Advice for magnesium citrate

Hi everyone:

Does anyone have any tips or advice for taking magnesium citrate? I've never done this before, so I wasn't sure if I should refigerate or room temp/drink with ice/drink with straw, etc. I will be drinking it at 4:00 p.m. the day before my surgery, and then only clear liquids until midnight, then nothing (surgery is at 8:00a.m.)

Also, when the brochure tells you no fingernail polish--does this include your toes too? I know, goofy question, but I just recently had a pedicure and it'll probably last until then or shortly before!
Hee hee.

Thanks!

Re: magnesium citrate. If I remember correctly, mag. citrate is very salty, so I think I mixed it with Crystal Light lemonade and just gulped away. I like iced cold drinks, so I think I had it cold. About fingernail polish, I think they put an oxygen sensor on your finger and check your hands to see how you're doing during surgery. Good luck from another LIW.

I have found that by refrigerating the little green bottle and getting it ice cold helps a lot. I just had to drink 2 of them last friday for my colonoscopy. As far as the nail polish on your fingers and toes. It is required that you leave all polish off so they can watch for you blood pressure through your nail beds. If nail bed starts to turn purple to black they have a blood pressure problem, so my advice is pass on polish till surgery is over, play it safe. I am a nail tech for 25 years and this is how I tell my clientel.
Good luck on the surgery I am schedule for Dec 29th TAH/BSO

Jonan and Drangel3:
Thank you both for your responses!

I'll keep you both in my thoughts and prayers as your surgery dates approach!

My one experience with mag. citrate a few years ago for colonoscopy was that mixing it with something helped - I used pineapple juice because it is strong flavored.

Having it cold-cold-cold is definitely on the right track.

Since it is salty, getting it into your mouth past the tastebuds on the tip of your tongue helps a lot - a straw is an excellent idea.

If your instructions are no nail polish, you most likely don't want it on your toes, either. They check your extremities to be sure the nail beds are the right color. Since your feet are further from your heart than your fingers, they are checked during surgery to be sure they're getting enough oxygen to you while you're out.

One last hint during bowel prep time: If you have preparationH or some witch hazel to put on cotton balls or tissue available, either one can help with the discomfort after you've made several potty trips.

I used the mag citrate for my surgery 3 weeks ago. Seriously it wasn't too bad. Mine was the lemon flavored and I had it refrigerated so it was cold. It tasted like a strong mix between a lemonaide and margharita. It made the taste buds salivate a little but it didn't taste all that bad....I put it over ice, but didn't mix it because I didn't want any more to drink than necessary.

Ask your hospital about the nail polish. I couldn't have any on my fingernails, but my toenails were just fine polished. It depends on the hospital and how they monitor your oxygen levels. Actually my hospital said I only needed one fingernail with no polish (but I figured that would look stupid).

Best wishes. Everything with my surgery went MUCH better than I could have every expected.

No Nail Polish means No Nail Polish on your nails (fingers and toes) ! The Dr. and staff (nurses/techs/anest. etc...) must be able to see your nail beds to monitor for cyanois and other signs & syptoms of problems. Very important not to wear it. But, if you forget they will get the acitone out for ya when your waiting to go in to surgery. My past experience.
Boneta
Sched.12-21-04 TAH/BSO