Miralax Bowel Prep

Colonoscopy time. Please share any experiences you guys have had doing this prep and consuming 2 liters of liquid (I'm going to try a light colored gatoraide).

Once all mixed ingredients are in, what type of bowel reactions did you have? Was there any cramping? Were the releases explosive in nature? How long did it take to stop pooping? Any residual side effects?

I really appreciate your comments; this will help me deal with this experience in a more informed way.

Stay close to the toilet and blot (don't wipe).

Miralax prep does not cramp.

You just go a lot.

It's questionable if two quarts is really enough to do a good cleanse. The four quarts is much better.

I had some cramping.

Baby wipes are recommended.

You might just want to take a book (or your kindle/phone) into the john. It seemed every time I stood up from the toilet, gravity hit and I was sitting again.

Sue,

I remember a session you described in which you gave your husband 100Ml of PEG mixed in a quart of ice tea or something. How soon after drinking it did it take effect and what was the result? I'm interested in trying that in my next extended session.

Sue,

I remember a session you described in which you gave your husband 100Ml of PEG mixed in a quart of ice tea or something. How soon after drinking it did it take effect and what was the result? I'm interested in trying that in my next extended session.

Yes, that was his prep for "Full Metal Jacket" eleven months ago.

https://www.zity.biz/index.php?mx=forum;ox=display;topic=96712

It took about four hours because it was only 100 grams of miralax in only a quart of iced tea. He drank more water to help clean out so he was fairly empty but NOT completely clean from this, but it didn't matter because I gave him several three quart enemas to really clean him out before he was mummified.

It will clean you out completely,

I use it when I need very full clean out of my bowel (it clean out small intestine too). Here is call selz-esse but is 4 quart of prep.

While you drink you will see you belly growing (it's a nice feeling) but no cramps. For me the first trip to the toilet stat about 1h and half 😃

My first few were Go/Litley about a gallon over two hrs. It came with flavor packets I tried the cherry one the first time. It did nothing to make it taste good!!! I got about half of it down before I stated going and had to finish the rest in between trips to the bathroom. I threw up towards the end. I also had to take 4 Bisacodyl tablets before going to bed. In the morning two fleet enemas 2 and 1 hr before leaving for the exam. The last one Was called suprep in a split dose 10 oz added to 6 oz of water the evening before and the same 4 hrs before exam. You also have to drink 32 oz of water after each dose. it didn't taste all that bad and way less to drink.

I tried something similar to a bowel prep once, because there was some talk about it sometimes "resetting" the colon. It isn't on the list of things I want to do again. Mag Citrate and PEG. Took 7-8 hours to start coming out the lower end, though before that I vomited.

Not on my list of things to do again unless it is imperative. In the end it didn't help.

I think it took 12-13 hours for everything to move out. It wasn't explosive, but then again that might be my bowels. I just felt sick, swelled up more than usual, vomited, fell asleep, then had to have multiple runs to the toilet starting in the morning (4-ish).

No residual effects after it all quieted down other than a strong desire to avoid in the future.

I just had a colonoscopy. The prep was 4 ducalax suppositories at 3:00 p.m. and starting at 5:00 p.m. drinking Miralax mixed with Gatorade. Drinking that stuff for me is terrible. I was supposed to drink a glass every 15 minutes for 2 hours. I got the first three glasses down in about 50 minutes and then I was so sick at my stomach that I waited an hour for the next one. I only got 6 glasses down and the last three were an hour apart. I swore I would never do it again and then the doc removed 2 polyps so I may have to reconsider.

I did some research and found a couple of hospitals that use colonic irrigation for prep. I may do that next time and just lie to the doc about the prep.

I have yet to have this procedure, and have heard nothing but bad things about this prep.

I have been reading here, and for what I can tell, I do not think I will ever have this procedure.

Why, just so some doc can practice polyp snipping... the whole deal is silly. Not for me, tell me if I AM CRAZY.

My doc has not insisted on it, and 54 now, physicals and bloodwork are fine,,,and have no issues we can tell.

I am all for the experience but not for the prep and sleep deprivation of the all night bullshit.

You are crazy.

You are crazy.

YUP!

