Polyethylene glycol 3350 with electrolytes for Bowel Preparation User Reviews (Page 5)

• Ann...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 16, 2019

"I'm reading all these comments while trying to drink my second dose of Plenvu. I just can't bring the cup to my mouth anymore. I thought pooping would be the worst part of the prep, but boy was I wrong... Help lol."

• Nem...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 15, 2017

"After having two other colonoscopies, I suggest drinking this without any flavoring, it tastes much better that way. Adding the flavor only seems to intensify the salty taste. I divided the drink up in the 4-quart containers and drank 1 at a time-much easier to do. Drink it through a straw. You have less chance of becoming nauseous. I coated my rump as suggested by others who had the prep. It really helped. P.S. Thank you to all the people who offered suggestions, it really helped. I also drank the prep at room temperature and chilled. The only difference was that at room temperature, it was a little bit more salty. If you’ve ever mixed baking soda and water for heartburn, that’s what this prep reminded me of, but actually tasted better. It was not horrible. At the end, I replenished with Gatorade. I also had 3 more clear BM’s the next day, which was the morning of my procedure. So you might want to wear a protective pad or something like Depends or take an extra pair of clothes in case you can’t get to the bathroom fast enough."

• Rib...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 8, 2014

"I was very skeptical of taking MoviPrep after reading the online reviews, but I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I did take an anti-emetic beforehand, as prescribed by my doctor, and I had no nausea at all. Yes, the prep does taste awful, and whatever you use to help flavor it, you will never want to drink again. But I had no side effects: no cramping, bloating, or nausea. The motions I was able to easily get to the toilet and didn't need to get up in the night. The only side effect I did get was burning towards the end, but I did use lots of Sudocrem. My advice would be to start early and take your time. I started at 2 pm and finished at 8 pm for the two doses."

• Mul...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 13, 2016

"Fifth time having the fun of GoLYTELY. I'll share what my pharmacist told me before the first time. Get some hard candy, something you don't normally want, like lemon drops. Suck on the candy while drinking the solution through a straw as quickly as possible. The candy helps to cut the salty taste, and going through a straw makes it much quicker."

• Rel...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 5, 2013

"I can’t overstress the importance of lemons during the prep. Get a bag of lemons and cut them in quarters. Suck on the lemon quarter, drink the solution through a straw, suck on the lemon, drink the solution, etc. You will not even taste or smell it. Also, schedule your exam in the afternoon. You will be able to drink 1/2 of the solution the night before and 1/2 in the morning. Very tolerable way to get through this!"

• KBa...
• November 6, 2019

"I read the previous reviews to help know what to expect. The first dose was unpleasant, I did manage to drink it. Within minutes of drinking half, I was in the bathroom. I was so cold and shivering, but this is normal. To get the first dose down, I used a straw and a lemon slice on my tongue, followed by brushing my teeth and mouthwash. Time for the second half of the first dose, still freezing in the bathroom most of the time. Second half down. The suggestion is, don't use toilet paper to wipe, use wipes, it is soothing and there is no irritation. Four hours on the toilet constantly. Another hour and time for the second round. While my first dose was not great, the second was horrible. Barely got it down. Used previous methods started my many trips to the bathroom. It is now 11 pm, no sleep is what I'm looking at. I drank most of the mixture but couldn't finish the last quarter. For me, I knew if I tried, it would not stay down. The end result was a clean colon and a good colonoscopy. While this was an unpleasant task, I am still glad I persevered. You can do it."

• spa...
• November 23, 2019

"A few more words. My experience was MoviPrep took nearly 2 hours to start movements, so don't get brave and go anywhere. While I'm sitting on the loo, I've noticed if you just sit on the loo, not much is happening, but stand up, as I think that is it for now. I manage to wash, pull up trousers, and take a step out of the bathroom and have to jump right back on there."

• sha...
• February 9, 2017

"I survived my prep. Thank God for the tips I got from the internet, or I couldn't have done it. Use a straw, two-day prep was easier (less pressure). Lemon drops immediately after drinking the glasses of prep took the bad taste away. I just sucked on the lemon drops for a few seconds after each glass. Thank you to everyone who posted their advice!"

• Joo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 14, 2019

"I've suffered with stomach problems for years. Colonoscopy booked, I started MoviPrep and finished the first liter. I waited...and waited...nothing happened except terrible bloating and stomach pain. This was Monday evening...by Friday still nothing but a very sore stomach, lots of painful wind...and I went to my GP. Never will I take this preparation again, it's now Saturday evening and my stomach still feels very sore and bloated. I must be in a tiny minority that it didn't work and has obviously severely irritated my stomach and bowel."

