Plenvu and Nausea: What Users Say

• Sue...
• July 22, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "As with most things online (especially where drugs are concerned), people only tend to post reviews if there are problems. If things go well, they think nothing of it and just move on with their lives. At this moment, I am almost at the end of the prep. I am actually sitting on the throne with my iPad on a chair in front of me. I took twice as long to drink it than instructed - both doses - and experienced no nausea whatsoever. I matched each sip of Plenvu with a sip of flavored, bottled water - non-fizzy. Plus I’ve drunk a lot more water than instructed. A ton more. I feel fine. I’ve used a barrier cream after every movement. Another hour and I hope I will be able to get to bed. The worst part of all this is my back and leg ache from sitting on the toilet for so long! Plan your time carefully. Take longer and drink more - much more. I hope this helps balance the reviews here a little... Good luck!"

• Hak...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 5, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "It works, but I really can’t believe this is on the market. I suggest a liquid diet the day before starting this. It helped. I took the first dose about 5:10 pm the day before my procedure. I could not finish it all in the half hour. In about 30 min, it started working, and I was on the toilet about every 5-10 min for the next hour or two. I fell asleep from 9-10 pm, then woke up, went some more, then slept from about midnight to 4:30 am when I had to take the 2nd dose. So...the roughest part...the second dose is so awful. I tried a sip of solution, a sip of Gatorade back and forth, and it didn’t help. I even shoved a slice of lemon in my mouth at one point - nope. I only got half the solution down then quit because my body was telling me to stop. An hour later I threw it all up but it still had me going clear. Side effects I experienced are headaches, chills, nausea, vomiting, dry heaving, diarrhea - but it was gentle. My advice: if your body is telling you to stop drinking, then stop."

• Suz...
• June 5, 2020

For Bowel Preparation "Never again! This was my second colonoscopy, and the first was not this bad. My insurance copay was $60, so I expected it to be 'new and improved.' The first dose was tolerable but nasty. It started working before I finished drinking it (about 15 minutes). The second dose at 3 am was horrible. I had about 2 oz left, but stubborn me determined to finish even though I was nauseous. Suddenly, I started throwing up violently. I went to the bathroom just as violently and so irritated I couldn’t sit. Awful!! My question is, why is the same dose required for a 300-pound male as a 125-pound female? Definitely felt like overkill, like killing a fly with a hand grenade! No more Plenvu for me!"

• Jon...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 25, 2020

For Bowel Preparation "I was recently prescribed Plenvu for my colonoscopy. I was happy to learn that it was only 2 doses of 16 oz each as compared to the other preps that required you to drink much more prep. After my first sip of Plenvu, my happiness turned into terror at the absolutely horrid taste of this prep. Think thick and VERY salty with a nauseating fake fruit flavor. I could barely choke it down and would have vomited it up if not for the anti-nausea script provided by my GI. Yes, you drink less fluid, but the solution is simply MUCH MORE concentrated than in other preps. Even using a straw to try to avoid my taste buds did little to make it any more palatable. I have had 6 colonoscopies, and this was the worst prep I ever used."

• Ree...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 30, 2020

For Bowel Preparation "This Plenvu is by far the worst tasting prep I've ever had. It has a salty, bitter, and thick consistency which makes you want to gag. The nausea I felt was immediate. Adding ice to the container helps a little to alleviate the vile flavor. It's filled with aspartame, which worsens the aftertaste. Surely there has to be a better prep. This is absolutely disgusting."

• lad...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 21, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "This is the worst experience I have ever had with any kind of medication in my life. Started yesterday at 5 p.m. Mixed with cold water and used a straw to drink. This stuff is extremely salty and overly flavored with artificial fruit flavoring. It is very intense, and there will be an awful salty aftertaste. I instantly felt sick to my stomach. I tried to remain calm and relaxed and sat still. Drank plenty of clear liquid behind it. About 45 minutes after I completed the first dose, I went to the bathroom for the first bowel movement. During that time of having my bowel movement, I became very hot and sweaty. I started feeling awful. I knew I was about to get sick. I wound up throwing up at least half of what I had drunk. Got up at 1:00am to start the second dose. Decided to drink this one even slower to see if that would help me from getting sick again. Took about 45 minutes to drink it all this time. Taste is so horrible. Just awful. I made it through and instantly started feeling very full and very sick."

