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Suprep Bowel Prep Kit and Cramps: What Users Say

Cramps: mentioned by 192 users (11.8%)

Based on user experiences from 1,630 Suprep Bowel Prep Kit reviews, the following table shows the most commonly mentioned side effects.

All user comments are moderated by Drugs.com. Each review is verified for relevance and screened for inappropriate content. Side effects are user-reported and not clinically verified.

nausea 30.4%
vomiting 16.1%
cramps 11.8%
chills 10.6%
bloating 7.7%
bad taste 6.3%
headaches 6.1%
diarrhea 4.1%
pain 2.6%
upset stomach 2.5%

Reviews for Suprep Bowel Prep Kit

Commonly mentioned side effects
  • Jef...
  • December 18, 2020

For Bowel Preparation "Don’t get anxiety over the whole colonoscopy and prep! I was getting a lot of anxiety after reading a lot of these posts. My experience with the Suprep wasn’t bad at all, as a matter of fact, it tasted like a margarita after following some of the suggestions in regards to adding Crystal Light. All diarrhea was non-violent, no cramps, no chills (warmed-up water bottles), no nausea, and no sweating or headaches. Prepped at 5:00, began the diarrhea at 5:50 and for the most part completed by 7:30-8:00ish. Started the 2nd prep at 9:00 and completed the water bottles by 9:30, began diarrhea at 10:00, and was completed by 12:00-12:30 and went to bed. Had colonoscopy and upper scope done at 6:30 am and next I knew I was waking up at 7:30 am in the recovery room passing gas, LOL. I just wanted to let people know that you should probably average out the comments on here so that you don’t drive yourself and your family nuts with your anxiety."

10 / 10
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582 Report
  • Wil...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • June 10, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "Ok, so after reading all the horror stories today, I was a mess before taking the first dose. Obviously, not the best tasting thing, but definitely not the worst. Worst aspect was how full you feel after the 16 ounces of product than 32 of water. 15 mins or so later, and I was already in the bathroom. Not unpleasant at all, in fact, better than my normal experience (hence why I am getting scoped). No nausea, cramps, chills, nothings. Don’t let the bad reviews scare you!"

10 / 10
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57 Report
  • Col...
  • August 9, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "After reading a lot of comments here about how terrible this stuff tastes and how bad the experience was, I expected it to be pretty bad. It wasn't. The taste was like a mildly flavored but extra, extra salty Gatorade. I had no problem on the first or the second day drinking the 16 oz. cup of medication plus water. I had no noteworthy nausea, chills, cramps, or other discomfort. I did feel very full/bloated after drinking such large volumes of fluid, but the intended purging started within a half-hour or so, and the feeling of significant fullness dissipated after a few trips to the bathroom. Expelling the fluid was not painful or difficult (definitely not difficult). I never felt like I wasn't going to be able to get there in time. I took the first dose as directed at 7 PM and the second at 4 AM. I am male, 75 years old, and weigh about 210 lbs. All in all, the whole thing was much less horrible than I would have expected based on many of the comments here."

10 / 10
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Frequently asked questions

  • inf...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • February 23, 2017

For Bowel Preparation "To those obsessively looking through reviews before prepping like I was, don't worry! I read some bad reviews and was terrified, but the whole experience was easier than I thought. The Suprep does not taste good, but it's not as bad as I expected. Per my doctor's advice, I refrigerated the Suprep and mixed it with cold water to help the taste. It tasted somewhat like a sweet cough syrup, but more bitter, with a grape aftertaste. Getting it cold takes away the saltiness. Like other reviewers have said, get a lemon to bite down on after each drink, it gets the taste out of your mouth instantly! The 'emptying' started about 20 min after drinking, I didn't have any nausea or cramping at all."

9 / 10
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49 Report
  • Eia...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • January 8, 2020

For Bowel Preparation "The Suprep is not that horrible tasting. Dilute it as instructed, chill it, drink through a straw. The results are as expected. I had no cramping. One suggestion: put on a dab of petroleum jelly every time you use toilet paper. Wear your fitness tracker to add to your 10,000 steps."

10 / 10
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34 Report

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  • Ang...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • June 14, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "So, after staying up all night reading all these reviews, I was absolutely DREADING drinking this stuff. Honestly, it tasted bad but not to the point where you can’t handle it. I chased each sip with water that was mixed with Crystal Light lemonade. I didn’t experience any cramping or anything like that. As for the nausea, I took a Zofran an hour before each dose, so I didn’t really experience any. I went to the bathroom quite frequently, finally got to bed at about midnight and slept through until 7 am, then was up using the bathroom again. I will say this - wipe with Preparation H wipes each time you use the restroom and put Vaseline or Preparation H cream down there each time you use the restroom. Drinking the Suprep through a straw really helped out. Today is the day of the procedure, never done anything like this before, so quite nervous! Hope this helps somebody!"

