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Laxative before colonoscopy

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Irritable Bowel Syndrome
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Posted 3/29/2006 8:33 AM (GMT -6)
This may be a really silly question - but I've never ever had a laxative before. Next week I've got my first colonoscopy. I've got to have laxative the day before. At work I can go to the toilet anytime I like, and it's within very easy access (I work with computers and sit at a desk all day). I'm just wondering whether it's safe to go to work the day before the colonoscopy (ie. the day I take the laxative)? I presume I'll still be able to control it when taking a laxative? I'm just worried about having an embarrasing accident before I can get to the toilet! Please bare in mind that I've never taken a laxative before - so I don't really know what to expect.

Cheers,
Dan.
Posted 3/29/2006 8:49 AM (GMT -6)

Hi there,

Are you from the UK?  If so, what laxative have they given you?  If I were you I wouldn't go to work as It will give you the runs.  A laxative before a colonoscopy id designed to clear out your system.  If you can take the day off do!

Tori

Posted 3/29/2006 9:09 AM (GMT -6)
Hi. Yes, I'm from the UK. I've not received the laxative yet - it should arrive through the post later on in the week. I'll let you know what it is when it arrives.

I could take the day off, but as I'm running out of holidays fast - I would rather not if it's not necessary. I don't mind having to go to toilet a lot at work - my only worry is having an accident, and never being able to show my face around work again! :(
Posted 3/29/2006 9:50 AM (GMT -6)

If Its for a colonoscopy it will prob be something called citramag but if its a sigmoidoscopy it will prob be a fletchers enema.  I'm a nurse so i know (i'm not sad and know this for the sake of it!!!!!!).

Hope you get on ok, let me know how you gt on

Victoria (was tori but decided to use my proper name!)

Posted 3/29/2006 10:19 AM (GMT -6)
Hi Dracan,

I also agree that you should stay home if possible. Being that you have no experience with laxatives, you do not know what your reaction will be and since this is a prep, the laxatives are much stronger than you buy for constipation. I have urgency already however with the bowel prep the urgency is 10x worse. I have had an accident a few years ago on my first prep but now better because I am more aware of it. They still can happen though even if you are aware of the warning signs so to speak.
Posted 3/29/2006 11:11 AM (GMT -6)
Oh my goodness, take the day off.  Really, I'm serious.  If you're anything like me, you will go approximately 50 times, on the verge of every 5 minutes for several hours.  I am not exaggerating.  Your bum will be so sore, too, that you probably will have difficulty sitting!  It is just no fun at all.  Good luck; we've all been there, dude!

Posted 3/29/2006 11:44 AM (GMT -6)
Yes, sore bumhole. Get yourself some baby wipes or use a wet washcloth because the paper will eventually begin to chafe. I can't remember how many times I went during the day, but it was a lot. Sit down, get up, potty, sit down, get up, potty. I eventually took to just sitting on the toilet and reading because it was easier than pacing back and forth, lol. It won't be like that ALL day, though. Once you get through your laxative drink or pills or whatever, you'll eventually go less and less because there's nothing left in there to come out. But for me the peak of my bathroom trips was about halfway through that nasty stuff they make you drink. Like water out of a pool at low tide. Just needed some Sea Monkeys swimming around in it, ROFL!

I have learned this (the hard way) after taking laxatives. If you feel the need to pass gas, first go sit on the toilet, then try pooting. Because what feels like a poot may be a bowel movement instead (pooped my pants once because of that).
Posted 3/29/2006 12:54 PM (GMT -6)
No question about it, stay home, there's no way you can likely control your bowels once a laxative is in the picture, save yourself the high risk of embarassment and stay home.

take care
Posted 3/30/2006 12:13 AM (GMT -6)
It depends on when your test is. My colonscopy was at 2PM so I didn't start the phospo junk till around dinner and then again in AM. If you have to take it in the AM or around lunch stay home. Mine takes a long time to work on me and it gets more urgent as the day goes on. If you are worried try to get a late appt. I had a normal breakfast, no milk and then liquids the rest of the day and in AM no dairy and only clear liquids.
Posted 3/30/2006 10:28 AM (GMT -6)
You don't want to be in the public while taking a prep.  You won't have hardly any control.  The bms will come fast and looser and eventually they'll be liquid.

If you have to prep during the day, stay home.  Also try to eat light meals the day before you prep to make it easier on your system.

And while prepping, go to the toilet, don't assume it's gas, very very wise advice.

Posted 3/30/2006 8:54 PM (GMT -6)
ya, never trust a fart, but I have to say whenever I've prepped, I've never felt like I was going to fart, just poop!
Posted 3/30/2006 10:51 PM (GMT -6)
When I prepped I went at least 30 times. There's no way anyone can get any work done while pooping every 5 minutes. Dan, it really is that often. You won't have time to buckle yourself back in your clothes, wash your hands, get back to your desk and resume work. By the time you make the walk back to your desk you will have to turn right back around. Stay home.
Good luck! Let us know how it goes.

