A successful colonoscopy depends on the amount of preparation you have taken beforehand. It will be a lot easier for your doctor to get your colon clear if you prepare it right. And here are the top ten tips in that regard. Read on and start following!
#1 Let the doctor know about your constipation
Your doctor has to know in advance if you have constipation because they will suggest added steps to make sure that you have a clear colon. Maybe they will recommend a medication that will help to clear your colon in a week or so.
#2 Get in touch with your health insurance company
Some health insurance policies cover a colonoscopy test. But you need to be sure about that beforehand. So, contact your health insurance company and ask them whether they would cover colonoscopy because that will help you in bringing the cost down.
#3 Better to get afternoon appointments
It is always better to get a colonoscopy appointment in the afternoon. Consider this: you schedule the appointment in the morning. So, you end up spending nearly the entire night in the bathroom and get tired in the morning. An afternoon appointment is more convenient.
#4 Don’t stop all medications based on assumptions
A colonoscopy test does not mean that you need to stop all medications right before the procedure. You might be asked to discontinue blood thinners, diabetes drugs, over-the-counter fish oil supplements, and the likes. However, most of the other medications are safe to take.
#5 Make dietary changes a week before the colonoscopy procedure
Your stomach needs to have as little in it as possible before the procedure. So, make a few dietary changes to your diet about a week before colonoscopy. Eat smaller portions and reduce the amount of diet in the diet.
#6 Ask the doctor about any alternate prep
Nowadays, there are better prep liquids that you do not need to drink by the gallons and are even better to taste. So, if you are not too keen on the standard preps, ask your doctor for alternatives before the colonoscopy procedure.
#7 Let the doctor know in case the first dosage fails
Maybe you have started the prep for quite some time and failed to have any bowel movements even after that. In that case, you need to get in touch with your doctor right away. Let them know that it is not working and they might change the dosage.
#8 Make it easier to drink prep solutions
If you do not like the prep solution given to you for the colonoscopy test, try the following ways to make it easier to drink:
- Chill out the prep solution completely before drinking
- Keep sucking on sugar-free candy or lemon slices
- Ask for anti-nausea meds if the need arises
#9 Jazz up your liquid-only diet before colonoscopy
You might be asked to have a liquid-only diet on the day right before the colonoscopy procedure. However, this does not mean that you should stick to broths and water. You can have black coffee, apple juice, soda, ice pops, lollipops, and so on.
#10 Try all the bathroom tips
You can try a host of bathroom tips. For instance, you can stock up on toilet paper and preferably stay somewhere close to the bathroom. Also, keep a good diaper-rash lotion or cream handy for wiping the back and preventing itches and irritation.
And that’s all! Follow all the tips given above and you will have a better and more successful colonoscopy. It is an important procedure and you have no reason to be worried.
