Another correspondent went through the prep day for her own colonoscopy today, which leads me to the following two additional tips, both relating to the TriLyte solution.
First, the orange may in fact be slightly, slightly more palatable than the citrus-berry I had. Second, one of the nurses suggested to my spouse that she use a little powder from one of the unused flavor packets occasionally at the rim of the glass to give a little extra flavor. She notes that that does in fact help a little.
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«Oldest ‹Older 201 – 310 of 310After reading the postings about Trilyte, I was prepared for the worst tasting stuff ever!! I've had my first 2 doses and decided I've tasted worse drinking water!
The consistency is heavier than plain water. As others have mentioned, drink it right down without stopping to think about it. I drank some diet ginger ale after, but don't think I really needed to. I used the lemon-lime flavoring.
For the record and for what it's worth, here is my experience.
Regimen:
nothing with nuts or seeds for 3 days before procedure; 2 durolax tablets 2 nights before procedure and another 2 at 2 PM the day before the procedure; liquids only, the day before the procedure; 1 qt trilyte solution at 6 PM the day before the procedure and another qt 6 hours before the procedure. My procedure was scheduled for 1 PM today; I was still not clear at 8 AM, so I took another quart, which I got in just before the 9 AM deadline (nothing by mouth for 4 hours before the procedure). I was clear by 10.
Coping: I did not use either saran wrap or hard candy as suggested by some, but I did use Crystal Light lemonade flavor instead of the flavor packs that come with the prep. Since each Crystal Light pack made 1 qt, I 1st mixed the trilyte in the 1 gallon container and then prepared 1 qt bottles flavored with a Crystal Light pack. I did not experience any bad taste or odor. In fact I wondered whether I had dissolved the prep completely. I did experience some stomach upset, but I think that was better than feeling famished after not having eaten for over 36 hours.
This was my 3rd colonoscopy. For the previous 2, the prep was tablets. I don't think using the trilyte was any worse than using the tablets. Another note: the trilyte did not kick in until the morning.
Results: Per doctor perform the colo, the prep was good; he found no polyps. This time I don't have to come in for another 5 years, instead of 3 years for the previous 2 times.
Just had my first colonoscopy. Used the trilyte prep with crystal lite lemon flavor which masked the Taste but after 5 cups was a bit much on the sweet side. Started to kick in 1 hour after I began drinking.
Used aquaphor for butt comfort.
Did not finish the whole drink but wasn't needed. The hardest part was trying to know if I had drunk enough.
This stuff is by far the most awful thing ever , the only thing that sort of helps is chicken broth as a chase. And even that doesn't dull it out.
The Gastro/Endo center suggested to stay away from anything with artificial sugars, yet I am reading here that most patients are in fact promoting this. I'll take my Doctors advise and stick to natural sugars as there is no way I am going to go thru this PRE-OP schedule to get poor results.
The Trilyte is gawd awful nasty. To combat this I used fresh spearmint leaves in my cheeks.
As others have relayed, drinking so quickly and in such a short time may not be the best. I had to sustain a 20- 25 minute interval as my reflux kicked in and that is counter productive.
SO long as you are 12 hours from the procedure time you can mix up your regular drinks with a splash of regular liquid laxative (this is only if you are still not getting the beginning purge within the first hour and 1/2)
Fleets only clear out the lower intestinal, the target is the upper gastro intestinal, so work with the liquids as they pass thru the upper first.
After reading all the comments I was wondering why so many people had issues drinking the TriLyte. Per my dr's instructions I mixed the powder with Powerade (same as Gatorade but by Coca-Cola). I used Lemon/Lime and refrigerated it the night before. It tasted just like the drink with no aftertaste and I was able to drink the whole 4 ltrs without any issues. I did use the Powerade bottles and marked off where 8 oz was and so each bottle held 4 glasses. It was easy to drink out of the smaller opening than a glass. For me it didn't start to work for almost 2 hrs but I was clear before I finished the 4 lts but continued to drink all of it. My procedure was early this a.m. and I had no issues plus everything was normal -- so thankful as I had a very small polyp removed 5 years ago. So, I had bought lemon drops, straws, etc., and didn't use any of them. Other than it being a little thicker than water it was a breeze.
My five year old son has encopresis and has to drink Trilyte to help reverse it. I have tried everything to get him to drink it faster than taking a full day and suger free koolaide grape is the best. I even tasted it and it wasnt bad...Now instead of taking 6-8 hours getting him to drink it it only takes 4 hours.
My first colonoscopy was ten years ago and I used the pills. I was given the powder for this one and am grateful for all the comments on this board. The one comment that really helped me was to only add half the water and chug four ounces of the prep with a bit of Crystal Lite Lemonade followed by four ounces of warm water.
My exam went well (it was a screening colonoscopy) and nothing was found. I get to do this all over again in ten years.
Thank all of you for taking the time to post your observations.
I pigged out on Chinese food 4 hours before I started taking the Trilyte. I should had read the instructions better. I mixed green tea crystal lite and it made it drinkable. The flavors that came with the drink wouldn't disolve and were slimmy. I finished about 3/4 of the gallon and called it quits. But eating the food that late was stupid. but I survived the procedure the next day.
I am 41, my first colonoscopy to see whats been causing some abdominal pain and assorted other symptoms.
The tips here helped alot with getting the TriLyte down. I mixed in 3 packets of crystal lite lemonade into the 4L jug, took an initial swig and didn't think it tasted all that bad ... until about midway through the first 16oz water bottle. Its nasty but not nearly as bad as I expected and am able to keep it down. 2L down now but Dr. wants 1 1/2 more 16oz bottles to be sure. Ugh.
Thanks for this blog, helped quite a bit!
-Andy
HEY? whats the big deal??? I am what u call a 52 year old amateur athlete and im used to gatoraid/poweraid drinks. I decided to cut the grass (both front n back) on a hot day while i drank the stuff. I actually enjoyed the "drink" break and drunk it hungrily. No washing it down with soda, no gay little straws, no little lemon drops. About half way into it I started feeling the sounds of emminent volcanic expulsions and bee-lined it to the bathroom. I only have ONE piece of advice. DONT LEAVE THE SEAT DOWN!!! Unless you enjoy cleaning up "blowback", your better off having ur a-hole closer to the water. Anywho, enough about me, now all i have to do is hope my doc doesnt puncture my colon!!
I just picked up my prep (PEG 3350) and it has no flavoring packet :-( I will use the Powerade stuff or Crystal Light as suggested as well as putting the drink in the freezer to get it a little slushy. The instructions I was given is actually taking a 10mg biscodyl and drinking 1/2 the container -- I forget the actual timing allowed for this. The next am six hours prior to my procedure which is scheduled for 7:30 am I am to start drinking once again. It looks like I will be strapping myself onto the commode. Any suggestions/advice for this regime?
Yes dude, just do it!! Its all mental, think of dying from thirst in the Gobi desert while drinking it down, then just enjoy peeing like a girl!!! :)
Don't be afraid of a Colonoscopy itself. The procedure is easy, just awkward. The prep is just so wrong. You would think they would have something better by now.