• Lab...
• September 19, 2019

"Two days before my procedure, I only ate rice, fish, and chicken. No beef, vegetables, or milk. I ate a light breakfast (white bread, tea) and a light lunch (Ramen noodles) the day before my procedure. I started the first dose of PLENVU at 5:45 pm and it took me 55 minutes to finish. The taste and the thick consistency made it very hard to finish in 30 minutes. It made me nauseated when I tried to push myself to finish on time, so I had to slow down. I had multiple loose stools followed by several light yellow watery stools after the first dose. I slept at around 11:30 pm and woke up at 5:30 am to take the second dose. I took only half of the second dose as I felt nauseous. I again had multiple light yellow watery stools until I left my house at 9:30 am for my 11:30 am procedure. My prep was labeled excellent by the doctor afterwards. Overall, PLENVU did its job. The taste is something they need to work on. I assume it will be difficult for many sensitive people to drink it."

• SLa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 20, 2019

"I started drinking this at 7 pm. After less than an hour, I had downed it all (washing down with plain water after each chug as the taste isn't that great), and I was on the toilet. It worked quite quickly for me, but I am still sat here now 2 hours later. Scared to move in case it isn't complete, haha! Overall, I think it is good and effective, simple enough to take, and as long as it does the job needed to get the results from my colonoscopy, then I'm happy! Also, was free as I am in the UK (thank God for NHS). I gag quite easily and was more nervous about this than the actual procedure, but it's really not that bad!"

• Oka...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 4, 2020

"Mixed up the Plenvu dose 1 the day before I was supposed to take it, and then noticed the instruction not to mix more than 6 hours before taking. Stuck it in the freezer and called the hotline. They said it would taste weird and not be effective, but agreed freezing it was a good idea and told me to call the doctor in the morning. The doctor’s office said, “no problem, just shake it up.” Thawed and took as directed that evening. It tasted horrible, but thanks to this forum I knew that was normal. Also learned from this forum that using a straw and drinking apple juice between bouts of the prep drink helps get it down. Within an hour or so, the prep took effect. Several episodes of watery diarrhea over the next 4 hours, with half-hour gaps. A few hours of sleep, then more diarrhea at 3 am and time for dose 2, mixed fresh. It was thicker and harder for me to get down. Eventually, I threw it all up, but the prep was successful anyway - phew. Will probably ask for different prep next time."

• Suz...
• January 16, 2021

"This was my first time using this prep for a colonoscopy. One hour after the first dose, I started having explosive diarrhea. This continued through the second dose and throughout the night. I got no sleep. I started becoming nauseous, weak, and began having burning pain on my skin wherever the diarrhea fluid touched the skin on my bottom. By morning, I could not touch the skin without excruciating pain. I was so weak by the time I got to the surgery center for the procedure, I requested a wheelchair. Having done previous preps for colonoscopies, I cannot recommend Plenvu. It was much too harsh on my body. It is now 2 days since my procedure, and I am still recovering from the pain and exhaustion from using Plenvu."

• Ver...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 2, 2018

"Wow, all that worrying for nothing. The whole process was a piece of cake. I mean seriously, it was such a breeze. Like some have said, the hardest part is being so hungry. Sure, MoviPrep doesn't taste good, but it's not that bad either. It's just very salty and lemony. Does that sound so scary? It's just 4 - 8 oz. cups per dose... Easy. Just suck on a hard candy right after and the aftertaste is gone. Really, nothing to it. I was finished drinking in 45 minutes and in the bathroom 15 minutes later. Just hung out for a half an hour or so with my tablet, and that was mostly it. Maybe 2 or 3 more visits before I went to bed, and I slept great! Didn't like getting up at 4 AM, but no big deal. 2 hours after starting the process, I was back to my normal duties around the house... If my family didn't see me drinking the stuff, they wouldn't have even known. The hospital visit was even easier, and right after I left, I went directly out to eat and had a big steak and baked potato... and it was soooo good!"

• Sub...
• July 16, 2015

"Worked as expected. No solid food after dinner two nights before procedure day, clear liquids only, began at 6:00 pm, then chased each glass of prep with ginger ale on ice for taste. Important to use a straw with prep; helps bypass the taste on the tongue. Residual cleansing continued into the night for several hours, but not too inconvenient."

• FFS...
• August 15, 2016

"I came across this page as I was halfway through some MoviPrep and on the brink of throwing it up. I tried a straw, herbal tea chaser, soda water, mints, and none of these helped. I then tried chewing gum, pinching my nose, and not taking too big a gulp. I'm now almost through the second lot. It's working, but I haven't had the big rush to the loo that I was expecting. I have colonoscopies every couple of years, and each time I forget how awful this stuff is. Why can't they just give us something to evacuate the bowel that is then followed by heaps of water to flush it through? Good luck to all who have to drink this."

• Msp...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 21, 2019

"Never again! This was noxious. It took all my effort to not vomit up the first dose. Sadly, after needing to take even more care with the second dose, I was not successful in keeping it down. I wish I’d read the helpful hints others have posted on how to manage this prep. I will never use this again. Colonoscopy prep is never fun, but this pushed things to a new level of horror."

