So I finally got my date today for colonoscopy this coming Wednesday. I thought they’d give me Citrafleet for the prep as my dad had one last week and that’s what he got but for some reason they gave me MoviPrep and I’m freaking out a little (a lot).
I’ve read so much about this prep and it really scares me how many people say it made them vomit. I have severe, severe emetophobia and I really can’t handle even the idea that I could be sick from doing this. I’ve been trying to read positive reviews too but I can’t move past the bad ones! It’s so much liquid to drink too and I really struggle drinking at the best of times. Im extremely slight and I just can’t drink 2 litres even spread out.
I was told it’s too late to switch preps as it’s the weekend when I had my prep call and I’d need to start the prep Tuesday. I’ve thought about asking for urgent appointment with GP on Monday to see if they’d prescribe me Citrafleet instead, has anyone does this?
I know I might be fine with movi prep and I worry over nothing but I don’t know how to move past this and at least give it a go. If I try change dates it could be months before new appointment..I’ll have cinnazine to take (I can’t take anything stronger due to heart condition) and diazepam but I fear these won’t even touch the sides of my anxiety..
Any reassurances?
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Chaucer89
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Try not to worry or over think it. I understand you’re worried but it’s just a drink and actually tastes fine. Just take your time. I’ve had Movieprep several times and it’s way better than the Plenvu one. At the end of the day you might as well try it, you’ve got nothing to lose and it will get you one step closer to having your Colonoscopy sooner rather than later. Best of luck and wish you well.
I was also worried but follow the instructions and take it easy and you’ll get through it. It’s not that bad! I was expecting the worst but you have be calm and it soon passes.
I was worried too, but followed the instructions and it wasn't too bad. I did not experience any nausea. A bit boring being close to the bathroom, but other than that, I read some magazines while sitting. I found baby cream was helpful for any soreness.
Hi Chaucer89, They've prescribed you that fir a reason. Your age is different to that of your dad. Your health issues are different to that of your dad or has evolved differently to your dad. You & your dad are not the same person so please listen and follow what that department is asking you to do.
Like you I cannot stand even the thought of being sick as I nearly died from a blocked airway when drunk about 2 decades ago. Luckily, my twin saved my life. But, I've had to complete this same procedure many times. You've got to be a little regimented to complete it. I cannot do it without using a straw. I also cannot do it without walking about immediately after drinking each dose. Each time I have to drink it I talk to myself out loud telling myself it's for an end goal, a diagnosis andwhich will get me the help I need.
You do what you need to do to get it done. To each their own I say. But you need to try and calm down as stress can alter symptoms, mask a needed diagnosis or make you end up taking medication or treatment that's not needed. Please let us know how you get on. All the best 😍
Thank you for this 🙂 Yes I’ve come to an agreement with my brain that there was a reason I was prescribed this one instead even if I don’t know what that reason is! So will just have to tough it out and get it done! I think if I spend the day before stressing trying to find a doctor who will change it, it’ll just end up with the same prep and a very stressed stomach! So yep, going to take a deep breath and just get this done! 🤞🏻
Please try not to worry, I understand what you mean totally as I’m now on 3 drinks a day of Movicol and I find it a struggle to drink so much, however I add some dilute to my drinks and I no longer overthink it, just take sips sips very often and it goes down fine, try to just take the pressure off yourself as it won’t make you sick. I find that it’s a matter of thinking about other things while drinking this and I now have actually started to feel fine about my two daily drinks! !!! You’ll be okay ❤️
Thank you ☺️ I’m thankfully only going to have to do 2 lots split dose so hopefully I can just get it down slowly, I bought every single version of chaser I could and straws etc and I’ve got 2 hours to get a litre down and then again later in the evening and I could start earlier if I want to give myself more time. I’ve got an anti nausea, I’ve got my diazepam. Mind over matter!
I actually found it not too bad. You can add some orange squash with it (don’t use anything like blackcurrant as that may show as red). Take your time, don’t gulp it. I took a couple of hours to drink each one. I just took a mouthful every few mins followed by a mouthful of water. As my appointment was an afternoon I had to do one evening before and one following morning. It works quite quickly but I managed to sleep from midnight to 6am when I had to get up to start the second litre. Good luck, hope all goes well.
I have emitophobia too. It's really hard for people to understand. This is a chance for them to have a closer look at your tummy issues. It probably won't make you sick. All the best and we all wish you good luck. X
It’s such a horrible phobia isn’t it, really affects every part of my daily life now. I’ve got some anti nausea medication that I’m hoping will keep the worst at bay! Thank you 😊
I found that if I did NOT add the powdered flavoring to it, the drink was just fine (as long as I kept it cold). It tasted like water. At the end of the jug, I tried it with the flavoring just to see the difference and I hated it -- it was just too sweet. Also, I found it much easier to just drink quickly -- not little sips -- and get it over with quickly without thinking about it.