I was lucky. By being dilligent and following through with appointments, they found Colon Cancer in me at 32. My only symptom was I was dizzy one day and went to ER. They told me I was dehydrated and enemic. I am not enimic. (tumors take iron) Then the ER nurse checked my rear and said I had trace blood in my stool. I had had 2 children so I thought nothing of this. It was then suggested that I have a sig. There was 1 polyp that was removed and fine. Since I had 1 polyp they said I should do a Colonoscopy. I followed through 6 months later and almost all the way up, there was a stage 2 tumor contained. I had it removed within a week..... If you have any family history-even grandparents-have an early screening.
I am totally fine. It has been 8 years. I go for a routine Colonoscopy every 2 years. I have done the fleet prep. That one was my first. I gagged so much that I had to reschedule the appointment. Eventually I took it like a shot. Then flushed with water. Miralax was my favorite prep. Now, I am about to try TriLyte. These tips here on this site should help. Best to you
My instructions for drinking the Trilyte say to fill the container with water and refrigerate. When it is time to start taking the Trilyte, it says to dissolve two 3 oz packages of Jello (orange, lemon, lime or peach only) in 1/2 cup of warm water. Pour the jello liquid into the Trilyte container, shake and drink. Has anybody tried Jello instead of Crystal Lite?
I'm finding this blog the morning of my colonoscopy; I wish I'd found it earlier!
I'm 31, doing a colonoscopy because I have a family history of colon cancer and my doctor wants to make sure everything's okay after I had a 6 month bout of constipation (which is gone now, but she still wants to make sure!) As long as everything's okay, I don't have to have another one until I'd normally be due.
My doctor's directions are that I drink about 2 liters the night before, and now I'm up at 7am, three hours before my appointment, to drink another liter of it. As long as I'm "in the clear" after that, I can stop. Otherwise, it's another liter for me :-(
The directions on my TriLyte say not to mix any other flavorings in there, except the little packets it comes with. I REALLY don't want to have to do this again because I didn't follow the directions, so I am following them to the T!
I chose the lemon-lime because I figured it was the one least likely to taste bad...I like pineapple, but I've had a lot of bad artificially-flavored pineapple things. I don't like artificial orange flavor in anything, and cherry's not great either.
Getting it cold definitely helped. Since I didn't find this blog until today, I didn't think to drink/suck on something in between glasses last night. I had to do eight 8oz glasses and I didn't start feeling the effects until after the 4th glass.
One bit of advice- making your bathroom as comfortable as possible is as important as anything you do to make the TriLyte taste better. Get some of those pre-moistened wipes, bring a book, laptop, whatever.
By the 6th glass last night, I was feeling pretty nauseated. More by the Trilyte itself than its effects. I had to force down the last couple glasses, and by then I felt so lousy, I hardly noticed the fact that I was hungry anymore.
One thing I'm realizing about this last (hopefully!) liter this morning is that it really helps if you pinch your nose while you drink. Pause to breathe through your mouth every few swallows. You'll still taste the saltiness, but not the full disgusting flavor of it. And having your breath restricted really motivates you to drink faster!
I'm really hoping I don't have to do the last liter and my colonoscopy comes up clean. To not have to do this for another 15-20 years would be a dream come true!
I just finished my first colonoscopy today.
My Dr. had me drink half the solution (half gallon) beginning at 4pm the day prior to my procedure, and the remaining half beginning 4 hours prior to my appointment, which for me was 4 am.
I mixed the included lemon flavor packet along with half a scoop of powdered lemon-lime gatorade mix and drank through a straw as suggested on this site.
Definitely use a straw - The taste wasn't terribly bad, but the thick consistency of the solution made it difficult drink ... Definitely the colder the better and absolutely use a straw. It took about 2 hours for the Trilyte to kick in, and then I had about 8 trips to the throne in the evening, and about 6 trips in the morning.
By my second morning visit to the bathroom I was running clear, with a slight yellow tinge from the Gatorade, so I left the remaining 8 oz in the gallon.
All in all this was much easier to take than I expected, and the procedure itself was effortless, and I am very relieved to have had it done.
I went to Scripps Green Hospital in Torrey Pines, La Jolla. They put me out with a Valium / Demerol combo and the procedure was over before I knew ... literally. It was like I blinked for a few seconds and it was all over.
The doc mentnioed that my intestine was inflamed, and took a biopsy. What surprised me was the horror stories I had heard about having a biopsy done, though I didn't feel a thing ... Hope this gives anyone in the same boat (I am 35) some confidence.
Well, I'm puzzled. I'm reading all of this and wondering why my colonoscopy prep is only 1 day of liguid diet with mag citrate 10 oz bottle at 5 and another at 9. Has anyone heard of that protocol?
I am so glad that I found this blog. Had my first colonoscopy today and it went well. The prep was better than anticipated because I followed several of the tips mentioned here. My doc said that my colon was clean as a whistle. I was proscribed Tri Lyte with flavor packets and here is what I did:
1. started liquid diet Monday at 4 for a Wed am appt.
2. mixed tri lyte Tuesday am without flavor packets
3. refrigerated mixture
4. an hour before prep was to begin, transferred 16 oz to a sports water bottle, mixed in 1 crystal light lemonade packet and placed bottle in freezer.
5. drank 8oz of "lemonade" every 20 minutes using a flexible straw, chasing with sip of ginger ale as needed.
6. drank around 2L (repeating crystal light mix) that evening and things were looking pretty clear.
7. woke as instructed at 2:15 and only drank about 1/2 L--mainly for insurance.
I did not have any nausea or cramping. Just lots of bathroom trips (baby wipes are a must). The lemonade mixture was not bad at all but it will be a long time before I drink a crystal light lemonade.
I used Lemon Crystal Light. A straw at back of throat. Ginger Ale chaser as needed. (not often) and sucked 2 lemon drops in cheeks. But what saved me was licking a real lemon after each time I drank. I also put each of the 8 ounces bottles that i filled into the freezer 5-10 minutes in advance.
Prep was relatively easy using a few tips here.
1. Eat a bland or soft diet one day before you start
2. Use single glass Crystal Light type flavoring instead of the TriLyte flavoring
3. Mix the TriLyte the night before a place into Water bottles and flavor them an hour before you start. Place the bottles in a cooler on ice
4. Have straws, chasers - (ginger ale and lemon drops worked for me) ready
5. have flushable wipes, Some baby ointment, and book, computer, music, whatever nearby.
6. I made big bowls of jello, and had a lot of clear gatorade and water ready to push through my system.
Get an EARLY appointment.
I had first time colonoscopy,i was very apprehensive and scared. Trylyte orange flavor was pretty good. Drinking with Straw and cold liquid were definitely help. I kept myself completely on clear liquid. My doctor asked to finish half gallon in the afternoon and half from 3am. My stools were clear after half gallon but still i took 48ozs in the morning. My colon was totally clear. procedure was very easy, i did not know any thing. After each drink i licked on the lime slice or take clear liquid sip of any liquid of your favorite. If i felt little nusea i will wait for sometime and then finish the drink. I made 8 ozs servings.
