colonoscopy prep question and taking my other meds

 okay - it says to take a 64 ounce bottle of gatorade, take out 8 ounces - mix the bottle of Miralax bottle in the remaining 56 ounces,  then after I have drank some down go ahead and mix the other 8 ounces in -  - start this at 3:00 PM after I have started my liquid diet that AM.

The prep you describe does sound like a lot of liquid to consume. I've never been advised to do that. Is there an easier prep your doctor could suggest?

There are two that I think would be easier -- 1) the pills. You take a ton of pills with a lot of liquid but at least they don't taste bad. 2) The Fleet phososoda solution that you mix with 8 ounces of beverage. I think you do this only twice within about 18 hours. It tastes horrific but it's not so bad if you mix it with something strong tasting.

I was surprised to read "gatorade" in your post. Normally, you're supposed to avoid anything with artificial colors before a colonoscopy. I assume that the instructions advise you to choose a flavor that doesn't have red or orange color?

Maybe someone else knows why doctors advise their patients to do all kinds of different preps. It seems like the easiest and gentlest one should be the standard.

Can you talk to your doctor or a nurse in the office to get some advice and express your concerns? There should be someone on-call over the weekend if you call and say it's important.

it says the color needs to be any but purple or red.

The only kind I do like is fruit punch.... that is the red one.

I told DH that he was going to buy two bottles and he had to drink one with me.

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Diagonsed with UC in about 99 - 

Started new GI 9-25-07

Lialda 2.4 in AM(started 9-26-07) canasa 1000mg  2xs per day(started 9-26-07)
Probiotics, calcium with Vitamin D, slow release Iron, Psyllium Husk Fiber. 

Okiemom, I used Miralax for my prep last month. Tip: drink the mixture through a straw. You can suck it right into the back part of your mouth, past your taste buds so it's easier to take. This works will for any liquid you don't care for the taste of.

My prep was clear liquids the day before, some Dulcolax tabs in the afternoon and the miralax cocktail starting at 5 PM. I drank it all in the recommended time, and had real issues with urgency and incontinence, plus I threw up a couple of times after the other end dried up. Next time, I'd move the whole prep back a couple of hours and drink the "cocktail" more slowly, as I felt and my doctor agreed, that the problems were from drinking it too fast.

The mag citrate does sound like a bit of overkill, and I think it's the nastiest thing I've ever taken for a prep. No, it isn't milk of magnesia. It's a bottle of a clear liquid. The taste is a bit like over-carbonated, slightly salty 7-up. But for me, it burns like fire coming out the other end. I'll do any prep before I drink that stuff again.

Oh, I forgot you were asking about your Xanax. My instructions said that any medication taken at least an hour before the Miralax would be effective, so I took my meds then. By the morning of the scope, you should be done emptying, and my doc lets me take the essential meds with the smallest amount of water I need to get them down. Hopefully that will help to keep you stable.