Procedures & Preparation
VISICOL TABLETS
All women under 50 years of age must have a urine pregnancy test performed in our office, prior to your procedure
COLONOSCOPY PREPARATION
A thorough cleansing of the colon is essential and the examination is most successful if you follow the directions for preparation completely, as outlined below. Improper cleansing may result in rescheduling your procedure. If you have any questions about the test or preparation, please do not hesitate to call our office.
On the day of your appointment, someone must accompany you to the office or hospital. Plan to be with us for a total of two to three hours. When you arrive, you will need to complete your paperwork and then change into a patient gown. If you are a woman under the age of 50, you will be asked to give urine sample. The nursing staff will take you into the procedure room, perform a brief assessment, and place an I.V. You will be then sedated and undergo the colonoscopy. The colonoscopy itself takes about 15-30 minutes.
After the colonoscopy, you will rest in the recovery area while the sedative wears off. Due to the sedation, you may not remember your conversation with the doctor after the colonoscopy. Please have a family member or friend stay with you that can speak with the doctor and nurses after the procedure. By law, you cannot drive the rest of the day of the colonoscopy. We advise you to take the entire day off work.
Please bring a list of all prescription medications and non-prescription products (over-the-counter, anti-inflammatory, herbal, vitamins, etc) you are taking and a list of any medications you are allergic to.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS:
- Stop ASPIRIN, ADVIL, MOTRIN, ALEVE, IBUPROFEN or any other anti-inflammatory drugs nine days before your procedure. You may take TYLENOL only.
- Stop individual Vitamin E or Gingko biloba supplements nine days before your procedure.
- If you take COUMADIN, PLAVIX or any other BLOOD THINNERS, please inform us. A blood test may need to be performed before your procedure. We recommend that you speak with your cardiologist or primary physician regarding stopping your blood thinners.
- Take your BLOOD PRESSURE or HEART MEDICATIONS without interruption, including the morning of your procedure.
- If you are DIABETIC, check with your primary physician regarding taking your insulin or oral diabetic medications.
- Stop any iron preparations, Metamucil or fiber preparations five days prior to your appointment. You may take multivitamins that contain iron.
- If you require antibiotics before going to the dentist or for a heart murmur, valve disease or joint replacement, please inform us.
COLONOSCOPY PREP INSTRUCTIONS
Purchase These Items Ahead of Time:
- 1 bottle of Visicol tablets (per prescription from our office)
Please do not eat any corn or seed products for 72 hours prior to your procedure
THE DAY BEFORE YOUR COLONOSCOPY:
- Start on a CLEAR LIQUID DIET from the moment you get up and continue all day:
| Clear bouillon | Tea (without milk) | Sprite |
| Chicken broth | Coffee (without milk) | 7-up |
| Vegetable broth | Kool-Aid (not red) | Ginger Ale |
| Beef broth | Carbonated beverages | Apple juice |
| Consomme | Iced tea | White grape juice |
| Jello (not red) | Gatorade (not red) | Italian ice (not red) |
- NO SOLID FOOD of any kind for the entire day.
- Throughout the day, make sure to drink at least eight glasses (two quarts) of fluids such as Gatorade or a similar product, preferably not only plain water.
- Take your usual prescription medications. If you are on coumadin or other blood thinners, please contact our office and your primary physician for specific instructions at least one week prior to the colonoscopy.
6:00 p.m. Take 4 Visicol tablets with 8 ounces of ginger ale or any other clear carbonated beverage. Continue to take 4 more Visicol tablets every 15 – 20 minutes (i.e. 6:15, 6:30, 6:45, 7:00) with 8 ounces of ginger ale or other clear carbonated beverage, for a total of 5 doses (20 tablets). If you develop nausea or fullness, slow down – stop drinking the tablets for 30-60 minutes, then resume at a slower rate.
Remember to remain close to toilet facilities! It can take 1 – 4 hours for diarrhea to begin. You should continue to have diarrhea until the stool is completely clear (i.e. liquid/watery with no particles).
You may continue to have clear liquids for the rest of the evening until bedtime.
THE DAY OF YOUR COLONOSCOPY:
7 hours before your colonoscopy: Take 4 Visicol tablets with 8 ounces of ginger ale or any other clear carbonated beverage. 15 minutes later, take another 4 Visicol tablets with 8 ounces of ginger ale or any other clear carbonated beverage (total 8 tablets).
Stop drinking all fluids at least 6 hours before your procedure.
You may not have anything to eat or drink the entire day, until after your procedure is completed. If you take prescription medications, you may take them in the morning with a small sip of water. Continue with all your usual prescription medications – please be sure to take any blood pressure or heart medications the morning of the test with a sip of water.