Doing the Trilyte now....oh my. I am just over half way finished. It is a nightmare. I am 49 with a family history of colon cancer...both of my grandmothers passed away. I have some signs. My GI doc is doing and endo and colonoscopy tomorrow or course. I am thinking the procedures will PALE in comparison! I have an autoimmune disorder called Sjogren's syndrome so my swallowing reflex is a bit tricky. I have mixed the trilyte with CL peach tea...was tolerable at first. Gaggy so I then I switched to white grape juice or ginger ale. The grape juice is working better as it it pretty stout stuff. Taking lemon jello and broth in between. I didn't get lemon drops. I have butterscotch and rootbeer barrels. Dr's office told me red or purple was fine......thought that was strange so I decided to go with the general concensus and stay "clear" of any offensive colors. I am sticking with yellows or clear liquids. I pray I can finish. My stools are not yet clear by any means. I hope they wil be soon. Was hoping I wouldn't have to finish the last drop of the 4 ltrs!! Tip?? Eat LIGHT before prep day!! Don't think turkey Pannini like dummy me the night before.
One glass down, who knows how many more to go. I have a phobia about throwing up and I have been dreading this cleanse more than the colonoscopy. Last time I threw up at least half of the solution, but luckily they were still able to do the procedure ok. I try to tell people that it is the cleanse that I'm worried about but they don't understand. I have crystal light lemonade packets in addition to the lemon flavoring. Still gross but bearable. And instead of the lemon drop, i have breath mints (too much lemon). I'll let you know how it all went.
Well color me happy that I found this blog. I chilled to slushy 6 1/2-20oz bottles of water. I added those to the TriLyte at the appointed time mixed it well and then poured the mixture back into the water bottles and added a Lemonade Crystal Light packet to each bottle. I then drank the bottles with a straw to get it farther back on my tongue. It worked amazingly well. I was supposed to do 3/4 of the TriLyte this evening and then the rest in the morning for a 2pm endoscopy and colonoscopy. I never did reach "clear" but had no trouble achieving clear yellow after the 4th bottle. I had been and still am recovering from being sick so I haven't been eating much and already losing weight. I did feel weaker in the beginning of the prep, probably due to the being sick, but feel pretty good now and ready to get some sleep and drink the other bottles, that are in a very cold fridge, at 7am. I was really concerned about getting this stuff down as me and throwing up do not work very well. Thank you so much for the tips. I was so happy I had a good amount of Crystal Light Lemonade on hand. My favorite is Pink Lemonade but it has the red dye in it that we aren't supposed to have. I hope the procedure goes as well as the prep has and I will be even happier.
My gastroenterologist recommended sucking on lolly pops (like Dum Dums) between TriLyte drinks. It worked really well.
Husband did the prep last night and using a suggestion from this blog, used a straw AND used the lemon/lime flavoring for the Trilyte. No gagging or vomiting and said the flavor really wasn't too bad. I think the straw had a lot to do with it.
Husband did the prep last night and using a suggestion from this blog, used a straw AND used the lemon/lime flavoring for the Trilyte. No gagging or vomiting and said the flavor really wasn't too bad. I think the straw had a lot to do with it.
2 Dulcoloax, and after 6 8oz glasses, I am still feeling ok. Not a whole lot happening as of yet, but I am sure it's going to be memorable. I am taking them like big shots of tequila, with licking the flavor pack, sucking the lemon then slamming the devil juice.
I am drinking the Trilyte to clean me out for a colonscopy.I have drank about 3/4 of the gallon of Trilyte and nothing yet.When does this stuff start working?
I forgot to put this in my last post. I had normal bowel movements several days the before the prep,so I'm not constipated. The instructions that came with the trilyte said you would have a BM in an hour.So far, nothing yet.I have to check in the GI Lab at 10:15am Jan 12,2012.Should I call my doctor when I finish drinking the remaining 1/4 bottle.
I mixed the trilyte up with eight 14 8oz bottles of water, then added 8 Ocean Spray White Cran-Peach flavor packets to the mix, does not have a bad taste at all. Had to sit the bottles out for a bit as it was too cold and gave me a headache when I drank it.
The first 16 oz. with straw went down in about 10 seconds, washed it down with a couple ounces of lemon crystal light. The taste wasn't too bad, but it felt like I was drinking water with dish liquid in it. How fast does this stuff to take affect?
Just had my first 8 oz. Used orange flavor. Not really that bad - finished it up with Peach Snapple.
Las Vegas tap water is worse.
You can have Peach Snapple? In my instructions, the color of that would have ruled it out.
My Dr. just said nothing red. Peach Snapple is sort of yellow - like a dark urine.
I have now had 5! 3 more to go and then repeat the process in the am...
Ahhh, I was remembering it as pink, I guess I was wrong.
Best of luck! Take care!
Thanks! Six down. two to go. Feeling very full and no gushers yet...
OMG OMG I have discovered the BEST way to take the Trilyte prep.
I just found this new Crystal Light mix called MARGARITA!!!! I mixed it with the Trilyte and voila! It's delicious. Tastes like a margarita.... I really don't taste anything else...no after taste or anything. The drink is slightly salty....but it is a good salt....and it goes with the margarita taste. (kind of like having the salt on the rim of the glass)
I haven't gagged or anything and have not had to rinse my mouth or suck on any candy or anything!!!!
When the timer goes off, I am actually looking forward to having another margarita drink!
Seriously. TRY THIS. I am amazed at how easily this stuff is going down and I was petrified of drinking it.
This is my second rodeo with Trilyte and it hasn't been so bad THIS TIME (2 glasses to go). Make sure your bowel is as clear as it can be before taking it and you won't bloated for so long. A stool softner a day ahead will help, too. It was the hours of bloat that really killed me last time.
Everyone is talking about the taste -- which isn't lasagna, but isn't all that bad to my taste. Take the hints given above to make it more palatable.
What I don't see is anyone talking about the "other end"! It really helps not to have a burning rectum at the end of it all if you lube up with Petroleum Jelly AT THE START OF THINGS. Keep it greased and everything slides on by without the irritation.
Found many of the suggestions here really helpful. My own: Target has a generic type of crystal lite powdered mix called "Lime Marguerita". It is BY FAR the best flavoring for the trylite. Works with the saltiness instead of trying to overcome it with excessive sweetness.
And...I ended up not having to drink anywhere near 4 liters to get cleaned out and I think it's because I ate VERY lightly the day before I started drinking the Trilyte. Had a small salad and a slice of quiche for lunch, another small salad and a few bites of chicken for dinner. On the day I took the trilyte, I also drank a quart and a half of chicken broth.
Oh man, I wish I saw this website before I started. I came here because I've been doing the 4 liter prep in 2 hours. The first 3 liters were fine, I got that just drinking it straight in an hour and a half, but I can't drink the last 1/10th or so without gagging. It looks like from the tips here, it's not the end of the world if you can't do it in 2 hours, which is a relief. Nobody ever mentioned the prep being hard to me, so I wasn't worried a bit until about 3/4 of the way through. It's really not that bad, I think it's the taste that starts to become unpalatable towards the end, so some chasers or mints or something help.
I haven't had to use the bathroom yet 2.5 hours in, so that part remains to be seen.
