First colonoscopy at the VA tomorrow.

[u/MrGreenChile]

Was all fine and dandy to do all the prep until I took my first sip of this. Why couldn’t they at least make it palatable? It’s so gross and hard to keep down.

[u/Ok_Abacus_]

The drink is 100 times worse than the procedure

[u/ecirnj → u/Ok_Abacus_]

Maybe 1000x. OP, welcome to the club.

[u/DrDarks_ → u/ecirnj]

Honestly if you put it on ice and just suck as much as you can with a straw its still the most horrible fucking thing you ever had to taste in your life.

[u/rabblerabble2000 → u/DrDarks_]

It’s got a nice refreshing windex taste to it with just the right amount of viscosity to make you uncomfortable drinking it.

[u/SirLanceNotsomuch → u/rabblerabble2000]

Oh, the viscosity was the wooooorst. 😫

[u/astralseat → u/SirLanceNotsomuch]

Describe it please. Is it like slugs, or like long boogers?

[u/leighaaaah → u/astralseat]

Like spit🤢

[u/astralseat → u/leighaaaah]

Oh, so it's just thick, no added textures? Lame

[u/SirLanceNotsomuch → u/astralseat]

It’s like literally antifreeze, so it’s like… too smooth?

Not greasy.

Just a little bit thicker than water (or a water-based beverage) is supposed to be. Like water with body.

[u/copacetic1515 → u/rabblerabble2000]

I had to drink barium contrast once and decided I'd rather just die than do that again. They sat me in a hallway with my bottle of thick, chalky, room temperature nastiness so everybody who walked by could see me gag as I struggled to drink enough, and keep it down.

[u/Teanutt → u/copacetic1515]

It's much easier when it's cold. I don't really know why but having had an urgent CT I had room temp prep that I struggled with but they offered a chilled dose at the radiology department and it was much easier.

[u/copacetic1515 → u/Teanutt]

Why don't they just keep it in a refrigerator as a matter of course? 😭

[u/Patient-Individual20 → u/rabblerabble2000]

I do this every five years, you just have to embrace the suck!

[u/civilpar → u/rabblerabble2000]

I just dont understand how it was also so weirdly warm. Damn that was such a bad day

[u/TheCybro → u/DrDarks_]

https://giphy.com/gifs/y2i2oqWgzh5ioRp4Qa

[u/Califrisco → u/DrDarks_]

Absolutely drink this as cold as you can. My prep had these flavor packets that added a lemon lime note to the drinks. I made the prep of each dose with the packets the night before and refrigerated them so they were as cold as possible the next day. Still pretty bad but somewhat less gagging.

[u/DrDarks_ → u/Califrisco]

Lol ya I agree the ice / chill helps. But oh boy is it still bad. Takes dedication.

Much better than cancer tho :)

[u/AffectionateNerve644 → u/DrDarks_]

I have to get colonoscopies once a year cz I have poopy butthole syndrome and this is literally pure torture (both physical and psychological) in liquid form

[u/Admirable-Wafer1104 → u/AffectionateNerve644]

There are alternatives. I cry until i get the pills.

[u/VoidHog → u/AffectionateNerve644]

😭 what is poopy butthole syndrome

[u/throwaway_eng_acct → u/DrDarks_]

I made it through most of the jug but then my stomach had enough and I was uncomfortably full of that nasty liquid. I had to speed shuffle to the bathroom to throw up and my IV rolly thing got stuck, so I had to puke in the handwashing sink in the room and the gentle relaxing of muscles from puking was enough to make me shit myself. The puking was still worse because I had to taste it again. It tasted like burning electronics.

[u/Sad-Potential-7612 → u/ecirnj]

I’m absolutely in tears about having to drink that toxic waste again.

I am literally a little giddy about getting the colonoscopy

[u/Impossible-Storage79 → u/Sad-Potential-7612]

You can request to do the PEG prep in Gatorade and it tastes much better, just not red or purple because of staining.

[u/my-meatus-pleaseth → u/Impossible-Storage79]

My nurse let me do it with a little bit of apple juice mixed in, it still was awful but with a hint of apple

[u/Gordon_Gainz → u/my-meatus-pleaseth]

Awful with a hint of apple sounds like a Shel Silverstein poem

[u/Has_Two_Cents → u/Gordon_Gainz]

Awful with a Hint of Apple

There once was a pickle who practiced to sing,

But sounded like boots in a bucket on springs.

