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Colonoscopy prep unsuccessful. Has this happened to anyone else? So worried about it not working again

BigmammaB
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I followed the instructions to the letter. 1 week on low residue diet. Stopped eating at 1pm yesterday. Took first dose of plenvu at 6pm last night with lots of extra water. Had diarrhoea about 6 times before I went to bed. Diarrhoea again this morning before taking my second dose of plenvu at 6am. I lost count of how many times I went to the toilet after the second dose and really thought it had worked. But then around 11am the diarrhoea came again this time with a solid pebble poop. This carried on over the next hour or so and I felt like i needed to poop. I stopped drinking at 10am. At 2pm I went for my endoscopy and colonoscopy and the dr said I was constipated so he couldn't see all of my bowels. Im now waiting for a ct scan. Ive googled it and it says they need an empty bowel for this too. My bowel habits are always few and far between (maybe once a week, twice at the most) so what if the prep doesn't work again and they can't see properly. Im really worried now as the prep wasn't nice at all and ive never pooped so much in all my life so I can't believe I wasn't empty.

Does this happen to other people?

  • Hi there and thanks for the post

    I am sorry to hear you had an unsuccessful bowel prep and therefore unable to have the colonoscopy, this must have been very disappointing for you.

    Unfortunately this can sometimes happen especially if people are prone to constipation or don't tend to open their bowels very frequently (as you say once a week or even fortnightly). Ideally this is picked up in the screening appointment and people such as yourself would be given some laxatives as well to soften the stools in the week before taking the actual bowel preparation. This makes sure that anything in the bowel is removed for the colonoscopy.

    If you are having a CT scan you won't necessarily need bowel prep but if you are having a CT colonography then you are correct in saying the bowel will need to be clear.

    I hope this is helpful and you know more soon but do get back in touch if you have more questions. The helpline is also open weekdays 9-5 on 0808 8004040.

    Take care,

    Naomi

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