A colonoscopy is a crucial screening procedure recommended for individuals aged 50 and older with a normal risk of colon or rectal cancer. It allows doctors to detect and remove polyps, thus preventing colon cancer. The preparation for a colonoscopy is strict but essential for ensuring a clear view of the colon, leading to more accurate results. This article provides a comprehensive guide on diet coke consumption before a colonoscopy, incorporating guidelines from the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the American Cancer Society, along with practical advice.
Understanding the Importance of Colonoscopy Prep
The preparation done before a colonoscopy is strict for a reason. Good prep ensures your doctor will have a clear look at your colon, which leads to more accurate results. Routine testing is recommended for people age 50 and older with a normal risk of colon or rectal cancer. Fortunately, colon cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancers. Recent statistics show regular colonoscopies could prevent nearly 60% of deaths from colon cancer.
Pre-Colonoscopy Diet: The Low-Fiber Phase
Four days before your colonoscopy, you must follow a low fiber diet. Anything with whole grains, nuts, seeds, and skins are NOT low fiber. Staying away from foods that are high in residue will make your prep more comfortable and successful. Stop any fiber supplements such as Metamucil, Benefiber or Citrucel. The hulls from popcorn and some nuts and seeds can stay in the colon for days. During your procedure, the hulls can appear as growths in the colon.
The Clear Liquid Diet: What to Expect
One or two days before your colonoscopy, stop eating solid foods and drink only clear liquids. The food dye can cause misinformation during the colonoscopy. A clear liquid diet leaves no residue in the intestines or the stomach, giving the doctor a better look at the lining of the colon. A clear liquid diet limits you to options such as water, broth and plain gelatin. These are easy to digest, and they don't leave food bits in your digestive tract.
Can You Drink Diet Coke?
Clear liquids include diet or regular 7-Up, Sprite or colas, Kool Aid, water, clear broth, popsicles and hard candies without filling.
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Acceptable Clear Liquids
Yes, it's important to drink a variety of allowed clear liquids to avoid becoming nauseated and dehydrated. Clear liquids include: apple and white grape juice or other non-citrus juices without pulp, Gatorade, ginger ale, diet or regular 7-Up, Sprite or colas, Kool Aid, water, clear broth, popsicles and hard candies without filling. Black coffee or tea without cream or powdered creamer and Jell-O without added fruit (no red/purple coloring) are also OK. Avoid anything colored red or purple, like grape soda or cherry Jell-O.
Medications to Consider
Make sure your doctor knows about your current medications and ask if it's safe to keep taking them leading up to the procedure. Generally, you should take prescribed medication, as directed, both on the preparation day and on the day of the procedure. However, don’t take anticoagulants (blood thinners) for at least 2-7 days prior to the procedure. These include Coumadin, Plavix, Xarelto, vitamin E, ibuprofen and other NSAIDs. If you’re on any of these medicines, please let us know well in advance of the procedure. The morning of your procedure, don’t take any diabetes medicine. You can resume your medication after the procedure when you’re ready to start eating again. If you have questions, call the physician that manages your diabetes and tell them about your prep. Injectable weight-loss medications can delay food passing through your stomach. Most injectable weight-loss medications need to be stopped for at least one week prior to your procedure.
Bowel Preparation: The Laxative Solution
Today’s bowel preparation drink is much easier to drink than it used to be. Patients can now choose half-gallon options, instead of a full gallon, to split up the dose. This drink acts as a laxative to help clear out the bowels. Ask your doctor if you can add flavored drink crystals, like Crystal Light or lemon juice, to the solution. You must follow the preparation instructions given to you. Your colon is approximately five feet long and must be completely emptied to ensure an accurate and thorough exam. If the colon prep is not adequate, the doctor can miss polyps or other important things in your colon. Some patients have a bowel movement immediately after starting the laxatives. For others, it may take two hours or longer. Continue drinking clear liquids and following your bowel prep instructions. Patients with a history of chronic constipation may need more prep than usual to clean out the colon. If your stools aren't clear yellow when finished, call or come to the hospital a couple hours earlier than your scheduled time, so you can drink extra prep.
The Colonoscopy Procedure: What to Expect
The entire procedure usually takes 30 minutes or less. You should plan to be at the facility for approximately 2 - 3 hours. You will be given sedation during the procedure to help you stay comfortable. The sedation medication given during your procedure impairs your judgment and reflexes. You may feel sleepy, groggy or confused and are considered legally impaired. It can take several hours for the side effects of the sedatives to wear off, so you aren’t permitted to drive for 24 hours following your colonoscopy. A trusted person must drive you home or accompany you on public transit. Generally, you can eat immediately after your procedure. Occasionally, there is mild nausea from the sedative medications. You’ll be able to go back to your usual routine the next day. After the colonoscopy, you will be taken to an observatory area for 30 to 60 minutes until the side effects of the medication wear off. If your doctor removed a polyp during the colonoscopy, you might need to be on a temporary special diet. If no abnormalities were found, you should be able to eat once you get home. After you get home, you should spend the rest of the day relaxing. The most frequent side effects are slight abdominal pain and cramping caused by the air used to inflate the colon during the procedure. This discomfort usually passes quickly and only lasts a few hours. Immediately following the colonoscopy, you may experience side effects from the medications and sedatives, and those will wear off throughout the day.
Updated Recommendations and Low-Residue Diets
Ever since the dawn of colonoscopy, nearly all patients have been advised to go on a clear liquid diet the day before a procedure and to avoid any solid foods. Multi-Society Task Force on Colorectal Cancer updated their official recommendations for bowel prep prior to a colonoscopy. The updated recommendations do not eliminate the suggestion of following a clear liquid diet prior to a colonoscopy. But now, you may be able to eat a low-fiber breakfast and lunch the day before your colonoscopy. What foods are part of a low fiber diet? Anything with whole grains, nuts, seeds, and skins are NOT low fiber. It is important to share your full medical history and medication list with your colonoscopy doctor’s office. There are certain medical conditions and medications that slow down the bowels. In these scenarios, eating solids prior to your procedure may not be a good idea and you may even need a more aggressive prep. Based on your specific situation, the doctor’s office will recommend a prep that is compatible with your medical issues and has the highest chance of producing a good quality prep. A colonoscopy prep diet is very important, as it’s part of what makes a colonoscopy lifesaving.
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