Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate and Bloating: What Users Say

• swa...
• June 25, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "Although the ease of use is there by having to drink less of it compared to other preps, it was nauseating, thick, and awful. I had very bad lower belly pain, which I associated with the prep, and so did the healthcare professionals at the colonoscopy facility. Up to 48 hours later, I had barely any urine output and still horrendous lower belly pain, bloating, tenderness, and difficulty walking, sleeping, or sitting without pain. Perhaps 60 hours out now and beginning to have more urine output, but still not fully. The pain has lessened, but still, the lower belly is extremely tender to touch. The urine has a foul odor. I would not recommend this prep at all, and I think healthcare professionals have to be made aware of these side effects, especially if they are common, so they do not prescribe this horrible and debilitating prep."

• Jay...
• July 20, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "My first colonoscopy. Easy-to-read bullet points: - Not nearly as bad as I expected it to be. - Taste is very sweet: not terrible. The two servings are easy to get through. - I have emetophobia (scared of vomiting), so I took a Dramamine 1 hour before each dose. I think this (+ staying hydrated) helped. - Didn’t bother leaving the toilet for 3 hours after both doses. The first bowel movements started about 1 hour after the 1st dose, sooner after the 2nd. Was up a few times through the night too. - Mild nausea after the first dose, it went away. Bad bloating after both doses, mostly went away after BMs started. Mild off-and-on headache. - Worst side effect by far is the booty pain. Two words: Liquid fire. Not even aloe wipes stood up to the raw pain, but they helped a little. - I put a step stool in front of the toilet to use as a Squatty Potty, and it helped a lot, highly recommend. 8/10: Overall easy process, about as pleasant as possible, but the taste isn’t great, and the few side effects weren’t fun."

• 1st...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 8, 2022

For Bowel Preparation "Not thrilled. I started off with two days of a low-residue diet, then started the liquid diet (mainly watered-down bone broth, Gatorade, and Jello) 24 hours before my colonoscopy. I drank the first Clenpiq bottle at 5 pm as my doctor recommended. The first bottle tasted okay, not great but tolerable. I drank five cups of clear liquid after. No bloating or pain, just some liquidy BMs. Then I drank the second bottle at 9 pm plus four cups of liquid. From about 10 until 4 am, I was up every 30-60 minutes to go to the bathroom. At 4 am, my BMs still were fairly dark and my colon was not clear. I fell asleep until 6, then had to go to the store to buy two boxes of Fleet enemas and figure out how to use them. I wasn’t sure the first one did the trick, so I used the second one. After that, it was clear. My procedure that morning went well, and the doctor said if I hadn’t used the enemas, they would not have been able to do the colonoscopy. I hope there are better preps on the market!"

• Lee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 14, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "This prep smells pleasant but is difficult to drink after the first swallow. It made me feel bloated and a little nauseated for 2-3 hours, and it took about 3 hours before it had some effect. The same thing happened with the second dose. On top of that, it made my rectum bleed. That was a first with a bowel prep. And lastly, it did a poor job of cleaning my bowels. This is my 5th time doing this, and this was the worst bowel prep! Give me a Miralax and Dulcolax combo any day! This stuff was no good!"

• MDS...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 27, 2022

For Bowel Preparation "Probably the worst drug experience I have ever had. Name the symptom on the list, I had it: headache, bloating, ear pain, severe nausea, belching, cramping, dizzy. It took 5.5 hours with the first dose to make my first run to the bathroom, and I was living on plain pasta and soups for the last 3 days. I have IBS-C, and my regular drug Trulance does a better clean out with a tsp of olive oil. Total nightmare. I luckily had Dulcolax in the house to be able to take 3 of those to add to the mix. Added that from reading here and took the second dose right after I started going, for fear I would not be done. I am determined to make this work even if I have to take more Dulcolax. Horrible drug. How can anyone prescribe something with a 50% success rate? Last time I took some salty grape thing, ice cold with ice and a cold water chaser, and it worked fast, and I was done with both doses by 11 pm. I have a 6:30 am arrival tomorrow and likely will have no sleep tonight."

• rd4...
• April 28, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "I was extremely bloated with cramps for 1 week after using Clenpiq for my colonoscopy prep. It took 3 hours before it worked, then continued for 8 hours. Then I had to take the 2nd bottle. It did work, but I felt bad for days."

• Vin...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 11, 2016

For Bowel Preparation "Prepopik is by far the easiest prep to actually take. Easy to throw back and then chase with 40 oz of whatever clear liquid you can tolerate and enjoy. If you ate normally up until the day of the prep and/or have slow-ish bowels, I would try to start earlier rather than later. I took the first dose at 5, and it took until about 8:30 to start getting real results. The 11 pm dose was still working on and off until 2 am, and I had to get up a couple of times after that. The benefit is that it works slowly and gently. Lots of 'tummy talking' and noises happening, but no pain, bloating, or nausea. Took longer to run clear than past preps, but worth the tolerability!"

