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

• CL7...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 18, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "Great experience for my first colonoscopy thanks to Clenpiq! I drank it with a straw and the taste is slightly salty, that's all. A few sips and it's down. I started having diarrhea about 60 min later without any belly aches, any nausea, nothing. Early this morning I drank the second bottle, again no problems with the taste and no belly aches, no nausea during evacuation. I could not recommend Clenpiq enough. I am extremely happy with this experience. I was so fearful of the prep after hearing horror stories from friends and family, but I should not have been. I had no polyps so my next colonoscopy will be in 10 years when I turn 60 and I will make sure to ask my doctor to prescribe Clenpiq. It works well btw, I was squeaky clean (my doctor's words)! Stop fearing the prep and get ready for an important procedure with Clenpiq! You won't regret it. Now, to finally have some solid foods today!! Take care everyone!"

• Lis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 27, 2023

For Bowel Preparation "Horrifyingly bad! I never had such terrible cramping, even while giving birth to two children naturally. On top of that, I had explosive diarrhea and vomiting all at the same time. I truly felt like I was going to die from the trauma that was unleashed on my body. The doctor said to go to the ER, but how do you get to the ER when you are expelling from both sides of your body and doubled over from cramps? This all occurred after ingesting the first bottle. Needless to say, I never took the second. I won't be using it again. Ever. I would give this a 0 rating if they allowed."

• Fem...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 2, 2023

For Bowel Preparation "HARSH!!! I would NOT recommend using Clenpiq if you are a small person with a prior bowel surgery. I eat healthy and keep active, but had a fluke bowel obstruction and emergency resection six months ago. My GI doc wants a colonoscopy to make sure things healed well and gave me Clenpiq to prep. I ate a light diet for 2 days before, then did clear liquids for 1 day. I took the first Clenpiq dose the night before the colonoscopy; it tasted like oily, weak Kool-Aid and made me nauseated. Within 30 minutes, I had explosive diarrhea - lasted for about 4 hours, plus cramping and back pain. It slowed down, and I tried to sleep, but woke up two hours later with more explosive diarrhea that lasted an hour. I couldn’t sleep at that point, so I took the second dose; 15 minutes later, explosive diarrhea, mainly water, for the next 90 minutes. Now I have a migraine. I will be cleaned out for the colonoscopy, but this is too harsh for someone who weighs 120 and has a sensitive bowel. NEVER AGAIN."

• Jo ...
• April 25, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "Horrible taste, a combination of a sugary and sulfur taste. Soft bowels 2 hours after 1st dose. After 2nd dose, soft bowel 2 hours later. Hour 4, first good burst, but not enough to clean out for the procedure to be successful. I need to repeat the procedure. PS: Had the diarrhea AFTER the procedure. Do NOT recommend."

• avi...
• April 7, 2017

For Bowel Preparation "Prepopik has been the most effective pre-colonoscopy solution I've ever used. Since my mother died of colon cancer in her early 40s, I started to have colonoscopy tests early in my life. The large bottles of solution I've had to drink previously were unbearable to me. I've had to postpone tests because I was unable to drink the horrible stuff, and 'the day before' was always a nightmare. This time, the only medicinal potions I've had were two five-ounce drinks, which were actually not horrible. They did the job-boy, did they ever. Cleansed me of everything, including my dignity. Started to work after about two hours and did not cease. Post the procedure, I had two bouts of diarrhea immediately after coming home, and then I was fine."

• mar...
• July 27, 2022

For Bowel Preparation "This was my second colonoscopy. My first one I had no problems at all. This time I took Clenpiq, and it has been a terrible experience. Other than the fact that it did cleanse me out, there is nothing else positive about this product. I took the first bottle at 3:30 PM. The taste is absolutely putrid and lingers. But that is not the worst part of it. It started working about 2 hours after the first dose, I also started having chills. Another couple of hours later, I was having very watery bowels, then nothing for an hour or so, so I went to bed. I woke up twice in the middle of the night in a puddle of watery poop. Had to change and shower. After the second shower, I passed out. Thank goodness my husband was there. I felt terrible, lightheaded, nauseous, heart racing. As directed, I took the second dose at 9 am. For hours after the colonoscopy, bad cramps. Had loose stools for 2 days and still feel 'off' over a week later. This stuff was toxic to my body. NEVER AGAIN!!!"

• Dee...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 29, 2018

For Bowel Preparation "48 yr old female doing prep because of diverticulitis. Clenpiq did its job. Liquid diet all day then took the first bottle of Clenpiq at 4 pm. Not fun to drink, but I’ve had to drink bottles of barium for other tests before, so this was nothing compared to that. I dry heaved after drinking the first half of the bottle, but then took deep breaths and finished it OK. Started to work within an hour. The second bottle was harder to get down. I drank that at 9 pm. This time, the diarrhea was much worse, it would hit so fast I barely made it to the bathroom in time, and it was only 10 feet away. Slept off and on, basically on the toilet every hour until 4:30 am. Woke at 7, went again but less urgency. Sipping water now. My appointment is at 11 am. Have a bad headache and feel anxious, but I attribute this to being a bit dehydrated. Overall, even though the medicine is gross, once you get it down, it works. I’m sure all will go well with my procedure today as I am really cleaned out."

