4 ms·
Even the screening rates in the U.S. would skyrocket. Who doesn't know someone who's put off a colonoscopy? They're really not that bad once you get the hang of
by smeej 2y ago
Even the screening rates in the U.S. would skyrocket. Who doesn't know someone who's put off a colonoscopy? They're really not that bad once you get the hang of them (even the prep), but most people don't do them often enough to get good at them, so they dread them more than is really necessary.
As someone who's had enough of them to have a favorite flavor of prep solution (lemon gavilyte-c, which tastes to me like a very mild lemon meringue), a couple tips:
1. Mix the solution with HOT water 12 hours before you need to drink it, and then refrigerate for the 12 hours. This way it doesn't taste salty.
2. For your "clear liquid" diet, drink bone broth with avocado oil in it, alternating with some coconut water. Get some protein and fat calories in you so you're not starving and not spiking your blood sugar all over the place. If I add 50% to my regular calorie intake, I'm not even really noticeably hungry.
- CoastalCoder 2y agoMiralax + a cold 2 liter bottle of (green) Mountain Dew, FTW! I find the carbonation masks most of the odd mouth-feel of the solution. And, it's the only occasion on which I let myself indulge in that stuff :)
- smeej 2y agoOof. I don't do well with spiky blood sugar, so Mountain Dew is just out for me. I have tried the Miralax/Dulcolax route for prep, though, and it made my heart rate get all weird. I felt like I was going to pass out. Now I request Gavilyte-C by name lol
- deleted 2y ago[deleted]
- brandonmenc 2y agoWho even gets colonoscopies anymore? Everyone I know just poops in a box and mails it to a lab nowadays.
- conception 2y agoPoop in a box detects pretty far along cancer - bleeding into the gut. Colonoscopy finds it a lot sooner.
- pedalpete 2y agoExcept that not enough people are getting colonoscopies, and the cost and time is significantly more (for both the patient and the medical team). In Australia, at 50, everyone is given a poop stick which we send to a lab for results. I think one comes in the mail every 5 years if your previous result was negative.
- anonzzzies 2y agoThen you catch it quite late with current techniques. Hopefully in the near future it will be super accurate and something you can just do at home.
- tzs 2y agoThose tests have a fairly high false positive rates. Hemorrhoids for example can cause a false positive, and are pretty common in people over 50 in the US. Once you get a positive, even a false positive, health providers tend to try to switch you from an annual poop in a box test to whatever the normal colonoscopy schedule is at your age (e.g., every 10 years unless your previous colonoscopy found something that calls for a shorter interval to the next one).
- bitwize 2y agoThose aren't highly accurate. I think they just detect blood in the stool, which could come from one of several causes including simple haemorrhoids. If you pop positive on your ColoGuard you're expected to come in for a colonoscopy.
- 9659 2y agonot blood, but the DNA of cancer cells. really.
- forinti 2y agoI had my first one recently and it wasn't really a big deal. I had heard from a few people how horrible the prep was and it really wasn't. It is definitely worth it if you are past 45.
- tzs 2y agoI've used the Sutab pills and they were great. They are like a large multivitamin. The number of them is a little annoying (12 taken over about 30 minutes the night before, and another 12 over 30 minutes the next morning).
- susiecambria 2y agoWill try your tips next time. (omg, the salty is enough to stop me in my tracks!) I've found reducing solid food a couple of days before the prep helps as does using diaper rash creme before you start the prep, all the way until you get the colonoscopy. Also, grab some chux or plastic/garbage bags for the drive to the procedure and bring with an extra change of pants.
- smeej 2y agoThe saltiness goes away if you leave it long enough! I don't know why it takes so long to resolve, but it's really not bad at all this way. Still not something I'd order off a menu at a restaurant even if it didn't have the intended effects, but it wasn't remotely unpleasant taste-wise this way.