Our Surgical Services team is committed to providing safe, high-quality care before, during, and after your procedure. To help ensure a smooth experience, please review the following important pre-procedure information. Carefully following these instructions helps prevent delays or cancellations and supports your safety.

Before Your Procedure

• Arrange for a responsible adult (18+) to drive you home. You will not be permitted to drive yourself.
• Anesthesia is used for many procedures. Afterward, you should not work, drive, operate machinery, sign legal documents, or use alcohol or recreational drugs for the rest of the day.
• Some medications may need to be adjusted or temporarily stopped, including blood thinners, diabetes medications, weight-loss medications, and insulin. You will receive specific instructions during your pre-procedure phone call.
• Stay well hydrated during and after your bowel prep.
• Do not eat or drink anything after completing your prep. This includes ice, gum, mints, chewing tobacco, and smoking.
• Arrive one hour before your scheduled procedure time and check in at the registration desk, where staff will escort you to Surgical Services.

If you need to reschedule your procedure or have questions about preparation or medications, please contact the Surgical Services Department at 970-675-4232 or 970-675-5011 ext. 149.

Colonoscopy Prep: MiraLAX®, Gatorade®, and Magnesium Citrate

To make preparation easier, our pharmacy provides a free basic prep kit, which includes:

• Three 119 g bottles of MiraLAX® powder
• One 10 oz bottle of Magnesium Citrate

You will need to purchase:

• Three 28 oz bottles of Gatorade® (no red or purple)

One Day Before Your Procedure

• Follow a clear liquid diet only. Clear liquids are those you can see through, such as black coffee or tea (no creamer), clear broth, pulp-free juice, plain popsicles, clear soda, gelatin, water, and sports drinks.
• Do not consume solid food, alcohol, dairy, juice with pulp, or red or purple liquids.

How to Use the Prep

• Mix one bottle of MiraLAX® with one bottle of Gatorade®. Repeat for all three bottles.
• For best taste, refrigerate the mixtures and magnesium citrate for at least one hour before drinking.
• Drink the Magnesium Citrate at 4:00 p.m. the day before your procedure.
• Begin drinking two bottles of the MiraLAX®/Gatorade® mixture at 6:00 p.m. (about 10 oz every 10–15 minutes).
• Drink the third bottle of the mixture 5 hours before your procedure time.

You should begin having loose stools within about an hour. Mild bloating or stomach upset is normal. If nausea occurs, slow the pace. A successful prep results in clear, yellow liquid stools. Do not take any oral medications within one hour of starting the prep.

If you take a GLP-1 medication, please contact Surgical Services for specific instructions prior to your procedure.

 

Download Full PDF Instructions Here 

Colonoscopy Prep Inst General.pdf