Less unpleasant colonoscopy prep meds available

[Lisa99]

I had my first ever colonoscopy today. The prep was a non-event so I wanted to share with you the stuff that I was prescribed which is different from the gallons of nasty stuff I've read about on this forum.

The new prep medication is called "Prepopik". It was approved by the FDA last summer and became available for use last fall.

It's a powder that you mix with 5 oz of water, stir and drink. Then over the next 3 hours you drink 40 ounces of clear liquid of your choice. You then take a second dose of the powder mixed with 5 oz of water and follow that with 24 ounces of any clear liquid.

And that was it. I did spend a lot of time in the bathroom like everyone does, but the chugging of lots of nasty tasting stuff is a thing of the past for most (the box did say if you have kidney disease or a few other issues you can't use it, but for most it's safe and effective.)

 

[Sue J]

Sounds better than the saline stuff I had to take along with other prep concoctions. I kept the saline liquid down for about 45 minutes before I "lost it".

Is my Dr. the only one that lets you eat hard boiled eggs during your prep? It really helped me not be hungry. When I asked him about it he said it leaves no residue in the colon. Good trivia to know!

 

[Lisa99]

My doc said nothing that had to be chewed day of prep, so I ended up going about 36 hours without food... But right after the test we hit IHOP and boy were those pancakes food!

 

[REWahoo]

But right after the test we hit IHOP and boy were those pancakes food!

Yep, they are definitely food, and good food to boot!

 

[MBAustin]

Thanks for this info. Too late for DH who is having his colonoscopy on Tuesday but I will definitely request this for my next one.

 

[rodi]

Since it's a new product - I doubt my insurance will cover it. Sigh...

 

[Lisa99]

Yep, they are definitely food, and good food to boot!

LOL... I meant good, but you're right, was definitely good food!

 

[redduck]

Yep, they are definitely food, and good food to boot!

Yeah, when I get the urge to boot a good food, I always think of pancakes.

 

[martyb]

My first colonoscopy 6 or 7 yrs ago, after hearing the stories from others, I was surprised to hear my doctor tell me that I wasn't going to drink that crappy stuff (sorry) but instead he wrote me a prescription for some small pills, and told me to also buy some Dulcolax at the store, over the counter. I took some of the pills, and some of the Dulcolax, and that was it. Colonoscopy came out fine, everything worked as advertised. I wondered why doctors would prescribe any other stuff for a colonoscopy prep. I don't remember the name of the pills.

 

[REWahoo]

I don't remember the name of the pills.

Was it Ripuanewone? Or maybe Diarrheatol?

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

I'm glad it went well for you, Lisa.

There is a lot of variation as to how people tolerate the prep as well as how vigorous the body's reaction is. In some 35 y of practice, I have yet to see a prep that gave smooth results 90% of the time. Alas.

Maybe when you are due 10 years from now there will be no prep at all. Just send in a "sample" from home. With DNA sampling for pre-cancerous DNA changes this is all possible.

 

[oldtrig]

I turn 66 in 35 days and I had my first one 5 weeks ago. I was worried something bad would be found being I had waited so long to do this. I had an uncle die with Colon cancer at 69. It was a very terrible death. He found out he had cancer when he was just about my age. I have always had that thought in the back of my mind but always put it off. I also suffered with bouts of stomach problems for most of my life. Everything with the test was fine and the Doc told me he would see me in 10 years. I am not sure I will ever go through this again. My nerves were bad and of course my bowels acted according the day before I was to drink the nasty stuff. I never want to go though something as bad as this again in my life. Way to many trips to the restroom the two days before. I am relieved nothing was found. The doctor even run the light down my stomach three weeks before this was done and again he said I was great. I think nerves play a big part on how our body works. I am the worry type, always have been and I pay the price for that. In the future I will try not to worry as much now that I know my insides look good. OLDTRIG

 

[Nemo2]

Yeah, when I get the urge to boot a good food, I always think of pancakes.

 

[timeasterday]

Maybe when you are due 10 years from now there will be no prep at all. Just send in a "sample" from home. With DNA sampling for pre-cancerous DNA changes this is all possible.

Maybe in 10 years you just swallow a small "pill" that takes HD video. You can watch it later on your 3D holographic display.