Your doctor is probably tired of trying to convince you to do it.

What do you expect about the prep?

They can't snake a colonoscope through a shit filled colon.

Crazy? Seriously? You're going to gamble on getting colon CA? You're going to end with a bag. That is colostomy.

Sanuk - I don't like the idea of the prep either, but I've had two relatives die from colon cancer and my dad had something cut out of his colon recently that was more than the usual polyp. Supposedly things could have been bad if he'd waited another couple of years. I wonder sometimes if the doctor was trying to drum up business, but I guess this guy has been my dad's regular colon inspector and polyp pruner for a number of times and my dad said that he trusts him. Those experiences make me willing to put up with a bad night. I don't know about your relative status, but I'm not ready to die on my wife if I can avoid it.

If you really don't want to do the full colonoscopy look at either a sigmodoscopy or MRI colonography (virtual colonoscopy). These don't have as bad of a prep, and for the MRI they can supposedly sometimes do prepless. Those are going to be my fallbacks if I can't find someone to do the colonoscopy unsedated (that's a non-negotiable for me due to previous anesthesia experiences). They're supposedly not quite as good, but much better than nothing.

Buttshotlov - 4 Dulcolax suppositories all at once? What was that like? Though I think I'd prefer that wild hour or so to what my dad had to do - oral bisacodyl, and he had to take a day of work for it to make sure it didn't hit at an inopportune time.

I had one two years ago and I will tell you what I had to do.

Mine was scheduled on a Monday morning, Friday night and Saturday night I had to take a double dose of Miralax.then on Sunday I had to drink 3 bottles of Magnesium Citrate. One at 10 in the morning, 2 in the afternoon and 6 at night.

These things will mess you up so drink as much water as you can. I mean that. And keep a bottle of lemon lime Gatorade at your side all day

After my colonoscopy, when I complained about the prep, i was told I could have done a split prep. It cosists of 2 deculax tablets then followed by 32 ounces of Gatorade with 1/2 the Metimousal to be taken in the evening before the procedure. Then the next morning, you take the other 32 oz of Gatorade with 1/2 the metimousal in it and also take two ducolax tablets, and that this be completed 6 hours before the actual procedure.

I dont think that would be any better that the original procedure of taking all 4 duculaz tablets at 3:00 p.m. and then taking all of the 64 oz of Gatorade by drinkng an 8 oz glass every 15 minutes the evening before the procedure. It might be slightly better because you don't have to drink a glass every 15 minutes until it is gone. But is the stuff is making you so sick in your stomachs that you lnow the next drop is going to make you trhow up, something is wrong with this approach.

I think serious study should be given to the collonic irrigation approach. Two univeristies have adopted that procedure and said it proddduces a better cleanoutl In addition, many people put off having a colonoscopy because of the awful prep the day before. So if we use colonic irrigation as a ledimatate prep, we will be getting better preps, and more people because they will not fear the tradional prep. I think it an approach that more facilities shouod try, at least on a trail basis, and keep good records to see how the cleanouts work based on the different sytstems.

Since the Mirilax makes me sick, I would go for the conolic approach even if it cost more, probably up to about 250-300 dollars more.

In conclusion, I think some serious doctors should give patients the option, keep records, and aftert a year or two, draw some conclusion ffrom the differnet approaches based upon (1) degree of clenout, and (2) patients feelings aboiut the procedure.

Some ideas from an Alabama REdneck that should be studied further.

For my second colonoscopy, I had a different doctor than the the first one, but in the same practice. When he looked at my chart, he said that my old doctor had made a note of "not thorough clean out" so he was recommending a four day prep this time. The first time was 2 dulcolax tablets at noon the day before the procedure and a gallon of go-lytley starting at 6 pm that night.

He had me meet with a nurse who went over the prep instructions with me. It started out with a single dose of Miralax to be taken in the morning of the fourth , third and second day before the colonoscopy. The nurse gave me three individual , one dose sample packets of Miralax so I wouldn't have to buy a whole bottle, which I appreciated.

