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The 2 day bowel prep is often recommended for patients with prior inadequate bowel prep for colonoscopy. There are many reasons for having an inadequate bowel prep. If a 2 day bowel prep is recommended, a large volume bowel cleansing agent like Golytely, Nulytely, Trilyte or Colyte is used in addition to an over the counter laxative like bisacodyl or magnesium citrate. A split-dose regimen is recommended for 2 day bowel prep.
The Traditional 2 day bowel prep
What do I do 2 days before the colonoscopy?
- Have a clear liquid diet throughout the day. Clear liquid diet excludes red and purple colored substances. No solid foods, milk products, fruits, seeds & nuts.
- Be sure to keep hydrated by drinking 8oz of clear liquid every hour.
- If you have diabetes mellitus, you may need to take half the dose of your medication while on clear liquid diet. Please, talk to your provider about this.
What do I do a day before the colonoscopy?
- Have a clear liquid diet throughout the day. Clear liquid diet excludes red and purple colored substances. No solid foods, milk products, fruits, seeds & nuts.
- Be sure to keep hydrated by drinking 8oz of clear liquid every hour.
- If you have diabetes mellitus, you may need to take half the dose of your medication while on clear liquid diet. Please, talk to your provider about this.
- Mix your bowel prep agent with water as instructed in the package label.
- Refrigerate to chill.
- Take 4 tablets of bisacodyl (Dulcolax) around 3.00-4.00PM.
- Starting at 5.00-6.00PM, Drink the 1st half of the bowel prep agent at a rate of 8oz every 10-15mins until 2L is completed.
What do I do on the day of the colonoscopy?
- Drink the 2nd half of the bowel prep agent (2L). Start 4 hours before your scheduled colonoscopy. Drink at a rate of 8oz every 10-15mins until finished. Be sure to finish 2 hours before your scheduled colonoscopy.
- Be sure to keep hydrated by drinking 8oz of clear liquid every hour in addition to your prep agent. Avoid further fluid intake 2hrs before your scheduled colonoscopy.
- If you are diabetic, do not take oral diabetic medications or short-acting insulin on the day of your colonoscopy. Talk to your provider about this.
The Modified 2 day bowel prep
In the modified 2 day bowel prep, patients are on low residue diet (low fiber diet) 3 days before the colonoscopy instead of clear liquid diet for 2 days.
What do I do 3 days before the colonoscopy?
- Have a low residue diet throughout the day.
- Be sure to keep hydrated by drinking 8oz of clear liquid every hour.
What do I do 2 days before the colonoscopy?
- Have a low residue diet throughout the day.
- Be sure to keep hydrated by drinking 8oz of clear liquid every hour.
What do I do a day before the colonoscopy?
- Have a low residue diet throughout the day.
- Be sure to keep hydrated by drinking 8oz of clear liquid every hour.
- Mix your bowel prep agent with water as instructed in the package label.
- Refrigerate to chill.
- Take 4 tablets of bisacodyl (Dulcolax) around 3.00-4.00PM.
- Starting at 5.00-6.00PM, Drink the 1st half of the bowel prep agent at a rate of 8oz every 10-15mins until 2L is completed.
What do I do on the day of the colonoscopy?
- Drink the 2nd half of the bowel prep agent (2L). Start 4 hours before your scheduled colonoscopy. Drink at a rate of 8oz every 10-15mins until finished. Be sure to finish 2 hours before your scheduled colonoscopy.
- Be sure to keep hydrated by drinking 8oz of clear liquid every hour in addition to your prep agent. Avoid further fluid intake 2hrs before your scheduled colonoscopy.
- If you are diabetic, do not take oral diabetic medications or short-acting insulin on the day of your colonoscopy. Talk to your provider about this.
I am 74:y/old Man scheduled for colonoscopy Tuesday July 24,2018 @12 PM.
Bad experience before last one 5 yrs. ago. I was instructed to drink 2 liters of The prep liquid on the evening before and 2 liters 5 hours prior to Procedure. Luckily I sat on a towel in car on way to hospital. Couldn’t stop having to void without warning which was unpleasant for driver and myself.
Do you know if there is a way of preventing this?
You have been given the split-dose regimen for using your bowel cleansing agent. Read https://bowelprepguide.com/how-to-use-your-bowel-cleansing-agents/
The following are options:
1. Don’t be embarrassed. Do what you did before. Wear a pad.
2. If you don’t mind spending time at the surgery center, drink the 2nd dose 4-5hrs before your scheduled procedure at the surgery center and use their toilet.
3. If you don’t have any of the risk factors for inadequate bowel prep, your physician can consider smaller volume bowel cleansing agents. Talk to your physician.
4. You may do the day-before-regimen of using the bowel cleansing agent. In this regimen, the bowel cleansing is completely consumed the day before colonoscopy. In multiple studies, this is less effective at cleansing the bowel compared to the split-dose-regimen but some still do this.
5. Talk to your doctor.
Good luck! Let us know what you end up doing.
I am a 69 year old woman. I recently had an inadequate split dose colonoscopy. The ensuing diarrhea left me with a very painful, bleeding rash – so sensitive I couldn’t touch it; Even warm water was incredibly painful. Doc wants me to repeat using a two day prep. I don’t think I can go through this again. Any suggestions?
The first step is to find out why you had an inadequate bowel prep in the first place. What prep did you use? Did you consume all the prep and follow all diet instructions? Did you do the split prep regimen? Do you have risk factors for inadequate bowel prep?
I followed all instructions for the SUPREP. My previous colonoscopy pre ten years ago gave better results but was not completely clean.
I am doing the two day prep because the last colonoscopy prep made me feel weak and like I was going to pass out. I could not do the 2nd part of the prep. The 2 day one I am doing now, so far, is much easier.
I just did the one day prep and after consuming all the liquid and dulcolax, I got sick vomiting, light fever and dizziness. I had colonoscopy 10 years ago no problem. This time I postponed the test because I was so sick. Would a two day prep be better for me I am 72 years old.
No. The 2 day bowel prep is ideal for people with previous inadequate bowel prep despite following all the instructions. Your doctor can consider a smaller volume prep. Make sure you split the prep into two. It is easier on the body. You can also use a nausea medication before taking the prep. A carefully selected patient may use tablets as bowel cleansing agent. Good luck!
Read https://bowelprepguide.com/split-dosing-dosages-for-bowel-preparation-agents/
Read https://bowelprepguide.com/how-to-use-your-bowel-cleansing-agents/
Why does the prep have to be drunk over two hours? Why can’t it just be drunk down? I am 61 yrs old, and used to drinking 20 to 32 oz. of beverage down in a couple minutes. I usually have a 20 oz. cup of lemon water with my medications.
I had my colonoscopy yesterday, I was afraid my bowel wasn’t cleansed enough, but after I got to the hospital went to the bathroom a few more times in about a half hour and YUP! They sure were cleaned out! Went threw the procedure with no problems, Dr. removed 3 polyps 5mm each, and one that was 8mm, this one he had to use a clip to close the opening after removing it, it was in the area of the colon that is the “rectum” I’m expecting this clip is being in that area is why I feel like I have a tampon in my vagina when I sit on a hard chair such as the kitchen table chair. I can take a lot of pain, but this is starting to bother me, my follow up is on the 9th, my VS are all ok, otherwise I’m doing ok, and no bleeding is noted on toilet tissue or my unders. So, I expect this is normal?