# 4 (four!!) Ducolax at once-colonoscopy prep-can that be safe?? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 11, 2018, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353 "2018-11-11T13:49:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DavidwithanR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@DavidwithanR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidwithanR)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2018, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353/21 "2018-11-11T23:27:07Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > IIRC- if you can see through it, it should be okay. Not necessarily… At least some instructions say to avoid anything with red dye. This would seem to prohibit anything even light pinkish, purple, and so on, that involves red at all. Maybe I’ve misinterpreted - perhaps it’s only the intense reds that are a problem - but I sure wouldn’t want failed procedures, false positives, confused results, etc. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353/22 "2018-11-12T00:27:18Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > As it happens, I’m sitting at hope today because my first colonoscopy is tomorrow. The prep involves two bottles of six ounces each, to be mixed with Gatorade to make sixteen ounces. I drink one tonight after 6pm and another tomorrow morning, before the procedure scheduled for early afternoon. The doctor didn’t mention anything about taking any other laxatives, so obviously instructions vary. > > (BTW, I’m trying not to think about food.) The instructions vary depending on which prep you are doing ( and perhaps also by doctor). For my first colonscopy, the prep involved taking Dulcolax in the afternoon and drinking 4 liters of liquid in the evening. For the second, I had to mix a 6 oz bottle of the prep solution with 10 oz of water at 6 pm the day before and then drink 2 16 oz glasses of water within an hour, and repeat at 6 am the day of the procedure. Both times, it was the same doctor- the reason for the change was because I couldn’t finish the solution the first time. ---
**Author:** ![Dobbs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Dobbs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dobbs)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 4:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353/23 "2018-11-12T04:19:38Z")
Whatever the instructions say, do it. At the last one I had, the guy recovering next to me didn’t, and he got to do it again. You do _not_ want that. On a side note, I have read, but cannot cite, that beer (well, some beers) are considered clear liquids. It might be too late for some, but I intend to ask next time I get to ride the python. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353/24 "2018-11-12T04:34:09Z")
The instructions I have here specifically say “no alcohol”, so that would seem to exclude beer. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353/25 "2018-11-12T16:31:14Z")
And hopefully you’ve done the pre-prep prep part - the “don’t eat too much and whatever you do, don’t eat anything with fiber!” part of the prep - that will make getting what remains out that much easier. There are really only several hours of the day before where staying home and near a toilet is essential. By bedtime, I was empty enough to sleep through the night. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2018, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353/26 "2018-11-12T18:13:35Z")
I was surprised that the first round of bowel prep gave me the shivers, as if I had the flu. I took the second round a few hours ago and in a few hours will call for the Uber. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353/27 "2018-11-13T23:02:47Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I was surprised that the first round of bowel prep gave me the shivers, as if I had the flu. I took the second round a few hours ago and in a few hours will call for the Uber. I got throughly chilld during one of my preps - it was in January after all. The amount of fluid rushing through my system must have messed with my ability to maintain body temperature. So this doesn’t sound too wacked out. I’m surprised at the mention of Uber: doesn’t your clinic require you to have someone with you? (Mine does; they will cancel it if the escort isn’t with me). Re the OP’s question: 4 at once sounds extreme, but not dangerous. My instructions were 2 in the evening for 2 days, I think, to reduce the amount of in-transit food (foolish in my case, as I tend to rent my food anyway, but whatever… I’m in a high risk group so I do what the nice doctor says). You will, I imagine, be even more jet propelled than the average!! Seconding what someone else said about the time needed to remain at home. If you’ve been given Dulcolax to take well beforehand, you might want to stick near home as I’ve found it’s unpredictable and can cause urgency - but if you’re just starting with the bad kool-aid at 6 PM, there’s absolutely no need to be at home unless you prefer it. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353/28 "2018-11-13T23:09:39Z")