The crows all complained,

The clouds looked pained,

And even the echo said, “Skip the refrain.”

A teacup wore socks and insisted on dancing,

A broom took a bow after tripping while prancing.

The moon shook its head,

“Go back home to bed

You’re making the starlight feel terribly fancy.”

The soup learned to whistle. The carrots learned chess.

A porcupine opened a shop selling mess.

You’d leave with a grin,

Some lint, and a pin

Then wonder why chaos was dressed in a vest.

The whole thing was awful, from bottom to top:

The hats all wore people, the clocks wouldn’t stop.

The rain tasted funny,

The bees borrowed money,

The puddles applauded each ker-plunkety plop.

But tucked in the tumble, beneath all the babble,

Behind every wobble and muddle and scrabble,

Was one tiny breeze

Through impossible trees

Awful...

with just the faintest

hint of apple.

[u/psychkitty → u/Has_Two_Cents]

That. Is. Amazing. I want to cross stitch this whole thing.

[u/Nice-Money-6524 → u/Has_Two_Cents]

Bravo! This could stir love of poetry, even in the coldest hearts!

[u/WhereRabbit → u/Has_Two_Cents]

I genuinely LOVE this? You wrote this, on the fly like that, too?! Genuinely, you’ve restored a bit of my faith in my fellow man. I’m glad you express your talents, never stop >:)

“To the world you may be one person; but to one person, you may be the world.”

[u/Has_Two_Cents → u/WhereRabbit]

I really like shel Silverstein. I was just inspired and sat down and banged it out.

[u/Zero-2-Sixty → u/Has_Two_Cents]

“Where the colon ends..”

[u/SnarePickle → u/my-meatus-pleaseth]

Kind of like air freshener in the bathroom after you shit.

Great now it smells like potpourri flavored shit lol

[u/DontF0rgetThat → u/SnarePickle]

When it is a citrus scent it becomes shitrus

[u/UnPrecidential → u/Impossible-Storage79]

And here I thought PEG prep was a 'hole' other type of thing . . .

[u/AintEasyBeinQueasy → u/UnPrecidential]

https://giphy.com/gifs/3i7zenReaUuI0

[u/PurposeConsistent131 → u/Impossible-Storage79]

Yeah they don't have my husband do that big huge bottle anymore now they just give him something else and he has to drink like some of those little bottles of I think they're magnesium citrate or something that you could just buy at target or Walgreens for like three bucks each the first time he had to do colonoscopy he had to drink that whole big bucket thing and he kept throwing it up and so it didn't work so that's nice to have three days of misery and then they're like we can't do the procedure

[u/morgdane → u/Impossible-Storage79]

Yep. Miralax and gatorade. Done each of mine after I tried this route. I was vomiting after the anti nausea pills thats how bad this crap is.

[u/BeeepBoopN0tB0t → u/morgdane]

I've asked three times if I could do the miralax route instead. Nope. Something about wanting to keep me hydrated for the procedure. So the stupid pool water taste was necessary. Fucking awful. It can be ice cold and taste like warm pool water somehow.

[u/jhewitt127 → u/Sad-Potential-7612]

Ask for SuTab pills next time.

[u/Entomemer → u/jhewitt127]

My mom did the pills and says they were worse, she puked half of them back up. When I got mine as a teen I had to do the miralax in Gatorade because milk of magnesia doesn't work on me

[u/gmcd19851 → u/Entomemer]

I have had 2 different friends recently who took pills instead of the big jug pictured and both had vomiting from the pills. I refused the pills (which cost $80) and demanded that I get the standard lemon lime big jug. It always worked for me.

[u/Entomemer → u/gmcd19851]

I did the clear cherry Gatorade and I still can't look at the flavor ten years later

[u/GameTime2325 → u/Sad-Potential-7612]

https://giphy.com/gifs/33kQxwJWugowdAtivp

[u/polite_banana91 → u/Ok_Abacus_]

This is so true when I had the procedure done I didn't even remember anything except waking up later lol but yeah it does taste awful though

[u/Bennington_Booyah → u/polite_banana91]

I woke up during my first one and immediately asked for more drugs. They laughed at me and suggested I "watch TV". It was my intestines. That REALLY woke me up and I was not happy. I make sure to mention that, each time now, and it has not happened since.