On the second day before the procedure I was then instructed to take one bottle of lemon flavor citrate of magnesia around 4-5 in the late afternoon. The nurse asked me if I knew what that was and then just said it comes in a small bottle found in the laxative section of any pharmacy. She then told me to make sure I got the lemon flavor and not cherry and to slowly drink it all at once till I finish it. She (with a wry smile) told me to not leave the house for a few hours after taking it. She did not , however, mention that it might cause some nasty cramping. Just let me say that the Miralax single doses did not do anything that noticable. ( I was told that the Miralax was to be done that many days out just to give a so called boost to the movement of my intestinal tract). The citrate of magnesia turned out to be the worst part of the four day prep.

The final part of the prep, the day before and the morning of the procedure was a split dose of The usual PEG liquid. Because the second part of the Peg had to be taken 6 hours before the procedure, I scheduled the colonoscopy for noon....I didn't want to wake up at 2 or 3 am and be sitting on the toilet that early in the morning to prep for a 8 or 9 am procedure ..LOL.

So the first part of the PEG prep was started at 7pm the night before and as mentioned above, the second part was started at 6am the next morning.

One bit of helpful advice I can give regarding the PEG prep, was something I discovered online while doing some research. Because I found the PEG liquid to be so disgusting tasting (mixed with those flavor packets that come with it) , some blog talked about mixing the PEG with Crystal Light lemonade mix. A number of people said this made it much more palatable. I called the nurse who gave me the prep instructions and asked if it would be okay to do this and she said yes. Let me tell you, it made a "world of difference". Also, I have to admit, splitting the PEG dosage and only having to take 2 quarts at a time instead of the whole gallon , helped greatly.

Just for another viewpoint, I had a routine colonoscopy this past February, 2017. I have a very serious Family History of colon cancers and premalignant polyps in my mother and other multiple close blood relatives, so I have colonoscopies every 3-5 years depending on the current medical thinking and if anything showed up on the prior exam. This past one my good friend the surgeon told me to drink 2-3 bottles of MgCitrate the day before the colonoscopy along with only liquid foods that day, which I did. It was slightly more tolerable than previous other preps using other solutions, but I agree with Tillie about keeping a ready supply of a pleasant Gatorade or other drink flavor around during your prep to mitigate the MgCitrate taste sensations. I didn't come close to vomiting with the MgCitrate as I had done with other far more objectionable prior preps (sorry, can't recall the others by name), but I won't say it was particularly pleasant going down either. Funny thing was, after doing exactly what he asked me to, I later found out it produced a manageable (for the surgeon) but not stellar colon prep. I'm due for the next routine colonoscopy in about 2020, and I think for that one I'm going to add some enemas to whatever oral prep he tells me to take. I may just suggest a Miralax prep (plus enemas which I'll do privately) and see if he's okay with that. After a hemorrhoid operation this year I took Miralax for a couple of weeks postop and it was the least unpleasant bowel regimen I've ever used, almost pleasant if I mixed it with the right flavor drinks.

Susie, since you're one of the reigning Miralax expert/experienced users here, what would you suggest as an effective Miralax pre-colonoscopy cleanout? I think post-hemorrhoid I was just taking standard doses (17 grams?) once a day to get and keep my stools soft and moving. Thanks.

Eric

The usual miralax prep is the 238g jar in two quarts of water/iced tea/crystal light. I like the crystal light lemonade or crystal light iced tea flavors best.

For a really good clean-out I say double it. Remember the older golytely was one gallon.

Use two 238g jars and make a two - two quart jugs. You can make them different flavors of you like.

The added liquid will significantly aid in clearing out the colon.

Icing on the cake for exceptional cleanliness is an enema or two a couple of hours before the exam.

@Cedar - https://www.zity.biz/index.php?mx=forum;ox=display;msg=862781 are you listening? I am going to send this to you as a PM too.

You were wondering about what questions - as far as the prep and the sedation goes, and that link there will get you to some of the answers. The prep - that's the most time consuming and inconvenient, and the sedation questions as to what drugs may or may not do to your memory are what I've heard you asking about.

Just read through this link - and you may be able to find the right questions to ask the doctor who is going to do your 'scope job'.

BUT GET IT DONE - YA BIG SISSY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🌹 🌹 🌹

Seriously - please. 🌹

And PS - I know you were looking into it before your Dad died, but now you need to follow up. 🌹

Thank you, Lora. I love your subtlety.

