Revised:  02/06/2004

PREPARATION (Check with your doctor to confirm her/his preference and to obtain materials)

A clean bowel is essential for colonoscopy, and the most common and most effective preparations for cleansing the bowel include the following:

 

Four liters of polyethylene glycol (PEG) solution taken orally (Colyte or Golytely) over a 1- to 3-hour period, or

 

Ten ounces of magnesium citrate solution taken with four bisacodyl 5 mg tablets, or

 

Two ounces of castor oil taken with four bisacodyl 5 mg tablets.

One of these bowel preparations should be administered starting at 4:00 P.M. the day before colonoscopy. After the preparation, you should only have clear liquids until midnight. It may also be helpful to administer one or two tap-water enemas 1 or 2 hours before the procedure.