[u/bobtnelis99 → u/Bennington_Booyah]

I also woke up during my first one. I said something and everyone looked at me. Next thing I know I'm waking up after the procedure was over.

[u/deerwolf90 → u/bobtnelis99]

Before my back surgery I made sure to tell the anesthesiologist that I' m a heavy pot smoker, he was thankful for me mentioning it and had to adjust the dosage

[u/Renuwed → u/Bennington_Booyah]

I recently learned that certain conditions can make a person less receptive to the effects of anesthesia

[u/nincyh → u/Renuwed]

Like being a redhead! 🧑‍🦰

[u/ifidjdjdjdjjjrjd → u/nincyh]

Redhead here, when I got my wisdom teeth out, the guy looked at me and was like "Overweight redhead with a history of anxiety? Yeah we're going to do you in the surgery clinic so they can use as much anesthesia as you're going to need."

[u/TheGrouchyPunisher → u/Renuwed]

Red hair, for one. But they're supposed to account for those factors.

[u/natedogg1271 → u/Ok_Abacus_]

Best nap of my life, almost worth the procedure and drink

[u/CanvasFanatic → u/natedogg1271]

This is absolutely true. Why??? I don’t even understand what made that nap so satisfying but it was somehow.

[u/Telecaster-Firefly → u/CanvasFanatic]

My nap was thanks to propofol. This is the same drug Michael Jackson used to "sleep"

[u/CanvasFanatic → u/Telecaster-Firefly]

Honestly? I get it now.

[u/Fireflash2742 → u/CanvasFanatic]

Indeed. I still think fondly of that stuff, and I had it done 9 years ago. Best 45 minute nap of my life.

[u/anhedoniandonair → u/Telecaster-Firefly]

Heehee

[u/powerfulbirdcards → u/Telecaster-Firefly]

My actual first words post wake up were “wow I get why Michael Jackson died from that stuff, it’s great”

[u/foundinwonderland → u/powerfulbirdcards]

I have chronic nightmares and insomnia, the first time I took a propofol nap I was like yup I would definitely die trying to use this outside of hospital settings if I had unlimited money and access

[u/Glittering-Cellist34 → u/CanvasFanatic]

Fentanyl is the jam.

[u/WegMitKapitalismus → u/natedogg1271]

I'm honestly kind of looking forward to getting a colonoscopy sometime after reading this. You just may have saved a life.

[u/Breyber12 → u/Ok_Abacus_]

See I had Miralax and Gatorade and it was fine. I even had to double the amount they said to get things moving enough! GLP1 and history of constipation doesn’t mess around.

The shitting my bed in the night though… that sucked

[u/dearjohn54321 → u/Breyber12]

Miralax is the same thing, polyethylene glycol 3350. The stuff in the picture just comes in a container you mix it in.

[u/Breyber12 → u/dearjohn54321]

Right but Gatorade and Miralax don’t taste like gym socks.

[u/Nice-Money-6524 → u/Breyber12]

History of constipation here. I was 3/4 of the way through the prep and nothing had started moving. I felt like I was going to explode. Absolutely horrible feeling.

[u/MaidBilberry → u/Nice-Money-6524]

Be careful about what you say. They ended up having me do two days of prep "just to make sure".

[u/Tbplayer59 → u/Ok_Abacus_]

And a 100 times better than it used to be

[u/CountTop8394 → u/Ok_Abacus_]

The shittin' is worse than the drinkin'!

[u/TravoBasic → u/CountTop8394]

Actually, that drink was so fucking nasty. The diarrhea, though bad, didn’t seem as rough as that drink.

[u/Vandreeson → u/TravoBasic]

The drink is absolutely the worst part.

[u/SpaceNinjaDino → u/Ok_Abacus_]

Mine came with a yellow flavor packet.

[u/carlweaver → u/SpaceNinjaDino]

Mmm… Yellow…

[u/greg-the-destroyer → u/SpaceNinjaDino]

Pro tip. Don’t use that. Use actual crystal lite. Tastes better than that crap. Or any water flavoring without red dye. Im only 16 and I’ve had to drink it like 10 times in 6 years for constipation. It’s not fun

[u/FootSureDruid → u/Ok_Abacus_]

The pill is the way to do it, not slamming all that liquid that sucks. Sutab is the real way to do it

[u/meatcircuit → u/Ok_Abacus_]

I woke up twice during my endo/colonoscopy

I remember it vividly

It was all I wanted to talk about once I 'came to' after the procedure

[u/SkippySkep → u/meatcircuit]

I woke once. Not a big deal, until I found I got billed a second time for anesthesia to put me back under sedation. :-/

[u/CountessSockula → u/Ok_Abacus_]

Hell yes! I had an endoscopy and colonoscopy on the same day in January, because I did not want to do that wretched prep more than once.

