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MIRALAX | Colonoscopy Preparation Instructions

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ONE WEEK BEFORE COLONOSCOPY

  • You must have a responsible adult drive you home. If you do not have a ride arranged, we will not be able to perform the procedure. Public transportation is only allowed with an adult escort.
  • You will purchase the following items over the counter:
    • One 8.3 oz. bottle of Miralax (238 grams)
    • 5 mg Bisacodyl tablets o 64 oz. clear Gatorade or Powerade (No red, or Purple).
    • One bottle of lemon lime magnesium citrate (if you have kidney disease do not use magnesium citrate, you will skip this step)
  • Medications
    • Blood-thinning medications may need to be discontinued. Take your last dose of on
    • May continue to take regular medications, unless instructed by provider or nursing staff
      • Stop Taking
        • Prescription Iron pills
      • Stop Eating
        • Seeds, nuts, tomatoes, berries, corn, popcorn, and breads with seeds or nut

ONE DAY BEFORE COLONOSCOPY

  • Start clear liquid diet. No solid foods, milk products, non-dairy creamer, juice with pulp, red or purple liquids, chewing gum, and alcohol.
  • Clear Liquids Include: Broth, Jell-O, Popsicles, Soda, Lemonade, Gatorade, Apple Juice, hard candies, etc.
  • Bowel prep solution:
    • Mix 64 oz of Gatorade with 8.3 oz of Miralax the morning before your procedure and place it in the refrigerator (do not add ice) .
    • Take two (2) Bisacodyl tablets
  • At 6:00 PM begin drinking the Miralax/Gatorade solution
  • Drink approximately one (1) 8 oz. glass every 15 minutes until half the mixture is gone. This should take approximately one hour.
  • Three (3) hours after drinking the first half of the bowel prep, drink an entire bottle of magnesium citrate. If you have kidney disease do not take magnesium citrate, skip this step.
  • Nausea is common while drinking prep. If this occurs, stop drinking for 30 minutes before restarting. Walking around may help relieve nausea.
  • To prevent irritation, you may apply Vaseline, Desitin, zinc oxide to the anal area. Reapply after each bowel movement. You may also want to use baby wipes or Tucks pads to help with irritation.
  • Drink Plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration

DAY OF COLONOSCOPY

  • Continue clear liquid diet–No Solid Food.
  • Start drinking second half of prep four (4) hours prior to procedure time:
    • Follow the prep instructions as listed above.
    • NOTHING TO EAT OR DRINK THREE HOURS PRIOR TO PROCEDURE TIME.

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