My D-Day is tomorow.. not looking forward to it at all. This will be my 6th colonoscophy. I think I will try drinking the Lytlite with a straw. I have 8 hours to drink it, so thats a relief. Thanks for the tips everyone!
Ok, I've been dreading taking this for 3 days! Having read through this blog, I thought for sure my Sunday evening was going to be torture. NO SO MUCH! I have a 4 liter dosage (2 tonight, 2 tomorrow am) and it was fine. I mixed in 5 packets of Crystal Light Natural Lemonade and the smell and taste was fine. It tasted like think lemonade. Yes, tasted - past tense - I finished tonight's dose in about an hour. I also sucked on Brach's lemon drops while doing so. This is my first prep ever ... and am glad to say I'm not scared of it anymore. I've drank worse tasting stuff. Don't worry ... it's not that bad.
The lemon packet that it comes with, does NOTHING to cover up the flavor... Took me from 12pm-6pm to drink all of it & I lost 5 lbs. when it was all said & done. I found that either chasing it with broth or taking a bite of a tropical flavored, yellow popsicle helped the best to mask the flavor. I now have to do this every 3 years.. After reading these comments I'm definately leaning toward using the Curan wrap, straw method & the white grape Crystal light flavoring in it & the white grape juice chaser... That sounds like it would help A LOT.
Awesome thread here! A veritable treasure trove! Hope this gets left up.
Just want to add my experience to the pool:
Giant jug of Gavilyte. To flavor it, I tried lemonade Crystal Light and white grape Crystal Light- the white grape flavor was far better for me. The lemonade flavor had me gagging very quickly.
After about 24 ounces I needed to "chase" my gulps of the Gavilyte, so I began using veggie broth and ginger ale. I went on quite a sugar high from all the sugar soda, but the ginger ale was helpful in clearing the salty aftertaste out.
I did not finish the entire jug of Gavilyte, I was only able to manage about 3/4 (I am female, 5'2 and 130 lb) and it was fine.
For me, the "block" in drinking the stuff was largely mental- I got myself all psyched up! Then I sat down with a good TV show, my iced glass of Crystal Gavilyte, and a chaser and just got down to business and it was totally bearable. I would just gulp, chase, breathe, gulp, chase, breathe, gulp, chase, breathe and then take a break for some sips of hot broth or some popsicle.
Dear makers of Colyte flavor packets,
I imagine you actually never tasted your product. Palatable? No. How do you sleep in your bed if lies??
/Rant over
Ps-crysral lite. Copious amounts. Works.
Wow, am i happy, I just had my second almost crystal clear BM! I added 8 pkgs of Crystal Lite Lemonade flavor and no lie, it tasted like Lemonade. No after taste, no oily taste. I was NOTHING! I was all worked up for nothing. I started around 1pm and it took about 6 hours. I could not in any way drink it every 20 mins. But im good to go........ AS in to the doc in the a.m. for myscreening. Dont let it panic you. It wasnt bad at all!
Oh I forgot to add that from the first 16oz glass to the first BM was about an hour and a half. then about an hour for each one after that. Trilyte does NOT taste that bad as long as you throw away those ridiculous flavor packs and use crystal lite. I also ate lightly the day before. soup for lunch, soup for dinner with a few crackers and that was it. toast before 9:am today with coffee and that was the end of the food. Cant wait to EAT again tomorrow. Great blog here, i never would have had it so easy if I hadnt found it. and YES , use a straw, push way to the back of your mouth. I didnt need any Saran wrap over the glass, didnt notice any odor from it. Its ALL IN YOUR MIND!
So I had my first colonoscopy and the prep was indeed the worst. Thanks to all previous post for suggestions. If I had to do it again which I will in 10 yrs, I'd go on a two day liquid fast. The doctor only asks to do liquid the day prior but doing it two days will help clear the colon easier AND less of that trilyte crap.
I had no problem drinking the first half but started to throw up afterwards. I could only drink 5-6 oz after that before feeling nauseous so I figure better to drink less than all and throwing up. The key is to watch your stool. When you can stop drinking this nasty stuff is when you stool is like urine. It will be yellow but it shouldn't be muddy. I did further research and the below is from a gastrologist. I stopped after drinking 3/4 and was so glad I found the below. Yes, a petite woman should not need to drink as much as a 6' 5" 250 lb man. The key is below. Hope this helps.
How do I know if my prep is adequate?
The stool should be watery in consistency. It does not have to be clear in color like water since digestive juices will continue to tint stool yellow. Small flecks of debris are not a problem as long as the stool is not muddy or thick. If there is any question, you can self-administer a tap water or fleet enema prior to leaving home for the procedure.
My hub started his prep today. He was very good about doing his clear liquid diet 2 days (not just prep day) and he's on his third 8oz cup of Gavalite (his insurance wouldnt cover GoLytely). So far no business in the bathroom after 3 cups but I'm sure he'll start very soon now. He says the taste isnt all THAT bad other than a heavy nutra sweet taste from the orange flavor packet. He says it tastes pretty bad, but not so bad he cant make his way through it. I've suggested the ginger ale and the candies to him but so far he's refusing them. I think once he starts going he'll want a supplemental liquid. I have green tea and apple juice and some clear gatorade for him Also he's been munching on popscicles and italian ice to keep the hunger pangs at bay.
He's quite scared of what they may find because his mother had colon cancer but I think we both realize he needs this test more than anyone else others for a 50yo man.
4th cup going down the hatch now. No nausea or bloating yet, but he's very used to drinking large quantities of liquid just because he likes to drink lots of fluids.
Though we are counting off the cups he's drinking like they're a trophy.
I feel guilty eating while he's on his fast but well, I need to eat, I'll have my own procedure (not colonoscopy though) in a few weeks so he can eat and smoke in front of me while I'm suffering.
Though after 4 cups of the prep, no action yet. But we're expecting that the movements will come soon. We've also prepared for this with baby wipes and petroleum jelly to make him as comfortable as possible. We have a book, a newspaper and my kindle set up in the bathroom for him as well as my cell if he wants to watch movies while he goes through his ordeal. Will keep people posted through the night.
After 5th cup, we have success! Now its my turn to be feeding him the cups of prep juice.
6th cup we hit a bit of a coughing fit, but was just because he was drinking his prep juice a little too fast. Told him to slow down
He does seem to get a bit of a "warning" at this point before he needs to go. A bit of a belly rumble and he knows he needs to get to the throne.
He says he's feeling slightly light headed so I got him a little gatorade to drink along with this. We're at halfway on the bottle, hopefully he'll make it through the rest of this with no snags.
Well the 4 liters is down the hatch. He's VERY chilly right now, so we have him wrapped in a blanket until he has to go again. The going is pretty much every 10 minutes for him and the "warning" is almost non existant. More like a mad dash at this point. Just have to keep him warm. But he's starting to go yellow now, so probably another hour until clear. He says he feels like hell and I cant blame him. Though I am trying to get him to drink some gatorade so he doesnt dehydrate. He's also very tired at this point so hopefully sleep will come easily to him once the mad dash is over.
