A quick question about Bowel Prep

I have to drink GoLyte (3-4liters). At my pre-op at the hospital the nurse told me to mix it with "clear" soda pop (ginger ale, seven-up) and to make sure that it's very cold.
I was wondering if anyone has mixed it with soda? And how "bad" the taste really is.

Any info will be appreciated.

I called my Dr to voice my concern about not being able to drink it , he told me to start it about noon & if I can't drink it I'm to call him right away & he'll phone something else in so that I don't have to re-schedule.

Thank You,
Kim

No advice on getting it down Kim. I had to use enemas but seriously, do yourself a favor and have a jar of vaseline or A&D handy and protect your bottom in between poops. It gets very irritated and sore from the prep and if you use one or the other, you'll at least save yourself that aggravation. Gross and graphic I know, but it will help. Outside and a little up inside if you can.

Good luck and can't wait to see you on the other side. You will look marvelous in your tiara!
K

Miss K is on the money. Your hiney will be raw! I don't think there is anything to make GoLyte anything like the name implies. I think a sick ****** thought up that name as a joke! But you have to get it down you to clear yourself out. I've done in many times for colo-rectal issues. And it was never easy. I tried it with sprite and it was still yucky. The best thing I can tell you is yes, get it cold. Have your favorite drink sitting next to it. Stand at the sink and pour a swig into you open mouth with you head tilted back. This way it hits the back of your throat and just swallow. Immediately drink the other fluid. I used tea. It cuts the yuck factor. Do a couple of gulps and then wait a bit. Eventually you'll get through it. There was one incident where I had about an 8 oz glass left. I couldn't drink it. The gag factor had been hit. I called my doc and he major disappointed in me. So upon arrival at the hospital I had 2, yes 2, enemas delivered prior to my surgery. I remember thinking, enemas ain't so bad... but kicked myself for not swigging down that last 8 ounces.

I am grateful now for magnesium citrate (sp?). It produces the same effects but is only about 10 oz. I request it each time.

I wonder often if the docs use GoLitely becuase they can buy it from the manufacturer, mark it up, and pass the new cost on to patients. The mag cit is only about $2 at a Walgreen or WalMart. (Tip: can be used anytime you are constipated if your up for the challenge!)

Best wishes ~

I hope you have some wet wipes on hand... Good Luck

Slater363 - I didn't have to do a bowel prep for my surgery, but I have done the GoLytely stuff before for a colonoscopy. Like the others said, make sure it is really, really cold. Then I got 2 plastic water bottles, one that was 8 oz. and one that was 16 oz. I put the GoLytely in the 16 oz. bottle, and mixed in one of those single servings CrystalLite Lemonade packages (it's a little tiny tube of CrystalLite). Then I poured half of the bottle into the 8 oz. bottle, and that's what I drank from (cause you're supposed to drink 8 oz. every 15 minutes or so. The rest of the 16 oz. bottle went back into the fridge so it was nice and cold for the next dose.
I found the lemonade flavor was the best for masking the taste of the GoLytely. It wasn't too bad doing it that way. It's just kind of salty tasting. Good luck!

Thank you all for your suggestions.
I think adding the lemonade sounds like a plan.
I already have a box of the Charmin wet wipes on the back of the potty. I'll pick some A&D up at the store today.

I'm so glad that I found this website,it has answered so many questions for me, questions that I'd otherwise be in the dark about.
So once again, Thank you for your suggestions & support.

I've done bowel prep for a colonoscopy before and I wasn't prepared....I had sandpaper toilet paper, ouch! I ended up using my sons A&D and it worked wonders! I felt really goofy putting a&d on myself, but it helped like magic.

I think mixing it with soda (Sprite, etc.) would make it harder to get down - all the carbonation. Maybe stirring the soda to get the fizzies out would help. The Crystal Light sounds like a better idea.

By the way, I think the Go Lytely tastes like "flat" Alka-Seltzer. I plugged my nose while I drank it so I couldn't taste it!

I drank a bit of the dastardly stuff with a little juice, some with ginger ale. It made me feel so sick to my stomach that I stopped, and thought about what I was doing, here. I had taken the pills to void, and void I did do. It seems to me that the evil brew is like Gatorade, meant to avoid a scenario of dehydration. So I drank water, instead. I just could not get the stuff down, but it was clear to me that the little pills were doing their work. I think I told someone at the hosp that I didn't drink my Lytely crap, and got a nice little shrug. Ask your dr NOW for something else if you need it, explain that you're just not drinking the stuff and can't, ask whether the pills and lots of water will suffice. As you drinking it to void, or are you drinking it to rehydrate?
I cheated and got by, but I'm not certain that I really did the best thing, since pre-surgery I bet I could have felt a bit better.
But now, seven days later, am doing great, and man is my heart there with you!

shaden3,
I'm drinking it to clean out my intestines. The Dr said that he may need to remove part of my intestines due to severe adhesions. He wants to make sure that there is "nothing" in them, so that I may avoid a colostomy.