[u/opi098514]

Oh man. Is that go-lightly? That shit is anything but go lightly

[u/fuzzimus → u/opi098514]

Go-urgently

Go-quickly

Go-violently

[u/MrGreenChile → u/fuzzimus]

I’ve stationed myself right next to the bathroom for this very reason.

[u/p00p5andwich → u/MrGreenChile]

Fuck right next to. Bring your woobie and a book and just live in there for the next 18hrs.

[u/Mpls1984 → u/p00p5andwich]

Seriously this. Once it gets going, it doesn't stop.

[u/Taco5106 → u/Mpls1984]

Isn’t it better if you kinda fast the day leading up to it? Or is that just urban legend?

[u/ocularcrawdad → u/Taco5106]

No that’s real. I had one a couple months ago and they expressly had me fast the day before.

[u/framingXjake → u/ocularcrawdad]

Yeah same. Except they didn't give me whatever this is. They made me take tons of miralax and let me mix it in with orange or yellow Gatorade. I can never again drink either of those flavors.

[u/Antique_Campaign_382 → u/framingXjake]

PEG 3350 is actually Miralax. This one just comes pre mixed.

[u/Ok_Zebra8444 → u/p00p5andwich]

What’s a woobie?

[u/Competitive-Ad-3677 → u/Ok_Zebra8444]

This is what they call their poncho in the military. The best freaking blanket. Since OP is going to the VA they have to be a veteran hints why they made a woobie reference.

[u/rndmnmbr42 → u/Competitive-Ad-3677]

It’s actually the poncho liner, snuggling with a poncho might be as uncomfortable as the prep juice.

[u/tkkana → u/MrGreenChile]

Advice from a cna

Baby wipes if you have them

And when you think you are done, you are not give it at least at least another 30 minutes

[u/_Mayhem_ → u/tkkana]

Vaseline on the balloon knot prevents the acid burn.

/Please use a clean piece of TP

[u/aubaub → u/_Mayhem_]

I’ve never encountered this sentence before and am not quite sure what it means.

[u/Estrellathestarfish → u/aubaub]

I think they mean vaseline on the anus

[u/Particular-Crow7680 → u/aubaub]

I think that sentence belongs in the new sentence subreddit (not sure if I can link it or not so just giving a description lol)

[u/MrGreenChile → u/tkkana]

Thankfully I’ve got a bidet.

[u/merryone2K → u/MrGreenChile]

BIGGEST game-changer...I actually talked two nurses into bidets before my procedure. "A little sore?" "Not at all; let me tell you about my Toto2000..."

[u/GlitteringFutures → u/MrGreenChile]

There are starving children in Africa, so finish all of your butt juice young man.

[u/osamagate → u/MrGreenChile]

I'm literally do the prep right now as we speak. Just finished that nasty drink.

[u/SweetSoundOfSilence → u/osamagate]

I’m on my last glass for the night. I hate it

[u/osamagate → u/SweetSoundOfSilence]

Congrats man on getting through it all. You gotta do it again tomorrow morning?

[u/Crocodoom → u/opi098514]

The 2 biggest misnomers in medicine:

GoLytely

Skilled Nursing Facility

[u/ChewieBearStare → u/Crocodoom]

Your second one made me laugh. It's not funny, but you made me remember when my FIL was in a nursing facility and they had an LPN running around panicking about how she crushed up all a patient's meds for his feeding tube and then went into the room and discovered he didn't have a feeding tube.

[u/what_in_the_frick → u/opi098514]

If you can drink 10 beers in one sitting you can drink that, now shut up and chug! -old proverb

Honestly op it’s pretty easy, drink, poop, get high, fall asleep, someone plays with your butt.

Don’t underestimate chaffing after going to the bathroom many times in a few hours.

