5 ms·

> The worst part, by far, was the emptying / prepping. Protip to those who have it coming up: Ask for the pill prep instead of the "sludge" prep. You end up

by jedberg 5mo ago

> The worst part, by far, was the emptying / prepping. Protip to those who have it coming up: Ask for the pill prep instead of the "sludge" prep. You end up spending the day on the toilet either way, but at least it doesn't taste as bad with the pills.

mrbonner 5mo ago
I’m doing it this year. Does the pill work as effectively as the drink?
- jedberg 5mo ago
  Some doctors will say yes, some no. Best bet is to do what your doctor suggests, but at least ask if the pills are an option.
- skywhopper 5mo ago
  I can’t compare the two, but fwiw, in my experience, while the drink is mildly unpleasant it’s only the texture of the drink itself that’s bad and the fact that you have to drink quite a bit of it. It doesn’t taste bad per se (and you can add flavored drink mix to help) and the “purging” part is painless, ie no cramps or anything.
- xattt 5mo ago
  > Oral sodium sulfate in a single dose has been found to cause increased gastrointestinal (GI) events > Sodium phosphate is no longer recommended as a bowel preparation regimen due to its serious side effects Essentially, put in the effort and do the liquid bowel prep. Consider adding flavour drops to your drink, icing it or turn it into a slushie to make it slightly more interesting to drink. The PEG will make the ice crystals slightly more smoother. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535368/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535368/
  - xaldir 5mo ago
    > Sodium phosphate is no longer recommended as a bowel preparation regimen due to its serious side effects Well in my country, it's still wildly used for people without renal issues.
    - xattt 5mo ago
      These are best practices guidelines that are ultimately implemented (or rejected) by surgeons who still go by feel, whether following the latest-and-greatest or by what they are used to.
  - CWuestefeld 5mo ago
    Essentially, put in the effort and do the liquid bowel prep. It's not just about effort. I must do the liquid prep due to my Crohn's disease. And while I am able to get the liquid down (as you note, it helps to make it as cold as possible; also, suck on an ice cube before drinking to numb the taste buds), I can't keep it down. Within an hour it has me evacuating from both ends. For my last test, I barely slept at all the night before on account of the vomiting, and even once I got to the hospital I was lying on the wonderfully cold tile of the floor between rolling over to vomit in a trash can. They know it affects me badly, but still assess that it's necessary due to my risk factors. And because I'm losing much of the drug due to the vomiting, the prep is poor, so I have to start fasting a day early to ensure that I get sufficiently cleaned out. It's torture all around.
    - xattt 5mo ago
      It must be really challenging to feel like you are an outlier, and that medical advice does not fit you. There are going to be niche clinical situations where the benefits outweigh the risks of what is otherwise generally not recommended. If you’re not able to tolerate the liquid prep, you’re obviously better to take an oral fleet than no prep at all.
  - chiph 5mo ago
    What helps for me was using cool/chilled water, and a swimmer's nose clip to help reduce the smell of the ingredients. If you are adding flavor drops - go with lemon and not anything blue or red in color. One other piece of advice - stay off the internet afterwards until you're sure the anesthesia has worn off. My doctor related that a previous patient had gone on the Carvana website and bought a car while still under the effects. Oops.
aeternum 5mo ago
It depends, if you want the best possible colonoscopy quality, do the liquid/"sludge" prep, the general consensus is it cleans you out the best and gives the best possible view during the procedure. However that's only true if you actually do it properly and drink all the liquid. A decent number of patients can't/don't get through all the liquid in which case the pills are far better.

by jedberg 5mo ago

mrbonner 5mo ago

I’m doing it this year. Does the pill work as effectively as the drink?

jedberg 5mo ago
Some doctors will say yes, some no. Best bet is to do what your doctor suggests, but at least ask if the pills are an option.
skywhopper 5mo ago
I can’t compare the two, but fwiw, in my experience, while the drink is mildly unpleasant it’s only the texture of the drink itself that’s bad and the fact that you have to drink quite a bit of it. It doesn’t taste bad per se (and you can add flavored drink mix to help) and the “purging” part is painless, ie no cramps or anything.
xattt 5mo ago
> Oral sodium sulfate in a single dose has been found to cause increased gastrointestinal (GI) events > Sodium phosphate is no longer recommended as a bowel preparation regimen due to its serious side effects Essentially, put in the effort and do the liquid bowel prep. Consider adding flavour drops to your drink, icing it or turn it into a slushie to make it slightly more interesting to drink. The PEG will make the ice crystals slightly more smoother. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535368/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK535368/
- xaldir 5mo ago
  > Sodium phosphate is no longer recommended as a bowel preparation regimen due to its serious side effects Well in my country, it's still wildly used for people without renal issues.
  - xattt 5mo ago
    These are best practices guidelines that are ultimately implemented (or rejected) by surgeons who still go by feel, whether following the latest-and-greatest or by what they are used to.
- CWuestefeld 5mo ago
  Essentially, put in the effort and do the liquid bowel prep. It's not just about effort. I must do the liquid prep due to my Crohn's disease. And while I am able to get the liquid down (as you note, it helps to make it as cold as possible; also, suck on an ice cube before drinking to numb the taste buds), I can't keep it down. Within an hour it has me evacuating from both ends. For my last test, I barely slept at all the night before on account of the vomiting, and even once I got to the hospital I was lying on the wonderfully cold tile of the floor between rolling over to vomit in a trash can. They know it affects me badly, but still assess that it's necessary due to my risk factors. And because I'm losing much of the drug due to the vomiting, the prep is poor, so I have to start fasting a day early to ensure that I get sufficiently cleaned out. It's torture all around.
  - xattt 5mo ago
    It must be really challenging to feel like you are an outlier, and that medical advice does not fit you. There are going to be niche clinical situations where the benefits outweigh the risks of what is otherwise generally not recommended. If you’re not able to tolerate the liquid prep, you’re obviously better to take an oral fleet than no prep at all.
- chiph 5mo ago
  What helps for me was using cool/chilled water, and a swimmer's nose clip to help reduce the smell of the ingredients. If you are adding flavor drops - go with lemon and not anything blue or red in color. One other piece of advice - stay off the internet afterwards until you're sure the anesthesia has worn off. My doctor related that a previous patient had gone on the Carvana website and bought a car while still under the effects. Oops.

aeternum 5mo ago

It depends, if you want the best possible colonoscopy quality, do the liquid/"sludge" prep, the general consensus is it cleans you out the best and gives the best possible view during the procedure. However that's only true if you actually do it properly and drink all the liquid. A decent number of patients can't/don't get through all the liquid in which case the pills are far better.