Preparing for Your Procedure
At AG, we understand that the idea of having a colonoscopy can seem overwhelming. We do our best to make the process as easy as possible. You will generally only need to be off of work for the day of the procedure. Plus, the new formulations of bowel prep are much more tolerable than they used to be.
There are two basic steps to bowel prep before your colonoscopy:
Step 1: Pre-Prep: Clear Liquid Diet (see below for instructions on a clear liquid diet)
Step 2: Prep the Night Before (see below for a list of bowl preps and downloadable instructions)
In some cases, changes to your medical regimen must be made prior to your procedure. Your doctor will let you know if/when you should adjust or stop any medications you take. If you have diabetes, you should follow these diabetic prep instructions as well.
If you misplaced your prep instructions, you can download colonoscopy prep forms here:
Prep Forms
- Pill Cam Prep
- Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Prep
- Flexible Sigmoidoscopy Prep (Spanish)
- Colonoscopy with Clenpiq Prep
- Colonoscopy with GoLYTELY/NuLYTELY
- Colonoscopy with MiraLAX
- Colonoscopy with PLENVU
- Colonoscopy with SuFlav
- Colonoscopy with SuPrep
- Colonscopy with SuPrep (Spanish)
- Colonoscopy with SuTab Prep
- Colonoscopy with SuTab Prep (Spanish)
- Clear Liquid Diet Choices & Recipes
- Diabetic Prep Instructions
- Diabetic Prep Instructions (Spanish)
- Upper Endoscopy (EGD) Prep
- Upper Endoscopy (EGD) Prep (Spanish)
- Low Fiber Diet
- Low Fiber Diet (Spanish)
We recommend a low-fiber diet beginning three days prior to your procedure. This limits the amount of food waste that has to move through the large intestine, which makes the bowel prep easier on your GI tract.
A clean colon increases your doctor’s ability to detect and remove polyps or adenomas before they develop into cancer. This is why following the instructions for a good bowel prep are so important. Learn more about colonoscopy prep and adenoma detection rate.
Clear Liquid Diet
You will begin bowel preparation the evening before and finish by early morning of the procedure. In most cases, a clear liquid diet is required the day before the procedure. Do not eat or drink anything with red or purple food coloring and do not drink alcoholic beverages. It is crucial to follow the instructions carefully to ensure the colon is completely clean. Suggestions for clear liquids include:
- Water
- Tea
- Plain coffee
- Clear juices such as apple or white grape
- Lemonade from powdered mix
- Fruit-flavored drinks, such as Kool-Aid® , Crystal Light® , etc.
- Carbonated beverages/soda such as Sprite®, 7-Up®, Mountain Dew®, etc.
- Sports drinks such as Gatorade® , All-Sport® , Powerade® , etc.
- Fat-free broth/bouillon/consommé
- Plain/flavored gelatins
- Sorbet
- Fruit ices/Italian ices
- Popsicles® (without milk or added fruit pieces)
- Ensure® clear
- Honey
- Sugar
- Hard candy
You can also try these clear liquid drink recipes.
Bowel Prep Products
There are a number of bowel prep solutions available these days. Some can be purchased over the counter while others require a prescription. Which one you choose may depend on what your insurance plan will cover. Prep solutions we typically recommend include:
- Fleet Enema
- Magnesium Citrate
- Milk of Magnesia
- Miralax® (over the counter)
- Miralax® Split Prep (PDF)
- Dulcolax® (over the counter)
- NuLytely® (requires prescription)
- TriLyte® (requires prescription)
- SuPrep® (requires prescription)
- NuLytely TriLyte Split Prep (PDF)
- Plenvu Split Prep (PDF)
If you have any questions or concerns about your procedure or prep, call our office and we will be happy to help.
Patient Testimonials
“The entire staff was pleasant, professional and efficient. I was so nervous and everyone, from the check-in staff to nurses and techs to the anesthesiologist and finally Dr Reddy simply made the whole experience so comfortable. Highly recommend these fine folks.”
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