For many people, one of the most uncomfortable parts of a colonoscopy is the preparation for the procedure.
The purpose of a colonoscopy is to examine the colon and rectum for abnormalities such as polyps, tumors or inflammation, aiding in the detection and prevention of colorectal cancer. And to do that, it’s important your medical team has a clear view.
Dr. Derek Ebner, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist, offers tips on how to make colonoscopy bowel prep, essentially a strong laxative, easier.
“The entire spirit of doing the colonoscopy prep is to make sure that there is nothing in the colon,” says Dr. Ebner.
That’s so your medical team can detect and remove polyps or lesions.
Often, the day before the colonoscopy is when you’ll start the bowel prep solution.
Tips for taking bowel prep solution
“There’s a couple of tricks. Often, cooling the solution and drinking it through a straw can be helpful. Others like to have a small lime or lemon wedge that they just bite into after doing some of the solution,” says Dr. Ebner.
Chewing gum between sips of the solution also may help. And he says taking the solution is often spread out over two days, and that can help too.
