how bad is the prep for a colonoscopy?????

I have my colonscopy in 3 days and am wondering how bad the prep is..I am going to do the fleets phospho soda and the instructions say to take 3 1 1/2 ounce bottles mixed w/ gingerale..doesn't that seem like alot..I have heard alot of people only have to drink 2 bottles..my test isn't until 1:00 the next day so I'll be fasting for a day and a half also..how bad is the colonoscopy?/ do you know right away if they find anything?

[Marlasinger3]

The worst thing about the prep is the taste of the fleets.  It's the most disgusting thing I've ever tasted.  Just hang around the house after you take it until your procedure.  The procedure itself isn't bad at all.  They drug you up to the point you won't remember anything and there's no pain afterwards.  As far as results, they'll tell you whether there was anything glaringly wrong, but otherwise you'll have to wait a few days for the official results.  Good luck and don't let it scare you.

[arlmon]

I had a routine colonoscopy last feb. I also had to take 2 bottles of phosphate. I mixed them with coke and I didn't taste anything. I drank them as fast as I could, and had lots of water after each bottle. I took one bottle at 4 pm and the other at 7 pm. It's true, you must stick around the house or else!!! I had my colonoscopy at 8:15 am. It's a good time, because you get it over with. They gave me valium and demerol in one injection (not I.V. - it was a butterfly). I was groggy, but not out (like my husband was). I felt a bit of cramping when the doctor went around the loop. Honestly, it wasn't that bad and I will go back again in 4 years. I watched some of the procedue on the screen. The whole thing didn't take long at all. The doctor told me right away, that everything was ok. If they find polyps, they take them out. Don't worry. It's the best and only way to check for colon cancer. Good luck and let us know how it went.

[rita2398]

I had a colonoscopy (the first one) the end of October.  My dad had colon cancer years ago, so I knew it was inevitable, but I put it off as long as I could.  He always says it isn't bad, but I didn't believe him!

The prep wasn't the greatest; the stuff didn't taste good, but I could get it down.  Be sure to stay very very close to a bathroom; when you need it, you NEED it!!!  

The colonoscopy was nothing, however.  I was given Demerol and went right to sleep, don't remember a thing, didn't feel a thing.  I went home and slept the rest of the day, then got up and went to work the next day, as usual.  No pain, no tenderness, nothing.  I won't mind the next one at all.

Marie

[Giblett]

Everyone is right.  The taste of the prep is very salty.  Don't drink it with apple juice.  Nasty.  Gingerale or cola is good.  And yes, stay close to the bathroom.  You will go within 30 minutes. And you may try to go before your proceedure.  This color should be a yellow color. you should be on a liquid diet the day before the procedure.And don't drink anything red. This is the worst of the colonoscopy. The colonoscopy its self is not too bad.  I don't remember anything.  Good Luck

[bridiejade]

I had to take 1 1/2 oz. fleets soda @ 1 pm then the other 1 1/2 @ 7 pm...nothing to eat all day yesterday...spent most of the day watching my eagles loose and the rest in the bathroom...wasn't really that bad..drink as much as you can   I got a real bad headache last night from being too dehydrated.   The colonoscopy wasn't bad at all I was pleasntly suprised,  got an IV and as soon as the doc. started I was asleep, took about 20 mins got up and havn't had any problems at all...been doing everything as normal...doc told me all looked fine,   ( I have been putting this off for about a yr and a half being worried about the procedure...what a waste of time worrying about nothing.)    good luck