When you prepare for a colonoscopy, it is not a pleasant experience. You have to go over several steps as you prepare for it. Your specialist will give you instructions on what to do and what to eat, drink, and what activities you are permitted to do as you prepare for the colonoscopy. It is essential to follow the instructions for the colonoscopy preparation because the last thing you want to do is eat or drink foods that you should not and have to redo the colonoscopy because it tampered with the test. As you know the day before you prepare for the test, you cannot have solids, only liquids. Let’s talk about what drinks are permitted before you go in for a colonoscopy first.
What Drinks Are Permitted Before Going For A Colonoscopy?
You are going to want to drink as many liquids as you can since you cannot eat the day before you have your colonoscopy. You will want to have drinks with calories because that is the only energy you will be able to take in since you will not be able to eat. Therefore, the drinks you are permitted to drink are any clear liquids which include clear sports drinks and apple juice, as well as white grape juice. You can also drink plenty of clear broth. If you want coffee or tea, that is also permitted. However, you must not put cream in it, but you can add sugar. You can also have clear or light-transparent color ice pops or gelatin. Gelatin is the only ‘solid’ that you are permitted to have.
That may sound very restrictive but having a colonoscopy is one of those things you need to do even though it is the last thing you want to do! But as long as everything is checking out normally, you do not need to have it for a long time. Therefore, it is restrictive and the preparation is unpleasant. That also means you cannot have certain drinks either or else it can ruin the results which is the last thing you want to happen. Let’s now go over the drinks you cannot have while preparing for your colonoscopy.
What Drinks Are Off-Limits When You Are Preparing For Your Colonoscopy?
You already know that clear or light-transparent drinks are permitted when you prepare for your colonoscopy. That only means certain drinks are off-limits. You do not want to have any drinks that have blue, red, or purple in them or anything that is thick. That can cause the lining of the colon to be discolored which will cause the results to be inaccurate and inconclusive because the specialist will not be able to see the colon.
Therefore, that means any colored sports drinks that have red, purple, or blue dye is off-limits. The same goes for purple grape juice, cranberry juice, or any other colored fruit or vegetable juices. Do not have any smoothies, and you do not want to have alcohol either. Avoid milk and creams as that will cloud the lining of the colon as well. Stay away from dark green, blue, purple, and red gelatin as well.
Therefore, you want to make sure that when you are preparing for your colonoscopy, you do the right shopping for the drinks that you are permitted to have. It will be one unpleasant day which is the day of the preparation, but remember that before you know it, you will be done with it! And you will be happy to have gotten through it! It is an important procedure to go through as early detection of colon cancer is a lifesaver.