8 / 10
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37 Report
  • Rca...
  • June 26, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "I have tasted toothpastes that are worse than this. Cannot understand all the negative comments. I found Suprep to be an 'okay' taste, not the greatest taste but certainly far, far from the worst. It worked as advertised. Took the day-before dose at 6:00 PM. It started to work at about 6:20 with a mild bowel movement. The movements increased in intensity but only to the point similar to intestinal flu but without the cramping. Just maintain a close proximity to the bathroom. This went on for about three hours and then tapered off during the fourth hour. Next morning, 6:00 AM, took the second dose. Similar results, but BM was clearer and clearer each time. This also lasted about 3 - 4 hours. Taking this treatment to determine if I have colon cancer is far better than the challenges I might face if I do not have a colonoscopy and actually do end up with colon cancer. Buck up 'ol mates...thank the good Lord for intelligent scientists, nurses, and doctors. We live with blessings."

9 / 10
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37 Report
  • Ple...
  • June 15, 2015

For Bowel Preparation "First colonoscopy ever. This prep worked great. Yes, a bit salty, but just gulp it down and chase it with the water. No cramping, nausea, or headache. Started working in about 40 minutes. Stay close to the bathroom and get to the toilet at the hint of movement. Took about 4 hours to complete the first round. Did the second round the morning of my procedure, took it at 5 am for an 11:00 procedure. Second round was a breeze. Cleared out by 8:30 am and the doctor reported fully cleared. This prep is worth the money, and I will definitely use it again. Have no fear, folks?"

10 / 10
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54 Report
  • Anonymous
  • January 21, 2015

For Bowel Preparation "This is the easiest by far. Do not worry, easy tasting (comparatively), worked just like everyone said it would, no worries, no cramps, no nausea. And I am the biggest chicken. I will never fear colon prep again."

10 / 10
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55 Report
  • Hol...
  • September 19, 2014

For Bowel Preparation "Every BODY is different, and that's the truth with my experience with Suprep. I finished my first dose at 7 pm, and at 10:30 pm, I had my first real liquid movement. I had one or two soft solid movements before this, but for me, it took a long time. I'm okay. Watching Netflix. Finished drinking in 18 minutes. I took someone's advice and sucked on lemon wedges between gulps, which was a lifesaver for me. Since I had such a long time in between drinking the drink and the true cleansing part of this process, I did have some bloating and 'felt the drink working' in my intestinal tract, so some cramps and no movement. Now that the floodgates have opened, it's better. Early appointment. Up at 3:30 am to drink again. Not much sleep tonight."

10 / 10
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48 Report
  • Bru...
  • February 23, 2015

For Bowel Preparation "I really dreaded this stuff. I am a wimp when it comes to eating and drinking. This stuff wasn't bad at all. I chilled it for a couple of days, then iced the water first. I extracted the ice and added the Suprep. It didn't even taste that bad. Kinda like a salty Kool-Aid. Just imagine your five-year-old made it, and drink it down. No problem. Started to work in about 30 minutes. No cramping, no nausea, not even uncomfortable. The worst part so far is the day without real food. Hoping tomorrow goes as well!"

10 / 10
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44 Report
  • Lul...
  • July 12, 2015

For Bowel Preparation "Well, just finished going through the first portion of the Suprep. I must say, it was very difficult to drink. The taste is awful. I had to put a cup with Gatorade next to the cup with the preparation, so I could drink a sip between each time that I took a drink of the Suprep. But it really has worked. I was terrorized with fear, but I haven't had any cramping or stomach ache at all, no nausea, no headache, and except for the terrible taste, the experience hasn't been bad at all. This is my first time getting ready for a colonoscopy, and I was glad I found this site before I started, it eased all of my fears by reading all the other comments. Thank you for having this site up. It helped me a lot. Hope I am able to help someone else."

10 / 10
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37 Report
  • Eas...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • April 1, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "I was very worried about the prep after hearing so many stories about the taste. I honestly don’t know what the drama was about. I found it very easy! I mixed water with Crystal Light mix and kept it in the fridge for a day. I also put the prep in the fridge. When it was time to drink the prep, I added the required liquid to the prep (my pre-mixed, chilled Crystal Light). I held my nose, gulped some, sucked a lemon, gulped more, sucked a lemon, and about 5 minutes later, it was down. Easy. No cramps or any problems afterwards. I personally found it much easier and more tolerable than I thought it would be! It worked well too."

