Colonoscopy - Merged + Timeline
Preparation Timeline
7 Days Before
O Stop these supplements (if applicable)
- 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
O Stop Weekly GLP-1 Medications
O 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)
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
[ ] Start Low-Residue Diet
Eat soft, low-fiber foods. Avoid anything that leaves residue in your colon.
- 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
- 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
[ ] 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
[ ] Start Clear Liquids Only Diet - No Solid Food
If you can see through it, you can probably have it.
- 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
- Red, purple, or blue colored liquids
- Milk
- Cream
- Orange juice, juice with pulp
- Smoothies
- Alcohol
- Soup with chunks
[ ] 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
[ ] Start your Prep Solution
Two doses — one the evening before, one early morning of. Check instructions below to see how.
Prep Solutions Instructions
See full instructions for your specific prep solution:
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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