Other random comments: 1. I’m a “frequent flier” - had my 7th this past May, so I have more experience than I’d like 2. I had some not-artificially-colored orange soda during my prep once; nobody complained. I wouldn’t push it beyond that though. 3. Vitamin water with a little tint is probably not enough to cause issues - but is it worth it? 4. Propel vs Gatorade: They recommend Gatorade because of the electrolytes. Propel is OK but doesn’t have as much. Still - if you have broth (which tends to be salty) that more than makes up for it 5. I now use PrepoPik - and my doc’s instructions don’t even say to use Gatorade any more, which I find baffling as he was VERY big on “MUST HAVE GATORADE FOR ELECTROLYTES” for the longest time :D. As the color restrictions pretty much mean “any flavor as long as it tastes bad” - even _blue_ is prohibited, I don’t miss the stuff. 6. **Ann Hedonia** , Dulcolax is NOT a stool softener, it’s a stimulant laxative. Docusate (brand name Colace etc.) is a stool softener. I actually suggest to people that they use _something_ to help soften things up during the pre-prep low-fiber days, as, well, brickitude happens. ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353/29 "2018-11-13T23:32:02Z")
> [@Jragon](#): > > Not that bad, corrupt, or compromised doctors don’t exist, maybe your doctor is a shill for Dulcolax to get that sweet pharma money,… Either I’m being whooshed, or you’re here describing a \*very \*unambitious corrupt doctor. Dulcolax costs about the same as aspirin. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 13, 2018, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353/30 "2018-11-13T23:57:24Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > I’m surprised at the mention of Uber: doesn’t your clinic require you to have someone with you? (Mine does; they will cancel it if the escort isn’t with me). Same with me, it was in the prep instructions. They won’t send you home in a cab or Uber. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2018, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353/31 "2018-11-14T01:57:16Z")
The taste was not too bad but for some reason if I drank too much my swallower would just quit working and I had to wait. It took me 4 hours to get 2 /3 the bottle down. 30 min after my last drink I was able to go to bed. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2018, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353/32 "2018-11-14T02:24:03Z")
Y’know, my primary has been pestering me to get this done and youse guys are not helping him. But it is helping me take notes on what I’m going to ask when setting it up (as I will sooner rather than later). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2018, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353/33 "2018-11-14T02:38:11Z")
I was also reluctant to get the colonoscopy. (I’m 52 now and my primary care physician started nagging me about this a couple of years ago.) But I have to say that it wasn’t that bad. The toughest part was sticking to the clear liquids diet in the day prior to the procedure and even that wasn’t very hard. I don’t actually remember any of the procedure itself; the nurse told me to get on my left side, I did that and the next thing I remember is waking up in the recovery room. In short, it’s not as bad as you imagine. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2018, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353/34 "2018-11-14T14:26:50Z")
My doctor prescribed the 4 Dulcolax, followed later by one bottle of OTC magnesium citrate, and later still one more bottle. The lemon-flavored liquid laxative is actually quite good and would make an excellent prank cocktail mixer. The effects were irresistible and unmistakable, but not uncomfortable in any way. I think my experience was much easier than what I’ve heard from others about drinking a gigantic bottle of prescription laxative. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2018, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353/35 "2018-11-14T20:24:00Z")
> [@JRDelirious](#): > > Y’know, my primary has been pestering me to get this done and youse guys are not helping him. But it is helping me take notes on what I’m going to ask when setting it up (as I will sooner rather than later). My friend… I had my screening colonoscopy done at age 50 (nearly 51). My primary wasn’t too pushy about it; in fact, the only reason I went in right then was because I appeared to have some upper GI issues that required an endoscopy, and _I_ said “Um, while we’re at it…”. And it turned up precancerous polyps that as the doctor said “I wouldn’t have wanted you to go another 5 years with those”. A followup 18 months later turned up more (and he couldn’t get good margins); another 4 months after that cleared up the margins and found a few more, and 6 months after that things were finally slowing down. I’m on a 3 year schedule now. A friend of ours kept delaying it. He wound up having a foot of his colon removed. A neighbor of mine, who is (I think) slightly over 50 has stage 4 colon cancer. He’d been resistant as well. What it boils down to is the last sentence of [this posting](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=18167605&postcount=30) > [@Mama Zappa's colon](#): > > QUIT BEING A WUSS AND GET THE DAMN THING DONE ALREADY, YA PANSY-ASS CHICKEN!!! And of