It's Prep time! (almost)

I'm having my c-scope tomorrow at noon and will start prepping tonight at 6 p.m. with GoLytely...it's my first time using it so i'm a little nervous. And i'm extremely hungry already and still have 26 more hours to go until i can eat!

Anyone else prepping tonight or soon?

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23 years old
Diagnosed with UC March 2007

Asacol 4 tablets 3x/day

I've got one coming up on the 18th. I'm doing the phospho soda prep. Good luck!

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Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis spring 1999

So sorry! I hate the prep! It's the worst!!

Are you doing the Go-Lytely or Half-Lytely? Either way I will be thinking of you tonight. Try to keep busy!

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Kelly, 29

Left sided UC diagnosed 1/98 age 19, Pan colitis diagnosed 1/07
Currently on 4x3 Asacol, Rowasa every other night, down to 20 mg pred.
75mg Imuran starting 8/23/07---fingers crossed!
Prontonix once daily for acid reflux, zofran twice daily for nausea

Hi there, I'm prepping too, using the UK's version of Go-lytely, called Klean Prep. My instructions told me to start at 3pm, I've managed 3 litres so far. The first 2 were tolerable but I've had to heavily disguise it with lime cordial, every swallow is making me shudder now....yuk!
Roll on this time tomorrow when it'll all be over

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Current meds

Asacol MR 400mg x2 3times/day
Fish Oil 1000mg 1 cap
Acidophilus 2 tabs
Aloe Elite 4 caps x2
Multi Vit x1
Caprylic Acid x1
Chewable Calcium & Vit D 2 tabs
Yakult


Diagnosed '96 ?colitis?crohns (biopsies inconclusive)
Remission for 11yrs, no meds
Current flare since April 07, awaiting scope

I've only had experiances with prepping with the phospho-soda so Princesa, if you pour only 1/3 of the phospho into a full clear glass of cold pop then you won't hardly taste the phospho or notice the oily consistancy of it...doing this 3 times in total will get the entire bottle of phospho down...I use ice in my drink as well, and you have to drink it as fast as you can, then follow with plenty of water afterwards...

Also, eating mostly a liquid diet a day or 2 BEFORE prepping cuts way back on cramping and such too.


:)

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My bum is broken....there's a big crack down the middle of it!  LOL  :)

Good luck, Sara14! Let us know how things work out ASAP-- we're all rooting for you to have the easiest possible time getting thru the prep & scope. / Old Hat

pb4: "clear glass of cold pop" meaning like Sprite or 7-Up? On the celiac board, I've heard several people recommend using ginger ale. When the lady in my GI's office gave me the instructions, she said use only water. When I asked about mixing it with something else, she seemed puzzled and didn't know what to tell me. I figured I'd ask my pharmacist. It's been many years since I've had a scope, but I want to say I mixed it with cherry 7-up when I did it before.

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Diagnosed with ulcerative colitis spring 1999

Hi guys! Thanks for all the replies.

Quick question: Am I supposed to be taking my Asacol while on the clear liquid diet? My GI's nurse told me to continue with it, but my pharmacist said not to take it. I've already taken two doses of it today. I know I've asked this before, but I'm asking again just for some reassurance. Thanks!

Coalfire - How is it going? I'll be thinking of you tonight and tomorrow. I hope everything goes well tomorrow. I don't have to start drinking it until 6 p.m. because I'm drinking half tonight and half tomorrow.

princesca - Good luck with your c-scope, too!

kb5 - It's the GoLytely. Thanks for the concern. I appreciate it. =)

Also - was I supposed to mix it early this morning and let it sit for a while? I just mixed it about 20 minutes ago and am supposed to start drinking it soon.

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23 years old
Diagnosed with UC March 2007

Asacol 4 tablets 3x/day

nevermind about my Asacol question. I just got ahold of my GI (he was on-call) and he told me there is no point in taking them because they will "just zip right through you," in his words. lol. Time to start drinking...

I'm already having diarrhea after only drinking 3 glasses...is that normal?

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23 years old
Diagnosed with UC March 2007

Asacol 4 tablets 3x/day

Oh I feel your pain! I had my scope 2 weeks ago. My last scope was done 5 years ago and I used the GoLytely. It was so much. This time I had the phosphosoda and it wasn't as bad b/c it was a smaller amount. I only did 2 doses of it. The preps are the worst part. Once you get through it you'll be okay. I hope you get good results tomorrow. Good luck!!

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Good Luck with your test tomorrow

Janice

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Thank you.

I'm done drinking the prep for tonight...have to wake up at 6 a.m. tomorrow to finish the other half. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I'm glad I only have to drink half at a time. I can't imagine having to drink the whole gallon in one night. My BMs are already almost clear, so maybe I won't have to finish it all.

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23 years old
Diagnosed with UC March 2007

Asacol 4 tablets 3x/day

Good luck with your 2nd dose and the scope, Sara. I must admit the worst part was drinking the stuff, no real cramps as such, just lots of gurgling then the water!

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Current meds

Asacol MR 400mg x2 3times/day
Fish Oil 1000mg 1 cap
Acidophilus 2 tabs
Aloe Elite 4 caps x2
Multi Vit x1
Caprylic Acid x1
Chewable Calcium & Vit D 2 tabs
Yakult


Diagnosed '96 ?colitis?crohns (biopsies inconclusive)
Remission for 11yrs, no meds
Current flare since April 07, awaiting scope

The prep is much worse than the c-scope itself, but I have to admit I liked the feeling of my colon being empty!  Good luck today.

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Coalfire - Yeah, I agree...the worst was drinking the stuff, but I didn't have any cramps or nausea or anything. Just a sore butt! Whoever said the prep was like "peeing out of your butt" was exactly right. lol.

love4cats - Thanks!