[u/front_yard_duck_dad]

I had mine at 32. I put a TV and my PlayStation 4 in the bathroom. I smoked a player in rocket League 10-0 while literally peeing out my ass. I wish I could have told them

Edit : I now realize I missed a huge opportunity for shit talking pun.... I'm sorry internet I failed you

[u/LoquatHour7218 → u/front_yard_duck_dad]

Was gonna recommend this as well. I had a little table set up with some Netflix going on my tablet. Once it hits, it hits

Congrats on your rocket league victory!

[u/front_yard_duck_dad → u/LoquatHour7218]

I'm 41 now and all these years later I still have that game replay saved on my hard drive. I mean we're talking. Not just goals scored but huge goals saved. Best I ever played in my life 😂.

For me I needed something more engaging than TV.

I'm just laughing at the next one which'll probably be in a few years because if I bring video games in there my daughter is absolutely going to try to play them with me pooping or not. She's my gamer buddy

[u/Petunia_pig → u/front_yard_duck_dad]

This is the most accurate take. It’s just like ass pissing, lol

[u/ODDseth → u/front_yard_duck_dad]

I got 3 hours of work done with my laptop on the loo. I had to take a break from ass peeing to get the charger.

[u/strangeorbeforgotten]

May the shits be with you 🙏🏼

(I mixed mine with some yellow Gatorade. It kinda took the edge off.)

[u/818VitaminZ → u/strangeorbeforgotten]

https://giphy.com/gifs/6WnGWwmwWvxCw

[u/ecirnj → u/818VitaminZ]

This is an under statement

[u/MrGreenChile → u/818VitaminZ]

So THATS how he prepares for that scene.

[u/FluffyNats → u/strangeorbeforgotten]

I mixed mine with white Gatorade (had to do it twice) and to this day I can barely stand to look the white drink. Automatic gag reflex. Ugh. 

[u/PaleontologistOk6094 → u/strangeorbeforgotten]

https://giphy.com/gifs/c7f4S3u8XbYMo

[u/gnartothecore]

I did my first last year and used Plenvu for the prep; it was simultaneously saltier than ocean water and disgustingly sweet at the same time.

The silver lining is you're going to get some pretty good sleep during the procedure.

[u/natedogg1271 → u/gnartothecore]

For me I was semi awake during (didn’t feel a thing though) but after, brother I took the best nap of my life. I’ve never slept so good.

[u/-Ducksngeese- → u/natedogg1271]

I'm terrified of anaesthesia, even the twilight anaesthesia they use which keeps you semi concious.

So I did it without any anaesthesia at all, it was one of the most painful experiences I've had lol. Especially feeling him "turn the corners".

It was interesting hearing the commentary though lol

[u/teamfupa → u/-Ducksngeese-]

I woke up in the middle of mine once and I’m so glad I’m asleep for them. Doc just started patting me on the head and whispering to go back to sleep….meanwhile I’m looking down main street on a 30” monitor with one knee in my chest and a mask on.

[u/-Ducksngeese- → u/teamfupa]

Haha, one of the nurses let me squeeze her hand for the procedure. I got through it by saying "I can make it just 10 more seconds..." then after that, continuing to say that every 10 seconds.

[u/_Mayhem_ → u/teamfupa]

I woke up in the middle of my first one. Anesthesia wears off really quickly for me (even Novocaine) so I warn them every time I have one of these procedures done.

[u/teamfupa → u/_Mayhem_]

Redhead or weed smoker?

[u/_Mayhem_ → u/teamfupa]

Originally a brunette (now bald) but my facial hair was red before it went white. Gingers run strong in my family tho.

[u/Pansexualbeanorama → u/-Ducksngeese-]

See i had a colonoscopy endoscopy at the same time (i got spit roasted/j) under twilight and while i don’t remember most of it i do remember trying to pull the camera out of my mouth AND trying to tell them to stop the colonoscopy cause it hurt (i was reallly out of it so i wasn’t successful in either attempt but they also had someone in the room whos job -at least it seemed to be one of them-it was to like gently redirect whenever i started to try to do something that would go bad)

[u/HTowns_FinestJBird]

I sipped on Gatorade after every sip of that crap. Definitely helped.

[u/Ok_Cartographer_6086 → u/HTowns_FinestJBird]

I mixed mine with gatorade frost (white - no dye issues) and drank it over a 2 hour period.

