Colonoscopy Prep Essentials for Your Comfort
This is not medical advice about colonoscopy prep. Iโm writing this article to help you identify essentials to have on hand so you can feel more comfortable when prepping for a colonoscopy procedure.
That is, how to make your skin feel more comfortable during the prep. Also, how to just feel better overall during the few days before you have this potentially life-saving screening for colon cancer.

Colonoscopy prep essentials for comfort
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Iโm writing this article after coming off of my second colonoscopy but my third colonoscopy prep. Wait, youโre saying, how could you have gone through three preps and only two procedures?ย
Well, the prep for my second colonoscopy failed and the doctor canceled it. So, two months later, when I rescheduled the procedure, I went through the whole thing again.
And I learned a bunch about staying comfortable yet again. Finally, Iโll explain about my failed colonoscopy prep and how you can avoid that happening to you.
Staying warm
Iโm a woman of a certain age who is always hot. Itโs ridiculous since Iโd spent most of my life being cold. However, thanks to menopause, I have to sleep in tank tops, with my hair in a pony tail and no socks on my feet.
Now, for whatever reason, during colonoscopy prep, I canโt get warm. Maybe itโs the process of going to the bathroom constantly.ย
Or, it could be that Iโd been drinking cold prep throughout the day. Either way, I had to revert to some of my old ways of staying warm.
One, when I wasnโt on the toilet, I was on the couch, underneath a fuzzy blanket. The Primalush blanket from Target is my favorite.
Two, I kept my feet covered. Since sliding down my wood stairs in stocking feet and banging up my back pretty badly, I never wear regular socks around the house anymore. Instead, I kept my Uggs suede slippers on.
Staying hydrated
Even though I had to drink six liters of colonoscopy prep over a 24-hour period, my doctor recommended I drink other fluids to stay hydrated. So, I stocked up on Vitamin Water (Iโm not a big Gatorade fan).
In the future, when doing my colonoscopy prep, I may switch to Liquid IV, which I think is better than Nuun.
Also, I couldnโt stomach the idea of drinking coffee during prep. So I had Coca-Cola on hand. You know, sodaโnot pop. This New Yorker will always call it soda.
What I wish Iโd also stocked up on was tea and soup broth. Because of the aforementioned issue of being cold all the time, I would have loved a hot beverage. And since coffee was out of the question, I should have thought about this alternative.
Unscented wipes and soft toilet paper
Until youโve gone through a colonoscopy prep, youโll have no idea how essential really soft toilet paper and unscented, flushable wipes are. Because you will be going to the bathroom a lot.
Pro tip: donโt wipe so much as โpatโ your back end after going to the bathroom. The more you wipe, the more irritated your butt will become.
Also, thatโs a reason to stick with unscented wipes and toilet paper. Even if fragrance doesnโt normally bother your skin, trust me: it will after a few hours of colonoscopy prep.
Underwear pads
Regardless of your gender or if youโve ever had to use period pads, youโre going to want to buy some. Why?
Becauseโand Iโm sorry if this is grossโit is possible that your butt will leak during prep. Iโve found that putting menstrual pads in my underwear was helpful to capture this leakage (gross, I know).
Also, never trust a fart. Because during colonoscopy prep, anything that feels like gas will be technicolor, if you know what I mean.
You could also try incontinence pads.
Pads might decrease the laundry you do
You may find the idea of putting pads in your underwear unpleasant. However, if you donโt have access to laundry in your home, youโre going to be changing your underwear frequently without pads.
That means a lot of laundry. And thatโs why I think pads are essential.
And if you donโt have laundry in your apartment unit or at your house, youโll have a bunch to bring to the laundromat after your colonoscopy prep and procedure are over. Is that really how you want to spend your recovery time?
Lotion for your hands and cream for your butt
If youโre good about washing your hands after using the bathroomโas you should beโthen prepare to be washing your hands a lot. In no time, though, your skin is going to be dry, especially if youโre prepping in the winter when the humidity is low.
I prepped in the summer, when it was hot and humid. Even so, my hands dried out. Iโm so glad that I already keep a bottle of Lubriderm Advanced Therapy lotion above my kitchen sink.
Even if itโs been years since youโve had to change a babyโs diapers, you should get some diaper cream or another kind of butt salve. Even straight petroleum jelly might be good enough.
Trust me: youโre going to need it.
Another option is to use hemorrhoid cream, whether you have hemorrhoids or not. If you do, they will definitely be acting up by the end of your prep time.
I know that there are now hemorrhoid wipes. However, I havenโt tried them so cannot say if theyโre better (or worse) than other kinds of wipes.
Pull-on pants are essential during colonoscopy prep
I spent my entire colonoscopy prep time in my favorite drawstring jogger pants from Nordstrom. Theyโre pull-on, so easy to shed in the bathroom.
Thatโs something you wantโeasy-off pantsโbecause once the prep kicks in, you will have to go to the bathroom urgently. So, sweats, pull-on pants or joggers are essential for your prep โfashion.โ
Donโt bother with jeans or anything with a zipper. Thatโs asking for a crappy outcomeโpun intended.
Why my previous colonoscopy prep failed
I mentioned at the top of this piece that I just finished a third colonoscopy prep, but that Iโve only had two colonoscopies. Thatโs because when I was supposed to get the procedure a few months ago, my gastro doc had me do a โregularโ prep schedule.
That is, you start the prep the night before your procedure. Unfortunately, that wasnโt enough time for me. Hours before my procedure, I was nowhere near a clear colon so we had to cancel my appointment.
You see, I have an issue with pooping. OK, Iโll be bluntโIโm often constipated.
Itโs one of the reasons that I ended up at an urogynecologist who referred me to pelvic floor therapy. Turns out, pelvic floor issues can affect how well (or poorly) you poop.
So, to avoid another failed colonoscopy prep, my doctor told me it was imperative that I do something called an extended prep. Basically, I had to spend the days before my procedure getting ready.
For example, I started a low-residue diet five days ahead of time. Weโre talking mashed potatoes, scrambled eggs and puffed rice cereal.
After that, three days before the procedure, I stopped solid food and went on a clear fluid diet. Clear fluid includes colas, coffee (no milk) and juice and Jell-Oโbut not red or purple. That can stain your colon and make it hard for doctors to see polyps.
Then, the morning before my procedure, I started the prep and continued with the clear liquids diet. My extended prep meant I ended up doing an extra dose of the colonoscopy prepโsix liters instead of fourโto ensure I was fully cleaned out for my procedure the next day. And I was.
Final thoughts on colonoscopy prep essentials
By the day after my procedure, I had fully recovered from the prep. Unfortunately, the skin on my rear end hadnโt. If only Iโd stocked up on that butt cream.
Finally, I got a clean bill of health. No polyps, excellent prep and, as my friends have said, the colonoscopy golden ticketโ10 years until my next procedure, unless I develop symptoms.