/07/2025 22:14

Glad to hear it went well that must have been a relief!

youalright · 30/07/2025 22:23

Im glad its over yeah polyps dont hurt being removed i assume their is no nerve endings their. I always find prep takes longer then you think it will and doesnt always completely stop in time. I remember the dr saying thats just some prep coming out as he was cleaning it up I was mortified but he was nice about it and acted like it happens all the time not sure whether it actually does but he did tell me well done for having such a clean Colon.

ReplaceTheLinen · 30/07/2025 22:24

Glad all is well OP.

Slinkyminky22 · 30/07/2025 22:53

youalright · 30/07/2025 22:23

Im glad its over yeah polyps dont hurt being removed i assume their is no nerve endings their. I always find prep takes longer then you think it will and doesnt always completely stop in time. I remember the dr saying thats just some prep coming out as he was cleaning it up I was mortified but he was nice about it and acted like it happens all the time not sure whether it actually does but he did tell me well done for having such a clean Colon.

I was worried something was going to leak out during mine, as far as I know it didn't but they were so reassuring and said they've seen everything before so not to worry.

Slinkyminky22 · 30/07/2025 22:55

CornOfCopia · 30/07/2025 19:42

Thanks for all the support and letting me know what to expect! The procedure was quite uncomfortable but only a bit painful for a few short stretches. They found and removed 6 benign polyps, strangely that didn't hurt!

Gold news is nothing to worry about, they just want to repeat it in 3 years.

I bought a sandwich on my own at out and it was the absolute best thing I've ever tasted!

I'm glad it went well!
The Subway i had after mine was heavenly.

CornOfCopia · 31/07/2025 17:54

youalright · 30/07/2025 22:23

Im glad its over yeah polyps dont hurt being removed i assume their is no nerve endings their. I always find prep takes longer then you think it will and doesnt always completely stop in time. I remember the dr saying thats just some prep coming out as he was cleaning it up I was mortified but he was nice about it and acted like it happens all the time not sure whether it actually does but he did tell me well done for having such a clean Colon.

Yep I had some leak out during it as well, but they weren't phased and I'm sure it was neither the first or last time they've had that happen.

I'm feeling really good today! Went out for the day with DC and friends, and have just ordered an Indian takeaway as my reward for going through the colonoscopy.

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