Colonoscopy prep - any tips?

I am scheduled for a gastroscopy and colonoscopy this Friday. I have been given 2 bottles of Fleet soda-phosphate. I have had it before and it is completely foul and makes me gag. Any tips on what to mix it with? I am feeling pretty wobbly about this, as I had an ultrasound yesterday and they saw a large mass in my pelvis. I am having an MRI before the scopes to determine what it is. I have been having a lot of pain, cramping on left side, with pain going down my left leg and into my lower back, since before Christmas, but put it all down to IBS. I'm worried now that it could be ovarian cancer. I had a hysterectomy in 2011, and had several fibroids removed, one the size of a watermelon. It was a very tough operation with a long recovery period, and I'm really hoping I don't have anything sinister. The ultrasound technician said I will definitely have to have it removed and biopsied. I'm worried that the prep will make it worse, especially as I have had constant diarrhoea for over a year now. I've been told that an incomplete prep could mean a bowel perforation so I need to get it into me somehow!

[Hidden]

Hi there Dedah, I'm so sorry you are going through such a worrying period and I certainly hope that the large mass is in fact an innocent very large cyst/fibroid. I have just had a look on the internet at the preparation you have to take, which you say you've had before, does say you can mix with clear liquid and upon reading the sheet you can have it with soft drinks as long as they are a certainly colour (have a look at the link below, page 5):

medsafe.govt.nz/profs/Datas...

Sorry for the delay in replying to you, I haven't been on my computer for a few hours so not sure if you have any doses left to take.

Best of luck for tomorrow.

Take care

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Thanks so much for replying! That's good to know. I still have one dose to take, so I will definitely try mixing it x

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

I hope that it tasted better with flavour and hope that the procedure has gone well and everything is okay.

x

[runswithdogs]

Some prep tastes better cold, and through a straw. But if you decide to drink it cold, put yourself up in a washroom with the shower, so you can hop into it and warm up if you have to drink a large volume.

[RhiannonT]

How did your colonoscopy go? I had my first one yesterday and although it was uncomfortable it wasn't as bad as some people have made it out to be, I had sedation though. X

[Hidden in reply to RhiannonT]

It wasn't too awful. I had a contrast MRI first and various blood tests, and then a gastroscopy and colonoscopy both under sedation. The prep was the worst bit x

[jbradshaw1]

My Dr. included some lemon aid (like Crystal Light) to mix in with the mixture. Did it help make it easier - a bit. I then drank a real lemon aid right after and it did help. My heart goes out to you for having to put up with all the tests and symptoms, and hope the end result will be a pain free existence and no more diarrhea. I had diarrhea/still have every time I ate, which I believe helped, because all I had to do was sit there - no pushing and no nausea or pain. Of course, everyone is different, but I wish the best for you.

[Hidden in reply to jbradshaw1]

Thanks, jbradshaw. I sipped it through a straw and took a huge gulp of apple juice straight afterwards. The scopes showed some ongoing gastritis, but an ultrasound showed up kidney stones from all the antacids I had been taking, plus a melon-sized tumour on my ovary which had actually been causing all the symptoms since before Christmas. I had been thinking this was a lot worse than my usual IBS!! Bit of a shock! So, I'm doing my pre-op on Monday and scheduled for major abdominal surgery on Friday. I certainly wasn't expecting this, but it shows the importance of tests x

[jbradshaw1 in reply to Hidden]

I meant "are" taking care of it immediately!

[jbradshaw1]

I am so glad you had the test and am taking care of it immediately. I am sending a multitude of Hugs your way!