Miralax Bowel Prep

When I had my colonoscopy done a number of years ago, the nurse told me that one enterprising gent had used a large quantity of beer to dissolve the Miralax in.

Cold cherry mag citrate is the easiest to get down and stay there.😉

Typical prep instructions for colonoscopy include a statement saying no drinks with red, blue or green food coloring.

@Victoria1951 Cherry mag citrate has no dye/food coloring added, just flavoring. From experience, both personal and by observation, the lemon mag citrate tastes like crap and will have many people vomiting and expelling within 15 mimutes. Personally the cherry mag citrate is easy to drink; think of it as a cherry fizzy drink. It is usually available in grocery stores or pharmacies.

For my next Colonoscopy I will do this prep. I will use what the Dr. prescribes, which was a gallon jug of stuff. I will use Gatoraide instead of water. Tastes so much better. I will also get 4 additional quarts of Gatoraide for before and after.

I will eat a light diet before the event, then 2 days before, I will take at least 6 Ducolax tables and a quart of Gatoraide. That will get things moving. Then the day before the event, I will get up and take 6 ducolax tables, the use my shower shot to flush me out some. I will then start to drink a Quart of Gatoraide with at least a half a cup of Clear-Lax in it. I use Clear-Lax because it is cheaper then Mira-lax and it works just as good.After that runs through me, I will then start the prep that the Dr. ordered. I will drink all of the prep, by then I should be "free and clear" so to speak.While the directions call for a two step prep, I figure with drinking all of that, then drinking more Gatoraide with Clear-Lax in it, I should be cleaned out good. Besides I will give myself an enema anyway.

Then I can start to give myself an enema of plain tap water. Since I like enemas that will be the fun part. I will get up very early, depending on when I have to be at the hospital, drink another quart of Gatoraid with Clear-Lax in it, maybe I will drink a second quart of Gatoraid with Clear-lax in it, when that runs out, then I will flush myself out with another enema. Then I will leave for the hospital and get scoped.

The last time I had a colonoscopy I was not sedated, I watched the whole thing, asked questions while they were looking inside. I asked if I was clean enough, the Dr. said I was in good shape.

When I get done, I will change clothes, wear disposible underware, because in the past, what I thought was air, was not, and I messed up a pair or two of underware.

I am sure this is overkill, but I don't want to go through having to re-do this prep. I don't really mind the prep. I will be able to do one of the things I enjoy, getting cleaned out and having a great enema.

There is also a new prep product on the market.

https://drinkclearfast.com/product/colonoscopy-kit/?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=10341735097&utm_content=45616

I have not used this product, I list it for everyone's information. Alternatives are always handy to have in getting ready for a colonoscopy.

One thing they are using a lot now

Purchase an 8.3 oz bottle of Miralax:

20 Mg oral bisacodyl

2 hours later: 2 capfuls of Miralax in 12 oz water

15 minutes later 1 capful in 12 oz water. Repeat every 15 minutes until all of the solution has been taken.

The main effect you will notice at first is the bloating and feeling of "over full" in your stomach. You need to keep it up anyway

After about 2 hours stay near the bathroom. We have all had bisacodyl kick in without warning! It will give even less warning this time

When the bisacodyl kicks in, it will happen quick and be impossible to hold back

Within a short time after you finish the bottle of Miralax you will return as clear as water.

The first liter wasn’t bad but barely could get the second one down. Was like drinking motor oil except I never have. Not a lot of cramping but pooping started about two hours after and kept on going for another 12 hours. Could sleep and spent the night at the toilet. Worst after effect the sight of gator aid made me nauseous and couldn’t drink it for a year. There has to be a better way

@tommyqwerty. You hit the nail on the head about the cherry mag citrate. It does taste like Cherry Fizzy Soda. They make dye free cherry and grape that can be used for colonoscopy prep. You cannot drink the non dye free cherry or grape.

I had one in August 2019 ,no cramps ,it wasn't any more or less explosive than normal.

