Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate and Headaches: What Users Say (Page 2)

• red...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 16, 2019

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate for Bowel Preparation "This prep is certainly easier because it is just two small bottles to drink. Unfortunately, by the time I was ready to drink the second bottle, I was nauseated. You must drink lots of water with it. Two days later, and I still feel the awful side effects: headache, sore stomach, and some nausea. I think I preferred the older preps. You started them earlier, and there were fewer side effects, if any."

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

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate 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."

• ric...
• August 17, 2016

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate for Bowel Preparation "Today was my third colonoscopy; so almost a veteran. First the good part: this stuff is easy to use, no bad (but not good) taste, no side effects (no vomiting, headache, etc.), no abnormal discomfort, and produced the desired results (no detail necessary) in a reasonably quick time. The desired results were accomplished such that the doctor commented how squeaky clean my colon was. The slight downsides: - the split dose required doing this whole thing twice, including getting up at 2:30 a.m. (and of course not even thinking about going back to sleep right away) for a 7:30 a.m. appointment. - numerous trips to the bathroom for several hours after each of the two packets of stuff and fluids. - out-of-pocket cost was $120, seems EXCESSIVE."

• She...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 19, 2022

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate for Bowel Preparation "Worst experience ever. Followed instructions to a tee, ate/drank only clear liquids. Drink plus water made me completely want to vomit. Started peak elimination about the time for my procedure. In and out of the bathroom in Johnny with IV. Excruciating headache still hours after the procedure, and my rectum is bleeding and so inflamed it feels like it’s on fire. And I’m still eliminating. I cannot believe they charge what they do for this poison. This was my third colonoscopy and my worst experience. Why do doctors prescribe this? So they can keep you coming back for more $$$$!!! Do not take this garbage!"

• Ber...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 26, 2021

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate for Bowel Preparation "I am 54 years old and in excellent health. I followed my doctor's orders leading up to taking this drug and only had clear liquids on the day before my colonoscopy. I took the first dose at noon and drank water as instructed. After 45 minutes, the cleansing started, but so did horrible side effects. I had a severe headache, extreme nausea, vomiting, and weakness. I was in agony for the next 4 hours when it was time for the second dose. I merely took two sips and vomited. I was very sick until midnight (12 hours) only after ingesting the first dose and had to cancel my procedure. It is 5 am the next morning, and I still don't feel well. I don't recommend this to anyone. Not worth the risk."

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

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate 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."

• Tip...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 9, 2021

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate for Bowel Preparation "Some of you'll never had to use Suprep, and it shows. The taste was horrible, but not nearly as bad as Suprep or Golytly...and you don't have to drink 97 gallons of prep and water with Clenpiq either. Would I rather be on a beach with a hot cabana boy serving me daiquiris? Absolutely. That being said, this is hands down the best colonoscopy prep I've had. It got the job done without any bloating, vomiting, or worrying that I was going to poop myself as I made a mad dash for the toilet. I have a minor headache, but that's it."

• DOE...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 15, 2022

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate for Bowel Preparation "I have Crohn's disease, and this is my 5th colonoscopy. This stuff is nothing but garbage, and didn't clean out my colon at all. I know what my BM's are supposed to look like after a whole night of prepping, and I'm nowhere near ready for my colonoscopy in three hours. It made me nauseated, dizzy, and I had the worst headache imaginable. I've never experienced this much sickness from a bowel prep. It was also one hundred dollars. What a total waste. If my doctor tells me that I have to come back and do another one, I'm going to be irate. TELL YOUR DOCTOR YOU DO NOT WANT THIS BOWEL PREP. Ask for an alternative. I'd give it negative stars if I could."

