Bowel Prep Instructions for Colon Surgery
- You will receive 3 prescriptions for your bowel prep. You will need to fill these prescriptions at a pharmacy before your surgery.
- MoviPrep, 2 liters
- Neomycin, 3 doses, 1 gram each
- Metronidazole, 3 doses, 1 gram each
YOUR SURGERY IS SCHEDULED FOR:
Day: ______________ Date: ________________ Time: _____ a.m./p.m.
5 DAYS BEFORE YOUR SURGERY
- Fill your prescription for MoviPrep, Neomycin, and Metronidazole.
- Stock up on clear liquids listed below especially Gatorade type drinks.
- If you are allergic to any of these, you will be given a different medicine.
1 DAY BEFORE YOUR SURGERY
- Do not eat any solid food.
- Drink only clear fluids such as juice (apple, grape, or cranberry), broth, black coffee, tea, lemonade, sports drinks, soda pop, or Jell-O. Do not drink unfiltered juices, such as apple cider.
- The MoviPrep carton contains 4 pouches and a container for mixing. The container has 4 lines on it. Each line marks 8 ounces.
- First thing in the morning, prepare the MoviPrep solution:
- Empty 1 “Pouch A” and 1 “Pouch B” into the container.
- Add lukewarm water to the top line of the container.
- Mix to dissolve.
- Refrigerate to improve the taste.
- Starting at 8 a.m, drink 1 glass (8 ounces) of the MoviPrep solution every 15 minutes. It will take 1 hour to drink all of it.
- When you have finished the MoviPrep solution, drink at least 4 glasses (8 ounces each, for a total of 32 ounces) of clear fluids of your choice. The laxative should cause diarrhea within 1 hour.
- Mix the 2nd container of MoviPrep the same way you prepared the 1st container. Refrigerate.
- Starting at 10 a.m., drink the 2nd container of MoviPrep. Drink 1 glass (8 ounces) every 15 minutes. It will take 1 hour to drink all of it.
- After you have finished the MoviPrep solution, drink at least 4 glasses (8 ounces each, for a total of 32 ounces) of clear fluids of your choice.The laxative should cause more diarrhea.
- Keep drinking plenty of clear fluids throughout the day. This will keep you from getting dehydrated from the diarrhea. At 1 p.m.: Take Neomycin (1 gram) and Metronidazole (1 gram)
- At 1 p.m.: Take Neomycin (1 gram) and Metronidazole (1 gram)
- At 3 p.m.: Take Neomycin (1 gram) and Metronidazole (1 gram)
- At 10 p.m.: Take Neomycin (1 gram) and Metronidazole (1 gram)
- Do not drink (or eat) anything after 12 midnight.
THE DAY OF YOUR SURGERY
- On the morning of your surgery, take all medicines that the Pre-Anesthesia Clinic or your surgeon told you were OK to take. Take them with only a sip of water.
SPECIAL INSTRUCTIONS
- If you have diabetes, your diabetes medicines may need to be adjusted. Please talk with your surgery clinic nurse.
- Please call your surgeon if you feel dizzy or have severe nausea, vomiting, or belly pain, or if you cannot finish drinking the MoviPrep.
- If your bowel movements are still solid or not turning clear in color after all of the above, do call your surgeon office right away.
Call 911 right away if you have any of these life-threatening symptoms after taking the MoviPrep:
- Wheezing
- Chest tightness
- Fever
- Swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat
© University of Washington Medical Center Clinician Review/Published: 08/2011 Reprints on Health Online: http://healthonline.washington.edu
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