You have been scheduled to have a colonoscopy.
It is important to cleanse the colon before the procedure to insure
an adequate examination. These instructions are designed
to maximize the ease, safety, and success of your preparation.
For the prep, you will need to obtain fill the Osmo-prep® prescription
at your local pharmacy.
ONE WEEK PRIOR TO THE PROCEDURE:
You may need to discontinue aspirin, plavix, anti-inflammatory medications (Motrin, celebrex, etc), or coumadin before the procedure. This will be discussed at the pre-procedure consultation. Iron pills must be discontinued 3 days prior to the procedure.
ONE DAY PRIOR TO THE PROCEDURE:
You may have eggs and white toast or cheerios and milk for breakfast. After breakfast, you will be on a clear liquid diet throughout the day. Avoid liquids/foods that are red, orange or purple in color. Avoid dairy products and juices with pulp such as orange or grapefruit juice. You may have ice cream (no pieces) at dinner time.
- Soups: Clear broth or consommé
- Sports drinks: Gatorade, PowerAde, Propel
- Juices: white cranberry, white grape, apple,
limeade, strained lemonade
- Beverages: tea, coffee, kool-aid, carbonated
beverages, Enlive, Boost Breeze, water
- Desserts: water ices, Italian ices, popsicles,
Jello
- Supplements: Sustacal, Boost, Ensure, etc.
Even though these are not clear, you make take 1 to 2 cans during
the day and it won’t affect the quality of the prep.
- Starting at 2 PM, take 4 of the pills with 8 ounces of clear liquid every 15 minutes for a total of 20 pills (5 doses). This dose can be taken as late as 7 PM
- Continue drinking clear liquids until bedtime
THE DAY OF THE PROCEDURE:
Take 4 pills with 8 ounces of clear liquid every 15 minutes for a total of 12 pills (3 doses). Finish at least 3 hours before your scheduled appointment. Take only the morning medications that you were instructed to take at the pre-procedure consultation. DO NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO EAT OR DRINK DURING THE 3 HOURS BEFORE YOUR APPOINTMENT
Arrive at the office at your scheduled time. During the examination, an intravenous sedative will be administered by an anesthesiologist. While administering the sedative, the anesthesiologist will be carefully monitoring your blood pressure, pulse and EKG pattern.
Following the procedure, you will stay in the Recovery Room for about 30 minutes, as the medications are wearing off.
Please arrange for someone to take you home following the procedure. For the remainder of the day, you may not drive a car, operate machinery, or make important decisions. Once again, you must be accompanied home after the procedure. It is not acceptable to have a taxi cab drive you home.
Colonoscopy is a very safe procedure. However, it can result in complications, such as reaction to medication, perforation (tear) of the intestine and bleeding. These complications are rare, occurring in less than 1 in 1,000 examinations, but may require urgent treatment and in limited cases, surgery.
We hope this outline has answered your questions about the procedure. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us.
Alan M. Schuller MD
Paul K Brodsky MD
Andrea Sacknoff MD
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS:
Stop aspirin _____ days prior to the procedure
Stop anti-inflammatory medications _____ days prior to the procedure
Stop plavix ______ days prior to the procedure
Stop coumadin _____ days prior to the procedure
Take only the following medications the morning of the procedure:
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