• khu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 20, 2018

For Bowel Preparation "I’m a 36-year-old female. The 2-step Clenpiq prep was fairly easy. I started a low-fiber diet 3 days before the prep, and I majorly stepped up my water intake. For my liquid day, I had sugar-free green Jello, Gatorade, and apple juice and Gatorade popsicles ready. I started the prep at 4 pm the day before, and it started working after about 90 minutes, there was bloating and some intestinal gymnastics after about 10 minutes. Once it kicked in, I was on and off the toilet until about 10 pm. The next morning, I was back to the toilet once or twice before taking my next dose at 8 am. I alternated with some water. That dose kicked in after about 30 minutes. I made sure to get another 40 oz of water into my system and stopped all liquids 3 hours prior to the procedure. My last trip to the toilet was about 90 minutes before we left for my appointment at 12:30. The final results with the Clenpiq after the second dose were a yellowish-brown liquid with no solids."

• Lin...
• January 3, 2020

For Bowel Preparation "I drank the first bottle at 3:00 PM. I don't eat sugar, so I had a difficult time getting it down. I drank 40 oz. of water, and at 8:00 PM, I had the second bottle. Yuk. Bloated and sick feeling, but no BM. I know I will have to cancel the morning procedure. Pretty sure I will not be having a colonoscopy this year. This was my first time drinking this awful stuff. Paid 85.00 after insurance - not worth it."

• 54-...
• August 8, 2016

For Bowel Preparation "I don't know what the bad reviewers are talking about. Yes, the product tastes fine, but who really cares-this isn't about taste. BM induced within about 45 minutes, and then regularly thereafter. Got up three times at night. No gas, bloating, or other side effects whatsoever. I'm now a few hours from the procedure, and BM is slightly cloudy yellow, which I understand is the goal. In short, maybe only people having problems bother to post reviews."

• yuk...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 7, 2016

For Bowel Preparation "Today made my third colonoscopy in 11 years. I know, gag. Prepopik was not good for me. I thought at first it was good because I only had to drink 5 oz., followed by 5-8 oz. glasses of clear liquid of my choice. I did it rather quickly because it was easier than Golightly. My stomach bloated, and I felt sick. It took the product over an hour to produce results. I also had a headache for the entire duration of the prep (1 1/2 days), a headache with a pain rating of 8-9. I did not vomit. The next day, I repeated the process. The second dose I finished, but same symptoms as before, except I vomited 1 1/2 hours later. BTW, you never get a clear stool with this product. I arrived for my test and was given Zofran to prevent vomiting again."

• Zap...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 25, 2015

For Bowel Preparation "For bowel prep, this worked wonderfully. Took the split dose method at 8 pm and 3 am for an early morning procedure. 1st dose chased with 24 oz of water and 16 more oz within the hour, and I was having bowel movements by 45 minutes. I did have to use Vaseline on my second dose as my rear was in a lot of pain. The trick is to eat light for the 2 days prior and a clear liquid diet 1 day before. Don't forget to pound those fluids! I felt really full/bloated, but it made the process go by much faster. Bowels completely clear by 5 am. Doc said the procedure was good and bowls clean. No diarrhea afterward and was able to eat a sandwich after with no problems. Highly recommend!!"

• CD8...
• July 20, 2016

For Bowel Preparation "3rd colonoscopy, first with this prep. I was excited not to have to force down the large volume of the traditional and disgusting prep fluid. That's where my satisfaction ended. In short, it didn't do the job and left me bloated and cramping for days. 3 weeks after the procedure, I was still not feeling myself. I have learned from others this is a common experience. Do not recommend!"

• pok...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• April 26, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "I have my test on 4/27/21. I drank the 1st bottle with only little side effects: bloating and nausea. I drank it at 2 pm and didn't start using the bathroom until 9 pm, and then slept through the night, woke up, and went again. Nothing came out but yellow-colored fluid. I'm going to drink another 1/2 today so I know I'm perfectly clean. I haven't eaten anything in 3 days, so I have a headache and a bit crabby, but that's me. If you are worried about this, don't be, it's the best out of all the ones I've had to drink. Everybody is different. Just don't worry like I did, it's easy."

• Sun...
• April 24, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "After taking Clenpiq, I had a bad headache when I went to have my procedure done. They would not do it due to having a fast heart rate, and my heart was skipping beats, and I was very bloated. I had to go to the emergency room for a day. I wore a heart monitor home for 48 hours after they said that my heart is normal now. I am still very bloated on the second day. I will not use it again."

• sni...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 27, 2018

For Bowel Preparation "This prep, by far, was the best I have ever done out of 3 preps for colonoscopies. Absolutely no cramping, no nausea, no bloated feeling, just running to the toilet, is it! It was a slow type of action also, so you didn't feel so deadly dehydrated!"

• mbu...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 4, 2018

For Bowel Preparation "I don't know why there are so many negative reviews of this. This was my third colonoscopy, and this was by far the easiest and most effective prep. The taste was not bad and much better than a gallon of the previous stuff. No bloating, cramping, or vomiting. Took the first dose at 6 PM and was going by 7. Took the second at 2:30 and was totally clean by 4:30."