Oh interesting! I did buy a whole range of cordial, squashs, lucozade but I plan to try a sip without first and just experiment what works best! I’m trying to be hopeful that it’s really not that bad and I can just drink it! Thank you 🙂
I admit I haven't taken movicol, but it's a thing about mind over matter. If you think or fear it will make you sick, you might feel queasy drinking it! I don't know about you but I can actually THINK myself into feeling sick if I wish...even on a good day! Obviously I haven't tried that experiment more than once or twice (just to convince me of the power of the mind over the body in some circumstances.)
Brain-gut feedback goes haywire when it gets all those bad vibes!
It's such a pity we aren't allowed to put some shots in with the drink. Then it would be easy to get down...haha!
I wonder if you could find your own flavouring, rather than use the one supplied? (as Sunshineonmyshoulder said the flavouring is the bad part.) There might be some concentrated cordial or something you could add to make it tastier? Maybe not add more liquid volume but make the taste more palatable for you? (not red or a strong colour.)
Good luck with the colonoscopy. It's good to get it done rather than have to wait more months. All the best!
Yup I’ve bought so many different types of drinks to mix or chase it down with, hopefully I’ll find a method that works best for me that doesn’t involve too much extra liquid! As you say, mind over matter! 🤞🏻🤞🏻thank you! ☺️
Hi, I have just been told I have to have a sigmoidoscopy after 2 colonoscopies in the last month. Honestly the prep drink is not too bad, best drunk cold from the fridge. I have still got to have the prep before the sigmoid and the last two times I have been up all night running to the loo but I try to remember I am having this done for a reason!
I’m not too worried about losing sleep as I’m a typical insomniac anyway! 😄 once I’ve got the mixture down and know it’s staying down I’ll relax a lot I think even if it’s relaxing on the toilet. Just got to remember it’s 24 hours of my life, I can do this..thank you 😊
I'm the same as you and really panicked but actually it tasted OK, faintly like tears. I didn't add anything to it and drank the first glass down promptly then more every 20 mins or so. It didn't make me feel sick at all. The toilet bit was also fine, no discomfort or stomach pains, just alot of just sitting there with a book or YouTube videos. Hope all goes well for you.
Chaucer89. I hear you, I was much the same. But as others have said this gets you one step closer to being relieved and proud of yourself when it’s all over. Moviprep is a bit sweet but keeping made up in the fridge for an hour or so beforehand really helps with that as does a straw. Take your time and alternate with a little water. You can do this. 😉
Hi. .. you have posted my exact worries. I too have colonoscopy this week on Saturday I have waited over 1 year and they have prescribed movicol. Have had picolax twice before so know that animal as it were. The very though of drinking so much mad me feel physically sick. I even told the assessment this. But she said as I was experiencing both diahorea and constipation this was the best prep. Even told her I can't use a straw due to previous bells palsy left me with partial facial paralysis
I hope all goes well for you. If you kindly let us know how you get on ? xxx
Solidarity here ❤️ I tried getting mine to switch too but there must be a reason they prescribed this one for me (I have numerous medical issues) so I need to just try it. I’m thankful at least it’s not that Golightly one, that’s an insane amount of liquid!
I hope that we both get through the process absolutely fine! I’m going to take my time drinking it, I think it’ll be easier with no food. I tried to do a mock test of drinking a litre of squash today but my lunch got in the way! I’ve got numerous options for mixing and chasers and just try to remember it won’t be long, one day and then I’m going to do some lovely online retail therapy for myself once I’ve got through this!
I will certainly let you know how it goes, hopefully all positive experience to report 🤞🏻 everyone on here has been so reassuring to me today, I’m very grateful, still terrified but grateful 😄
So after allllll that, I phoned the hospital to check where my prep was as still hadn’t turned up today and supposed to start tomorrow and it turns out they ran out of moviprep so I’m on citrafleet (picolax). Couldn’t believe it, the fates were working with me for once. I told the nurse you have just made my day. I have to start tonight with the senna but I’m just so relieved I feel I can deal with it a bit better now 😅 still nervous but better.
I hope you do okay with the moviprep, I’d be interested to hear how you get on? if you want to comment on here 🙂 Hopefully I never have to do this again but never say never I suppose!
I hope the suggestions and reassurances are helping you - I won’t repeat them but I do endorse them. I just want to say try thinking about that lovely feeling once the procedure is over and you will hopefully very soon get some relief and good news.
Thank you ☺️ everyone’s been so kind and helpful, I’m very grateful. I’m almost impatient to get started now, just want to know how it’s going to go. I’m definitely planning to treat myself to something (or many somethings) nice after it’s all done! A good bookshop splurge most likely 😊
I have had Moviprep for my last 2 colonoscopies with no problem - I'm 70+. I was really very well taken care of. Remember that the purpose of the procedure is to make sure that there is nothing nasty going on. You can always add some orange squash to help you to get the stuff down. Good Luck!
