If you have a MORNING appointment
(7:30 am or 8:00 am)

If you have an AFTERNOON appointment
(3:00 pm)

• Depending on your medical history, we may ask that you remain on site during the entire test.

• After about 8 hours, the recorder and electrodes will be removed, and you will then be discharged immediately.

• After the test is started and you swallow the capsule you may leave the facility, but you will wear the sensor array for the rest of the day and through the night.

• For equipment return, you will either come back the next morning by 8:00 am, or we may be able to make arrangements for the equipment to be mailed back.

If you have a MORNING appointment
(7:30 am or 8:00 am)

If you have an AFTERNOON appointment
(3:00 pm)

• You may eat a normal breakfast and lunch.

• Only clear liquids after lunch. Examples of clear liquids include water, apple juice, white grape juice, black coffee, tea, lemon or lime Jell-O, lemon or lime Kool-Aid, soda pop (including colas, 7-Up, and Sprite). Do not eat solid food after 12 noon.

• Do not drink red, orange, or purple liquids, including Jell-O.

• You will have to drink a laxative solution to clean out your bowel. We recommend the Polyethylene glycol 3350/Gatorade Colonoscopy Preparation.

• If you have kidney disease or severe heart or liver disease, DO NOT use this preparation; you should contact the doctor who ordered your test and ask what preparation you should use.

• Polyethylene glycol 3350 powder is available at any pharmacy. No prescription is needed. It is also sold under the name MiraLAX.

• You will also need to buy two (2) 32-ounce bottles of Gatorade G2 (64 ounces total). It must be Gatorade G2. Do not substitute. Gatorade G2 is the only acceptable drink for mixing with the bowel preparation.

• Plan to be near a bathroom from the time the preparation is started until the end of the evening. Your bowels may begin to move in about thirty to sixty (30–60) minutes. Feelings of nausea and bloating are common and resolve with time.

• An A+D type ointment applied to the rectal area can help with any irritation in that area. 

• The goal is for your stool to be clear or light yellow water.

• At about 4:00 pm, start taking the preparation.

• Take other clear liquids between doses of the bowel preparation. Drinking at least one (1) gallon of clear liquids during the evening will improve the quality of bowel cleansing.

• If you have any questions or concerns, call the Medical Procedures Unit at (734) 936-9250, option 1. If it is after 5:00 pm, call (734) 936-6267 and ask for the GI Fellow on call.

• If you have diabetes and take evening insulin, take one-half (½) of your usual dose of long-acting insulin the evening before the procedure. Do not take short-acting insulin the morning of the procedure.

• You may have water the morning of the procedure – up to 5:00 am, but then nothing by mouth.

• You may eat a normal breakfast.

• Eat a light dinner, then clear liquids only for the rest of the evening. Examples of clear liquids include water, apple juice, white grape juice, black coffee, tea, lemon or lime Jell-O, lemon or lime Kool-Aid, soda pop (including colas, 7-Up, and Sprite).

• Do not drink red, orange, or purple liquids, including Jell-O.

If you have a MORNING appointment
(7:30 am or 8:00 am)

If you have an AFTERNOON appointment
(3:00 pm)

• If you are diabetic and take oral diabetes medications (pills):
  • For a test scheduled before noon
    – Do not take your oral diabetes medication (pills) the morning of the test. You should bring your pills with you and take them at lunch. Evening pills can be taken at the usual time.
  • Take your evening pills at the usual time, and eat your usual evening meal.
  • If you manage your blood sugar with two shots of insulin (morning and evening)
    – If you will have your usual dinner, take your usual evening dose on the evening before the test. If you will have only clear liquids the evening before, take only ½ of your usual evening dose of long-acting insulin. Take ½ of your usual morning dose of long-acting insulin on the morning of the test. Do not take short-acting insulin on the morning of the test. Take the other ½ of your usual morning dose of long-acting insulin after the test, if the test ends before noon. Again, it is important to eat your usual meal at this time. If the test is scheduled or lasts into the afternoon, resume your normal evening dose of insulin the evening of the test.
  • Please refer to the handout, “Instructions for Patients with Diabetes Having Outpatient Procedures/Tests.”
• If you normally take other medications in the morning, you may take those with sips of water.

• Take your ususal morning medications with sips of water.

• At 7:00 am, start taking the preparation.

• Take other clear liquids between doses of the bowel preparation. Drinking at least one (1) gallon of clear liquids during the day will improve the quality of bowel cleansing.

• You will likely have to be off work or school for the day while you are doing the test preparation.

• You may have clear liquids up to 1:00 pm, but then nothing by mouth.

• If you are diabetic and take oral diabetes medications (pills): skip your morning pills completely on the day of the test.

• If you have any questions or concerns, call the Medical Procedures Unit at (734) 936-9250, option 1.