LOL Sharts are not fun... you gotta be careful when passing wind.
Posted 3/31/2006 6:33 AM (GMT -6)
I also just thought about this... How would you ever get through the drive home? Like the others said, you could be going for hours and just because some stopped after so many hours, I was still going until 4am the morning of the scope. Since you are fasting, you may also want to think about that as being another reason for not going to work. You will not be able to concentrate and you may be a little weak.
Posted 3/31/2006 10:35 AM (GMT -6)
I kept pooping long after I stopped taking the laxative. In fact, I was still going to the bathroom the next morning before my exam, even though my mother said I should have stopped by then. But, hey, I had diarrhea problems to begin with; I guess it doesn't take much to get someone like me going and hard to get them stopped.
Posted 3/31/2006 11:52 AM (GMT -6)
I had my scope at 1pm so I had to prep the night before and the morning of. I was still pooping (really just water) up until 5 minutes before leaving. I barely had time to shower. I told my doc to watch out, that I had been going up until just before I left the house. Thankfully I didn't have to go again... But who knows if anything came out when they shoved that rod up there.
But who cares, I'm sure those docs have seen it all.
Posted 3/31/2006 12:15 PM (GMT -6)
Stuff came out of me when the did my test; I saw a little yellow fluid on the hospital sheets when I was getting up. I'm sure that's quite common.
Posted 4/4/2006 11:33 AM (GMT -6)
Wow! There's been a lot of replies since I last checked!!!

Well, today is the day of the prep. I had my first dose at 8am this morning, and my second dose at 3pm this afternoon. Like a lot of you adviced, I did take the day off. Luckily, it went down as treatment and didn't come out of my holidays. To be honest, it's not been that bad - and I probably could of gone to work. I've probably been about 15-20 times, but each time only took about 2 minutes because it left my system so quickly. "Niagara Falls" just about sums it up ;) I've had enough warning too. My stomach would start rumbling just before I needed to go. I see what you all mean about the sore bumhole!!! Ouch!!!

dbab - As for the drive home, I live just around the corner from work :)
Posted 4/4/2006 12:11 PM (GMT -6)
Good luck, Dracan! Let us know how it goes.
Posted 4/4/2006 12:15 PM (GMT -6)
Well, nothing like laying up and pooping all day, lol. At least you don't have to worry about a toliet not being available or people giggling at the number of times you go to the bathroom during the day (some of us are paranoid like that!).

That's the worst part--well, that and the not eating, I didn't care for that one bit--so tomorrow should go well for you.
Posted 4/4/2006 12:20 PM (GMT -6)
Luckily, it's not like that at my work. I go to the toilet a lot anyway, and everyone at work knows that I suffer from IBS. I'm quite open about it, so there's no reason for them to gossip behind my back - as I've already told them all they need to know ;)

I agree with you about the not eating bit! I'm starving!!!!! :( I'll be eating the kitchen bare tomorrow evening!!! Then of course, Thursday will be a bad IBS day due to the amount I eat the night before! Sod it though! ;)
Posted 4/4/2006 12:27 PM (GMT -6)
Dracan,
Remember that you will still have the laxative effect in you for tomorrow and possibly the next day so if you don't want to cramp really bad, I would advise you to eat small and take it easy at first. A lot of us have learned that the hard way. :)
Take Care and let us know how the scope goes
Posted 4/5/2006 12:41 PM (GMT -6)
Well, had the colonoscopy today. They said that all appeared normal. They took a sample from the inside of my colon to analyse just to make sure. It was quite a harmless procedure to be honest. I can't really remember it due to the sedative - it's kind of like trying to remember a dream. I got the taxi there and back - and to be honest I wish I had driven. I got told that I wouldn't be in a fit state to drive. However, 10 minutes after the procedure - I was back to my normal self. Bit of a waste of £25 taxi fairs.

I spoke to my gastroenterologist while I was there, and he said that they had received a 2nd set of results through from the stool sample I gave a couple of weeks ago. He said that they had found a small trace of bacteria that could possible cause my frequent bowel movements. I'll find out more when I next visit him. So fingers crossed, it might just be something that a course of antibiotics will cure!

They're also going to do a pancreas scan due to my pale stools.

Out of curiousity - would all the laxative that I took yesterday of cleared out all the bad bacteria from my gut? In the hopes that it had - I took some acidophilus as soon as I got home from the colonoscopy - so the good bacteria can recolonate first! :)
Posted 4/5/2006 12:45 PM (GMT -6)
Recolonate ... love that!! :)

Yes the laxatives will clean out a lot of the flora (bacteria) however not all and it will flush out good and bad so you did a good thing in taking your probiotics.

I'm glad to hear everything went smoothly. Good luck on the pancreas scan. Take Care
Posted 4/5/2006 3:28 PM (GMT -6)
I wish I had done so well after my scan. I think they double-dosed me on the sedative. My mother had to dress me before I left the hospital because I kept falling asleep while trying to do it. In fact, the nurses couldn't get me to wake up and had her come back there to try and wake me up. They finally got me out the door, but I slept while eating breakfast (!) and slept the whole rest of the day. My procedure was really early in the morning and I didn't get woken up from it until about 8 that night!!! I didn't have anywhere near that much problem getting over the anasthesia for my surgery. I certainly don't have any memory of the procedure, though; I can barely remember what happened after I :woke up", lol.
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