My reasoning to my brain is 250-500ml is better than 1 litre! I’d much rather drink a small amount of the gunk and then a litre of orange squash than a litre of the gunk! Small positives but still positives!
My instructions say to let it heat and cool for 5 minutes and then use cold water so going to put bottle of water in the fridge today so it’s really cold. Hopefully will help and it goes down okay. Hope yours goes well too, fingers crossed for us both 🤞🏻
I was exactly the same when I had to do my bowel prep with moviprep for my colonoscopy and went to the doctor who wasn't helpful at all, my usual doctor was on leave and I saw my old doctor who just dismissed my worries and told me I had to do it or wouldn't be able to have the colonoscopy. I was down to 7 stones 8 at the time and struggling really bad to keep anything down, I did the prep as instructed and while it's not pleasant (or at least I thought) it didn't make me feel sick in fact as my bowel emptied I became ravenously hungry. Because I'd been eating so little after just 2 hours and 1 litre my bowel movements were clear liquid, I did however persevere with the second litre on the evening as instructed but only could stomach half litre and was worried they wouldn't be able to do the scope, but because my diet was so scarce and small the amount I'd used done the trick, the colonoscopist marked it down as a good clean prep and everything was fine with the scope.
I opted for the gas and air as I didn't want to spend the day spaced out and while it was uncomfortable I coped and they fully completed the procedure and I was finished within 30 mins.
It's scary and horrible to have to subject your body to an intense day of laxatives and I totally understand your fears but try and put them to one side and i swear you will be ok.
Best of luck with your scope and the prep, you'll honestly be fine and it is worth it to finally get some answers.
I survived, let’s go with that for now 😄 so nice of you to follow up, I’ve unfortunately not had a day off from other hospital appointments this week so I’m just absolutely wiped now. Prep was rough going, the first lot went fine and I was like yeh I can do this but the second was weirdly a lot worse tasting to drink and it all went down from there, nauseous and tired. Woke in the morning feeling pretty darn rough but got to hospital okay. I was aware for the procedure despite them stopping twice to give more sedation and painkiller, was painful on the turns but nothing too unbearable. They were very nice at least. All results completely normal! Feel I should be more disheartened that I still have no answers but I’m just so relieved I never have to do that again!
Unfortunately I did lose 1.5kg in much needed weight and my heart condition wasn’t happy with the stress on my body but should calm. Had bloods done next day by chance and doc rang to say yeh you dehydrated but going to give me a few days to catch up before I might go have an IV drip to help me.
Mine is tomorrow. And the prep is as u say something else. Don't recall last time being this bad.
I was at a hospital appointment this afternoon.. was running very late I asked how long cos I've got start plenvue etc at 4pm. Ohh she said ... feel guilty cos I was sent in next! Ahead of all the waiting folk 🫢 . I was still 45 min late starting it.
Hope u resting and drinking lucozade and even dioralyte to replace body minerals xx
I was the same in a way, supposed to start my prep at 6pm, it got delivered only an hour before. I was stressing. Why they can’t do it so can just go pick it up at local pharmacy I don’t know.
Honestly I can’t face the lucozade that I’ve bought as it’s same orange flavour as the prep and it’s taken me a good two days to stop feeling mighty nauseous just thinking about it 😷 I’m going to go to shops and see about other flavours but I’m hoping just drinking lots of extra water etc will help. My electrolytes weren’t bad, magnesium was a little high so hopefully shouldn’t take much to recover, I just haven’t had the time to actuality rest! Body did better then I thought it would so overall Im pleased with how I coped.
Hope you aren’t wiped out too bad by yours, I’m so relieved it’s over with, hopefully you’ll be the same in less than 24 hours! Let me know how you get on if you’d like 🙂 fingers crossed for good results x
Reminds me of one New Years Eve when I was given a sip of champagne as a wee lad. Little did anyone know, but I was also coming down with the flu at the same time. Still don't care for champagne to this day.
Yup! Im the same with Battenberg cake, my brothers 10th birthday party and me unknowingly having a tummy bug brewing that day. Didn’t even eat any! More than 2 decades on, still don’t even like looking at that cake. The brains memory is a bit too powerful sometimes!
Well I survived lol. X despite crippling hunger pains before the procedure and it turns out I was 'sensitive ' to the prep as I came out in a rash, had muscle aches and palpitations. But still.... over with now. Was uncomfortable in places they had to stop to top up sedation but otherwise not too bad, Confirmed what was already known. So got wait see consultant now. Xx
Ooof glad you managed to get through it, its such a rough procedure, I’m still feeling like utter poop. Good to get answers from it, though I hope it’s nothing too bad for you to get sorted. Hopefully now it’s over you soon get to treat yourself to a favourite meal and relax X
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