I have a long colon with neurogenic bowel and bladder. One prep wasn't enough ,I had to drink preps day and night for 4 days in order to be empty enough for the procedure .

The hospital had to bring extra nurses in just to care for me ,if you don't know hospital diapers are cheap ,so generally when I went it got all the lines gown etc...

Me and the bed were being changed about 15 times an hour .

I normally manage my bowels with medication ,at the time my doctor lost there mind and said you'll be fine without medication ,obviously I wasn't, I am sure my insurance loved finding out I was right by having to pay for a week in the hospital an endoscopy and colonoscopy, and hospitals pay about 9 cents per diaper and charge insurance about $12 per diaper so figure $12 × 15 × 24 × 6 days ,you could take a nice vacation on that kind of dough ,premium diapers are about $3.50 per .

I had one in January. My first one. Everyone scared me about how horrible the prep is etc. etc.

I didn't find it so bad. I had to do it twice, evening before and morning of. I took Miralax as advised - a bit disgusting but not undrinkable. I had a 2L bottle of apple juice which I took after the Miralax and it helped wash it down. Maybe 3 hours on the toilet each time. Not fun, not the end of the world. Having to maintain a low fibre diet for a few days before was much worse.

The procedure itself was a bit painful - it's made of two parts, first the proctologyst pushed the scope all the way in - that part lasts maybe 5 minutes and is quite painful but not beyond my ability to handle. Then over about 20 minutes hey take it slowly out while doing the actual observation. That part was virtually painless and I enjoyed watching my intestines on the screen.

I opted not to go for sedation or pain management. I took 1g of paracetamol (a.k.a. acetaminofen) before the procedure (which they said was okay). I'm not sorry at all, it was much less dramatic - came in, did the procedure, left. Easy. I'll gladly take the 5 minutes of pain over having to deal with the logistics and the feeling of anaesthesia.

I took Miralax as advised - a bit disgusting but not undrinkable. I had a 2L bottle of apple juice which I took after the Miralax and it helped wash it down.

Miralax is tasteless. Put in water - I don't even know it's there if mixed well.

Miralax is tasteless. Put in water - I don't even know it's there if mixed well.

True. My wife uses this and it has cut way down on enema opportunities. So sad.

Has anyone ever used that first glass of Miralax to wash down the bisacodyl?

I have to get a colonoscopy every year and my doctor she won't let me change the prep , she makes me do the citrate of mag and it suppose to be two 10oz bottles and 6 laxative pills but i always end up throwing up on the 2nd bottle and have to do a third , that citrate is mega mega nasty stuff , and when i get to downing half the bottle the gag is unbearable , but oddly its a love hate prep

@LisaK

No. The preps I've seen or done want you to take the Dulcolax several hours before starting the Miralax. I think this is to give time for the pills to get to your large bowel and the coating to dissolve and the laxative agent to start working before the washout starts.

If you fudge the timing, the Dulcolax might get washed out before the poo-making effects start.

This is kind of and old topic. I have had two or three colonoscopies with the standard miralax / ducolax or similar prep. The Miralax / Ducolax prep was very easy. I did not cheat on the timing or the amounts to drink and did not suffer any nausea. I did cheat a little by taking a large enema before taking the Ducolax. I think this makes the pooping more comfortable by clearing out a lot of the poop beforehand. Like everyone says, stay close to the toilet and pat dry, don't wipe! I used A & D ointment to keep irritation to a minimum. On the day of the test, I did the IV anesthetic. The last one, the doctor asked if I wanted to watch so the anesthetic dosage was reduced. There was no discomfort even though they had to remove a couple of polyps. No after effects except for a lot of farting in the recovery area. There is a bowel cleansing score sheet that the doctor completes during the exam. Each portion of the colon gets it own score of cleanliness to measure the effectiveness of the prep. I would gladly do this test anytime than have to deal with a colon cancer!