• csc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 16, 2016

For Bowel Preparation "I had a positive experience with Prepopik; the best thing about this style of prep is its allowance for the patient to consume fluids that appeal to her. Although getting the concentrate down in 5 oz or so is mildly unpleasant, it has a fizz to it and could be worse. It took 2.5 hours after ingestion for me to start passing stool, so I was mildly concerned that the prep wouldn't work for me, but I went on to have diarrhea for a few hours, slept most of the rest of the night, and followed the same pattern for the early morning dose, and produced only clear yellow liquid within four hours of the morning dose in time for my procedure. All in all, a positive experience, and I also included white wine in the evening 'clear liquids.'"

• Cob...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 9, 2015

For Bowel Preparation "It worked, but it caused me to pass out. I took this as instructed - 1 dose at 4 pm and another at 8 pm. My doctor's instructions were to drink 2 16 oz glasses of water/beverage or more after the 4 pm dose, and that liquids could continue to be consumed after the second dose until midnight. I drank some herbal tea. Things went fine after the first dose, and it seemed gentle enough. I went to the restroom several times and things seemed to be moving along. I took the second dose and by 10 pm thought I was done. I woke up at 12:30 am with stomach cramps and a pounding headache. I had watery diarrhea and became very dizzy. I stood up and passed out, hitting my head."

• Wil...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 3, 2022

For Bowel Preparation "Haven't had a colonoscopy for 10 years. I am a 71-year-old male in good condition. I followed all the prep 100% to the letter. I drank the first bottle of Clenpiq and the 5 glasses of water the night before around 8 PM. Nothing happened. I felt a little dizzy, but that was it. I went to bed at 11 PM, woke up at 6 am, and took the 2nd bottle. I ran to the bathroom, and I blasted out watered-down diarrhea for the next 10 minutes. Then it was gone. After my colonoscopy was completed, the nurse said it was a 'dirty' colon, and so the procedure could not be completed. The 1st bottle should have worked the night before, but it didn't. Different people need different strengths to evacuate their bowels. I want a refund."

• Tim...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 16, 2023

For Bowel Preparation "People complaining about this have never done the old-style preps. The first I used was a gallon jug you mixed with water and theoretically drank the whole thing. It was nasty, involved extended diarrhea, and was traumatic. Worked great, but... The next one was two bottles of mag citrate, a pill laxative, not bad, but extended diarrhea. Clenpiq, a small amount, not tasty, not repulsive, and just enough to clean you out. This is a win. I don't see how much easier it could be."

• The...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 19, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "Disgusting taste and one was more than sufficient. Caused massive cramping and diarrhea for over 8 straight hours. My ass was so irritated I couldn't even wipe it and when I went to bed, I was still cramped up. Not recommended at all."

• Ugh...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 11, 2023

For Bowel Preparation "Started with the first dose at 5 pm after fasting and a liquid diet all day. The cap was very hard to remove. Once it was forced down, I immediately was nauseated. It kicked in about 20 minutes later with stomach pain, and I didn’t even make it into the bathroom. It’s now 2:30 am, and I’m still awake with stomach pains and diarrhea 9.5 hours later. I’m a small woman. I’m not sure how I’m supposed to function and take another bottle of this horrible stuff in the morning. I’ve already been to the restroom 14 times with just 1 bottle! Worst prep procedure I’ve ever encountered."

• SCa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 9, 2018

For Bowel Preparation "Used the day-before protocol for my first colonoscopy scheduled for this morning. Took the first dose using a straw yesterday at 5 pm. The taste was a little nauseating, so I sucked on a lemon to help get it down. Felt a bit queasy on and off at first, but figured it would pass. Within an hour or so, the diarrhea started. But then, by the second hour, I was so nauseous and began vomiting. Couldn't even stomach a sip of water, so I was unable to follow the protocol of drinking 5 glasses before the next dose scheduled for 10 pm. Felt very weak. Couldn't take the second dose and couldn't even drink an ounce of liquid until after 1:30 am. Needless to say, I had to cancel the procedure. Horrible experience."

• Kat...
• August 16, 2016

For Bowel Preparation "I used Prepopik for a colonoscopy today. Used it as instructed by my Dr., and the last dose was 10 pm for a 9:30 am procedure. I get colonoscopies every three years, so I have had many experiences with different solutions. Prepopik was very easy to use as it is not as intense as others. I had no side effects, however, I still had diarrhea when it was time for the procedure. Not fun, and my system was not nearly as clean as with all others I have used. That being said, I would not use this again as it is more important to prep well to get the best result from the colonoscopy. I would put up with inconvenience to ensure a clean colon. I will ask not to use this next time."