 

[Lisa99]

Maybe when you are due 10 years from now there will be no prep at all

I'm not on the 10-year rotation unfortunately. Doc said there was medium size polyp that's been sent for testing. She said the next test will likely be in 2 -3 years. But I'm ok with that since it's much better than having colon cancer.

 

[Walt34]

I'm on a five-year schedule. The first two did find two or three small polyps and the last one he found none. The prep for the last one was much better, not quite so much volume to ingest and it also replaced much of the electrolytes normally lost so there wasn't near the fatigue afterward. It tasted more like Gatorade than medicine so aside from the intended result it wasn't that bad.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

Sounds like things are getting better. I've had two so far (family history dictates every 5 years starting at age 45) and each time I had a huge number of pills to take. Not as bad as the yucky stories I've read about liquids, but the pills were big, there was an entire bottle full, and you took a dose every 15 minutes followed by 8 oz of water, for two 1-hour periods. That was two sessions of five doses, each followed by a full glass of water. After a while I didn't think my body could hold any more liquids.

I told this story once before, but when the nurse asked me if I had eaten that morning and I looked at her like she was crazy, she explained that they actually get people who answer, "no, nothing, just a couple of scrambled eggs and toast."

And I, too, went to IHOP afterwards.

 

[JoeWras]

I'm not on the 10-year rotation unfortunately. Doc said there was medium size polyp that's been sent for testing. She said the next test will likely be in 2 -3 years. But I'm ok with that since it's much better than having colon cancer.

Ditto for me.

I worried SO MUCH about the prep. People warned me it would hell on earth.

I found it to be trivial.

I used something called "Suprep" (look it up). Just drink 6 oz of some grape flavored stuff. Not bad. Then a few glasses of water. Then repeat 12 hours later or so. I started at 6PM day before. Did it again at 4AM, then had the procedure at 8AM. Doc said prep was perfect -- and he gave me the pictures to prove it. If my procedure was at 10AM, I could have woken up at 6AM instead.

Anyway, they are getting better. I've heard so many horror stories. This was nothing. Sure, the stuff comes out, but it isn't the same as being sick from norovirus. It just comes out -- without the fever, body aches, etc. of being ill. Sorry, maybe TMI, but it fits the thread title.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Sounds like the same amount of liquid whether in glasses of water following a pill or the giant jug of the infamous solution (my recent prep was the latter, plus a side order of magnesium citrate--whoa is that sour!). And the brand name is cutely "Golytely". Poor Holly.

I think I could be a drug addict in that I love the "cognitive sedation" dreamy awareness state. It almost makes up for the prep.

 

[KM]

Sounds better than the saline stuff I had to take along with other prep concoctions. I kept the saline liquid down for about 45 minutes before I "lost it".

This was me.....except I lost it almost immediately. DH on the other hand, drank the stuff like it was a can of his favorite beer. Glad to know it might be better next time.

 

[JoeWras]

This was me.....except I lost it almost immediately. DH on the other hand, drank the stuff like it was a can of his favorite beer. Glad to know it might be better next time.

Ha ha. DW was impressed by my chugging skills when downing the prep solution.

Told her: "Honey, I did learn a few things in college."

 

[IBWino]

@Lisa99,
Thanks for the heads-up regarding Prepopik. I had my first (and hopefully last) colonoscopy today, and compared to what my wife had to go through, the prep using Prepopik was way easy. My doctor had me do the split dose (one dose the evening prior, and final dose morning of), and I don't really think the second dose was necessary.

I used ice cold water for the mix as some had suggested and I thought it tasted like an unsweetened mixture of lime/lemon juice (very tart). Really easy to drink such a small dose, and it only took a few hours to do its thing. Was even able to get a full nights sleep.

Not many people locally have heard of this. I don't think it is used broadly because of the expense (It was $104, but my insurance covered $30 and I found a $10 coupon online, so I paid $64). Still worth every penny to me.

Regards,
Wino

 

[Lisa99]

Glad to hear it was a non-event!

 

[meekie]

I got to use MoviPrep recently, which is also a smaller dose, but was still 1 Liter of prep that I had to take 2 different times. Much better than a gallon though. It was also more expensive, but insurance paid for all but $25, and then got a $10 rebate, so I'm glad I went with it.

I'll look into Prepopik for next time too.

 

[Fermion]

Moviprep is the best drug I have ever used. It does EXACTLY what it says it will do