Colonoscopies allow doctors to view the lining of the colon and rectum and identify, biopsy, or remove abnormalities, such as polyps. 

Despite the importance of colonoscopies for early cancer detection and gut health monitoring, it’s natural to feel uneasy when your appointment approaches. You may not know what to expect with the procedure or may have heard how unpleasant the prep process is in regard to clearing out the colon and rectum. 

Whatever your concerns are, know that they are shared anxieties, but there are ways to work around them to help clear your worries away while accomplishing the ultimate goal of colonoscopy prep: a clean colon that allows for optimal visualization during the procedure. 

Secrets for a Smooth Prep

You need to go through a preparation period for a colonoscopy because you must clear out your colon entirely for the doctor to have good visibility of the colon and rectum lining. If the colon is not clean, your doctor may miss something.

Knowing this, you have a role in your colonoscopy, and it’s to prepare your body for the procedure.

We’ve gathered hacks for a smooth colonoscopy prep so that you’re relaxed and ready with a clean colon by the time your appointment rolls around. 

Diet Tweaks

Your bowels need to be empty so that your doctor can see your colon more clearly, and you can start this process 3-4 days before the procedure by eating light and focusing on low-fiber foods since they are easier to digest and leave your system quickly. This means that you should focus on eating lean meats, eggs, well-cooked vegetables, and white bread or pasta, and avoid fatty foods, seeds, whole grains, tough meat, or other foods that cause gas or bloating.

The day before your procedure, you can’t eat anything solid. You’ll be placed on a clear liquid diet, but hydration and mineral balance are still important, so aim for clear liquids with added electrolytes, not just water. Sports drinks, apple or white grape juice, and clear broth are all great options to help keep up your hydration levels. 

To further help clean out your colon, try having clear jellies—they help you get some extra fiber, which makes for easier elimination. 

No matter what, be sure to avoid anything with red, blue, or purple dyes; they can discolor the lining of the colon. 

Hydration Hacks

Keeping up your hydration is crucial before a colonoscopy, but drinking plain water may not be appealing. Luckily, there are ways for you to jazz up your liquids and make them more enjoyable. 

Try adding flavor packets or natural fruit slices to water to make it more palatable. You don’t have to stick with just water, either; you can have clear broths or sports drinks, and they offer the benefit of providing you with vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes. 

How much fluid you drink in preparation for a colonoscopy may be the most important determinant of how ready you are for a colonoscopy and how smooth your recovery is, so be sure to drink up. 

Movement Matters

To further move things along in your digestive tract, add in some easy movement. Nothing strenuous—you likely won’t want to be far from the bathroom or risk dehydration—but easy movements such as gentle walking or light stretching can be enough to encourage bowel movements and help you clear out your colon.  

Taming the Taste

The prep solution may have an unpleasant taste, but there are ways to make it easier to get down. 

Try mixing the prep drink with a clear sports drink or flavor packet—it’ll help to mask the taste. You could also try drinking it with a chaser, such as apple or white grape juice, or chilling the prep drink beforehand, which can make it easier to drink. 

Another hack is to drink the prep solution while sucking on a hard candy, which can help keep the candy flavor in your mouth, masking the taste of the prep solution. You could also use a straw to drink, which helps bypass a good amount of your tastebuds and lessens the intensity of the drink’s flavor. 

Mental Wellbeing

Some anxiety before the procedure is normal, even if you aren’t typically one to fear the doctor’s office. Worrying will only make your prep harder, though, so try to instead reframe your mind and focus on relaxation techniques such as deep breathing or meditation. 

To offer some extra incentive for taking the time to calm your mind, research shows that going into a procedure relaxed can offer a smoother recovery. 

Besides deep breathing, fill your prep day with calming activities such as listening to music or reading—anything it takes to calm your mind down will make the preparation experience more pleasant. 

Beyond the Basics

Some extra tips for your colonoscopy prep include reaching out to your doctor before the prep with any concerns and questions. Additionally, if you take any medications, be sure your doctor knows of them beforehand—they may need to make adjustments to ensure you stay safe during the preparation process and procedure. 

Our final tip has to do with the last thing on prep day: getting a good night’s sleep. This ensures that your body is best prepared for the stress of procedure day and sets you up for a more successful recovery. 

Ace Your Colonoscopy Prep

Colonoscopy prep has gotten a bad rap, but it doesn’t have to be a nightmare. If you tweak your diet, keep up your hydration, tame the prep solution taste, get in some movement, and calm your mind, you’ll be physically and mentally ready for a successful colonoscopy.

More than anything, following these hacks helps you clean out the colon, something which is crucial for a successful procedure and early detection. If the colon isn’t clear enough, you’ll have to go in for another procedure with a longer preparation period, so if you clean out the colon the first time, you won’t have to worry about doing it again. 

References

• Gorelik, Y., Hag, E., Hananya, T., Leiba, R., Chowers, Y., & Half, E. E. (2021). Volume of fluid consumption during preparation for colonoscopy is possibly the single most important determinant of bowel preparation adequacy. Annals of gastroenterology, 34(5), 705–712. https://doi.org/10.20524/aog.2021.0642
• Powell, R., Scott, N. W., Manyande, A., Bruce, J., Vögele, C., Byrne-Davis, L. M., Unsworth, M., Osmer, C., & Johnston, M. (2016). Psychological preparation and postoperative outcomes for adults undergoing surgery under general anaesthesia. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews, 2016(5), CD008646. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD008646.pub2