• mic...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 7, 2021

"Many preps in the past. Plenvu is the least amount of fluid intake required that I have tried (why it was appealing). However, Plenvu is the only prep that has made me strongly vomit after the second dose. Probably won't take again for future colonoscopy because can't imagine doing all this torture or preparing to throw up at the end and not have an acceptable result and having to do the prep all over again! No thank you!"

• Sti...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 23, 2022

"My first colonoscopy. I'm 52, so it was time. Took the Plenvu with 16 oz of water at 2 pm the day before my procedure. The taste was horrible-like someone mixed melted gummy bears with ocean water and some pepper to boot. I could barely get it down. Thirty minutes later, a fire hose of hot liquid lava flushed out of my ass. Every time I thought I was done and could finally flush and attempt to stand up, another round of open faucet drainage came from my butthole. I was not aware the anus could flush like that, but it can. I was dreading the second dose, which was at 10 pm (the night before the procedure). I was right to have dread. The second dosage evoked an immediate gag reflex-as if my body yelled, 'I've seen this horror flick before, and I'm not going to watch it again!' How I didn't throw up, I don't know-perhaps it's because all my bodily fluids left 10 hours earlier. With the second dosage, I was on the toilet well past midnight, fearing I would permanently ruin my mattress if I laid down."

• bab...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 6, 2019

"I have a colonoscopy set for today. I started my drink yesterday at about 5:25 pm. An hour later, I had a good poop, then 20 minutes later it started. The hose ran like water. I drank water, about half a jar every 30 minutes, and did good. Four hours later it slowed down, and I slept well till about 3 AM. I had a little flow and stayed awake. I started my second dose at 5:40 AM, and now it's 6:04 AM. I am still drinking, and I can feel my stomach playing the drums and strings. It is going to start coming out again. No vomiting, just a little nausea and a strange warm dizzy feeling, but not bad. I will give an update later today. My appointment is at 11 AM."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• February 15, 2017

"I've been dreading this all week. Read every awful review and every scary web page. I don't do well with gross-tasting stuff and have been scared to death I wouldn't get this stuff down. Just finished the first liter and it was totally fine. It's not tasty, but it's not that bad. I definitely recommend refrigerating and using a straw and holding your nose. It was no issue to drink, and I generally have a weak stomach. It works well as well, I think. Have to run to the bathroom every five minutes or so... sort of like peeing out of a different spot (TMI, sorry). So, all in all, so far so good. Was not even close to as bad as I feared. At all."

• Div...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 17, 2019

"Diagnosed in 2001 with diverticulitis, and being past a certain age (now need to screen for colon cancer), I have much experience with these procedures. That being said, Plenvu is the worst GI prep ever! Go-Lytely is much better, it works more efficiently. Heck, anything else is better (Miralax or even magnesium citrate). This stuff could make a maggot gag. Diarrhea achieved, but vomiting is not necessary for a colonoscopy. Caused needless suffering... Never again!"

• Rob...
• July 11, 2022

"I was ready to tell my doctor to forget the whole thing, was not going to go through the prep after reading everyone else's horror stories. It was probably one of the easiest things I've had to do. Besides being stuck in the house close to the bathroom, I found the GoLYTELY very easy to get down. I didn't think it was salty, nasty, or unpleasant in any way. Don't read the other horror stories as I did. If you put your mind to it and just get it done, you will be fine. Finish the whole jug because it takes it all to be completely cleaned out. Trust me, you will know when you are completely cleaned out. Good luck! :)"

• Pat...
• November 14, 2014

"Took MoviPrep for my 50-year colonoscopy screening. I'm sorry many people have had such a hard time with it, but for myself, that just wasn't the case. Yes, the prep tastes fairly gross: like thick flat 7-Up with salt in it... followed by a weird melon-cucumber aftertaste. I chilled it, and when it was time to drink an 8 oz portion, I just gulped it down. The only time it was almost too much was on dose 8 in the AM. Following that with 16 oz of water was almost too much to bear, and it made me nauseous. It took almost an hour for the prep to get going, but there was only some rumbling and no cramping. The night before doses got the movements fairly clear, but it took the morning dose to really clean things up. The diarrhea wasn't that bad."

• Ali...
• November 22, 2019

"Though effective, the side effects of Plenvu were too unpleasant. Although I started my liquid diet 48 hours prior to the procedure, I had a total of 16 explosive bowel movements, 8 the day before the procedure after dose one and 8 the second day till the time of the procedure. Also, in the morning, I was throwing up and having diarrhea at the same time. Compared to other preps I have taken in the past, Plenvu was much harder on my body. I will avoid taking it next time I have to do a colonoscopy."