![]() (Many physicians will also prescribe a stimulant laxative on the day before the prep in order to “jump-start” the process.) Then about six or more hours later – depending on the timing of your colonoscopy – you add another packet to a glass of water and gulp down the wretched drink. With this product, you add a packet of the mix to a 150-millilitre glass of water and drink it down. Pico-Salax contains three ingredients – picosulfate sodium, magnesium oxide and citric acid – which act as a laxative, stimulating muscles in the colon to contract while also drawing water into the colon. Pico-Salax and a similar product called Purg-Odan are among the most commonly used brands. So the concoction includes heavy-duty sweet flavouring to mask the predominately salty taste.įor those who just can’t get it all down the hatch, there are a few “low-volume” alternatives. Hui. For that reason, the mixture contains lots and lots of electrolytes to make sure the body’s supply of these minerals remain in balance. “The body loses lots of fluid and electrolytes during the bowel prep process,” says Dr. The vile taste arises from the second key component of the mixture – electrolytes such as sodium and potassium, which are minerals that normally circulate in the blood and help regulate everything from nerve conduction to heart function. It works by drawing water into the colon, which softens the stool and stimulates the movement of the muscles lining the colon, producing bowel movements. One of the substances in the mixture is polyethylene glycol, which is sometimes used in small doses to treat constipation. However, it’s the powdered mixture that provides the added burden of the awful taste. Indeed, it’s a like a great whoosh going through your gastrointestinal passageway.ĭrinking four litres of fluid would be a challenge by itself. You are going to have watery bowel movements for hours – by the end of the prep, the rectal discharge will be clear fluid. “It is not a pleasant experience,” acknowledges Annie Hui, a Sunnybrook pharmacist. “You will need to be at home where you have ready access to a bathroom. Michael Bernstein, a gastroenterologist at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. “The idea behind the preparation is that the large volume of fluid essentially washes out and cleanses the colon,” explains Dr. ![]() You then drink the concoction over a period of several hours on the day before your colonoscopy. The kits usually consist of a container with a powdered mixture, to which you add four litres of water to form the solution. The standard preparation is sold under several different brand names including Peglyte, GoLytely, Colyte and Klean-Prep. So you will need to purge your intestines. The colon needs to be as clean as a whistle before the doctor can insert the 5-to-6-foot long flexible scope into the colon. Most patients are sedated when that’s happening.īut there is no avoiding the dreaded prep. The colonoscopy itself – in which a viewing scope is inserted in the rectum – isn’t all that bad. And I know your pain.Īlmost everyone who has had a colonoscopy – myself included – complains about the preparation. Why does that stuff taste so awful and is there an alternative?ĪNSWER: Been there. But I hated drinking that horrible fluid beforehand to clean out my bowel. ![]() My doctor recommended the test to check for colon cancer. QUESTION: I will soon be having a colonoscopy. ![]()
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