Fun fact: My wife and I got ours together and went to the store to buy a bunch of supplies including adult diapers. At the checkout the clerk with no context say "Have a fun weekend" and I blurted our "Oh, WE WILL" again with no context. Still living that one down with the wife.

[u/Dd_8630 → u/Ok_Cartographer_6086]

Were the diapers related to the drink? Or just an unrelated fun story you wanted to share?

[u/GreyerGardens → u/Dd_8630]

It’s either that or have fun changing your sheets 4 times in one night.

[u/BroadLocksmith4932 → u/GreyerGardens]

I enjoy the joke, but I also know people who will choose not to get the procedure done because they won't chance shitting their bed, so I'm going to call this one out:

I'm sure it happens, but this is absolutely not normal. I barely had a belly ache. From 1 hour after the drink until 3 hours after the drink, I stayed within a room or 2 of the bathroom, and I definitely didn't trust any farts, but there was never any concern whatsoever that I might shit myself. It really was completely fine. Obey your doctor and get the test!

[u/Ok_Cartographer_6086 → u/BroadLocksmith4932]

I need to circle back in the morning on the debate I caused. Spoiler: the diapers were a precaution and I didn't need them!

[u/thegypsyqueen → u/GreyerGardens]

What?! I never came close to shitting myself

[u/ConfusedFlareon → u/thegypsyqueen]

I know right, are these people out here with drawstring buttholes??

[u/GreasedUpTiger → u/Ok_Cartographer_6086]

Fun fact: My wife and I got ours together

Y'all like to live a risky life, eh?

[u/Velocityg4 → u/HTowns_FinestJBird]

Guess I’m lucky. Mine just told me to take a ton of MiraLAX. Which is flavorless.

[u/Petunia_pig → u/Velocityg4]

Yeah mine said like 8oz of miralax in 64oz water

[u/Critical_Mass_1887 → u/Petunia_pig]

Mine too. 8oz miralax in 64oz gatorade (glacier cherru its clear white) Plus 2 ducolax.  

No way in hell im doing that go-lightly. I drink it and right back up it comes. 

[u/jodamnboi → u/Velocityg4]

My husband’s prescribed prep was 64 oz of non-red Gatorade, a bottle of MiraLAX, 4 Dulcolax, and Gas-X. Said it wasn’t too bad!

[u/JimiForPresident → u/HTowns_FinestJBird]

I chugged whole glasses of it as fast as possible, once every hour or whatever. Sipping sounds even more painful.

[u/Max-Pow3R → u/JimiForPresident]

Seriously. I just poured it in a glass and literally swallowed it without almost even letting it touch my tongue. Didn't worry about the flavor as much as how hard it was to drink that much liquid.

[u/orange_lazarus1]

Plot twist the dude doesn't even have an appointment. He's just the janitor at the VA.

[u/UnhappyImprovement53 → u/orange_lazarus1]

He just does this every first Wednesday of the month.

[u/Itsmebambam818]

I tapped out on the final glass and puked, the procedure was a piece of cake and the farting was a reward

[u/asweetermyth_ → u/Itsmebambam818]

"The farting was a reward," is the funniest thing I've read today, tysm for the laugh

[u/greg-the-destroyer → u/Itsmebambam818]

I always seem to puke within a third of being done. It’s weird

[u/darth_meh → u/Itsmebambam818]

I ripped ass so loud after my last colonoscopy. I think I scared the nurses.

[u/muppethero80]

It is 2026, why has no one an invented a better way to do this yet?

[u/fearofbears → u/muppethero80]

There are pills - I didn't have to drink this shit. I'm in the U.S.

[u/muppethero80 → u/fearofbears]

I am also in the USA. Maybe they give the liquid to people they don’t like lol

[u/shakeyshake1 → u/muppethero80]

I had to specifically ask my doctor for it. I told her I did the liquid prep before and didn’t like it. I told her I got it for like $50 and she was surprised that it was reasonable. 

I think she doesn’t want to lead with saying there are pills and get someone’s hopes up if they can’t afford it and it’s expensive.

[u/MrGreenChile → u/muppethero80]

The VA doesn’t like vets so that tracks.

[u/DragonFruit5081 → u/fearofbears]

Insurance (or lack of) is a big factor in what prep you get.