At 2 hours after the first drink of the Gavalyte... he's not dashing anymore. No more chills either. Guess the worst is over and he's going to sleep
Getting cold:
Yeah, all the cold liquid really does put a strain on keeping warm. I just heated some plain water and found that sips of that (and the blanket) at least gave me a little more illusion of warmth.
Tomorrow is prep day. I've been dreading this since the last horror show four years ago. My other doc (not GI) prescribed low-dose Xanax to calm me because I've been SOOOOOO anxious about this.
I could gag/vomit, just thinking about mixing the vile gallon.
So glad I found this blog.
I think a lot of people simply don't understand that TriLyte is a medication and not beverage. It should be taken as medicine - hold your nose, chug it down as fast as possible trying not to let it swirl in your mouth, and chase it with water or something to change the aftertaste. To expect to be able to enjoy it is simply unrealistic. I was weary aftefr reading some posts how awful is it but after trying it I found out that it's just bland and slightly salty than anything else. Also, if you hold your nose you won't smell it and it will also help you not test it as much - interestingly, smell and taste are actually the same sensation.
Thanks for the tips on getting Trilyte down the hatch. My procedure is scheduled in early July. I intend to forego a general anesthetic, which is my hospital's default $etting, and talk someone out of a Valium tablet. I had a sigmoidoscopy 5 years ago with no sedatives and managed it fine.
I wonder if others said no to the anesthesiologist?
Crystal lite and flavor packets that u can add to regularwater works...I've been adding sugar free peach tea...its still disgusting but it helps a little
I am unable to use Crystal light, artificial sweeteners cause severe migraines. Just called my doctor's office & they said sugar sweetened lemonade mix, like Country Time, is fine to mix with the prep.
Lots of good American ingenuity on this blog. Nothing like solving problems. I tried to prepare my palate this way: lick a little salt, suck on a lime and spit out the pulp and juice, then chase with the Trilyte. For me, I had to put something into my mouth that tasted WORSE than the Trilyte so that I could drink it down. It works. I am having no problems finishing the gallon before 8 pm.
Mix each glass separately to find which flavor works best.
First off, as everyone else has said, thank goodness for finding this blog!
I am 23 and had to do my first double. Colonoscopy and Endoscopy. I was terrified since never being under anesthesia. I drank the first 20 ounces without any flavor whatsoever with a gatoraid chaser. I almost vomited and decided to start researching. I found this website and I decided to go with the crystal lite lemon aid and orange. I divided the rest of the solution into water bottles and made different flavors. Drank one every 20 minutes and it started working 1.5 hours later. I was able to drink a little over half the gallon made to drink and ran clear. The taste still had a bitter after taste but made it much easier.
I just got home from the procedure and I feel fine. I took longer to wake up than normal, but I'm 5'0 and 125 lbs. So it hit me harder. I don't remember anything and I am not sore anywhere. My results are things I can easily manage with meds and healthy eating, so I am lucky. Won't need another for 27 years when I turn 50!
I'm 63 and had my first colonoscopy yesterday. I am in good health,and do not take any medications, herbals whatsoever. This was my regimen for the DAY BEFORE colonoscopy. Yours may be different, especially if you take any medications, so follow your doctors instructions to the T.
DAY BEFORE: Clear-Liquid Diet. Do not consume dairy products, solid foods, alcohol, anything RED or PURPLE. (I decided to add ORANGE to the list, since it has some red in it.) I used one sugar free lemon drop when I started taking the Nulytely, & had some banana popsicles after.
Per doctor's directions, I drank at least 8 (16 oz.)bottles of H2O beforethe Trilyte, since I don't normally drink H2O and it would not have happened during or after taking it. You feel really full.
I mixed the chemicals in the jug with room temp bottled water, not tap water.I added a lemon lime flavor packet along with 4 packets (.14oz.) Crystal Lite lemonade. Mixed it well, then refrigerated it. It tasted like real lemonade, so it wasn't bad at all. I sipped it through a straw as suggested, took my time drinking half of the jug - about 15 minutes between glasses. I didn't need the ginger ale in between glasses, but did suck on slices of real lemons in between occassionally. If you like lemonade, this idea will work for you too.
3PM - take 2 Dulcolax Tablets (laxative pills).
4:30 take one Zofran (Ondansetron) to avoid nausea. This worked well. I also used the straw idea to drink the Nulytely from the jug.
5PM - Begin taking half of the Trilyte Mixture. Drink one glass every 10-15 minutes until half the jug is gone. I measured the jug and marked it at the half way point with a marker. I began going to the bathroom at 5:45PM.
THE DAY OF PROCEDURE: Take another anti-nausea pill, wait 30 minutes, then finish drinking the rest of the jug within one hour. At 5:30 AM I had to stop taking anything by mouth since my appt. was at 8:30 AM. I completed the jug even though I was leaking a clear yellow fluid the day before.
When I got to the hospital, they said that if I was still leaking fluid at the time of the procedure, they had no problem washing it out. The procedure was at 9:30 - leaking stopped-9:00. They gave me a sugar-water IV as soon as I arrived weak and sleepy. During the procedure I had a mild sedation that knocked me out and oxygen.
I suggest that if you don't stay in the bathroom, then wear some feminine menstral pads even if u are a man. It sneaks up on you without warning - today I have some laundry to do! Use really soft toilet paper & the NEW "Fresh Care" wipes that are available after you go. Hope this helps.
sffoesnhas anyone ever tried only mixing the solution with 2 liters of water instead of 4? and drinking 4oz solution followed immediately by 4oz of plain cold water? (no, my doctor did not tell me this.)
has anyone ever tried mixing with only half the water, then drinking 4 oz of plain water with each 4 oz of solution?
has anyone ever tried only mixing the solution with 2 liters of water instead of 4? and drinking 4oz solution followed immediately by 4oz of plain cold water? (no, my doctor did not tell me this.)
-Prepping With Hemorrhoids-
as horrible as the drinking part is, I've been more concerned about the Bowel Movement part. I have internal and external hemorrhoids and i'm concerned about them flaring up.
How frequent are the BMs?
How violent are the BMs?
How much Quantity comes out during the BMs? the same amount as each 8oz glass you drank previously?
How many BMs did you have?
How did you wipe your bung after each BM?
If you have Hems, did you have any flare ups during or after?
How spastic was your bung?
When do you Know that you are all DONE for the night?
sorry, i know these are horrible questions..
Moons Over My Hemmies.
Hemmy:
Roughly speaking, they didn't make my roids worse. You drink a gallon in, a gallon comes out, but it settles down really fast after you stop drinking, certainly within an hour after you stop drinking, but for a couple hours, while you're drinking, it's pretty constant. Once it stops, it stops.
I only had a few crampy sensations early on, nothing later.
A lot of folks will use some sort of petroleum jelly after normal wiping to reduce burning sensations.
Thanks Joe. that helps.
i have to start my Prep tomorrow evening and i've been dreading the pooooping part. my imagination and anxiety is creating epic monster movies from all this nonsense.
i fear my hemmies will flare up on the first BM, and by the umpteenth BM, it will have its own arms and legs, with a face only a a gigantic mosqiuto monster will love.
