Colonoscopy - Edited
Diet
What you can eat changes three times. Here's the full picture.
7–4 days before
Eat Normally
No diet changes yet. Use this time to shop for clear liquids and prep supplies.
3 days before
Start Low-Residue Diet
Eat soft, low-fiber foods. Avoid anything that leaves residue in your colon.
Ok to eat
- White bread, white rice, pasta
- Eggs (any style)
- Chicken, fish, turkey, tofu
- Bananas, applesauce, canned fruit
- Well-cooked carrots, green beans
- Peeled potatoes
- Smooth peanut butter, yogurt
Don’t eat
- Nuts, seeds, popcorn
- Raw vegetables, salads, corn
- Beans, lentils
- Berries, dried fruit
- Whole wheat, brown rice, oatmeal
- Tough/fatty meat, bacon
- Granola, high-fiber cereal
1 day before
Clear Liquids Only — No Solid Food
If you can see through it, you can probably have it.
Clear liquids
- Water (unlimited)
- Apple juice, white grape juice Gatorade - yellow/green/clear Clear broth
- Black coffee or tea (no milk)
- Jell-O (yellow/green)
- Sprite, ginger ale
- Hard candy, honey
Not clear
- Red, purple, or blue colored liquids
- Milk
- Cream
- Orange juice, juice with pulp
- Smoothies
- Alcohol
- Soup with chunks
Medications
Everything about your medications in one place. Find yours, note the date.
7 days before
Stop these supplements + Weekly GLP-1 Medications
- Iron supplements — Darkens stool and coats colon wall, hiding polyps
- Fiber supplements (Metamucil, Benefiber, Citrucel) — Creates residue that is hard to clear
- Fish oil, Vitamin E — Creates residue that is hard to clear
- Ozempic, Mounjaro, Trulicity (weekly GLP-1s) — Slows gastric emptying → aspiration risk under
5 days before
Stop Blood Thinners (With Doctor Approval)
- Aspirin 81 mg - Continue
Safe for all colonoscopies - Warfarin (Coumadin) - Stop 5 days before
INR check; may need bridging therapy - Eliquis (apixaban) - Stop 48 hours before
No bridging needed - Xarelto (rivaroxaban) — Stop 48 hours before
No bridging needed - Pradaxa (dabigatran) - Stop 48-72 hours 72h
if reduced kidney function - Plavix (clopidogrel) - Stop 5-7 days before
Do NOT stop if recent stent - Effient (prasugrel) - Stop 7 days before
Consult cardiologist - Brilinta (ticagrelor) — Stop 5 days before
Consult cardiologist
3 days before
Stop these NSAIDs + SGLT2 Inhibitors
- Ibuprofen (Advil), Naproxen (Aleve) — Increases bleeding risk. Tylenol is OK.
- Jardiance, Farxiga, Invokana (SGLT2 inhibitors) — Risk of euglycemic DKA during fasting + dehydration
- Victoza, Adlyxin (daily GLP-1s) — Slows gastric emptying — hold 1 day before
1 day before
Hold or Reduce Diabetes Medications
Start 5–6 hours before your arrival time. Finish at least 2 hours before.
- Metformin — Hold starting day before. Lactic acidosis risk with dehydration.
- Glipizide / Glyburide — Hold day before + day of. High hypoglycemia risk while fasting.
- Long-acting insulin (Lantus, Levemir, Tresiba) — Take 50% of usual dose night before and morning of.
- Mealtime insulin (Humalog, NovoLog) —- Skip entirely while fasting.
- DPP-4 inhibitors (Januvia, Tradjenta) — Generally safe to continue.
Your Prep Solution
Two doses — one the evening before, one early morning of. Here's exactly how.
7 days before
Buy Your Supplies
- Your prescribed bowel prep solution
- Gatorade — yellow, green, or clear only (no red/purple/ orange)
- Clear broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable)
- Jell-O, apple juice, hard candy (no red/purple)
- Straw (helps with drinking prep)
- Baby wipes or flushable wipes
- Vaseline or AtD ointment
- Lemon wedges (optional — cuts prep taste)
1 day before
Start Your Prep
Evening Dose - 5:00-6:00 P.M
- Pour one 6-oz bottle into mixing container. Add water to the 16-oz line.
- Drink all 16 oz.
- Then drink two additional 16-oz glasses of water over the next hour.
Morning Dose - 5-6 hours before arrival
- Repeat with second 6-oz bottle. Mix to 16 oz, drink, then two more 16-oz waters
- Finish at least 2 hours before your procedure
Evening Dose
- Mix entire 238g MiraLAX bottle into 64 oz Gatorade. Should already be cold.
- 5:00 PM: Take 4 Dulcolax tablets with water.
- 6:00 PM: Drink 32 oz (half) — 8 oz glass every 10–15 min.
- Bowel movements begin in 30–60 minutes.
Morning Dose - 5-6 hours before arrival
- Drink remaining 32 oz — 8 oz every 10–15 min.
- Finish at least 2 hours before your procedure
Evening Dose
- 5:00 PM: Drink one entire 5.4-oz bottle.
- Then drink at least 40 oz of clear liquids over the next 5 hour
Morning Dose - 5-6 hours before arrival
- Drink the second 5.4-oz bottle.
- Follow with at least 24 oz of clear liquids within 1 hour.
- Finish at least 2 hours before your procedure.
Evening Dose
- Fill jug with lukewarm water to the fill line. Shake. Should already be cold.
- 6:00 PM: Drink 2 liters (half) — 8 oz every 10–15 min over ~90 min.
Morning Dose - 5-6 hours before arrival
- Drink remaining 2 liters — 8 oz every 10–15 min.
- Finish at least 2 hours before your procedure.
Evening Dose - 5:00- 6:00 P.M
- Open Bottle 1 (12 tablets). Remove and discard the desiccant packet.
- Fill container with 16 oz water. Swallow one tablet every 1–2 min with sips.
- Then drink two more 16-oz containers of water, 30 min each.
Morning Dose - 5-6 hours before arrival
- Open Bottle 2. Discard desiccant.
- Same process: one tablet every 1–2 min, then three 16-oz waters.
Comfort Tips for Prep Night
- Chill it — Cold prep tastes much better. Refrigerate 2+ hours.
- Use a straw — Placed toward back of mouth — bypasses most taste buds.
- Suck on lemon — Between glasses. Hard candy works too.
- Nauseous? — Slow pace to every 20 min. Take a 30-min break. Ask doctor about Zofran.
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