Bowel Prep Questions

Hi. I know I have read some very good advise regarding the nasty bowel prep that is necessary prior to surgery, but I ahve some furthur questions...

What is a good diet prior to the bowel prep? I thought I read somewhere on this site that if you eat lite and certian foods, that the bowel prep will go smoother.

Do you rally have to drink all of the Golitely? Is 3/4 of the jug enough?

How long does the bathroom trips last (will I be in there all night)?

My doctor gave me a pill also, he says it is to fight nausua (sp?), does this pill work?

Any and all info on this procedure would be helpful.

Thanks.

When I had my colonoscopy I had to drink all the "golitely"... which I prefer to call "goplenty".... Let's see that was 10 years ago, but I remember drinking it and by the time I was half way through the jug I was drinking it while I was sitting on the toliet.. I remember it lastly about 3 hours before I was able to lay down and go to sleep.

I hope I don't have to do that for my hyster.

Good Luck to you

I had to drink the whole gallon. The only thing I can suggest is to put it in the refrigerator and get it as cold as possible. My pharmacist recommended this, and it helped it go down a little bit easier. Hope this helps.

mere

Okay, now I am really getting nervous. How do you know about bowel prep? My surgery is scheduled for 3 May 04 and I have a doctor appt this friday, and I am suppose to do something at the hospital (they said pre-op appt) on Sat. What are they going to do? When do I get "bowel prep" instructions... oh God, how scary.

You will get your instructions at the pre-op appointment. Some doctors do not require a bowel prep. Some just say clear liquids the day before. Some do an enema the morning of the surgery. It just all depends on what your doctor requires. Some require you to drink Mag Citrate the night before... It all depends..

Don't worry, it sounds worse than it is sometimes...

Yes, you are supposed to drink the whole gallon....or until the water you pass is completely clear. I've probably had six colonoscopies, and never made it to the bottom before it was clear. They always said a clear liquid diet the day you have to drink it. Nothing with red or blue dye in it, though. Jello and broth is fine.

Thankfully, I only have to do an enema for my bowel prep. I just had a colonoscopy a couple of months ago, and I don't want to drink that stuff again!

My advice also is to keep it in the refrigerator the entire day you have to drink it. I also find it helpful to have a lollipop or lemon handy to "chase" it with. Hope this is helpful!

Jenny

I had a colonoscopy two weeks ago and the bowel prep was not as bad as everyone told me. The day of my evening bowel prep, I ate a liquid diet, with orange jello and popsicles as the only "food." I also drank alot of water.

I kept the bowel prep in the fridge and 1 hour before taking I put it in the freezer so it was really cold. It tasted nasty, even with the flavor pack, and that was the worst part of the ordeal. It lasted 3 hours, one glass every twn minutes, I drank the whole thing, and the toilet sitting was just an inconvenience. It was just like peeing after the first two sit downs.

Don't worry it is not that bad. I had no cramping (I had a pill for that) and it was over quickly.

Ladies, all this talk of Golightly (what is it? Sounds like liquid dynamite!) makes me glad I'm in the U.K. From info given at my hysterectomy talk, all the bowel prep I need is a suppository if I don't 'go' the morning of my op. I'm thankful for such small mercies!

Hi Ladies!

RE: liquid diets, etc. Unless you are specifically told to, DON'T! Your body is going to need all the nutrients it can get before you do the bowel prep, and to tide you over til you get to eat solid food again.

I had to do an enema, not drink the golytely, etc, and the only dietary restriction I had was nothing after midnight. I ate normally the day before surgery, even had a pepperoni pizza as my last meal, did my enema, had no gas problems post op, and bowels were fine til about 10 days post op - then I got constipated.

It can't be emphasized enough - follow the directions that you are given, don't do any extra, or any less. When in doubt call your DR and ask.

Best wishes!

At my preop last week, my Dr said no bowel prep, but he does recommend a clear liquid diet the day before surgery and nothing after midnight, the night before. I am filling up on good foods today and tonite and will have a hearty breakfast tomorrow - surgery is at 8am Wednesday, so I figure I can squeeze in a good breakfast tomorrow and still be in my 24 hour window!