9 / 10
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24 Report
  • Lla...
  • November 26, 2014

For Bowel Preparation "Do not be freaked out by the other reviews (like I was). The prep is drinkable, I sliced lemons and sucked on them after each drink - that worked beautifully. Mild cramping as it worked, but it worked quickly. Prep H kept stinging in check. Don't let these reviews deter you, it's way easier than a stomach bug."

10 / 10
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  • nhp...
  • May 13, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "I started my first round at 5:30 pm on Mother's Day (Lovely!!). Yes, it is disgusting, horribly salty, but I managed to get it down without too much fanfare. I followed that with two 16 oz bottles of water mixed with a packet of electrolyte powder. Got all that down by 6:30, and by 7, the fun started. I was a little underwhelmed by the, er, movements. Only the first one was impressive. The rest were relatively benign. I had no cramping or nausea, but I did feel cold all evening, probably because of the lack of food and the cold liquids. By about 10:30, I was done. I managed to sleep uninterrupted until my alarm went off at 6:15 to start the second round. Things happened much more quickly this time, probably because there was nothing much left to flush out. By about 8:30, anything that came out was clear water. I had my last trip to the bathroom about 11:00. In summary, the Suprep was unpleasant. However, I've tolerated much worse things in my life. This will soon be forgotten."

8 / 10
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22 Report
  • AJa...
  • February 12, 2020

For Bowel Preparation "30 y/o male. After reading the horror stories about this product, I was quite hesitant about using it myself. The taste was far from what people claim, I mixed the first 6 oz with white grape juice and the second 6 oz with ice water, which was better. The consistency is thick, which would most likely cause a problem for those with texture issues. Drank required 16 oz of water within the hour, plus a fair amount of yellow Gatorade, Mountain Dew, and Diet Coke. The prep began working within the hour, and I was in the bathroom for about 1-1.5 hours with full watery bowel movements. After that time, it began to slow down, and bowel movements only came on 1-3 times per hour. Total bowel movements on night 1 were anywhere from 20-30. Day 2 bowel movements were 7-10, but the urge to go was there, I had nothing left in my system. No cramping, bloating, headache, or vomiting. I actually felt amazing from the cleanse. In summary, pay the extra and get Suprep."

10 / 10
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19 Report
  • Gno...
  • January 21, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "2nd time using Suprep, a few different ones in between. I put the bottles in the fridge the morning prep starts. Ice-cold water is key. I mixed the prep and used a big straw to get it down. I even put a few ice cubes in, it's so much easier to drink when it’s cold. I would add my additional water to keep diluting it till the prep was gone. 1 hr later, I was in my office (bathroom). I had it set up with a TV tray, iPad, phone books so my feet won’t hang, and a small heater for the chills. I think this is my 10th, I’m 58 with ulcerative colitis. No real cramping, some bloating from all the liquid. 4 hrs done running. My appointment was early, so I stayed up till the time for the 2nd bottle, same ritual. The 2nd is a little harder, mind over matter. Again, no major cramps, no big teeth-chattering chills. I was in better shape going to my appointment than I was when I got out. I have cramps now and am really bloated, but I had polyps. I will be using this again. Downfall: insurance doesn’t cover it all."

10 / 10
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15 Report
  • nob...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • September 19, 2016

For Bowel Preparation "I read these reviews and was very nervous preparing to take this. I can't believe what all the fuss is about - I did not mind the taste at all and easily chugged everything I needed to chug with zero disgust or discomfort. I didn't even have to chill it or drink it from a straw. It was totally a piece of cake. Took at 4:45 p.m. Started working 30 minutes after taking. I had been on pretty much a liquid diet for the 4 days leading up to this -- basic emptying of liquid from bowels - no cramps or gas or pain at all. Stayed near a bathroom to be safe, but never too urgent need to go -- went maybe 6 times in 2 hours. Slept well. Doing 2nd dosage now and do not foresee any problems whatsoever. Again, I did not mind this in the least."

10 / 10
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27 Report
  • scb...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • January 19, 2015

For Bowel Preparation "3 colonoscopy - this prep was actually a very good experience. The only reason I did not give it a 10 was that the prep is nasty-tasting, but not horrific. First dose worked in less than 30 min, and after about 4 trips to the toilet, I was done. Chills but no cramps. That cleaned me out, so the second dose at 5 am was easier. Hydrated (Gatorade) and low fiber diet the week before helped."