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23 years old
Diagnosed with UC March 2007

Asacol 4 tablets 3x/day

My colonoscopy went well yesterday. I had some pretty bad gas pains last night and some mild bleeding, but am feeling much better today. I was out for most of it, but kind of remember parts. They gave me Versed and Fentanyl.

A few inches of my rectum is inflamed. I don't know the exact amount...my GI just showed me how much with his hand afterward...I think it was about 4-5 inches. So, he told me to just continue with 12 Asacol a day and that I could do Rowasa if I wanted to. I think I should, because I really want to get into remission...I've been flaring since January and am sick of it, but I'm glad it's only in my rectum now.

He took some biopsies in the rectum area. Do they usually take biopsies all over or only in the inflamed portions? I am confused about something else, too...I wanted to know what "type" of UC I have (i.e. pancolitis, proctitis, etc.), but he said he couldn't tell me that because only my rectum is involved right now. Isn't there a way to tell through biopsies even if the other parts aren't inflamed at the moment? I know I at least had left-sided colitis in February, if not pancolitis (they couldn't do a complete c-scope at that time due to inflamation, so I don't know the exact extent of the disease).

I have another appointment with my GI in mid-November.

Coalfire - How did your scope go? Hope it went well.

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23 years old
Diagnosed with UC March 2007

Asacol 4 tablets 3x/day

Just my experience with my last prep......

I used Pico-salax and it worked very well and easy to take.....only 2 packets and one big glass of water every hour till the affects stop. and it tastes like strong ice tea.  That is my preferance from now on.  But just so you know....it works VERY well, the last time I took it, it was still working kinda and I was being wheeled in for my scope.  lol.... I warned them.

Has anyone heard of OsmoPrep?  It is a tablet form of prep made by Salix.  I guess my question is if there are alternatives, why do GIs prescribe a large amount of an awful tasting liquid?  My GI prescribes the small green bottle.  It's really not too bad.  I have a friend who was preping with the other stuff.  I tasted a small amount to encourage her.  I would sue my GI if he prescribed that for me.  I have a colonoscopy scheduled next month.  Good luck Sara. 

Sara :)

You're confused about what type of UC you have...UC is UC (ulcerative colitis) pancolitis involves the colon only and not the rectom to my understanding (I could be wrong), and proctitis is strictly inflammation in the rectom which could be from either crohns disease (as CD can affect the entire GI tract) or ulcerative colitis.

:)

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My bum is broken....there's a big crack down the middle of it!  LOL  :)

All UC involves the rectum since that's where it starts. It travels upward in a continual pattern ... to limited or throughout.

The types are mild, moderate, severe, and they are determined by where in the colon they are.

Mild...ulcerative proctitis/sigmoiditis (rectum/ rectum, sigmoid)

Moderate...left-sided/transverse (rectum/sigmoid/all of or most of the descending colon/ either including or not including the transverse)

Severe...throughout/pancolitis (rectum/sigmoid/descending/transverse/ascending/cecum) (and maybe even backwash ileitis)

Remember, it starts at the rectum and grows upward..it will always be involved no matter where it ends.
That's why the suggestion for all to use rectal meds.

quincy

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Sara..great your scope went well. Keep us posted as to the results.

do the rowasa.

q

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Hi Sara, Glad your scope went well!
Mine was fine, I opted for no sedation/pain relief initially, but when he pumped that gas in I had second thoughts! He gave me a small dose of midazolam and pethidine, so I was awake throughout and was able to see it all on the screen which was great! Most of the problem is rectal/sigmoid, everything further up to the ileum looked fine, but he said as he was reversing that it was down about the 20cm mark that the inflammation was evident. He took several biposies, random ones of the normal looking areas as well. I could see inflammation and vessels that were bleeding in the rectum. Back next week for the biopsy results. No change in meds at the moment, but he thinks suppositories might be better than foam or enemas at targetting the low down stuff, but I'll know more next week.

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Current meds

Asacol MR 400mg x2 3times/day
Fish Oil 1000mg 1 cap
Acidophilus 2 tabs
Aloe Elite 4 caps x2
Multi Vit x1
Caprylic Acid x1
Chewable Calcium & Vit D 2 tabs
Yakult


Diagnosed '96 ?colitis?crohns (biopsies inconclusive)
Remission for 11yrs, no meds
Current flare since April 07, awaiting scope

Just to follow up on what Quincy said, I don't think the extent of your disease (proctitis, left-sided colitis, pancolitis, etc.) is necessarily analogous to the severity of it.  I think one can have very severe but limited inflammation or extensive but relatively minor inflammation. 

The new doc I'm seeing told me there are some rare cases where the left side is affected and an isolated spot somewhere over on the right is affected... but it apparently doesn't happen very often.

The clinical definition of the types is where it is. I had mild UC..but it was severe in my symptoms. I didn't get it either..but didn't care of the clinical definition. I suffered terribly.

There is one type of UC where it affects the rectum and the cecum and not in between. I thin it eventually becomes pancolitis...many patients don't see the doctors for constipation or necessarily bleeding until it becomes unbearable. As well...many docs assume it's hemorrhoids.

I don't believe that IBS becomes UC or that UC and CD happen at the same time. I do believe there are many doctors who don't know how to diagnose...or that the patients' symptoms are just at the point of not having a clear diagnosis. Eventually it becomes clear.

Other diagnosis such as microscopic colitis and ilk can mimic UC as well as c.diff, etc. It takes a doctor who is persistent in doing the right tests rather than assuming or just prescribing prednisone to take care of the inflammation.

Princesa....to hear the term colon cancer at a troublesome spot is definitely scary. What did the biopsies show?

quincy

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