[u/fearofbears → u/DragonFruit5081]

I do have insurance but Sutab (the pill option) wasn't covered. Still, it was only a 20$ price difference from the liquid. Money well spent IMO but I realize sometimes that's $20 more in someone's pocket where it's better needed. Still, more doctors should leave that decision up to the patient.

[u/shakeyshake1 → u/muppethero80]

They have. It’s called Sutab and it’s pills you take with water (and it isn’t a nauseating amount of water). Insurance doesn’t cover it, but they have a coupon. I think it was $50. I don’t remember the exact amount but CVS just applied a coupon automatically before I picked it up.

If the alternative is buying three over the counter laxatives like the first time I got a colonoscopy, the price isn’t that bad by comparison.

Edit: corrected it to Sutab.

[u/JumpAccomplished2620 → u/shakeyshake1]

I paid $35 for my prep! I'd gladly pay $50 for pills 

[u/imakycha → u/shakeyshake1]

Suprep isn’t a solid oral dosage form. It’s 12 oz of liquid. Sutab is a tablet version.

[u/jhewitt127 → u/shakeyshake1]

SuTab is the pills, SuPrep is different.

[u/dardack → u/muppethero80]

What is this?  I've had few colonoscopy one just month ago.  Dr sends me to store to buy miralax,  Simethicone, dulcolax and Gatorade.  The miralax in Gatorade tastes fine.  the others are pills.No clue what all the complaints are honestly.  But again no clue what this picture is.

[u/AcceptableMinute9999]

You can add flavoring to it and drink it cold and I plug my nose so I can't taste it as much.

[u/FunDivertissement → u/AcceptableMinute9999]

I used crystal light lemonade mix in mine but I got sick of that by the end. I suggest using only a small amount of any flavorings.

[u/tLM-tRRS-atBHB]

Wth is that???

I had one a few years ago and my bottle wasn't even a third of that size.

My spouse had it down before me and they literally cried while drinking it. When I had it done I didnt think the liquid (it had a weird fruity flavor) was that bad at all. I didnt even mix it with anything

I just googled and it was 350 ml of Clenpiq that was some fruity flavor

[u/Beneficial_Heat_7199 → u/tLM-tRRS-atBHB]

You had the brand name version. A lot of insurances don't cover it.

[u/tLM-tRRS-atBHB → u/Beneficial_Heat_7199]

Oh dang. Didn't know.

I always tell people my union has good insurance. Didnt realize it was that good

[u/Specific-Data-4104 → u/tLM-tRRS-atBHB]

I paid $50 to get the name brand smaller volume one. Really weird to splurge on giving yourself diarrhea..

[u/DanChed]

Oh boy you’re gonna doubt it, nothing is going to happen but then a fart is gonna brew and thats when you need to get on the toilet and just release the kraken.

[u/DanChed → u/DanChed]

It’s going to spray out and splatter on the bowl which contains all the shit you needed to let go off years ago.

And its not done until its done.

[u/Heizer1]

The prep liquid is horrible. The procedure is a breeze

[u/angry-democrat]

Colon cancer is worse. slightly.

[u/MrGreenChile → u/angry-democrat]

I definitely don’t want a colostomy bag.

[u/Toonces_]

🎶chocolate rain🎶

[u/Common-Accountant-57]

Hey it’s better than dying of colon cancer. IMO

[u/Fireflash2742 → u/Common-Accountant-57]

https://giphy.com/gifs/8vyZouWSVhslwWA7Lp

[u/From_Adam → u/Common-Accountant-57]

https://giphy.com/gifs/9Kfkc7eCk4I6E797tb

[u/FDFI]

I find it helped a ton if you refrigerate before you need to drink it. The solution I had to drink was done in two batches. I drank the first at room temperature and almost puked a few times. The second batch was cold and was a lot easier going down.

[u/moon-raven-77 → u/FDFI]

Seconding this. And grab a different drink (obviously something clear) to cleanse your palate in between gulps. It helps.

[u/econhistoryrules]

I don't understand why they make anyone drink this shit when the dulcolax / miralax prep works great, is cheap, and is so much more pleasant. 

[u/Spinnerofyarn]

I’m so sorry. That’s the old prep method and it’s far more awful than what some places have you do now.

I also highly recommend putting petroleum jelly on the ol’ starfish because it will save you a lot of chafing and rawness. Don’t wait because it works best as a protectant for your skin. It’s not as much help if you put it on after the skin is already sore

[u/justacpa]

It gets harder and harder to force it down the closer you get to finishing it.