• Viv...
• March 3, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "1st time, so worried after reading the reviews. Female, 5'6, ~135 lbs. What I did worked well: - Prepped right before drinking (shook for 7-8 min) - Sipped with a straw over 25 min; repeat for H2O. Slightly nauseous (2/10) but started going within 10 min afterward, so got distracted. Within 1 hour, only cloudy liquid and in 2 more hours,"

• jca...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 25, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "I've just finished part one of a two-part prep. GoLytely was far easier. This took me two hours to choke down. I am nauseated and cold. I just feel sick. I did get a little relief from the suggestion of sucking on lemons after each drink. The taste is repulsive beyond description. I'm scared of the next part when I get up. I will edit this when I'm done if possible. I pray I never have to go through this again. I'm a retired RN and have been in charge of an endoscopy unit. Part 2... so nauseated can't finish all of the second solution. Still drinking water. Woke with a headache and chills. Chills continue. Dizzy. If I can't have this colonoscopy, I don't think I can go through this again. My butt is bleeding. Never been so sick in my life. Never again. Who made this up? Rating 2 because I think I'm cleaned out, but the side effects are horrific."

• Sen...
• December 6, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "I was apprehensive about taking Plenvu after reading so many negative reviews, but I actually had a decent overall experience. I followed all the prep guidelines from the doctor & utilized the Two-Day Split-Dosing plan. A lot of people reported problems with nausea, so I got a prescription for Zofran from my doctor. Overall, I would not hesitate to use this prep again. It was a huge improvement over the stuff I had used 10 years ago. Less liquid to drink, less time glued to the toilet, and I was able to get some sleep between Dose 1 and 2. There were a few tips I found very helpful: 1. Be sure to use cold refrigerated water. 2. Shake it up really well to make sure all the powder gets dissolved. 3. Drink it with a straw placed at the back of your mouth. 4. The taste was tolerable, but would have been much worse if I had tried to drink it like a regular glass of liquid and let it run over the taste buds in my tongue! Rinse your mouth out with water after each continuous gulp of liquid."

• NGM...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 17, 2023

For Bowel Preparation "I had a lot of anxiety about taking this after reading negative experiences and because I have emetophobia. But taking this for a bowel prep was really not that bad at all. I didn't feel nauseous, and there weren't any painful bowel cramps of the kind you might have when you get sick, which were the two things I was most afraid of. It just felt like a normal BM was coming and then... surprise, it was liquid. I created an account to leave this review in the hopes that it helps assuage someone else's anxiety. Also, the first dose didn't taste that bad to me at all, but I'm only giving it an 8 because the second dose tasted bad - seems like they could just make it taste more like the first dose and it would be fine."

• Gla...
• June 19, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "I had this for a same-day prep. Appointment at 2 p.m. The leaflet said to take at 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. As I was planning to drive, I asked if I could take it earlier. Yes. I went for 4 a.m. and 7 a.m. I'm glad I did. The solution isn't pleasant, it's like a concentrated diet drink with salt. But it is drinkable. Rather than panic with your thoughts and say, 'Oh my God, this is awful, I'm going to be sick'...instead calmly sip through a straw. I was told to drink it over an hour. I sipped a bit every 5 minutes. At 5:15, cascades, probably 12 over an hour. Then I slept and woke for the alarm at 7 a.m. The solution made me feel a bit nauseous, so I sipped slowly and left bigger gaps, taking it over 1.5 hours. By 8 a.m., again, cascades. A bottle of water in the loo with me, and I was making sure I drank after each one. I felt wobbly but again kept drinking. Everything finished by 12:00. The main thing is to take it slowly, try and be calm, and drink lots of extra fluids. So good luck with yours."