I have been looking on the internet about what a colonoscopy will consist of and the procedures. I have also read about what questions to ask and all that good stuff. However a lot of those "What to ask your doctor" articles contain are pretty clinical. I have been looking around here on zity. A lot of the things I need to know are scattered all over the place.

I didn't know about a "split" prep or whatever. Also not much on the "regular sites" about getting a chapped ass.

I will get back to taking care of this.

Find someplace that does Colon Hydrotherapy prep! I have to have regular colonoscopies due to family history and I will NEVER do anything but the hydrotherapy prep. Day before I was able to have breakfast. Four dulcolax tablets and a couple doses of miralax the evening before - no big deal. First thing the next morning - 45 minute hydrotherapy session and then the colonoscopy. I've done the golightly and suprep - this is so much better - no drinking tons of awful tasting stuff and no stomach sickness from all the gross liquid. I believe that there a few places that offer this. If there is not one close, a call to some local colon hydrotherapists might lead you to a doc who is willing to allow this as a prep.

The usual miralax prep is the 238g jar in two quarts of water/iced tea/crystal light. I like the crystal light lemonade or crystal light iced tea flavors best.

For a really good clean-out I say double it. Remember the older golytely was one gallon.

Use two 238g jars and make a two - two quart jugs. You can make them different flavors of you like.

The added liquid will significantly aid in clearing out the colon.

Icing on the cake for exceptional cleanliness is an enema or two a couple of hours before the exam.

You used it for colonoscopy or for a complete cleanout?

The 238g jar of miralax in 2 quarts of water/gatorade/crystal light is a standard colonoscopy prep.

It is not as good as the one gallon of golytely.

Using 2-238g jars to make two - two quart jugs (one gallon) of solution is a much better colonoscopy prep because the added water and miralax cleans much better.

I had colon cancer at age 52, requiring bowel resection, 4 months of chemo. and 25 straight days of radiation. Those little polyps will grow and become malignant within 7 years. By then, they are too large to snip out with a scope. If you have a family history of colon cancer, GET THE COLONOSCOPIES DONE! They can save your life.

I get scoped every 3 years and I'd do it yearly if it was suggested. Drinking the "GI Draino" is a pain, but it's better than a colostomy, or dyeing. I have trouble getting clean, so my gastro. said I could take a 2 qt. tap water enema the morning before going in for the procedure. If I could find a hospital that would do colon hydrotherapy, I'd jump at the chance. You MUST take an oral laxative that will empty the small bowel.

I have a friend who is 45 with Crohn;s disease and she gets scoped every year, so it could be worse.

If you can, set up a portable TV by the toilet and be prepared to spend several hours sitting there. Use baby wipes to clean off. One of the worst side effects is how hungry you get. Drink whatever solution the gastro. wants you to drink and just "tough it out".

I know of an elderly lady that either did not listen, read, or who knows what. She did not drink enough water and damaged both of her kidneys.

I know of an elderly lady that either did not listen, read, or who knows what. She did not drink enough water and damaged both of her kidneys.

Probably with phosphates. That's why oral phosphates have now been pulled from the US market. The problem is worse in older people with compromised kidney function.

I agree with all the people that said get it done!!!!! The suprep split dose is not too bad to get down and if you start eating lighter a few days before prep you have less to evacuate. A couple of enemas before you go . One the night before and one in the morning the day of the test will help😃

I saw my dad's prep instructions the last time, and I think I'd prefer a couple of enemas to the oral bisacodyl for the first part. Probably put the bisacodyl in the first enema or two, then do a few rinses. After that there shouldn't be much for the oral flush to get out, so maybe I wouldn't have to drink as much to get it clear.

Then again maybe they'll have something different by the time that comes up.

Edit - the reason for this would not just to move to a partial "bottom-up" prep. Oral laxatives are a bit unpredictable in me, and I also remember my dad commenting about a very anxiety producing ride home from work after he had taken the bisacodyl and it had started kicking in. He even left early. I will only give this a total of 4 hours off work, so prep will have to be all outside of work hours, and rectal admin of the bisacodyl should be much faster.