@vito_paster

You were probably wise to take an enema before the prep.

The first time I was to have a colonoscopy, the prep using 6 Dulcolax tablets and a gallon of Miralax was ordered. At the start of the prep I was somewhat constipated and had not pood in three or four days. I figured not to worry because the prep would pretty much take care of the constipation.

So I fasted and took the Dulcolax pills and started to drink the Miralax as directed. Nothing happened for several hours except some bloated feelings, but then the camps started and the poo wanted OUT. But I could not pass it… it was too big and hard.

Eventually the expected happened and the poo came out, propelled by the Dulcolax and Miralax, but it was not a fun toilet sitting session.

The problem with these preps is they make you strongly poo before the softener has time to work and if you are constipated the experience can be pretty uncomfortable.

I recently had my fifth colonoscopy. The bottom line is that prep is awful regardless of what kind you do. The first one I was given golightly. It was awful. The next three I was told to use Miralax and it was awful. This one I was given PlenVU, It is still awful but better in that you only have to drink two glasses of the stuff. You drink one glass at 6:00 pm. and follow it with an equal size glass of water. You keep drinking water until the next glass is due. Then 5 hours before you report for the procedure, you drink the second glass of stuff. Then you follow it will a equal size glass of water. I could not drink the whole glass of water the second time because I was so nauseated. So the good news is that you only have to drink two glasses of the crap instead of many. But after drinking it you have several hours of cramps and nausea. Also you don't get very far from the toilet.

In saying that PlenVU is better it is kind of like asking if you would rather be shot with a 45 cal. bullet or a 38 cal. bullet. The answer is the 38 because it leaves a smaller hole, but I really don't want to be shot by anything.

If I do another colonoscopy, I am going to find a colon therapist and do one or two colon irrigations as prep. I will do a liquid diet for two days and have the second colonic irrigation right before the colonoscopy. I won't tell the doctor what I did but ask him after how the prep was. There are doctors who recommend colonic irrigation for the prep. there are just not any in my area.

@Buttshotlover

There is little difference between GoLytely and PlenVU. They are both PEG 3350 plus Sodium Sulfate, a saline laxative, which is foul-tasting but a powerfu, fast-actingl poo-maker also called Glauber's Salt. A full dose usually has you pooing soup within an hour.

There are plenty of preps that use the PEG 3350 combined with a different laxative that don't taste foul. The PEG 3350 (Miralax) isall but tasteless alone.

My mirilax has no taste (sort of like me)

Some of these stories are to me almost “unreal” The trouble I see is all the difficulty that many have with the prep part for a colonoscpy. I didn't have any of that trouble for both of mine.

The next one I plan on doing a bit differently. The Dr. had me get what he uses for prep.I don't play to use water, this time it will be Gatoraide. I will start off with 6 or 8 Ducolax tablets, then wait till they start working. Then drink a quart of Gatoraide with Miralax mixed in it. That should clean me out pretty good. Then I will start the Dr.s prep. Last time it was a two stage prep. I will drink the first stage, let everything move out. Then I will give myself a plain water enema.

Then I will rest, let any water and poo move out. Before the time, 5 or 6 hours before, I will drink the rest of the prep, then another quart of Gatoraide with Miralax in it. Then head for hospital. I will ask for no pain killers or anathesia. The last time it was painless.

I will watch and ask questions.

I enjoy the prep. I end up feeling great and for me, finding out I am cancer free in my colon. I have had enough other cancers, knowing you are good for at least 5 years and most for 10 years. Those with a history of cancer, they have to be checked every 3 years.

While some have had a rough time with the prep, I have not.

A different prep for you. I have not used it.

https://drinkclearfast.com/product/colonoscopy-kit/?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=10341735097&utm_content=456163428159_c_&utm_term=best%20drink%20for%20colonoscopy%20prep&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIkJb7x9nl7AIVdSCtBh39nQd0EAAYASAAEgLzrPD_BwE