• lrw...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 15, 2023

For Bowel Preparation "This was my second colonoscopy, and my first prep, while unpleasant, was not nearly as awful as Plenvu. I don't remember what my previous doctor had me take, but it was nothing like this one!! As others have said, the taste (disgusting combo of salty and sickly sweet), viscosity, and the feeling of bloated fullness and nausea after was bad enough on the first dose. It took me 45 min to force myself to drink the second dose at midnight. No sleep that night!! I was desperately thirsty by the morning, in spite of drinking multiple glasses of water up until 3:30 am, which was when I had to stop before the procedure. After the procedure, I felt sick all day, and by evening felt like I had the flu with chills and body aches and no appetite. My guts were churning for 3 days after the procedure as well. I will never take Plenv again. There are so many better options, including a pill form. It's unbelievable that this 'stuff' is still prescribed by physicians!! Insist on an alternative."

• Ano...
• February 10, 2020

For Bowel Preparation "I give this a 3 because it worked, but at what cost? I essentially gave myself a case of stomach flu for 12 hrs. Strangely, I became very cold after each dose, which the nurse told me is very common. I thought I might get a chance to sleep an hour here or there, but absolutely not. I was still hitting the toilet after arriving at the hospital for my appointment (multiple times). The nausea and dehydration were intense, as I was told not to have any more fluids 4 hrs before the appointment. I see plenty of people have described the taste accurately, so I'll simply say that it takes an iron will to keep it down. Everyone else I've talked to has had great luck with the Miralax & Dulcolax combo. Much cheaper, effective, and better tasting. Why use Plenvu at all?"

• mou...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 12, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "Beware! The first dose wasn't too terrible to get down at 5 pm. By 5 am, when I woke to start the second dose, I had a terrible headache that I thought was sinus. It only got worse from there. I started drinking the dose and kept feeling worse: headache, nausea, weakness, cramps. After about 1/4 of the dose, I became violently ill, which only intensified the bad side effects. By 6 am, my husband got my neighbor, a trauma surgeon, to come over and check in on me. She suggested the emergency room. I was happy to go, my symptoms and weakness were scaring me. I'm 65, but I've had several colonoscopies and not gone off the rails like this, and I'm super fit and an avid mountain biker. It took about 4 days before I felt strong and normal. The worst part is, I still have to get a colonoscopy! I won't use Plenvu, but I'm still terrified!"

• Mil...
• May 1, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "Bowel prep: first attempted Pico Prep; vomited 6 hours. Then... Plenvu. Taken at 7 pm. By 7:15, I was off to the toilet. Very quick and very frequent bowel evacuation. But by 10:30, I was in bed. Second dose (2nd dose tastes better) at 4 am. Slight nausea. Bowel evacuations till 7. Slept lightly between, ready to pounce for the toilet (lol). So although very dehydrating, it did the job quickly, which I found better. Doc said my bowel was VERY clean. He removed a flat polyp; for me, a huge relief- increased risk of bowel cancer as Nan, uncle (died), and Mom had bowel cancer (died) at 43. So although my and my siblings' risk is now increased again, Plenvu’s great bowel cleaning and a great doc have saved me from this flat polyp turning. Highly recommend. Remember all bowel prep is ‘shitty;’ it’s not about the prep... it’s about the saving of your life."

• Que...
• December 29, 2020

For Bowel Preparation "Oh Lordy me. You win on effectiveness, but at what cost? I'm a petite person. You would think this product would be weight-based dosages. Nobody thought of that. It is like drinking the saltiest thick drink and then trying to hide it with a fruity flavor. Doesn't work. The SALT flavor won! Had to chase after each swig to get rid of the awfulness so I wouldn't puke. I couldn't make it with the first pouch. Took at 5 pm, and in 1 hour, it started working-next 6 hours of drama. Knowing at 11 pm I had to relive all of this again with both pouch A and B and suffer again with that awful taste, and also especially after my insides were calming down was VERY traumatic. I did not sleep at all. There was nothing left inside of me but my guts and major organs. Hopefully, I wasn't going to lose those too. LOL. Sure felt like it. I could only tolerate half a dosage of Pack A/B because it made me so nauseous. I didn't care. I was already down to nothing in my body. Maybe their R&D will invest in a better taste?"

