Preparing for Your Colonoscopy: What to Expect
Once you’ve scheduled your colonoscopy, the next step is to prepare your bowels for the procedure. Proper preparation is crucial to ensure a successful screening. If your colon isn’t thoroughly cleaned, your healthcare provider may have difficulty examining it.
Preparation begins about a week before your appointment. You may need to adjust your diet and medications
based on your provider's instructions. Typically, the process includes:
- Medication Changes: You will be instructed to stop or adjust medications up to 7 days before your procedure if you are taking certain medications such as blood thinners, weight loss medications, and diabetic medications. For a complete list, see the medication table below. If you are taking any of these medications and have not received instructions, please call our office at (971)254-9884.
- Diet Changes: Start with a low-fiber diet two to three days before the procedure. On the day before, switch to a clear liquid diet.
- Bowel Prep: The afternoon or evening prior to your colonoscopy, you’ll take a prescribed laxative solution to cleanse your colon. The specific timing and instructions will depend on your preparation formula and the time of your procedure.
Your healthcare provider will give you detailed, personalized instructions to guide you through the process. Following these steps carefully will help ensure your colonoscopy goes smoothly.
Colonoscopy Bowel Prep Instructions:
- Golytely Bowel Prep
- Golytely Extra Prep
- Golytely Double Prep
- Miralax Gatorade Prep
- Suflave Bowel Prep
- Suflave Extra Prep
- Suflave Double Prep
- Sutab Bowel Prep
- Sutab Extra Prep
- Sutab Double Prep
- Liquid Diet List
- Low-Fiber Diet List
Important Information to Remember
Certain medications may interact with anesthesia or cause an increased risk of bleeding. Please let the office know if you are taking any of the following medications. If you are diabetic, please contact our office for further instructions.
Medication Alert
If you take any of these medications, please contact our office immediately.
| Generic Name | Brand Name(s) |
|---|---|
| Apixaban | Eliquis |
| Aspirin / Dipyridamole | Aggrenox |
| Brilinta | Ticagrelor |
| Canagliflozin | Invokana |
| Clopidigrel | Plavix |
| Dabigatran | Pradaxa |
| Dapagliflozin | Farxiga |
| Dulaglutide | Trulicity |
| Edoxaban | Lixiana, Savaysa |
| Empagliflozin | Jardiance |
| Empagliflozin / Linagliptin / Metformin | Trijardy |
| Ertugliflozin | Steglatro |
| Generic Name | Brand Name(s) |
|---|---|
| Exenatide | Bydureon, Byetta |
| Heparin | Heparin |
| Linagliptin | Tradjenta |
| Liraglutide | Saxenda, Victoza |
| Enoxaparin | Lovenox |
| Phentermine | Adipex-P, Fastin, Ionamin, Lomaira, Phentride |
| Phentermine / Topiramate | Qsymia |
| Prasugrel | Effient |
| Rivaroxaban | Xareltro |
| Semaglutide | Ozempic, Rybelsus, Wegovy |
| Tirzepatide | Mounjaro, Zepbound |
| Warfarin | Coumadin |
If there are any changes to your medical history, medications, or if you have recently been in the hospital or emergency department, please contact the clinic prior to your procedure.
Please call the clinic if you are having any illness symptoms such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, chest pain, confusion, new loss of taste or smell, congestion, nausea, or vomiting. Your procedure may need to be rescheduled.
To avoid a $150 late cancellation fee, please notify us at least 14 days before your procedure if you need to cancel or reschedule.