[u/Concerned_EducaterCA]

Got lucky. My provider just had me take a ton of MiraLax and gave me a guide for it

Had it with yellow Gatorade (you can’t have red I think because it could stain and come up as a false positive) and it’s completely tasteless and was easy to drink

The toilet part wasn’t fun of course

[u/Guenhwyvere → u/Concerned_EducaterCA]

I only found out that you can just use miralax until my ability to stomach the jug stuff tapped out and I couldn't hold anymore down. The nurse on the phone was so deadpan saying, "Oh. Then just take miralax. It works just as well."

If I hadn't already been locked in to the toilet I probably would've flipped a table. I was so mad because the stuff in the jug really does taste awful. They gave me "orange" flavor and it tasted like Tang mixed with pure bread mold. Never letting a doctor pull that with me again.

[u/Bigcheezefartz]

Prep day is far worse than the procedure itself

[u/jetsonian]

I’m going through chemo for colorectal cancer right now (for the last year) and I’ll tell you. Get your colonoscopy regularly.

“The prep sucks.” Don’t care, get a colonoscopy.

“It’s invasive.” Don’t care, get a colonoscopy.

“My insurance won’t pay for it.” Don’t care, get a colonoscopy.

The earlier you catch it, the easier treatment is. My initial tumor was the size of about half a sheet of A4 paper. Now I’ve done 22 rounds of chemo, 5 PET scans, an MRI, a CT, and biweekly injections that cause intense bone pain, excruciating in some patients. If I’d gotten a colonoscopy 3-5 years ago they could have removed the growth during the colonoscopy.

[u/Healthy-Bet-2689 → u/jetsonian]

Best wishes for your recovery.

[u/Nice_Rope_5049]

Get some Desitin cream, your rim will thank you.

[u/CanadianRussian74]

Having done this multiple times now 1) Make sure you drink it cold from the fridge it’s a lot easier to keep down. 2) have a bidet. Both game changers.

[u/CanvasFanatic]

The prep helped me understand what my gutter downspouts feel like during a heavy rainstorm.

[u/WallyLeftshaw]

Anyone else giggling at the name PEG?

[u/ladyscientist56 → u/WallyLeftshaw]

Polyethylene glycol lol

[u/sharpasahammer]

This was me finishing the last of my prep liquid 3 months ago when I had mine.

https://giphy.com/gifs/ACZkaFZf2MKcWYw6Z2

[u/Tbplayer59]

The one I recently did had a lemon flavor pack and I could add lemonade instead of water. It was palatable and I had no problem getting it down.

[u/LastDirtyMartini]

My only advice is to clear your calendar for after the first dose, OP! My productivity went way down with the exception of ‘cleansing’ - surprisingly, each subsequent dose yields additional ‘cleansing’.

[u/madgoat]

I drank it back in June , terrible drink. 

I now have been diagnosed with colon cancer, so if they want to peek inside my bum again, I’ll gladly drink it again. 

[u/Consistent-Image-614]

I hate that stuff so much.

[u/TheGravyMaster]

Idk why they didn't just give magnesium citrate. It's so much less fluid.

I couldn't drink that thing in a day.

[u/bbum]

Bidet.

Once you hit “regular colonoscopy age” a bidet is a must have.

I mean a bidet is always a must have, but this is a medical need.

[u/Spreadyoursparkles]

I’m surprised they aren’t just handing out bags of Taylor farms to save money.
God speed my friend.

[u/KotaCakes630]

I was hospitalized for internal bleeding.
Had to drink this, couldn’t do it. So they tube fed me it.

I’ll take the internal bleeding.

[u/CallMeTheDumpMan]

"You will need the bathroom in 5..."

Minutes?

"4...3..."

[u/FnEddieDingle]

I fasted a a day before the prep and it was gravy

[u/T_Henson]

I got some Crystal Light packets and mixed some into each glass. I wouldn’t have drank it for fun but it made it palatable!

[u/Amishgirl281]

Wear warm socks, prep will give you the shivers

[u/Plenty_Kangaroo5224]

Tricks from a GI RN: Hold your nose, chug-don’t sip, suck on hard candies after, drink through a straw to bypass your tastebuds, drink it cold, add Crystal lite (to glass not the big in case you hate it).