Lyn had a very bad reaction to the colonscopy preparation drink with severe headache which took days to resolve. The Lavage solution has a strong artificial flavour. Usually you are recommended one pack of Picolax and one pack of ColonLYTELY. The Picolax is only available as Lemon but the ColonLYTELY can be obtained without flavour. You do need to discuss this issue with the nurse who advises you before the procedure. Each practice is different. It is wise to let staff know a month before that you do not want the lemon flavour and will order the plain ColonLYTELY yourself from your own chemist. Since you will not be using the Picolax it may be suggested that you use 3 packs of ColonLYTELY. I was quoted $4.00 each in 2019. You can discuss with your dietitian what very finely strained tolerated sweetened fruit juice you can flavour it with. You are welcome to share your experience with others here.
Tricia collapsed after her prep drink. She sent the following story of how she coped with her second one.
Joan, I recently had my 6th colonoscopy prep. I found it easy to get ColonLYTELY unflavoured. I rang the specialist rooms and was told to take it with me to hospital as I do the prep in hospital (having collapsed unconscious at home about 5 years ago). Unfortunately the specialist had written up different preparations so it wasn’t used.
In spite of my previous difficulties, I found this preparation difficult but I survived with the management provided. It was as follows:
4 pm Maxolon x 1
4.45 pm Laxatives x 3 (yellow but I don’t know what), 1 cup PICOPREP (WARM), 1 jug of GLYCOPREP (lemon 1 litre)
6 pm 1 bowl chicken broth, 1 bowl apple jelly (I think)
6.30 onwards bowel motions
7.30 mug of warm water
9.30 pm jug finished!
Overnight HEADACHE and nausea plus the shakes about 1 am. No sleep
1.30 am Ondansetron x 2 plus paracetamol x 2
Overnight I drank ~600 ml water
6 am Stemetil x 1, PICOPREP 1 cup
8 am bowl of apple jelly, my normal tablets (including paracetamol), Maxolon x 1
8.50 am 1 jug GLYCOPREP (lemon/lime flavour)
10.30 am STOP FLUIDS – I only managed about 500 ml of the GLYCOPREP
Nurses were happy with the result of the preparation by about 11.30 am
2.15 pm Colonoscopy
The differences with this experience were: Anti nauseants
before the preparations, increased fluid intake other than the required
PICOPREP and GLYCOPREP, paracetamol for the headache. Also staff were very
supportive.
Tricia.
Joan’s comment. Every food-sensitive person who needs a colonscopy should read Tricia’s copy and print as well as my post so you can discuss with your doctor what prep you should use, and Tricia’s story of problems that may occur and how Tricia’s hospital team helped her. The ColonLYTELY contains Sodium Sulfate. As always you need to be assertive as a food sensitive person as most other people do not have bad reactions and so you are less likely to be taken seriously. Joan
That’s good to know. I had a strong reaction also but mine was in my mouth, throat and oesophagus.
I often get mouth ulcers followed by oral thrush when I eat fresh fruit and am particularly reactive to citric acid. When I had to have a colonoscopy and gastroscopy, by the time I finished taking the prep solutions, I had a sore mouth with ulcers and then oral thrush, a roaring sore throat and difficulty swallowing and a pain in my chest. The gastroenterologist said that it was likely I had oesophageal thrush.
Thank you Mary for letting us know of another reaction.
It made me check on the ingredients of ColonLYTELY. They include Polyethylene glycol, sodium sulphate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, potassium chloride. these should be neutral or a little alkaline, not acidic, so may be manageable. NB request only the PLAIN version to avoid the additive lemon flavour. Tricia also said the drinking of more fluid that was not the prep drink helped as well. Each person does need to think about these issues as I have heard of many who took quite a time to recover from their reaction. Joan