Drinking
The food must be checked more closely a few days before the colonoscopy. The day before, you may only drink liquid. Water and broth, as well as other clear drinks are harmless.
Coffee or black tea should be avoided, as this can affect the results of the examination. On the evening before the examination, you should start drinking the 2 litres of drinking solution. In most cases, the first litre is drunk the evening before, the second the next morning. Sometimes both liters must be drunk in the evening. Residues of clear fluid do not prove to be a problem during the colonoscopy, as they can be aspirated with the endoscope.
Smoking
It is recommended not to smoke on the day of examination. More than 6 hours before, however, it is harmless. The ingredients of smoking, especially nicotine, have an effect on the body and take some time to be broken down.
Nicotine itself has a laxative effect and may influence the effect of the laxative used. It can also lead to interactions with the anaesthetic during colonoscopy. In order to be able to assess the intestinal mucosa well, the intestine must be completely emptied and cleaned.
For this reason, observing the dietary rules in the run-up to the examination is not sufficient to prepare the intestine for the colonoscopy. It is necessary to take laxatives in advance. There are many different laxatives that can be used to prepare the bowel for the colonoscopy, the examining doctor will recommend a preparation to his patients.
The schedule for taking the laxative depends on the chosen preparation, but the basic procedure is usually similar. It is important for the optimal effect of the laxative that nothing solid should be eaten after breakfast on the day before the colonoscopy. The laxatives only work in combination with a lot of liquid, which is why the patients have to drink a lot.
This is often perceived as very unpleasant. Most preparations require the first intake to be taken the evening before the examination (e.g. Moviprep ®, Citrafleet ®). The laxative must be dissolved in water for this purpose.
The amount of water varies from a few millilitres to 2-3 litres depending on the preparation and is stated in the package insert. The laxatives usually do not have a particularly good taste, so drinking them takes some effort. In addition to the solution with the laxative, a few litres of clear liquid usually have to be drunk.
Water, apple juice spritzer or fruit/herbal tea is suitable here, coffee or black tea are unsuitable, as they can possibly stain the intestinal mucosa and thus make it more difficult to assess the mucosal conditions. On the day of the examination, laxatives must be drunk again with plenty of water a few hours before the examination in the morning, the amount and the exact times vary. One to three hours before the examination, the fluid intake should be completed.
It is important to make sure that only colourless liquid is excreted from the bowel towards the end of the laxative. This is a sign that the bowel is empty and clean. If this is not the case, one should contact the practice or hospital where the colonoscopy is performed by telephone and ask for advice as to whether further laxative is necessary or whether the cleaning process should be completed with the help of an intestinal enema before the colonoscopy.
The term Moviprep® refers to a laxative which is intended to cleanse the intestine, especially the colon, before a colonoscopy. In order for the mucosa of the section of the intestine to be examined to be examined properly, no remains of past food in the intestine may block the way. One pack of Moviprep® is added to a total of 2 litres of water to obtain a solution.
A doctor or pharmacist will explain the administration and the course of the intake in advance. The 2 litres of water, which are partly drunk the evening before the examination and partly the next morning, are intended to achieve complete intestinal cleansing. One must expect that liquid stool will be lost through the ingestion of the solution and should therefore remain near a toilet.
After drinking Moviprep® and having a colonoscopy, the bowel movement should return to normal on its own. However, side effects may occur in the form of abdominal pain (abdominal pain after colonoscopy) after, nausea, hunger, thirst and vomiting. The use of Moviprep® is a standard procedure in everyday hospital life and is generally harmless. However, Moviprep® and other laxatives should be avoided in a number of pre-existing conditions. These include intestinal obstructions, allergies to ingredients and individual metabolic diseases.
