Fleet's Phosphosoda prep question - HELP!

Hi all, can someone please tell me what instructions you were given to go along with the Fleet's phosphosoda?

My Dr.'s office just said to follow the protocol....whatever the heck that is....and I even called back for clarification and was just told not to eat anything "heavy" prior to drinking the nasty stuff!

Only thing they told me was to mix the 1-1/2 oz. bottle with Gatorade and drink it. Well, should I stop eating the day before or WHAT?

I am so frustrated. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Common sense tells me not to eat lasagna, etc. the night before drinking this!

THANKS!

The nurse told me to only have clear liquids the day before surgery. I'm to do the Fleet soda at noon and 4:00 pm.

When I went for my pre-op apt. with Doc, she suggested a clear liquid diet for 2 days before surgery. She said, "What goes in must come out and if it's soft and clear it's a whole lot easier coming out." (We were planning on having dinner with friends that night)

Now, I've read on here that many women mix their soda with Sprite and to make sure it's VERY COLD.

Hope this helps!

Since I just had a colonoscopy, I am the voice of experience when it comes to bowel prep. Mix it with Gatorade or Sprite and yes, drink it very cold. Liquid diet means you can have chicken broth, jello, popsicles, fruit juices etc, but make sure nothing you have is RED in color. I ate a box of popsicles and had a bunch of chicken broth. It is wonderful if you salt it well. Just pretend there are noodles in there. Oh, and stay near the bathroom. You want to pass only water by the time you go to the hospital.

Is it common for all women to do the bowel prep before surgery? I've never done one and although I have yet to have my preop with surgeon, the staff at pre-op labs and even at biopsy - never mentioned anything about a bowel prep. Could it be that I won't have to do one?

No one has told me ANYTHING related to bowel prep. I am to stop eating solids at midnight and can have one cup of clear liquid on the morning of surgery but nothing after 10 a.m. (I am scheduled for noon.)

Each doc is different, I guess.

Hey Marci:

Me too, my surgery is scheduled for 12 noon and I'm to stop eating and drinking after midnight - nothing after (not even a cup of clear liquid or sip of water). I'm wondering if the "sisters'" who have to do bowel prep have surgery's earlier in the morning whereas ours is 5 hours later? Maybe this is the case? I haven't heard or read anything about bowel prep in any of my paperwork either.

Hey Cyndi!

I think it's a matter of doctor preference, but your idea sounds good, too! LOL I have no idea. But I'd really rather not have to give myself an enema, so I ain't saying anything!! Hah.

The dr had me take the bowel prep at 11:30 am the day before the surgery. For me, it took about 4 hours to kick in. It's not the same stuff as the bowel prep for a colonoscopy, from what I can tell, at least (I've got my first ever colonoscopy on 10/29).

I had no restrictions on what to eat the day before TAH surgery but, as the dr's nurse told me "whatever goes in is coming out so you probably don't want to eat a steak or spicy foods." I ate soft foods--cereal, macaroni and cheese, and chicken broth with some noodles.

I asked the original question, and I'm still so darned confused on this bowel prep garbage! I just know that I actually asked if I could do it for my own "safety" and also the comfort afterward (I thought maybe less pressure and gas during recovery).

I work on the med/surg floor of the hospital, and know that some Dr.'s just prefer to have the bowel "flattened" and not distended with stool so they will not "nick" it when cutting which can lead to bowel contents entering the abdominal cavity and increase risk for infection and bowel repair surgery also.

I tend to have a terrible problem with constipation, and also have much scar tissue due to 3 c-sections. I just felt more comfortable with my own situation going the whole route even though I am so dreading drinking this darned concoction.

Every Dr. is different just as each patient is....so just follow your Dr.'s advice and your own instinct and best wishes to all!