UW Health Colonoscopy Prep Kit Instructions

Getting Ready for Your Colonoscopy
SUTab

Colonoscopy Prep Kit

Read this entire document at least 1 week before your test. Let’s review how to get ready for your colonoscopy using Sutab. We’ve provided a Prep Checklist on the last page to help you plan your prep.

 1 Week Before Test

Arrange Transportation
Due to the sedation medicines, you must have a responsible adult drive you home. It is recommended that you are observed for at least 6 hours after discharge.
Health Changes
Please tell us about any major health changes, illnesses, or recent hospital stays you have had since you scheduled your test. If at any time you have symptoms of illness (cough, stuffy nose, sore throat, fever, body aches, chills), please call the procedure center to reschedule your test. You should not have this test while ill.
Blood Thinners and Diabetes Medicines
You must call the doctor who prescribes this medicine to see if you need to stop or adjust your medicine before your test. Your doctor will tell you how to safely do this.
The UW Digestive Health Center suggests talking to your doctor using the table below. That doctor should give you the final advice on stopping these medicines.
Ask your doctor about your bleeding risk with this test. If your doctor feels your bleeding risk is low, they will likely have you follow the schedule below to stop your  blood thinning medicines. If your doctor feels your bleeding risk is high, they may have you follow a different timeline.
The list below has common blood thinning medicines. It does not include all blood thinning medicines.

If your prescribing provider tells you to not hold your medicine, please call the Digestive Health Center at 608-890-5010, as this may affect your procedure.
Iron, Multivitamins with Iron and Fish Oil
Stop taking these 5 days before your test. (You do not need to contact your doctor first).
Constipation
You may need extra prep if you are often constipated or if you have had problems prepping before. Please call to talk about this in more detail.

3 Days Before Test

Low Fiber Diet
Stop the following foods and medicines. These foods may slow your digestion, and your colon may not be clean enough for your test:

• Corn, popcorn, seeds or nuts. Uncooked vegetables, beans and lentils, potato skins.
• Fruits with skins or seeds.
•  Whole grain breads, granola or high fiber cereals.
•  Fiber supplements (like Metamucil , Citrucel® ).
•  Anti-diarrhea medicines (like Kaopectate® , or Benefiber®  , PeptoBismol® , Lomotil® or loperamide). and Imodium®

Bowel Prep Tip
For a list of safe foods visit: patient.uwhealth.org/healthfacts/381
Pick up Bowel Prep
Your bowel prep will be ordered about two weeks before your test. Three days before your test:

1. Call the pharmacy to tell them you will be picking up your bowel prep.
2.  Pick up your bowel prep.
3. Buy soft toilet paper.

1 Day Before Test
Diet
Begin clear liquid diet. Be sure to drink at least 8 glasses of clear “see- through” liquids. Clear liquids include:

• Water, clear sports drinks like Gatorade
• Broth
•  Black coffee, tea, soda
•  Apple juice
•  Jell-O ®
•  No creamers, milks or other dairy products
•  No red or purple liquids or Jell-O
•  No solid food
•  No liquids with pulp

Medicines
Take your daily medicines except those you were told to stop. Take at least one hour before or one hour after drinking your prep.
Bowel Prep

• Open 1 bottle of 12 tablets.
• Fill the provided container with 16 ounces of water (up to the fill line).
•  Swallow 1 tablet every 1 to 2 minutes.
•  You should finish the 12 tablets and the entire 16 ounces of water within 20 minutes.
• About 1 hour after the last tablet is ingested, fill the provided container again with 16 ounces of water (up to the fill line), and drink the entire amount over 30 minutes.
•  About 30 minutes after finishing the second container of water, fill the provided container with 16 ounces of water (up to the fill line) and drink the entire amount over 30 minutes.

Nausea
You may have cramping, bloating and/or nausea. If you have a lot of nausea or vomiting, slow down or stop for 30 minutes, then start again.

Test Day

Diet

• No food
• Stay on only clear liquids (no red or purple)
•  Stop drinking everything, even water, 4 hours before you arrive.

Bowel Prep

• The day of your colonoscopy (5 to 8 hours before your test) open the second bottle of 12 tablets.
•  Repeat the same instructions that were followed with the first bottle of 12 tablets.