• Sea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 8, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "I've been getting colonoscopies for 20 years, so I'm no stranger to preps. They all taste horrendous, so when my doctor wanted to try this, I was excited. Unfortunately, it didn't work. It's definitely the easiest to drink, just a small amount of a sweet liquid, then 5 glasses of water. But after 2 hours, nothing. Drank more water (a gallon between 5 pm and 1 am). Still nothing, other than stomach gurgles and a massive headache. Took my second dose at 2 am, followed by a 1.5-liter bottle of water. Finally, things started at 3 am, but unlike other preps, I had to work for it. I kept drinking and going to the bathroom until 6 am (when I had to stop for the procedure), but I was not running clear at all... And I had gotten absolutely no sleep and still had a massive headache. My doctor was able to see what she needed during the scope, but she said the prep definitely did not work for me. I would much rather drink my usual Suprep, get some sleep, and be cleaned out than do this worthless prep again."

• Br1...
• December 14, 2018

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate for Bowel Preparation "Took the first bottle as prescribed at 4 p.m. and followed with the required 5/8 oz cups of water afterward. Immediately became nauseous. Kept going, but developed a terrible headache, and by the time midnight came around, was vomiting forcefully. Colonoscopy was not successful. Have to repeat next year. The taste is horrendous, and anybody picking up a prescription for this should be picking up one for Zofran (for the nausea and vomiting) in tandem."

• Che...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 5, 2021

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate for Bowel Preparation "My experience with Clenpiq was horrific. I ended up in the Hospital Emergency. I suffered severe 'rare' allergic reactions. My right ear turned red and hot. The skin across my cheeks, nose, forehead, and chin turned red. My eyes turned 'rabbit' pink and felt like sandpaper had been used on them. My heart rate was up so high I could feel my heartbeat in my head. My head ached. I was told these are 'very rare' side effects. Now, I am unable to have my colonoscopy; there is now a hospital bill, and my husband lost time from work. This is ridiculous. 'Big Pharma' and the 'Medical World' know about all the side effects 'common and rare.' Why are these things being released to the general public? Why is there no obvious control on what is being distributed to helpless sick individuals searching for help and a cure for what ails them? I get that everyone is different. No two people or systems are alike."

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

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate 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."

• Lad...
• June 16, 2021

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate for Bowel Preparation "I had my 8th colonoscopy today, and I must admit this was the best prep I've ever used. I went on the all-liquid diet yesterday morning and took my first dose at 5 p.m. last night. No nausea, gagging, or cramping. I had a slight headache. The prep took about an hour to kick in. I went to the bathroom off and on until midnight or so. I took the second dose this morning at 7:45 a.m. No problems handling this either. By the time I was ready to head to the surgicenter at noon, the remainder of my output was clear! My colonoscopy was negative, and the pictures of my colon were bright and shiny! I told my GI doctor about my experience with this prep. He was happy to hear that I had no problems. As noted by the others here, the prep is expensive. I had a coupon from my doctor and, with insurance, ended up paying $75."

• CHa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 4, 2021

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate for Bowel Preparation "I had day-before instructions that I followed. First time for this, so I was not sure what to expect. First dose at 3:40 pm, and 2 hours later, it was working. I had just a slight feel of nausea that went away in a few minutes after finishing the first bottle. The headache I had was the worst part. Started about 30 minutes after I started the prep and lasted about an hour. Same headache experience came back after finishing the second bottle around 9 pm. No cramping. Definitely works. The taste is like a glucose tolerance test in pregnancy or maybe like very sweet-slightly sour lemonade you make at home. Very sweet taste, and it was cranberry. Almost clear and pale yellow now. There’s no way I won’t be clean by 10:00 in the morning. Sample given to me by my doctor."

• Sun...
• April 24, 2021

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate 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."

• DDD...
• March 30, 2022

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate for Bowel Preparation "The worst!!! I could barely gag it down. I felt like throwing up all night and woke up in the middle of the night with a horrendous headache, freezing cold, and nausea. This headache lasted for 15 hours. I will not use this product again, it was too hard on me. Never used a colon prep that made me feel this bad. However, it was effective in cleaning out the colon."

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

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate 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."

