I have a headache. Can I take Tylenol®?
Yes. Tylenol (acetaminophen) is allowed, but no more than 4,000 mg (milligrams) should be taken in 24 hours. If you have an allergy to Tylenol, then you should not take it.
Also, if you have liver failure or cirrhosis, you should limit the amount of Tylenol that you take to 2,000 mg in 24 hours.
What can I mix with the MiraLAX® powder?
You can mix your MiraLAX powder with:
- Water
- Gatorade
- Pedialyte®
- Crystal Light
Don’t mix MiraLAX with carbonated beverages (soda) or alcohol.
Can I drink all of my prep the night before?
No. We ask patients not to drink all of the prep the night before their colonoscopy, and to finish their dose the next morning.
Studies have shown that split dose preps (in which laxatives are taken the evening before and the morning of the colonoscopy) produce better cleansing.
While this can make for an early morning, the most important thing is that you get a good quality exam. A good quality exam will reduce the chance of having to repeat the prep and the colonoscopy or having polyps missed during the exam.
If there is stool residue stuck to the side of your colon, your doctor may not be able to find and remove all polyps and cancer can be missed.
What time do I really need to start my clear liquid diet?
The clear liquid diet (not eating solid food) is aimed at lessening stool production in the body. This allows us to use a small volume of bowel prep and have a better cleansing of the colon.
We ask that you start the clear liquid diet the day before your colonoscopy starting in the morning with your first meal until two hours before your check-in time on the day of your colonoscopy.
Do I need to finish my entire prep?
Even if you're having clear, liquid stool, you still need to finish your prep. Your body produces six to seven liters of fluid a day, even if you're not consuming solid food. This fluid is continuously coating the colon.
Consuming the entire prep helps clean out this fluid and helps improve the quality of your colonoscopy.
What if I'm on antibiotics?
For most people, being on antibiotics when you have a colonoscopy shouldn't be an issue. It's important to let your doctor know why you're taking antibiotics.
I can't find my prep directions. What do I do?
You have received a letter from The Everett Clinic with your prep directions. These were sent on the day you scheduled your colonoscopy. If you have MyChart, your prep directions can be found there in the "Letters" section.
If you still can't find your prep directions after trying the above suggestions, please call the on-call doctor at 1-425-339-5421.
Can I do a pill prep?
No. We have seen with tens of thousands of patients over the years that the pill prep doesn't work as well as the standard liquid prep. Pill prep hasn't been studied by doctors and there have been concerns over its safety.
Often pill prep leads to exams that don't work well or that aren't complete. If this happens, you will have to have another colonoscopy. We value your time and that of your family and friends who will bring you to your appointment.
Our goal is to make sure your colonoscopy exam works well. We also don't want you to have to have more colonoscopies that aren't needed.
Can I start my prep earlier or later?
We ask that you start the bowel prep at the time we gave you. But if you do start one or two hours earlier or later than the time given you, that's fine as long as you follow the clear liquid diet for the day.
