From the foul-tasting prep liquid to the dreaded emptying of the bowels (are you cringing yet?), it’s no wonder that patients are constantly looking for ways to make colonoscopy prep easier. With 15 million colonoscopies performed annually in the United States, we happen to believe that this super common procedure doesn’t have to be so dreaded (in fact, making medical procedures more comfortable is what we’re all about here at ClearFast). Today, then, we’re breaking down our top tips to make colonoscopy prep easier. Read on for the ultimate colonoscopy prep guide.
What to do in the week leading up to your colonoscopy prep…
As you approach the week leading up to your procedure, make sure you do the following three things to make colonoscopy prep easier:
- Head to the grocery store and pharmacy: Embarking on a low-fiber diet before your colonoscopy is one of the most effective ways to make colonoscopy prep easier. While you don’t need to start your low-fiber diet until 3-4 days before your prep, you should start shopping for the foods you’ll need in the week leading up to your procedure. We recommend purchasing things like: white breads, white rice, low-fiber cereals, white meats, fish, and eggs. Be sure to avoid things like: whole-grain breads, nuts, seeds, granola, red meat, dried fruit, legumes, fibrous vegetables, etc. You’ll also want to pick up any prescription laxatives your doctor might prescribe, as well as moist wipes.
- Talk to your doctor: While a colonoscopy is a pretty routine procedure, it’s still important you spend time talking to your doctor about what to expect so you’re armed with the information you need to make colonoscopy prep easier. From the type of sedation you’ll be given to the timeline of your procedure, we break down the five most important questions to ask your doctor before a colonoscopy here. Be sure to review this list and add your own questions to it before your pre-op appointment.
- Order your ClearFast bottles: From making the prep liquid go down smoother to improving your recovery time and greatly reducing your chance of post-op nausea and vomiting, there are tons of scientifically-backed reasons you should include ClearFast as part of your colonoscopy prep procedure—and we break them all down here. In the week before your colonoscopy, make sure you order ClearFast online so that you have it on-hand as you embark on the prep process.
What to do in the days leading up to your colonoscopy…
In the 3-4 days leading up to your procedure, be sure you complete the following tasks to help make colonoscopy prep easier:
- Start eating low-fiber foods: While it may be tempting to consume heavy meals before you have to start on that dreaded liquid fast, eating fibrous foods will ultimately make getting through colonoscopy prep so much more difficult and uncomfortable than it needs to be. (Plus, high-fiber foods can leave behind residue in your colon that can make it difficult for your doctor to see polyps—the entire point of a colonoscopy.) We recommend cutting back on fiber and eating smaller, more digestible meals in the 3-4 days leading up to your colonoscopy prep. Stay away from legumes, whole grains, dried fruits, vegetables, etc.—and opt for smaller portion, low-fiber plates to make colonoscopy prep easier.
- Chill your ClearFast bottles: Once your ClearFast bottles arrive, it’s time to place them in your fridge to ensure they’re chilled and ready to go when it’s time to embark on the prep process.
- Chill your prep liquid: Chilling your prep liquid will help it go down so much easier and smoother (especially when you “chase” it with ClearFast—more on this below). Be sure to chill it in the fridge a few days before it’s time to consume it. If your prep liquid is unflavored, you can also add flavoring to it (like fresh lemon or a powdered juice-drink mix) to help make it a bit more tasty—just be sure to steer clear of colored dyes, like red and purple, to avoid the appearance of internal bleeding during your colonoscopy.
How to get through the dreaded fasting window and recovering quicker…
Crunch time has arrived. Below are our pro tips for getting through the dreaded fasting period as comfortably as humanly possible.
- Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate: While you can’t eat anything the day before your procedure, you can hydrate with liquids. In addition to good ol’ fashioned water, this is another place ClearFast comes in handy—as it provides medical-grade hydration and is chock-full of electrolytes, ensuring you don’t enter surgery dehydrated and malnourished. (Psst…did you know dehydration before surgery leads to multiple IV “sticks”, as it can be hard to find a “good” vein when your body is thirsty for hydration?)
- Use ClearFast to make the prep liquid go down smoother, and for a boosted recovery: Incorporating ClearFast into your prep process helps to make colonoscopy prep easier for a number of reasons. It’s a great way to “chase” your prep liquid with something much more tasty—plus, it also ensures your body is armed with the nutrients and minerals it needs to go under (and awake from) your procedure in the strongest state possible. We recommend consuming four bottles of ClearFast in the following manner:
- First Bottle: Sip simultaneously with your colonoscopy prep liquid. “Chase” each sip of prep liquid with a sip of chilled ClearFast.
- Second Bottle: Drink the night before the procedure (while in the fasting window)
- Third Bottle: Have your third bottle finished two hours prior to the procedure. (This greatly reduces your risk of the post-op nausea and vomiting that one in three patients experience as a result of being administered heavy anesthesia drugs on an empty stomach.)
- Fourth Bottle: Drink chilled, following the procedure. (Arming your body with ClearFast’s healing minerals—like zinc and L-Citrulline—upon completion of your colonoscopy helps ensure a faster, more seamless recovery process.)
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That’s it for today’s roundup of pro tips to make colonoscopy prep easier. If you’re ready for a stress-free, more comfortable colonoscopy prep (and a faster recovery!), you can order your ClearFast PreOp Drink here. And don’t hesitate to reach out to the ClearFast team at support@drinkcf.com if you have any questions at all.