• SGa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 31, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "After reading all the bad reviews on here, I was terrified to try Plenvu. But, it wasn’t bad! I think all the preps are going to taste bad, so don’t let that deter you. The mango was definitely harder for me to get down, but I followed each sip with a bite of lemon Italian Ice, and that helped immensely. It worked quickly and effectively without any nausea or cramping. Just a noisy stomach, but I’m sure that’s to be expected. The fruit punch (second dose) was much better tasting, but still not something I would choose to drink if I had other options. I was completely cleaned out and had no issues getting to my appointment. I highly recommend this prep and will use it again when I need my next colonoscopy. Another good note is to definitely use some sort of barrier cream after every movement. Helped me a lot!"

• Pan...
• October 18, 2020

For Bowel Preparation "After reading all of these reviews, I was terrified. I have emetophobia and have an irrational fear of vomiting. I was worked up about taking this for weeks. I had my doctor call in a prescription for anti-nausea medication that I started 30 minutes prior to starting. The first dose wasn't bad, but I kinda wish they just let it be salty instead of giving it a 'fruity' flavor. I sipped it over an hour. I made sure it was cold, added ice, and drank through a straw. Made it through dose 1, no problems. Started working within 30 minutes. No cramping. Just explosive. I was unable to get any sleep between the doses. Dose 2 tasted a little better but was harder to sip down. After an hour, I ended up chugging the last bit as it was already starting to work. The next hour was the worst. The nausea faded after an hour. I hope I don't need to do this for another 10 years, but I would try this prep again. Just wouldn't chug the 2nd dose."

• Ano...
• April 11, 2025

For Bowel Preparation "Had Plenvu for colonoscopy, the last 2 times was given MoviPrep. Firstly, it tastes vile, especially the 2nd dose, but I was pleased that the amount you have to drink is only 500 ml (twice), which is a lot less than other brands. My opinion is make it up first, leave it to chill in the fridge, then sip it slowly over 60 mins, it started to work really quickly once I'd finished it. The 2nd dose is a different story (well, it was for me!) I tried to drink it as I'd done with the first dose but felt sick pretty quickly, kept going but vomited most of it back, I was panicking because I didn't want the procedure to fail, so I left it at least an hour and started again with what I'd got left, approximately half, sipped it extremely slow and with each sip drank a lot of water immediately after. This took ages to get down but it stayed down, it did prolong the loo trips well into the night though (morning appointment). My procedure went well and my bowel was the clearest it's ever been, so it was worth it, just about!"

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

For Bowel Preparation "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."

• Ari...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 18, 2023

For Bowel Preparation "This was my sixth colonoscopy and my first experience with Plenvu. Although the product reached the desired result, with an 'Excellent' on my report for my bowel prep, I would never recommend it, and if I am required to do this again, I will be begging for another brand. If I said this was revolting to swallow, it would be an understatement, and all the guessing in the world would never indicate that the flavor of antifreeze was either mango or fruit punch. My best description would be the taste of the smell of burnt plastic. Holding it down was a major task, with plenty of positive self-talk to quell the nausea and belly pain. I was exhausted from the trips to the bathroom right up till the alarm went off for me to leave for the hospital. I followed the regime to the letter: 3 days of bland white stuff leading up to Prep Day, heaps of fluids to enable the prep to work, and a gritty resolve to see this through because I could not deal with a repeat if this fails."

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

For Bowel Preparation "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
• June 19, 2024

For Bowel Preparation "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!"

• Cra...
• January 16, 2020

For Bowel Preparation "This was my 5th colonoscopy, and Plenvu was the worst bowel prep I've ever had to take. The taste was awful, salty sweet. The first dose didn't make me nauseous, but the second did. I was vomiting all night besides the bowel movements and didn't get any sleep. I also had chills. I followed the directions exactly. I will never take this stuff again."

• Lab...
• September 19, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "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."