• Ren...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 29, 2021

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate for Bowel Preparation "Worst experience of my life! Went 15 times after the first prep. The taste was one of the worst imaginable, good thing it was in a small bottle. It caused a pretty bad rectal bleed, and the effects take a long time to wear off. I had chills and a headache for hours. Got 0 sleep because I was up all night on the toilet."

• Bob...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 30, 2021

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate for Bowel Preparation "Like many commenters, I was apprehensive going into my first colonoscopy. And, like many commenters, I need not have been. Followed the prep instructions, and at 5 PM drank the first bottle. Sweet and almost clinical tasting, if that makes sense. Took about 90 minutes to start. No nausea, no cramping, and no real dire urgency. By 10 PM I was mostly done for the night and slept well. Had to take the second dose at 4:30 AM, and that one was a little harder to get down, but not bad. Went back to bed for an hour and then had to use the bathroom a few times. I did have a bit of a headache when I got to the place for the procedure, but I'm not sure if it was from lack of my coffee that morning, slight dehydration (although I drank a little more than instructed), or the Clenpiq itself."

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

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate 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."

• Hea...
• November 26, 2015

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate for Bowel Preparation "Had an endoscopy (w/biopsy) and colonoscopy (double adventure) yesterday. Not my first time having procedures but first trial with Prepopik. Much easier than expected. Started 1st pack around 5 pm & drank more than the 5 8 oz clear liquids (rotated between chicken broth and Gatorade to balance off the sweet/salt cravings plus have extra electrolytes to avoid dehydration). The meds kicked in about an hr later and continued till around 10 pm. Second dose at 1 am. Had plenty to drink again. Doc recommended I take Gas-X (1 tablet after drinking the med). No cramping! Slept from 3-6 am. Had a mild headache (thought caffeine withdrawal or being hungry). My procedure was at 9 am. Headache/nauseous till procedure but recovered fine! Would recommend meds."

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

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate 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."

• PMc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 23, 2022

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate for Bowel Preparation "Took first dose at 6 pm, prior day only fluids, and it started working about an hour later. Wasn't too bad, drank water with it. I thought it was done working and fell asleep at about 10 pm. Woke up at 11:45 pm and had to go about another 5 times. Annoying because I didn't get much sleep. Up at 5 am to take the 2nd bottle. This was a little harder to drink but managed through it. Drank water, 24 oz, and then decided to try hot tea for the last 8 oz of fluid, this made it better. It is 5:44 am and can hear my stomach grumbling, but no trips to the bathroom. I have to be at the facility at 9:00 for a 10 am procedure, hope it starts working soon. It did give me a headache, but after drinking more fluids, it went away. Not terrible but not much fun either. Would have preferred pills, but they didn't offer that."

• Caw...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 29, 2022

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate for Bowel Preparation "First bottle went down okay, along with 40 ounces of water. Took a couple of hours, and bam, cleaned me out. The second bottle I couldn’t keep down. I sipped it slowly with water, but up it came. Had a terrible headache too. But I was clean for the colonoscopy. Several hours later from the procedure and I still have a splitting headache."

• JRW...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 23, 2022

Citric acid/magnesium oxide/sodium picosulfate for Bowel Preparation "I was prescribed this med for a routine colonoscopy. For 2 days prior to prep day, I ate a light, low-residue diet. Then, on prep day, nothing but clear liquids. When it came time to take Clenpiq at around 4 pm, I was surprised at how NOT terrible it was. I alternated swigs of it with sips of orange Pedialyte, and it went down just fine. Flavor-wise, it’s hard to describe. But, basically, it’s super sweet at first, with a salty aftertaste. It started working about 20 mins later, which was surprisingly fast, but it was very gentle. No cramping or explosive BMs, etc. I also had no nausea or headache. I was in and out of the bathroom until about 10 pm, and then I fell asleep. Woke up at 4 am and repeated the process. By 6 am, I was producing clear, pale yellow stools, and was good to go. My doc said my colon was totally clear. I can highly recommend Clenpiq as a bowel prep and will happily use it again when I go back in 7 years!"