-Moons Over My Hemmies
Had my first scope about 3 weeks ago and I want to say thanks to all who posted here with their suggestions. What worked best for me was this: starting a soft/liquid diet the day before I was required to by the clinic, then starting the prep a few hours earlier than scheduled, extending the intervals between doses to 30 minutes (instead of the 20 minutes that they requested), drinking it through a straw and the key element: sucking a lemon chunk at the end of every glass---this took away the chemical taste of the prep, so that all I tasted was salt. The doc said the prep results were excellent and I got a clean bill of health. Hope this helps and thanks again!
I'm so glad I found this blog before my colonoscopy. I tried a lot of the tips others offered. This is what worked best for me:
1. eating lightly the day before the prep,
2. adding Crystal Light to the prep ( I couldn't have gotten it down without the Crystal Light),
3. drinking through a straw,
4. taking a big swig of flat ginger ale after each cup of the prep,
5. standing as much as possible during the prep.
I also wore anti-nausea accupressure wrist bands. I didn't have any nausea or vomiting, just stomach pain from drinking so much so fast.
If I ever do this again, I'm going to seriously consider not finishing the whole gallon. I'm a small female and I was going all night even after there was nothing left to come out except for prep. I got maybe 2 hours of sleep. I think that wasn't necessary and it just made the whole experience even worse. I really think, as a couple of others pointed out, that allowances should be made for weight in prescribing the amount of prep to drink.
I'm very grateful to everyone who shared their experiences and suggestions
Don't freak out--unless you have issues with your stomach itself, this is not hard. My doc gave the a-ok to mix with Crystal Light. I mixed the night before (Trilyte) and it was nice and cold. After reading half the posts here, I was expecting pure misery. What I got? lemonade "koolaid" that covered the taste of salt almost completely. I didn't need any chasers. I drank at my leisure in a 4-5 hour time. What was worst for me, is the want to eat. Also, since I was prescribed a ducolax chaser, I had to get up at 1 am to go more. After a while, your intestines keep lightly spasming/grinding from the stimulants, but nothing comes out. I think the worst part of the experience was feelng hungry, the grinding loud, crampy intestines, and feeling dehydrated (I did not drink enough water, so try to--even though drinking isn't your first instinct with all that liquid). I also got an irritated throat from the solution--but it passed. 24 hours after procedure, I am fine. All is well, although I hung onto the air they shoot in you longer than most do (just pass that gas, folks). Report was that my prep was great (and I drank just shy of the full gallon as I was running clear very early on). Bottom-line, compared to other things I have had to have/or gone though, this is a blip on the radar. I think it is all in your persepctive/and personal experiences as to how "traumatic" or "terrible" this all is. I actually don't think that the people posting who make this out to be a nightmare are helping anyone. Too much drama that serves nothing other than to freak out already anxious people. For those of you who are going to have this procedure, you will be fine! Don't get worked up over it.
I did my colonoscopy prep yesterday, it was really not that bad. Instead of Crystal Light (I hate the taste of aspartame), I went to Whole Foods and bought small packets of 100% natural, crystallized lime juice that contains no sugar or calories. You have to use at least 10+ packets for the whole jug, but it made the taste very palatable - certainly nothing like the disgusting comments that most people have about the flavor packs that the pharmacy provides.
I made sure the solution was very cold, poured it into a glass, and drank quickly from a straw. I did start to feel bloated by the time I got to glass 6, but since I was clear by that time, I stopped taking the prep.
Also helpful was sucking on a lemon drop while drinking the solution. In between, I took sips of warm chicken broth that I kept simmering.
All in all, I was prepared for a total nightmare, but the prep was not bad at all. Compared to the barium you have to drink for an upper GI, this prep was a breeze. Good luck and good health to you all!
I drank the Magnesium Citrate mixed wtih a can of Sprite (both cold) and it was actually tasty. I highly recommend this. I drank all 10 oz in about 15 minutes no problem.
Wish me luck on the TriLyte tomorrow.
I just had my 1st colonoscopy yesterday and read this blog before the prep and was dreading the trilyte.
I had to go through a 2 1/2 day fasting and liquid diet because of constipation issues I told them about. (my advice, don't tell them you are constipated unless you want to starve to death and feel deathly ill!)
Day 1: My first prep was a 10 oz bottle of Lemon flavored Magnesium Citrate. This made me have bowel movements for 10 hours every 20-30 minutes. All solid waste was gone out of my system from this prep alone, but still had brown water stools.
Day 2: They wanted me to do a split 1/2 and 1/2 of the trylite prep. I mixed the solution with 4 liters of bottled water and put in fridge in the morning. I started drinking 8 oz trylyte every 10 minutes at 6 pm. I decided just to gulp it down with no straw and then suck on fresh lemon or lime pieces after each glass, just like you would after a tequila shot :)
I drank the 1st glass and didn't really taste anything or smell anything other than salt and the liquid seemed a little thicker than water. The fresh lemon and lime at the end really worked well. I gulped each glass down and had 2 L gone in 70 minutes with no problems at all other than feeling really bloated and full.. It started to hit me around an hour after I started drinking it. I advise to stay on the toilet once it hits because you don't have much control with your bowel movements after that. I had bowel movements until around 11 pm that night. They started off dark and ended lighter yellow by 11 pm . I went to bed and woke up around 4 am and had one more water bowel movement.
Day 3 (day of colonoscopy): My procedure was at 12:30pm and I had to be there by 11:45 am to check in. I was worried I would still have bowel movements when I got there, so I started the second half of the trilyte at 5:45am (45 min earlier than they recommended.) By this time I was feeling pretty bad and weak and dreaded drinking more of the prep. The 1st 5 glasses went down ok. Instead of the lemon/lime pieces, I sucked on a Green apple jolly rancher after each glass. It worked well too. This time I noticed the thickness of the trilyte much more than the 1st day. The last 3 glasses was were I started gagging a little but managed to get them all down. It started hitting in 45 minutes and I just stayed on toilet the whole time again. Started off dark yellow (this is normal) and then ended in a very pale yellow. My last bowel movement was at around 10:15 am, but I still had the urge to go but just barely any liquid came out at this point so I fiqured I was safe to get ready for appointment.
To relieve my very sore tush, I used A & D ointment and unscented baby wipes.
Once I got to the colonoscopy, everything from that point was a breeze. They gave me excellent drugs in my IV but I was aware during the whole procedure but felt no pain whatsoever. They wheeled me back to recovery room and nurse said everything went well and to now try and release the gas. Under normal circumstances I would have a problem farting in front of a stranger but I was feeling so good from the drugs, I let it rip to the nurses delight! LOL
Happy to report they found 3 tiny polyps and some internal hemrhoids but everything else checked out fine.
The 1st meal after 64 hours of fasting was like heaven!
Late afternoon colonoscopy queston:
My colonoscopy appointment is at 4:15 pm. I'm to arrive at the doctor's at 3 pm, and will need to leave home about 2:20 p.m. To be safely done pooping by 2:20, how early in the morning will I need to start drinking the Gavilyte C?
Doctor's instructions are to drink it all starting at 6 pm the night before, regardless of the time of the patient's procedure the next day. That makes no sense to me. For my 4:15 pm colonoscopy, I'd rather do it all the day of the procedure, or at least split the gavilite between night before and day of.
