PREPARATION FOR A COLONOSCOPY
Go to your local pharmacy and pick up the following items:
BRING PICTURE IDENTIFICATION TO YOUR APPOINTMENT.
You will receive IV sedation for this procedure, so it will be necessary to arrange for a responsible adult to transport you home. The Surgery Center will NOT release you to a transportation service such as Uber or a taxicab. You can anticipate being at the Surgery Center for approximately 3 hours. Our office can help obtain inexpensive safe ride options for you if needed.
RESTRICTIONS:
NSAIDS: Stop taking NSAIDS 7 days before your procedure, unless directed otherwise. Try to avoid aspirin, Advil, Motrin, Aleve, Arthritis medications, or any similar medications for 1 week prior to your procedure. Tylenol is permitted.
Coumadin/Plavix: Stop Coumadin/Plavix 3 days prior to your procedure unless otherwise directed.
Blood Pressure Medicine: Continue blood pressure medications, including the day of your procedure. You may take it with a small sip of water.
Diabetes Medicine: All Oral medications (i.e. pills) should be taken on the day before the procedure, but do not take on the day of your procedure.
Insulin: You will be given special instructions regarding insulin by Dr. McBride.
3 DAYS BEFORE THE EXAM:
Do NOT eat beans, collard greens, corn, dried fruit, kale, nuts, popcorn, raisins, seeds, or spinach. You may eat canned fruits, or fruits without a peel. Please avoid fiber and iron supplements as well during this time.
DAY BEFORE THE EXAM:
This is the day you prepare for your procedure. Starting from when you wake up, drink only clear liquids all day. NO SOLID FOOD ALLOWED. Drink at least 8 glasses of water during the day to avoid dehydration.
Clear liquids that you may have include water, coffee, tea, carbonated beverages (i.e. Coke, Ginger Ale, 7-up, etc.), Jell-O gelatin without food particles, ices and popsicles, clear fruit juices, broth, bouillon, Gatorade, and Powerade as long as they are NOT RED in color. You may also have milk and vanilla milkshakes. No yogurt is permitted.
v At 12 noon, take 4 Ducolax tablets. Mix 64oz. of Gatorade with 8.3oz. Miralax and place in the refrigerator (DO NOT ADD ICE).
v At 6pm, drink one 8 oz. glass of the Miralax/Gatorade solution and continue drinking one 8oz. glass every 15 minutes thereafter until the mixture is gone. Set a timer every 15 minutes to keep the pace.
It is very important you provide us with the cleanest colon you can. Please drink the entire prep.
MORNING COLONOSCOPY:
Do not eat or drink anything after midnight. You may take time sensitive medications with a small sip of water the morning of your procedure.
AFTERNOON COLONOSCOPY (Arrival time of 11AM or later):
Please stop clear liquids within three hours of your arrival time. Please do not drink any milk products on the day of your procedure. You may take time sensitive medications with a small sip of water the morning of your procedure.
***Due to the necessity of staffing requirements for an outpatient procedure, if you have to cancel for any unforeseen circumstance, it is mandatory that you give at least 3 day notice prior to your scheduled procedure time***