What medications should I stop before my procedure? (make sure to consult your cardiologist or primary doctor before stopping any blood thinners)
- YOUR PROCEDURE WILL BE CANCELLED BY ANESTHESIA IF YOU DO NOT STOP THE FOLLOWING WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS 7 DAYS PRIOR TO YOUR PROCEDURE: Ozempic, Wegovy,Mounjaro, Trulicity, Rybelsus, Bydureon, Zepbound
- 14 days before: Phentermine
- 7 days before: Plavix (clopidogrel), Aggrenox, Effient (prasugrel)
- 5 days before: Brilinta (ticagrelor), Coumadin (warfarin), Fish Oil
- 3 days before colonoscopy only: iron, high fiber foods, salads
- 2 days before: Eliquis, Pradaxa, Xarelto
- Day of procedure: Byetta, Victoza, Saxenda
- If you take 81mg aspirin for heart protection, DO NOT STOP IT. If you are on it for other reasons its best to not take it 3days prior.
I forgot to stop one of the above medications, what should I do?
- Don’t panic! YOU DO NOT NEED TO CALL. Just finish your prep instructions and show up the next day. We can discuss it further in the GI lab before your procedure. The only exceptions are weight loss drugs and phentermine (anesthesia will not sedate you if you have taken these recently). Colonoscopy can be done without sedation if need be however.
Diabetic Patient Medication Instructions:
- take 1/2 your PM dose of insulin the day before your procedure
- do NOT take any insulin or diabetic medication by mouth the day of your procedure UNLESS your blood sugar is higher than 300g/dl. If this occurs, take insulin according to your sliding scale.
High blood pressure patients:
- Take your morning dose of blood pressure medications
Do I need to drink all of the preparation for my colonoscopy?
- yes, do your best to drink all of it. Failing to do so will make it difficult to see inside. If your colon is not clear it may have to be repeated and/or your doctor could miss finding polyps, etc.
I’m having nausea/vomiting, severe bloating, abdominal pain after starting colon prep:
- stop the prep for one hour then if symptoms improve restart drinking at a slower pace. It helps to chill the liquid and/or drink it with a straw.
- if the symptoms return after restarting the prep, do NOT take any further prep and call our office at 8 am the next morning.
- if you experience severe pain, fever, ongoing vomiting, or bleeding go to your nearest urgent care center/ER or call 911.
I ate solid food the day prior to the procedure. What do I do?
- ideally, you should be on clear liquids. the day before. However, if you had some solid food you may still be ok. Make sure you switch to clear liquids and finish all of the prep.
What if I am still passing solid, brown stool the morning of the procedure?
- Call our office at 8am the day of your procedure. You could also try one Fleets enema to see if it clears up.
I have done all of the colon preparation, but I have not had a bowel movement. What do I do?
- Don’t panic. Get up and walk around if possible. You can take an additional bottle of magnesium citrate (over the counter) to help as well. Do not take this if you have significant kidney disease or congestive heart failure. Sometimes it takes several hours for the prep to start working in some patients.
Do I need a referral to be seen at your office?
- Most times you do not. Only if you have an HMO plan, do you need a referral, and we can obtain that for you if you give us a call. Bottom line, just give us a call and make an appointment.
What else do I need to know before my procedure?
- You must have a driver to take you home (cabs/uber/lyft are NOT allowed if you are traveling by yourself).
- It’s safe to have a colonoscopy even if you are on your period/menses.
- Arrive 1hr before your procedure time for check-in (signing forms, registration, starting IV, labs, anesthesia interview)
- It will take about 3hrs from arrival to departure
- Do not chew gum or hard candy before your procedure
- It’s best not to smoke on the day of your procedure
- Do NOT use oral tobacco the day of your procedure (anesthesia will cancel your case)
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