I have only read about 1/2 of the suggestions so if this is a repeat, forgive and move on. This is my second attempt. I cancelled the first one because I was still on yellow in the morning. I was told later that would have been okay. I was miserable doing the prep so for this one I listened to a woman who has to have one each year and has become a professional at this. 1) Start a daily dose of miralax each morning (mixes easily in coffee) 10 days prior. You stool will be solid but loose and it's sort of like priming the pump. 2) Start eating light 4 days before. Don't wait until the day of the fast/prep to change your diet. Trust me, lunches of light chicken noodle soup with a couple of crackers are worth it when it comes to prep day. Lastly, take two laxatives the day before you do the prep (no miralax that day). Most of use start our preps with two laxatives, so this is just taking two each of the days prior. And lastly, and most importantly, try to reduce or cut any medications that cause constipation. For the first one I was on hydrocodone for knee replacement surgery several weeks before and no one told me to lay off of them. So check your side effects list and decide if its something it would be safe for you not to take for a couple of days. Meds like that are counter to the process you are trying to reach. Good luck all!
I've been having colonscopy's since I was 9 years old. (Lucky me). I'm having my 5th one in about 3 hours. I have to say, the prep this time wasn't horrible. I had to take two Colace yesterday, then 2 hours later, a bottle of Magnesium citrate (the grape flavor was tolerable. I just chugged and chased it with Sprite). The Nulyte isn't good, but wasn't as bad as I thought.
However, I was supposed to get up at 4 a.m. to do my last 4 glasses. I had one, went to the restroom and fell back asleep. So I just did another one at 7:30 a.m. I figure I should be okay since my procedure isn't until 11:30.
Anyway, next time, I'll flavor it with Chrystal Lite. I used the cherry this time and it tasted like the thickest, sweetest Popsicle I've ever had. I may never eat cherries or Popsicles again, lol.
I am a 36 year old woman. I am having my 5th colonscopy since 9 years old in a few hours. When I was 9, I had to do a clear diet and the enema. The other 3 have always been magnensium citrate and that's it. This is the first time I have had to do Nulyte. It's not horrible but I'm glad I won't have to do it again for another 1-3 years (depending what they find today).
I am a bit worried. I was supposed to be up at 4 a.m. to do 4 more glasses. I woke up, took the glass, went to the restroom and promptly fell back asleep. I read that some people can have the prep continue up to 3 hours before the procedure, so I took another glass.
I think I'll be fine since in the past, I've had times in the where I wasn't "running clear" and my procedure went okay. Just hoping that's the case today. I do not want to repeat this anytime soon.
In process now...about 3/4 gone and the taste is fine!! Kind of like a mild alka seltzer flavor (I used the lemon)...
IN CASE YOU HAVE READ DOWN THIS FAR, wanted to add my appreciation to this blog for the most helpful advice that made all the difference for me. This was my third colonoscopy, and the clean out for my first 2 made me truly dread the prospect of another. But with these tips, it was actually not that bad. So don't panic. What worked especially well for me, I think, as the Crystal Lite (peach and orange were the best flavors, lemon reminded me too much of past experiences), drunk cold using a straw from a glass covered with cellophane wrap. Preventing the smell was very important. I also used sugar free life savers in my mouth to taste between sips. I also used a sugar free Winter Green mint between glasses to purge he sweetness. All these steps made it MUCH better. I have a VERY sensitive gag reflex, and I never came close to gagging or retching even once. Perhaps the biggest challenge was simply forcing myself to down so much liquid in so short a period of time. My thanks to the others for their excellent suggestions.
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The advice from this site was so helpful. Last time I did a liquid prep, I threw up so much that I ended up throwing up blood. This time I took the advice of a few people, divided the solution into 8 16.9 oz empty water bottles, added Crystal Light Lemonade packet to each one, put them in the freezer for a short time to make them kind of a slury consistency. When I drank them I kept a Jolly Rancher green apple hard candy in my mouth and moved in around between chugs of the liquid. I have finished my first four bottles without so much as a gag. Believe me, I was really worried about this...but it was easy! I plan to drink two more bottles this evening...just to be sure. Also, I drank 8oz every 15 minutes. I had planned to space it out more, but it was so easy, I just kept going. Don't be afraid of it. Just do a little planning. Good Luck. My test is at 8:30 tomorrow morning.
Just started the trylite about two hours ago. Havent had a bm yet. Hard to keep trylite down. Helpppppppp
I was scheduled for both an Endoscopy and Colonoscopy this morning. This was my first Colonoscopy using TriLyte, two years ago I used the HalfLyte. I used the orange packet both times.
The first time I wasn't sure exactly what "clear" meant. Found out the next morning just before the procedure that it meant free from any solid matter. The liquid will still be yellow to light brown in color.
I drank 9 glasses of the TriLyte with no problem last night between 4 PM and 7:30, then promptly threw up after putting my lips to the 10th glass. Hoped it would be OK which it was. An hour or so later there was no more solid matter.
The Desitin application worked really well. However, I did reapply it once and still got sore but not nearly as sore as I did the last time without using anything.
I stayed in the bathroom from 5 PM on, watched HULU on the computer. Had the handset for the phone with me and a glass of apple juice to kill the taste of the TriLyte. The Halflite cost $45, the TriLyte cost $6. I did use the personal shower periodically to rinse my bottom. Did make it feel better.
Thank you all who contributed to this blog and gave me such good information suggestions to get thru the bowel prep.
Was it worth it? Yes it was. I had one polyp removed during the Endoscopy and one polyp removed during the Colonoscopy. I still have a very large polyp that can only be removed during surgery if it grows which it hasn't in the past two years. Just praying now that both are not found malignant during biopsy.
Have to go thru this again in three years but at least I'll be doing it smarter!
I appreciate all these suggestions! I don't remember what prep I did for my ca surgery last year, but it wasn't so bad. I will have a colonoscopy next week as I am due for one. I'm feeling fine with normal labs and don't want to do it but I will as I know this is important and could be a lifesaver! Good luck to everyone!
I mixed mine with lemonade from 7-11 and tolerated the second half of the gallon so much better than the first half. No matter what flavor packet you use, it tastes like what I imagine sewage water to taste like. Next time, I will get the low volume one that is only two cups. That was AWFUL!!
Fear not! My prep was no problem. I followed the instructions to a 'T'. On D-2 I had a light dinner and plenty of liquids (green tea) in the evening. On D-1 I had black coffee for breakfast, with some turkey stock mid morning. More tea, and more stock for lunch. Around 1 I took 3 bisacodyl to jump start the process. More tea, stock in the afternoon. At 5 I started the Gavilyte (generic for Trylite) with lemon flavor. It was much more tolerable than the Golytely I had 20 years ago. By glass 8 I was feeling done, but luckily I was! The plain liquid tasted like strong club soda, definitely not as salty as I feared. This morning (D day) I woke up and downed the remaining 2L, again no issues. I have been remarkably surprised at my tolerance. I was prepared for the worst. Take heart!
