Eggs, low fat plain yoghurt, skim milk, white bread, white pasta, white rice, steamed white fish, boiled chicken, well-cooked peeled potato. You can drink water, tea or coffee with skim milk only (or black tea/coffee), and any other drinks you like as long as they contain skim milk only.
Why Can't I Have Milk Before a Colonoscopy? Anything that you drink other than clear liquids can end up inside of the colon. Similar to how certain dyes can affect your colonoscopy, traces of milk can hide a possible polyp in the walls of the colon.
You may drink clear liquids-only [water, tea (no milk),black coffee (no milk or cream), clear broth] up until 4 hours before your procedure. Any approved medications (as advised by your doctor) may be taken with a sip of water. You may brush your teeth before the procedure.
You may only have light or clear-colored liquids (liquids that you can see through) and nothing that is red or purple in color. However, red or purple colored medications are ok to take the day before your procedure. YOU MAY NOT HAVE smoothies, blended fruit, or vegetable drinks. You may not have any dairy products.
Day Before Your Procedure
Drink only clear fluid (anything you can see through) after a light breakfast (low residue diet eg two pieces of toast). Please drink as much water/clear fluid as you can (ideally more than 2 liters) throughout the day. Solid food, milk or milk products are NOT allowed after breakfast.
Try to drink 2 litres (about 8 to 10 glasses) in total throughout the day (not including the bowel preparation solution). You can drink tea or coffee with a small splash of milk.
Black coffee is considered a clear liquid. However, milk and cream are not considered clear liquid and please do not add them to your coffee. Please be sure to avoid any red liquids. If you have soup, you may have the broth, but no chicken, noodles or vegetables are allowed.
1 Day Before Your Colonoscopy (Prep Day)
Before 10:00 am, you may have a small, light breakfast. Examples of a light breakfast are: eggs, soup or broth with noodles (no meat or vegetables), white crackers, white rice, white potatoes, white bread, Boost® or Ensure®. At 10:00 am, begin a clear liquid diet.
For procedures that are scheduled to start after noon, it is okay to drink clear liquids (black coffee or tea without milk, water, Seven-Up, ginger ale or apple juice) until 5 hours before the start time of the procedure. You should still not eat any solid food after midnight the night before.
And yes, clear liquids include plain water, but you actually have more options than that. Clear liquids can also include things like tea and coffee (without cream), popsicles (without pulp or yogurt), and cranberry juice. “Clear” refers to the fact that the liquids do not have added substances like milk or solid foods.
You can help the cleansing process by eating light 3 or 4 days before the procedure. Doctors recommend low-fiber foods that are easy to digest and leave your system quickly. You can have: White bread, pasta, and rice.
A low-residue diet means eating foods that are low in fiber and avoiding excessive amounts of dairy. This approach helps ensure the patient eats only easily-digestible foods that do not produce too much stool, ultimately promoting a more comfortable experience in the days following a colonoscopy.
Will I be up all night with colonoscopy prep? Probably not, if you start on time. While everyone's body is different, most people are able to complete their round of purging before going to sleep for the night.
Also included in a clear liquid diet is black coffee or tea without cream or powdered creamer and Jell-O without added fruit.
Can I shower, eat breakfast, or brush my teeth the morning of my colonoscopy? You may not eat anything the morning of your procedure, but you may continue to drink clear liquids up until 2 hours before your procedure. You may shower and brush your teeth.
7) I accidentally ate a full dinner and am supposed to have my procedure tomorrow. What do I do? Answer: You can call and re-schedule during business hours the next day. You do not need to show up for your procedure to do this, even if your procedure was early in the morning.
From the afternoon of the day before, solid food is then taboo, only clear broths and drinks are allowed. Cola drinks, coffee and black and green tea can stain the inner wall of the intestine. This makes it difficult for the doctor to check for changes.
It is recommended that you shower the night before or morning of the procedure. After midnight the night before the colonoscopy, you should not eat or drink anything except medications that your surgeon or anesthesiologist has told you are permissible to take with a sip of water the morning of colonoscopy.
Studies have indicated that colonoscopies done during the morning hours have actually contributed to more accurate findings due to a number of varying factors. Although it might not be a thrill to wake up earlier than usual, it could just help your overall health.
Low residue breakfast foods include eggs, white bread, cottage cheese, yogurt, grits, coffee, and tea. You may have clear liquids. Do not drink milk or eat or drink anything colored red or purple.
Most people stop moving their bowels about 2 – 3 hours after finishing the solution. People are different and some have liquid movements until the time of the procedure. The instrument used during the colonoscopy will suction out any liquid left in the bowel.
Typically, bowel prep medication is a solution that you will need to drink starting one day before your procedure. You will be asked to take the colon prep in two doses: the first dose, 3-6 pm the night before your procedure; the second dose, 6-8 hours before your procedure.
Can you eat eggs the day before a colonoscopy? You will usually be asked to avoid eating all solid foods the day before your colonoscopy, including eggs. However in the week preceding your colonoscopy, you can eat eggs.
How long does it take a colonoscopy prep to clear bowels completely? It can take 12 to 16 hours for the bowels to completely clear. Eating a low-residue, soft diet for a day or more before starting the prep can help make it easier and faster.