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BOWEL
PREPARATION
(FOR COLONOSCOPY OR COLONIC SURGERY)
Good
bowel preparation is essential to clear the colon of all faeces, so
that a clear view can be obtained during colonoscopy.
This is what it involves:
If
you are taking iron tablets or vitamins that contain iron, bulking agents
such as Natural Bran or Fybogel or Regulan, please stop taking these
for one week before the day of the examination (colonoscopy).
The
preparation takes 2 days not counting the day of the examination. One
day before the examination you will be taking Picolax, which is a very
strong laxative, and you should therefore be in easy reach of a toilet;
probably best to stay at home that day.
Two
days before the colonoscopy take a low residue diet. Examples of
these are:
| Breakfast |
Cereal
e.g. Rice Crispies, puffed wheat, cornflakes
1 egg, but not fried
White bread, butter or margarine jam or jelly
Tea, coffee, with skimmed milk and sugar if wanted
Fruit Juice |
| Morning
Tea |
Tea,
coffee (with or without skimmed milk and sugar), fruit juice, squash
or cordial
Plain biscuits
Sponge cake (no dried fruit, cream, nuts or chocolate) |
| Lunch |
White
bread sandwich with a scrape of butter, ham, lean
meat, chicken or tuna as filling
Natural Yoghurt
Tea, coffee (with or without skimmed milk and sugar), fruit juice
or water |
| Afternoon |
As
for Morning Tea |
| Dinner |
Clear
or sieved soup
Very Lean meat, fish or chicken (not fried or cooked with addition
of fat)
White rice or pasta or plain boiled or mashed potatoes with no fat
Florets of cauliflower or broccoli or sieved cooked
Vegetables
Plain ice cream or sorbet, jelly or natural yoghurt |
| Evening |
Tea,
coffee with or without skimmed milk and sugar if desired |
One
day before the colonoscopy take the first
sachet of Picolax no later than 8 am place the powder in a tumbler
or glass and add about 2 tablespoonfuls of water. Take care as addition
of water to the powder generated heat and solution can become quite
hot. Wait for 5 minutes for the mixture to cool down, then top up the
tumbler or glass with cold water, stir well and drink it.
| Breakfast |
1
egg, boiled or poached
1 slice white bread with scraping of butter or margarine
Tea, coffee with milk sugar if desired |
| Morning
Tea |
Tea,
coffee with or without skimmed milk or sugar if desired |
| Afternoon |
WATER
TO DRINK ONLY. At 3 - 4 pm prepare the second
sachet of Picolax in the same way and drink it. Picolax is
a very strong laxative and will cause diarrhoea.
This is of course intentional, to clear your bowel. It may start
to work within an hour or may take several hours to take effect.
You should be within easy reach of a toilet and by the end of the
day you should only be passing clear, straw coloured fluid, with
no solids in it. You may feel a little weak and dehydrated, and
to prevent this, you should KEEP DRINKING PLENTY OF WATER. |
| Evening |
Clear
soup or meat extract DRINKS
Plain jelly |
THEREAFTER
TAKE NO FURTHER SOLID FOOD UNTIL AFTER THE COLONOSCOPY BUT YOU CAN
DRINK AS MUCH WATER AS YOU LIKE
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