You may brush your teeth. However, unless specifically instructed by your doctor to drink the remainder of a split-dose prep, you are generally asked to refrain from eating or drinking anything, even water, the morning of your procedure.
You can rinse your mouth with water or a mouthwash. Make sure to chill it before drinking it. Try drinking it through straw. Suck on Italian lemon ices in between sips of the prep solution.
1 Day Before Your Colonoscopy (Prep Day)
Do not eat anything solid. No red, orange or purple products. No dairy products or creamers. Clear liquids include water, tea, coffee, apple juice, white grape juice, white cranberry juice, sports drinks, vitamin waters, Jell-O®, broth and soda.
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.
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. Will I be shaved before my colonoscopy? You will not be shaved.
Patients typically are placed in the left lateral position for colonoscopy, and their buttocks are exposed.
You may keep most clothing on for upper endoscopy as well as comfortable shirt and socks for colonoscopy. Women may keep their bra on for the procedure. Please do not wear lotions, oils or perfumes/cologne to the center due to the monitoring devices.
DAY OF COLONOSCOPY
bowels at least 10-15 times. By the end of your prep, your stool should become a clear, yellow-tinged fluid. scheduled, but then nothing by mouth after that.
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.
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. You will not have an “accident” during the procedure.
For your safety, do not drive, operate machinery, or power tools for at least 8 hours after getting sedation. Your doctor may tell you not to drive or operate machinery until the day after your test. Do not sign legal documents or make major decisions for at least 8 hours after getting sedation.
CLEAR LIQUIDS INCLUDE: water, chicken/beef/vegetable broth, flavored waters, apple juice, Jell-O, Kool-Aid, coffee, tea, Sprite, Gatorade, PowerAde, Mountain Dew, Coke/Pepsi, Rootbeer, and Slurpee's. DO NOT DRINK milk or use any dairy or non-dairy creamer in your coffee or tea.
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.
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.
Since you can't eat solid food on the day of your procedure, it may be a good idea to schedule your colonoscopy for the morning so you don't have to wait until the afternoon or evening to eat.
The medicine you received during the procedure may stay in your body for up to 24 hours. You may feel tired or sleepy and have difficulty concentrating. Once you get home, relax for the rest of the day.
You may pass liquid and/or liquid stool after your colonoscopy but, within one to five days, your bowel movements should return to normal.
Signs Your Colon is Clear
The morning of your exam if you are still passing brown liquid with solid material mixed in, your colon may not be ready and you should contact your doctor's office. Passing mostly clear or only a light color, including yellow, is a sign your colon is clean enough for an accurate examination.
What are the effects of the “bowel prep?” You will have lots of diarrhea from the bowel prep. This will start anywhere from a few minutes to 3 hours after you start your prep. Many people have bloating, abdominal discomfort, and/or nausea. This is uncomfortable and almost always safe.
During the procedure, you will only wear a gown and nothing else (underwear is removed for obvious reasons).
As a general rule, it is best to take the rest of the day off from work after a colonoscopy and give yourself 24 hours to feel 100% normal again.
You will be changing in and out of a hospital gown for the procedure, and tight-fitting or cumbersome clothing can make this more difficult, particularly after sedation.