Best tips for DD to help tolerate bowel prep before colonoscopy

[TodaysFishIsTroutALaCreme]

Hi

DD is scheduled to have an endoscopy and colonoscopy next month. She is very sensitive about tastes and textures so I dont know how will she will tolerate the prep solution.

What are the best ways to take it? What is easier to stomach? Can I ask for extra in case we mix it in one squash and she refuses to drink it?

Also, we have a long drive to the hospital. At what point do you stop pooping (especially as you have to take the prep in the morning)

Really cold and drink with a straw so it hits the back of your throat to avoid the tongue as much as possible.
Drink FAST. Tell her not to take a little sip, it will make her retch. Chug a good load through the straw then have a break for a few mins before doing as much as possible in the next go.
The drive to the hospital is a case of clenching, but doable.
In my case, the ladies toilet in the changing room I was shown to had a nurse and a patient in it filling in a consent form so I was unable to get to the one cubicle! I’m still so mad about that. It was a case of ‘oh well, good luck to the colorectal surgeon’ but, as it happens, it was fine.

Ive had two colonoscopies between Nov and December last year and in my experience I found I could cope with drinking a tumble-ful every 30 mins quickly until I'd got to the end of a litre jug of the prep

As regards how long it takes to empty your bowels after you've finished the prep, I think on the instructions it says you will stop pooing an hour after you finish the prep. I had an 8 30am appointment and started my last lot of prep at about 3 30 am and finished it by about 5 30. So by 6 30 I was almost clear. I had a shower and got to the hospital about 8. I'd got a wodge of toilet paper in position and did my best to squeeze my checks in. Sorry for too much info. I did feel a bit leaky as I got to the endoscopy dept and told one of the nurses before I got changed but she was quite nonchalant about it and said it was quite common and not to worry
Good luck to your daughter it's not nice or dignified by any means. I felt very little pain and had entonox on hand if I needed it

How old is she and do you know which prep she’ll be having?

I have colonoscopies regularly and found the movicol that I had recently much easier to tolerate than whatever I had in the past and I didn’t need to add any squash to it.

Having it cold is usually better, and previously through a straw helped but this time I could just drink it. I had it in 3/4 pint glasses and just kept going until
it was all gone.

It took a few hours for things to get going with the first dose but was better with the second. I had the second lot at 5-6am for an 11am appointment and was fine to get there without worrying.

Sticking strictly to the low residue diet and stopping eating at the right time is really important too. I was commended for my prep 😇😇

I had a cold lime jelly ready. I would gulp down as much of the prep I could then take a spoonful of jelly. It did help. I also finished my prep in the middle of the night and was fine for the hour plus drive.

I second the recommendation for the straw which pushes it to the back of the throat. It was a while ago that DS had to do it, but I seem to remember he had two lots to drink, and the first didn't seem to do much but the second really did! It was pretty much done by bedtime and then he went to hospital next morning without incident.

Moviprep if an option. Takes a bit longer to work, but was nearly clear before second dose and had no issues like others getting to hospital in terms of having to clench etc.

make it cold, gulp through a straw, have a lucozade or lemonade chaser immediately after to get rid of the taste! I ate beige for 4 days before and was completely clear on my scan.

Thank you all for your replies. Its helping me keep a lid on my anxiety

To answer a few questions...She is 17. I don't know what prep she will be having until I get the prescription a few days before. She's also having a gastroscopy at the same time and it is being done under general anaesthetic.

My advice is for the other end.

Baby wipes and a bin.
And sudocreme/vaseline for the chafing.

She’ll be fine under GA then. I had my last colonoscopy without any sedation or gas and air and while it was tolerable, I won’t lie and it was very uncomfortable at times.

@TheSpottedZebra has picked up on something that I forgot to mention which is very important. As soon as the prep starts working, get your dd to put some barrier cream on her anus every time she has her bowels open. I have some bepanthen nappy rash cream which is great, Vaseline will do the job. I’ve never actually got sore doing it this way but apparently it can be a real problem if you don’t do it from the start.

I hope it all goes well for her

Ask for picolax. It's only 150 ml that you drink twice.

just tell her to get on with it, it's for medical reasons. Sometimes we have to put on big girl pants and do the job at hand.