Note: Depending on your arrival time, this may require ingesting the tablets in the early morning.
As you finish the prep, your stools should be watery clear or yellow, with no solids (flecks of stool are OK). If you are still passing solid or brown stools, please call the procedure center.
Medicines
If you need to take medicine during the 4 hours before your test, drink no more than 1/2 cup of water (4 ounces). Follow your provider’s directions for your diabetes or blood thinning medicines.
What to Bring

• CPAP or BiPAP and any inhalers that you use.
• Eyeglass or contact lens case, denture cup.
•  Ostomy supplies.
•  Wear comfortable clothing.
•  Phone number for your driver

Do not bring:

• Jewelry
•  Money
• Other valuables

Before the Test

• When you arrive, you can choose if your driver waits in the waiting room or in your private room where they will hear private health information.
• The doctor will talk with you, answer questions, and ask you to sign a consent form.
• A nurse will review your health history, take your vital signs and attach a heart monitor.
• A nurse will place an IV and give you medicines to help you relax and keep you comfortable.
•  Your visit will take about 2-3 hours.

After the Test

• Your doctor will review the results and give you a report. We strongly suggest that you have your driver in he room with you to hear the results.
• You may feel tired when you leave.
•  Spend the day resting at home. You cannot drive or return to work. You can return to your normal routine the next day.
•  It may take up to a week for your bowel habits to return to your normal.
• If you stopped blood thinning medicine before your test, ask when it can be restarted.

Results
If you have biopsies taken or polyps removed, you can expect to get lab results 12 weeks later. Your results will be sent to your MyChart account. If you don’t have a  MyChart account, someone will call you  with results or results will be mailed to you.
Bowel Prep Tip
To learn more about colon polyps visit: patient.uwhealth.org/healthfacts/791
When to Call

• If you are still passing solid stools or your bowels have not started to empty by the morning of your test.
• You have severe cramps.
•  You feel dizzy or lightheaded.
• You have constant pain, rectal bleeding and/or a fever.

Who to Call

Patient Resources
(If you need help finding a ride to and from your test) 608-821-4144
Digestive Health Center
608-890-5010
UW Hospital GI Procedure Clinic
608-263-8094
Meriter/Unity Point
608-417-6389
Your health care team may have given you this information as part of your care. If so, please use it and call if you have any questions. If this information was not given to you as part of your care, please check with your doctor. This is not medical advice. This is not to be used for diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. Because each person’s health needs are different, you should talk with your doctor or others on your health care team when using this information. If you have an emergency, please call 911. Copyright © 12/2023 University of Wisconsin Hospitals and Clinics Authority. All rights reserved. Produced by the Department of Nursing HF#8314.

**Prep Checklist

**

1 Week Before Test

• Call your insurance company.
• Find safe transportation for the day of your test.
•  Talk to your primary doctor about your diabetes and/or blood thinning medicines.
•  Call if you are constipated, had trouble prepping in the past or if you’ve had any major health changes since you scheduled your test.
•  Stop iron supplements, vitamins with iron and fish oil 5 days before your test.

3 Days Before Test

• Start a low fiber diet
• Call pharmacy to pick up bowel pre

1 Day Before Test
If your arrival time is before 11:00 am:

• Fill the provided container with 16 ounces of water (up to the filline).

• At 10 am stop eating solid foodand begin clear liquid diet.

• Take daily medicines (except those you were told to stop) at least 1 hour before or 1 hour after drinking prep.

• At 4 pm
  o Take one tablet every 1 to 2 minutes.
  o You should be done with the tablets within 20 minutes.

•  1 hour after taking the last tablet, drink 16 ounces of water.

• 30 minutes after that time, drink 16 more ounces of water.

If your arrival time is after 11:00 am:

• Fill the provided container with 16 ounces of water (up to fill line).

• At 2 pm stop eating solid food and begin clear liquid diet

• Take daily medicines (except those you were told to stop) at least 1 hour before or 1 hour after drinking prep

• At 6 pm
  o Take one tablet every 1 to 2 minutes.
  o You should be done with the tablets within 20 minutes.

• 1 hour after taking the last tablet, drink 16 ounces of water.

•  30 minutes after that time, drink 16 more ounces of water.

Day of Test

• 5 to 8 hours before arrival open the second bottle of 12 tablets.
  o Complete the same steps as the first bottle above.

• Stop all liquids (even water) 4 hours before arrival.

•  If you need to take medicine during the 4 hours before arrival, drink no more than 1/2 cup of water (4 ounces).

•  Call if you are still passing solid or brown stools or your bowels have not started to empty.

References

• Low Fiber Diet | Treatments | Patients & Families | UW Health
• Low Fiber Diet | Treatments | Patients & Families | UW Health
• Colon Polyps | Treatments | Patients & Families | UW Health

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