course, what other medical procedure - with the possible exception of childbirth - has such a rich font of jokes and hilarious stories? As a side note: I’d been pestering a friend of mine (same age as I) to get one. There were some reasons why she might have been in a somewhat elevated risk category. I went with her to a pre-op appointment for a hysterectomy, to be a second set of ears and note-taking. The doctor asked her “Have you had a colonoscopy yet?” and she and I both cracked up, then we had to explain that I was a frequent flier and was in fact having #7 in a few days. So she did have it, a month or two later, and I took her to/from, figuring I’d helped get her into that fix and I owed it to her to help her out. All was mostly OK - she had a couple of polyps (nothing too scary, but enough to repeat in 5 vs 10 years). ---
**Author:** ![txjim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f07891/32.png) [@txjim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/txjim)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2018, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353/36 "2018-11-14T21:10:53Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Same with me, it was in the prep instructions. They won’t send you home in a cab or Uber. Not only that, but it’s very possible you won’t remember a damn thing the doctor tells you after the exam. My wife informed me that I had a full conversation with the doc but I don’t recall any of it. Have some pretty good pictures of my colon, however. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2018, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353/37 "2018-11-15T02:55:14Z")
> [@txjim](#): > > Not only that, but it’s very possible you won’t remember a damn thing the doctor tells you after the exam. My wife informed me that I had a full conversation with the doc but I don’t recall any of it. Have some pretty good pictures of my colon, however. Errrr, YMMV. I seem to be pretty good about remembering what was discussed after my scopes, though that may just be because I am fortunate enough to (briefly) bounce back from things like that. 2 hours later, at home, and I can’t keep my eyes open. I certainly would not plan on _relying_ on anything I remembered from those chats, though so far it seems I have done fairly well. When my friend had hers, a couple months back, she definitely did not catch all the details; I had to remind her of when her doc said she should do the repeat. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2018, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353/38 "2018-11-15T04:58:45Z")
Here’s what Dave Barry had to say about his first colonoscopy. > **[Dave Barry: A journey into my colon — and yours](https://www.miamiherald.com/living/liv-columns-blogs/dave-barry/article1928847.html)** > > OK. You turned 50. You know you’re supposed to get a colonoscopy. But you haven’t. Here are your reasons: 1. You’ve been busy. 2. You don’t have a history of cancer in your family. I’m 54, and I still haven’t had one. However, my doctor addressed my reluctance and ordered me a Cologuard. That one had to be done over because I sent them too large of a sample! :smack: That one was negative, which was a relief because as many of you know, the mammogram I had around the same time wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![DummyGladHands](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/49beb7/32.png) [@DummyGladHands](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DummyGladHands)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2018, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353/39 "2018-11-15T12:16:50Z")
2 polyps, dammit. I had to beg him to go on the 5 year plan, but back to every 3. Apparently I am a polyp maker. Prep was hideous, I vomited a ton of the liquid prep, called the nurse line, she said take a break and chew some gum or eat a hard candy (not red!!) after each 8 ounces. But. it’s over!! And yeah, Ducolax is a full on laxative, not a stool softener. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2018, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353/40 "2018-11-15T15:31:45Z")
> [@DummyGladHands](#): > > 2 polyps, dammit. I had to beg him to go on the 5 year plan, but back to every 3. Apparently I am a polyp maker. Prep was hideous, I vomited a ton of the liquid prep, called the nurse line, she said take a break and chew some gum or eat a hard candy (not red!!) after each 8 ounces. But. it’s over!! > > And yeah, Ducolax is a full on laxative, not a stool softener. Bleh. I don’t follow: did doc want you to go 3 but you argued for 5 instead? On the liquid prep: which one did you have? MoviPrep, GoLytely or some other high volume one? There are far, far better options now and I think anyone who prescribes those high-volume ones without a good reason (and “because they’re used to it” does not qualify as “good”) needs to be educated. A friend managed SuPrep recently without too much trouble. I use PrepoPik (Pico-Salax in other countries) which is _very_ low volume. Many people find the Gatorade + Miralax option quite tolerable. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/4-four-ducolax-at-once-colonoscopy-prep-can-that-be-safe/824353.md?page=3)