Colonoscopy Prep

Cleveland Clinic - Miralax-Gatorade Bowel Preparation Instructions

Bowel preparation before a colonoscopy actually starts days before, when you should stop taking certain medications or supplements. You need to follow your provider's instructions on using MiraLAX and Gatorade.

Key instructions

• Your bowel must be empty so that your doctor can clearly view your colon. Follow all of the instructions in this handout EXACTLY as they are written.
• DO NOT eat any solid food the ENTIRE day before your colonoscopy. Drink only clear liquids.
• Buy your bowel preparation at least five days before your colonoscopy.

Purchase:

• Four Dulcolax® laxative tablets containing 5mg of bisacodyl each (NOT Dulcolax stool softener).
• One 8.3-ounce bottle of MiraLAX® (238 grams) or generic equivalent.
• Two 32-ounce bottles of Gatorade®. (NOT RED).
• People with diabetes should use Gatorade G2®. (NOT RED).

Five days before your colonoscopy

• Do NOT take medicines that stop diarrhea, such as loperamide (Imodium®) or bismuth subsalicylate (Kaopectate®, Pepto-Bismol®).
• Do NOT take fiber supplements, such as Metamucil®, Citrucel®, or Perdiem®.
• Do NOT take products that contain iron, such as multivitamins (the label lists what is in the products).
• Do NOT take Vitamin E.

Three days before your colonoscopy

• Do NOT eat high-fiber foods, such as popcorn, beans, seeds (flax, sunflower, quinoa), multigrain bread, nuts, salad/vegetables, or fresh and dried fruit.

One day before your colonoscopy

• Only drink clear liquids the ENTIRE DAY before your colonoscopy. Do NOT eat any solid foods. Drink at least 8 ounces of clear liquids every hour after waking up. The chart shows what you can and cannot drink.

The bowel preparation solution will be consumed in two parts.

Mix 1/2 of MiraLAX bottle (119 grams) in each 32-ounce Gatorade bottle until dissolved. Keep cool in the refrigerator. DO NOT ADD ICE.

Part 1

At 5:00 PM on the evening before your colonoscopy, take four Dulcolax tablets. At 6:00 PM on the evening before your colonoscopy:

• Drink 32 ounces of the mixed solution by drinking an 8-ounce glass of bowel preparation every 15 minutes for a total of four glasses.
• Fifteen minutes later, drink an 8-ounce glass of clear liquid every 15 minutes for a total of two glasses.
• You may continue to drink clear liquids till midnight.

Part 2

Four and a half hours before your colonoscopy:

• Take the other 32-ounce bottle of mixed solution and drink an 8-ounce glass of bowel prep every 15 minutes for a total of four glasses.
• Fifteen minutes later, drink an 8-ounce glass of clear liquids every 15 minutes for a total of two glasses.
• You may continue to drink clear liquids up to three hours before your exam.