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 8, 2022

For Bowel Preparation "Horrendous experience. 2nd dose of Clenpiq gave me a bad headache, nausea, and projectile vomiting. My colon was not cleaned, and now I have to have a repeat colonoscopy. Now experiencing persistent cramping and diarrhea."

• Big...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 20, 2022

For Bowel Preparation "This was my first prep, and Clenpiq reviews were all over the board. My experience: bottles difficult but manageable to open, no issues for me with odor/taste, easy to follow directions that I followed precisely. First movement (extremely loose stool) occurred about 2 hours after initial dose. Subsequent bowel movements were a few hours apart and very watery/manageable diarrhea that presented as urgent but controlled. Seemed odd to me that as I went to bed the night before the procedure, what I was passing was mostly watery but still close to typical brown color. Second dose the morning of my procedure shot through me in about 40 minutes (again, directions followed precisely), followed by 2 more movements before leaving home and one more at the hospital before the procedure-all still brown. Showtime, and guess what? I was not cleaned out properly, Clenpiq didn’t perform, and the doctor wants to repeat the procedure, and insurance won’t cover a repeat. Not happy."

• Def...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 26, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "This was my third colonoscopy, and the pharmacy gave me both Suprep and Clenpiq. I had a choice of which one to go with. Clenpiq seemed much easier, so I gave it a go. Horrible experience. It was easy to get down, but then nausea, chills, headache. AND didn’t seem to be working. Finally, after two hours, it started working. But not as well as Suprep. I decided to take the second dose earlier at 3 am before my 9 am appointment to make sure it had time to work. With those side effects, I wouldn’t recommend. Still feeling bad the day after, and it’s still causing loose bowels."

• EMC...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 6, 2023

For Bowel Preparation "Followed doctor’s instructions for 3 days before and 1 day before. I even ate light from 5 days before. Took the first dose at 5 pm. Had a big movement around 7:30. Normal shape and consistency. Went to bed. Woke up at 2 am with severe uncontrollable diarrhea and headache. Took the second dose at 5 am. It is now 9 am and nausea, headache, and watery diarrhea continue. My procedure is at 1 pm. I am counting the minutes until this is over. The taste was okay, although I would have preferred orange or banana flavor. My last colonoscopy was 7 years ago, and I do remember having to gag down a large amount of a different laxative, so this was better in that respect."

• DrK...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 1, 2017

For Bowel Preparation "I've had a colonoscopy every year since I was 10 years old. I am now 31. I have Crohn's disease. I have had diarrhea for two weeks. After drinking this, I had the first solid BM. Last time I will let my DR prescribe this as prep."

• Mrs...
• March 4, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "I had no abdominal cramping with this, and the flavor was not the worst thing I ever drank. It didn’t fully clear out my colon, but enough to go ahead with the procedure. Still having diarrhea after the colonoscopy, with some cramping."

• Maz...
• September 9, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "This was my second prep and was way better than the first prep I did drinking the magnesium citrate. My first prep was hours of nausea, diarrhea, bleeding, and stomach pain. I was terrified to try the Clenpiq for fear of going through all that again. But this time was so much better (if you can call a colon prep better) than the first time. The taste left a bit to be desired, but what else can you expect? No nausea, bleeding, or stomach pain. If you must have any kind of colon prep, this is the one that I would highly recommend."

• Dav...
• September 28, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "Horrible! The medication has a very bad taste. Not only do I not like cranberries, the taste is more of a chemical flavor. After taking the first bottle, it took almost 3 hours to work. Started taking it at 6:30 pm as instructed. The second dose was taken at 1:30 am. This took about 2 hours before working. Drank more water than the minimum amount recommended. Still having diarrhea 30 minutes before the procedure at 7:00 am. Still having tan-colored stools. Was not completely cleaned during the colonoscopy. I informed my physician that I do not want this medicine in the future. I have had colonoscopies before with Halflitely. Too bad that this was discontinued. I do not recommend this product for colonoscopy prep."

• JSW...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 24, 2022

For Bowel Preparation "Followed the low-fiber diet for two days, then liquids only the day of prep. Had the first bottle of Clenpiq at 5 pm, followed it up with a flavored drink so its awful taste would be quickly out of my mouth. It started working in 45 minutes and continued for 4 hours. At 2 am, I had the second one. Not much happened until 4 am. Was clear enough for colonoscopy. But now the headache and diarrhea won’t stop. The BMs are worse than during pre-colonoscopy prep. Thankfully, no polyps, so I don’t have to do it again for 10 years."

• Erm...
• March 4, 2018

For Bowel Preparation "Taking this was fine. The procedure was okay. I am having diarrhea for days after the procedure. Pain and cramping before bowel movement. Will not take again."