• Pha...
• May 5, 2016

For Bowel Preparation "If I could give this rating a zero, I would. A total waste of $120.00. Took both doses, and nothing happened, but I felt bloated. Thank goodness I had an oral bottle of Fleet's Phospho Soda in the house. It did the trick."

• Not...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 18, 2022

For Bowel Preparation "I really didn't like the colonoscopy prep previously that included a copious amount of liquid! That was misery for me! I had read the reviews prior to taking Clenpiq and was so worried. Who wants to drink anything that tastes so foul, possibly causing one to barf! I ultimately found it to be not nearly as bad as my brain had made up. Another review said it was like a weak margarita mix, which I definitely noticed. I didn’t taste the cranberry part… I also found it to be a little salty. I used a straw and drank a couple of big swallows at a time and then chased it with Gatorade. Easy enough. The first dose took about 30 minutes to activate. The second dose was almost immediate. I had no bloating nor nausea. It was also easy to drink the clear liquids required following the doses. I had no cramping, so when it was time to “go,” it was literally knocking on the proverbial door, so there’s that… I spent most of the night in and out of the bathroom, but I had a good book to pass the time."

• Rus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 5, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "Took Prepopik as directed for colonoscopy. Day before scheduled colonoscopy, I took it at 4 pm and 10 pm with clear liquid as directed. Didn’t poop much, but I was bloated. Went to the store and bought Dulcolax and magnesium citrate at 1 am. Hopefully, this works and they let me get my colonoscopy tomorrow at 8 am. No more Prepopik for me."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 30, 2015

For Bowel Preparation "As a colon cancer patient, I have had colonoscopies every 6 months for years. As an old pro, I must say that I have NEVER experienced anything remotely as totally ineffective as this supposed preparation. As a result, I must reschedule for after the first of the year and pay my full medical deductible immediately, rather than no cost because the deductible is already met for this year. My husband will be docked pay for taking off to drive me. I will have to take another week off blood thinner. And I feel nauseated, bloated, and angry. Shame on Prepopik for taking good folks' money with false claims!"

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 15, 2022

For Bowel Preparation "The taste of Clenpiq isn’t bad at first but gets worse with each sip/gulp. For me, it helped to chew a piece of mint gum and sip sweet tea, chill the prep, drink it with a straw, and take breaks in between several big gulps of the prep. I also drank about double the amount of clear liquids recommended. I would take about 15-20 minutes to finish each bottle. I never threw up (thankfully) and never had any cramping. I felt pretty bloated and a little nauseous and kept belching the prep. The trips to the bathroom started within 30-45 minutes after finishing the prep and were pretty regular for about 1.5-2 hours after each dose, subsided quite a bit for several hours, then started again. On the prep day, after the first couple of hours, I only went a few times until about midnight then had a couple of rushed trips but was able to sleep without any accidents. I was fully cleaned out for my procedure and gratefully, only had to make 1 stop on the 45-minute drive to the surgery center."

• jca...
• December 8, 2017

For Bowel Preparation "I have had many colonoscopies, and this was the worst prep I ever used. None are pleasant, but for me, this is the worst. Took the first packet at 2:00 pm. It took an hour to start working and produced several loose bowel movements and lots of cramping and nausea. Took the second dose 6 hours later at 8:00 pm. Had a loose b.m. within 15 minutes and then nothing until four hours later after lots of cramping and bloating. I have consumed way more liquid than the instructions say to, and it is now 3:00 AM and I am still not clean. My scope is scheduled for 11 AM, and my experience tells me there is no way I will be clean by then. I STRONGLY ADVISE you to not use this."

• Nob...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 26, 2022

For Bowel Preparation "Good experience. I don't get some of these overly dramatic 'worst thing in the whole world' reviews. Taste was honestly not that bad at all. Pleasant berry flavor… and I HATE cranberry juice… slight (SLIGHT) aftertaste that pretty much disappeared after required water afterwards and a cup of lime jello. No cramping or bloating, no 'OMGOSH' urgency. Be sure to hit their website for a coupon that can bring the cost down as low as $40. Mine was $40! I'd do it again without hesitation. Maybe it helps that I remember my father having to drink a gallon jug of prep back around 2010ish and what he went through. This was a walk in the park for this 48-year-old!"

• pho...
• March 1, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "I used this prep for the first time last night. Last time (5 years ago), I used Miralax. With the Miralax, I was allowed to start at 2 pm and was finished by bedtime and got a good night's sleep. I was clean and had a successful colonoscopy. With the Clenpiq, #1 it was expensive (although at the last minute I thought to look at the manufacturer website and found a coupon), #2 I was told to use the first bottle at 5 pm and the 2nd bottle at 1:30 am, which means I only got 1 hour sleep. I had to drink the 2nd bottle more slowly than the first because bloating and stomach pain were a problem. Positives were that the taste wasn't too bad and I was clean, so I had a successful colonoscopy. Bottom line - I didn't appreciate having to stay up all night and would not like to use this method again."