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

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• 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!"

• Mar...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 23, 2023

"This was a traumatizing experience. Never, ever again. Zero taste improvement from other preps. The worst was the profound incontinence. After the first dose, it went on for 4 hours, but I had 5-10 seconds to make it to the toilet about every 10 minutes. After the second dose the morning of the procedure, I didn't even have a three-second warning, and it went on for over 5 hours - past the time of my appointment. Going every 3-5 minutes with no warning. I had to line the car seat with towels and change clothes twice in the clinic restroom just to get into the exam. And that doesn't even address the severe perineal damage from the acid or the extreme dehydration and headache from being unable to drink anything for 3 hours before the appointment. Nothing like crapping your pants in the waiting room full of people waiting for their loved ones or cleaning the floor of the clinic restroom. Probably formulated for 300 lb men. It needs to be adjusted down for people who are only 140 lbs or less."

• 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."

• 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!"

• Bb6...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 1, 2022

"Plenvu: my dosage at the time was 500 ml of mango salt flavor and a second 500 ml dose of fruit punch/grapefruit salt flavor. The taste was bad, but one thing I did discover when I rang up my doctor was that I could mix Plenvu with Sprite and add cordial, too. This helped immensely. Nothing will really take away the salt water. But make your prep up beforehand with ice-cold Sprite and store it in the fridge for a bit. Alternate this with sips of ice-cold water, and it will go down eventually, I promise. I struggled a bit, but this prep has one of the least amounts to drink. Thank your lucky stars it's not MoviPrep. My main tip is to drink at least 2 liters of clear fluid after each dosage. And add Vaseline to your anus! You will go to the toilet once you start to chug the water after the dose. The doctor at the appointment said my prep was excellent. One last tip: this is supposed to be taken in 30 mins. Find yourself some quiet space and focus on it. Worked for me. Would recommend."

• 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!"

• Pam...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 28, 2024

"Easier prep than last time. Started both doses 1.5-2 hrs early, which gave me some “rest” time between long bouts of pooping. Chilled the prep about an hour. Took Zofran (Rx anti-nausea) one hour before drinking each dose, and chewed Simethicone tablets (OTC anti-gas) following. Drank with nose pinched to suppress taste (sweet, salty flavor). Dose 1: three parts over ten minutes, alternating with ginger ale. Went down just fine. No side effects. Dose 2: slightly more difficult due to large amount of liquid I had consumed between doses. Slight bloating but no cramping or nausea. Both doses began diarrhea within ten minutes - not separate BMs, but one long continuous dribble (Dose 1, 1.5 hrs; Dose 2, 2.5 hrs). Stopped pooping about 30 min. before leaving for clinic. I was cold the entire prep time, which RN said is common. Have entertainment, water, and soft TP. Blot, don’t wipe, use occasional baby wipe to soothe. Hope this helps. Not as bad as some commenters say."

• 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."

• 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."

• 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!"

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• 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."

• 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! :)"

• 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."

• j H...
• Taken for 1 to 2 years
• April 14, 2024

"Please don't let some of these reviews put you off. When I read some of them, I was so scared I nearly bottled. Okay, it's not pleasant, but it is perfectly tolerable. Did the job as it says. I had no side effects."

• 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!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 19, 2024

"So many negative reviews here! I remember reading this before my procedure and feeling horribly apprehensive about the whole business. Of course, nobody really wants to spend an evening drinking laxatives and sitting on the toilet! But we know that colonoscopy and gastroscopy are there to save lives, and you can't have it done without a clean bowel! Plenvu tastes fairly horrible, but really it's nowhere near as bad as most of these reviews make out. Yes, it's salty, fruit-flavoured, and over-sweetened - but is it really that bad? Just a couple of glasses to get through in an hour, and you can wash each mouthful down with something you do like. For me, the trick was to make sure that it's very cold and add a lot of ice. Use a straw and sip from the very top of the glass through the ice. Don't try to do it all too quickly - the best way to avoid nausea is to use the whole hour - mentally divide it into six, then drink one every 10 minutes using a watch! It's very effective!"

• Ale...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 17, 2023

"I was so scared after all the horror stories here... and in the end, it's just some mango-tasting liquid, with some salt added to protect your heart from electrolyte imbalance that can happen after cleansing. Honestly, people saying it's the worst day of their life are out of touch with reality. In the 90s, we had to drink 4 liters of salty water. We have come a long way. Do NOT trust the bad reviews. This product is safe (PEG-based). Also, remember that people having a bad experience are the most vocal. This product is easy to drink."