I see a lot of questions on here asking what flavor is best. what you really need to ask yourself is what flavor do you not mind making you gag for the rest of eternity. it hardly seems possible but each glass is even worse and more gag reflex triggering than the last. the only solution seems to be trying to trick your mouth. I found this was easiest using an oral analgesic spray like chloraseptic to numb the tongue and throat. For a while sucking on a peppermint while drinking and in between glasses seemed to help but past halfway it's effectiveness is waning. Good luck to all out there. We've clearly all been in your position and we know exactly how much it blows.
there must be another way and I actually know there is. At my first colonoscopy I did not have to drink this totally insane amount of colyte! I can't recall what I had to take but it did the job done without this ridiculous 4 liter amount! I'm close to throwing up and give up!
Some really good suggestions here! My scope is next week...this will be my third in the last 14 yrs. The scope itself is a breeze, but the prep cocktail has been and still is dreadful. Surely they can come up with a more palatable drink that will not cause this unnecessary stress! I like the idea of eating light meals two or three days before the prep day. I plan to try the straw, cellophane, lemonade mix, popsicles and lollipops or hard candy between glasses. Definitely the colder the better. Camping out in the bathroom is a must for me. No matter how dreadful, it is a lifesaving necessary procedure. Good luck fellow scopers!!
Just started the Gavilyte-C with the big jug, salty-sweet sickening flavor, the whole thing. I figured out where my taste buds are for this brew and how to position my mouth to avoid them as much as possible. I suck my cheeks in like a fish (I'm serious). Then open my mouth and take a sip, throwing the liquid back the way I would if I were taking a pill. So, trying configuring your mouth to drink this stuff bypassing the front of your tongue. And then congratulate yourself that you're having this procedure done and taking care of yourself.
First, focus on being grateful for the privilege to have this procedure done. And that the odds are you will probably be fine. Pineapple flavor worked well for me, chased by white grape. Put flowers and other nice things in your bathroom, start a movie, RELAX. :)
Howdee,
Unfortunately I am having my fourth Colonoscopy. Seems I have repeating problems, that comes back after time.
Crystal lite is ok if you are a fan of Nurtasweet. I asked the Phramacist today specifically about sugar, that was an absolute no go.
Cold and straw did not help much on the last go with this stuff.
My first thought is if I were to numb my tongue with Ambersol the taste process would be over.
Another thought as I cook and bake. I have a load of bottles of flavorings Vanilla Rum, they make many flavors, Lemon would seem out as any real citris would effect the junk in the bottle, as would soda. However most cooking and baking flavorings would not. Sugar is out. Nutrasweet and Sacarine are ok. So honey would be fine as well. put the water with ice in a blender add honey and flavorings enough to mask yon stuff.
Most every time I have been too sick to think when we did the proceedure, so this time I at least do the Ambasol thing on my tongue -- at it really knocks everything dead.
I found the PERFECT way to do this! I gagged down the first 1/2 gallon (flavored with lemon crystal light) last night with sliced lime to bite into after each drink. (It took until 8 pm to have a BM). This morning I was very gaggy and nauseous so I found this blog. I saw the suggestion for a lemon drop candy in the cheek. I did not have any hard candy so I took sliced limes and coated them with sugar. I was able to have a straw towArds the back of my tongue and take a couple of swallows at a time then sink my teeth into the sugar-lime. It worked PERFECTLY! I am seriously the most nauseous, gaggy person ever. The fact that this technique made this bearable is a miracle! I highly recommend it!
The colonoscopy went good, by the way. One polyp found and sent to lab for results. (Better than the 7 they found before). The cocktail of fentanyl, an amnesia med and prophoryl (sp?) were used. I was groggy for hours. I am finally feeling better. Good luck to the rest of ya!
For those Celiac Disease patients and "gluten sensitive folks," I can confirm that the flavoring packets for the Brand (not generic form) of Trilyte from Wallace Pharmaceuticals, Somerset, NJ are gluten-free. I called the manufacturer at (888) 444-1527.
Hope this helps!
On glass the #2. Its making my stomach hurts the thought of another glass is making me nauseated. I did add some Lemonade drops to it. Been sucking in a lemon candy.
I am doing this now. I cannot stand the flavor and the smell. I am still trying to drink 1 glass. I thought there is no way I can make this happen since in 1 hour I still have not finished 1 glass. And I have to drink 1 gallon. So, that is what brought me to this page. I am so grateful. The lemon drop idea is brilliant. I don't have any, so I made a very strong lemonade and that is really working as a chaser. I am almost done with 1 glass. And I feel more optimistic about finishing this gallon. JG =)
I almost forgot, the straw at the back of the mouth with saran wrap over the glass (to minimize the smell) really helped as well. And i dissolved lots of sugar to the strong lemonade (lots of lemon juice, not much water). JG =)
I drank as much as I could and had clear yellow poo, so to me that was enough. The colonoscopy went well. I feared that by not drinking the last two tall glasses of that stuff I would have to do this again, but that was not the case. I want to thank everyone here for all their amazing suggestions that helped drinking the terrible fluid a better experience. JG =)
hooboy... Just chugged down my 5th cup... is it really supposed to taste like the inside of an old beach ball???? Stomach is starting to growl loudly... I suppose that's good. 1st time around I didn't clear out entirely so they're having me fast today and taking small doses of Polyethelene Glycol for the last couple of days... Hopefully it will work this time. I had a lower GI almost 50 years ago, practically same kind of cleansing routine! I asked the Doc, why haven't they come up with a better way to do this cleansing? She said, the millions go into cancer research, not into cleansing research. Good point I guess. Great blog here, thanks all, very helpful...
Yellow is good
Well, God certainly got me thru this evil drink! Crystal lite packets help in the solution along with a chicken broth chaser. I am within 4 hours of my procedure so I stopped drinking, anyway, I've had clear (light yellow in color, clear meaning no solid stool) for a couple of hours drinking a bit more than 3/4 of it. I'm good to go. This was a life saver reading this all night while I drank this vile thing, but its worth it to be checked for sure!!!
I tried to drink that drink from hell until I read in another website that there were other options, to ask my doctor. Because I tried to do the colonoscopy two times but had to cancel because I couldn't drink any more of that drink solution after the second cup I usually started to vomit it. Well, I told my doctor and she said to talk to the GI lab. I explained to them my problem and voila!!! They say I could drink magnesium citrate. It tastes like ginger ale, and it has a lemon flavor. They send me four bottles and I drank three the day before and the last one the next day. No more vomiting folks!!!!
Tell your doctor to get you magnesium citrate with lemon flavor. I had to cancel my colonoscopy two times before because I would vomit that drink from hell. I told my doctor that I would vomit it and she changed it to magnesium citrate and viola!!! No more vomiting and I was able to do the colonoscopy
You'd think that since I'm reading this blog more than 6 years since the last post that they would have come up with something more palatable by 2017. Unfortunately not, but these suggestions are helping. Mixing in Chrystal Light, keeping mints close by and ginger ale and apple juice chasers. Ugh! I'm only 2 glasses in, but I'm determined. Good luck to all the PEG chuggers.
I can't deal!! I'll try every 20 minutes..😩😥😰
I was told by the doctor to mix the trilyte with a gallon of Motts apple juice and it wasn't bad at all,but I can see how the thickness can get to a person.
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