9 / 10
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29 Report
  • kit...
  • May 15, 2016

For Bowel Preparation "Suprep worked well, no complaints. It did taste sweet like heavy cough syrup, but yet heavily salty tasting. Mix it with cold Martinelli's apple and pear cider; easier to consume. Round 1, 5 pm, I poured 6 ounces of cooled Suprep into a 16-ounce container, then filled it with cold cider and used a straw. I took 30 minutes to finish, then drank 32 ounces of warm Gatorade within the hour. No stomach upset or vomiting or cramping; took about 3 hours to complete the elimination process. Get a magazine and hang out in the bathroom or watch a movie on a mobile device until the process slows down. Word of advice, get some A&D ointment prior to going; it will save your bum. Round 2, 4 am, did the same, no issues. 9:30 appointment, easy as could ever be."

10 / 10
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25 Report
  • Bum...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • April 4, 2016

For Bowel Preparation "Wow! This prep is so much better than Golytely prep from 8 yrs ago. 3 days prior to the procedure, started a low-residue diet - reduced amount eaten on day 2 prior - this significantly reduces output and discomfort. Only clear liquids the day prior (no light breakfast). Read Suprep reviews - poured prep out over 3 small ice cubes and used chilled water - chugged in 2 gulps (breathed through mouth between gulps - reduces taste) then immediately sucked on a sour piece of hard candy - minimizes aftertaste. Within 15 min, consumed 32 oz of room temp water - the faster this all goes in, the faster it comes out - less potty time. Same for early (3 am) prep. No nausea/vomiting, no cramping, no headache, only slight chill in the am. Absolutely best prep!"

10 / 10
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26 Report
  • CAC...
  • Taken for less than 1 month
  • April 29, 2016

For Bowel Preparation "I definitely recommend sticking to a low-fiber, light diet a few days prior to. I also drank at least 64 oz of water before the prep too. The taste of prep honestly isn't as bad as I anticipated. I used a straw to drink it, didn't smell it, and had it all finished in under 10 minutes. It kind of tasted like flat grape soda to me. It was a bit difficult drinking the 32 oz of water in an hour after finishing the prep drink. It kicked in around the 45-minute mark for me having to go to the bathroom. No cramps, headache, and very minor rumbling in my stomach. I was pretty much all cleaned out within 2 hours after, going to the bathroom about every 30 minutes. I think my diet and hydration were what made all of this so much easier."

9 / 10
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25 Report
  • its...
  • July 28, 2017

For Bowel Preparation "Sure, it's not a pleasant experience, but when you see a 'horrible taste' review, move on to the next, they're reality TV princesses with their best drama story and no advice. Drink it standing. In 10 minutes, it started for me and lasted 2 hours. Just try to relax on the toilet with a book or movie to help pass the time. Dab, don't wipe. Fortunately, I have very regular movements. If you don't, I suggest prep for the prep a few days ahead. Avoid 'clogging' foods and take a laxative if you need-you don't want the bloat, cramps, headaches, etc. that others complain about. I over-stressed because I got sucked into those horror reviews. I realize it's different for every body, but it's not that bad. I thank those who posted genuine tips."

9 / 10
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23 Report
  • Joy...
  • January 24, 2017

For Bowel Preparation "I am 62, and this was my 6th colonoscopy. I have to say this was the best prep so far. I had this done at 7 this morning. I took the prep at 4 pm yesterday, and by 5, I was finished with the 1st round. No cramping, no nausea. I paid attention to not eating raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts 3 days prior. At 9 pm, I did the 2nd round. I was in bed by 11 and woke up once in the middle of the night one time. The taste isn't great, I found the cold water and a little lemon helped. It's a little pricey but worth it. Ask the Dr. for a coupon. By the way, I had nothing to eat all day yesterday, and I think that worked for the better."

9 / 10
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23 Report
  • Gon...
  • March 5, 2018

For Bowel Preparation "I’ve had 3 previous colonoscopies. I hated them because I had to drink water mixed with powder, making it 128 ounces....so much to drink....dreadful taste! This time it was Suprep. On the great advice of posters, I chilled the solution, mixed it with lemon Propel water, and used a straw positioned in the back of my throat. One large factor was that I’ve been on a low-fiber diet for 3 days leading up to this. Yeah, you get hungry, but I did this the previous times, and it makes the event with less solid motions....just watery...plus you lose weight. With a slice of lemon at the ready, I began sucking in long amounts....finished it in 20 seconds....never really tasted it.....but still grabbed a lemon. Began its job in about 30 min....Have the 2nd bottle to go, but the anxiety is now low having done this once. No cramps.....no chills....no nausea....I was full of fear....not anymore."

9 / 10
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20 Report

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Reviews may be edited to correct grammar/spelling or remove inappropriate content. Reviews appearing to come from parties with a vested interest are not published. This information is not intended to endorse any medication and should not replace the expertise and judgment of healthcare professionals.