Plenvu and Nausea: What Users Say (Page 4)

• Anonymous
• May 26, 2024

For Bowel Preparation "Had taken bowel prep before and although taste was vile, did not have side effects as bad as with this. First dose was much too sweet but the second caused headache and nausea, which I hadn't had on moviprep, so I would not want to use this again if I was unfortunate enough to need to."

• Moo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 29, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "As a gastric sleeve patient, this was a lot of drinking in an hour. The instructions call for drinking the first dose within 30 minutes, followed by 16 ounces of clear fluids within 30 minutes after that. Same for the second dose. The solution was pure salt. I had a hard time getting it down and was a little nauseated. Mango (salt) was the first flavor and fruit punch (salt) was the second flavor. I managed to get it down. This, in my experience, is not a quick prep. It took a couple of hours before it started to work and over many hours to be fully cleaned out. I was worried because I was still going to the restroom close to the time to shower to go to the hospital. I wouldn’t want to do this prep again. But I will say this: during my exam, the doctor noted excellent bowel preparation. It works, but very slow and tastes horrible, but it did the job."

• Ang...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 4, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "Although the results were complete, the taste was awful, as well as the bloated feeling, and nausea was overwhelming. The side effects lasted about 3-4 hours after each dose, I would prefer to use a different prep the next time."

• Bet...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 18, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "This is my 2nd colonoscopy, and I found Plenvu horrendous. It tasted so much like toxic chemicals I threw up several times trying to drink it. I have a strong stomach and can eat or drink anything. This was terrible. It also made me sicker than my first prep for colonoscopy. Also, you have to get up in the middle of the night for the second dose, so you get no sleep. I would never take this again. Don’t let your doctor give this to you. Trust me. You will regret it."

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 9, 2023

For Bowel Preparation "I am a 23-year-old female and have suffered with constipation on and off for years. My doctor recommended coming in for a colonoscopy, and I was terrified. I fasted for a day and a half, and that definitely helped things go smoother. It was certainly odd to have liquid stool, but that is the point! This worked very well in cleaning me out for the doctor. It didn’t cause me any pain, just a little bloating and gas discomfort. The prep is certainly the worst part of the colonoscopy experience, but this prep wasn’t all as bad as I thought. The taste wasn’t great, but also not as bad as I was expecting. Drinking any large amount of liquid causes nausea, and I wouldn’t blame it on the medicine! No polyps, and I don’t have to have another one until I’m much older. It’s natural to be nervous, but don’t let that sway you from getting this done!! :)"

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

For Bowel Preparation "The instructions were very clear and easy to read. In terms of actually taking it, for both doses MAKE SURE IT IS COLD. You want it ice cold (although don't dilute it with ice, use an ice pack if you can). Don't try and chug it. The salt will make you throw it all up again. Sip it through a straw and have another pint of water next to you to sip. As for doses, the 'mango' flavor was awful. It was a real struggle to get it down, sips of plain water were the only way I could manage it. I also ended up feeling very bloated and uncomfortable. The second dose, however, was a lot more palatable and went down much easier without any of the bloat or nausea of the first dose. After effects... I'm a big guy, so it took a couple of hours for it to kick in and took another 2 hours for me to be cleared out enough that I could go to sleep without having to worry."

• NoP...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 2, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "No PEG (polyethylene glycol) product is ever 'fun' to use for bowel cleaning purposes, but I've already let my gastroenterologist know that I will NEVER go anywhere near PLENVU again! I have a high tolerance for bad-tasting medicines and pain, but I would recommend that PLENVU be taken OFF THE MARKET! Absolutely HORRID taste, and I had to work very hard to avoid throwing up the liquid after drinking. I was SOOOO ill the rest of the day after starting this product. Yes, it did get me cleaned out, but there are numerous other products that work just as well and are much more tolerable. To add insult to injury, my health insurance company let me know that they would pay for a number of PEF products, but NOT for PLENVU."

• Sha...
• May 15, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "This is horrible! I started the prep around 5:30 pm and honestly thought I would vomit before I was able to get it all down! The taste is vile, and then I only went to the bathroom 4-5 times overnight. However, my stomach was full feeling, and I felt achy all night, very little sleep. I took the second dose early morning, and this time the taste/texture was even worse. I immediately felt nauseous. My mouth was so dry, I was dying for something to drink. This round helped me go to the bathroom more, but still not as much as I knew I should. I felt like it was all in my stomach! I was barely able to get dressed to get there from the weakness and nausea, but the test was complete! However, here I am the next day, terrible headache, stomach cramps, fatigue, still going to the bathroom! This medicine literally sucks the life out of you for days. I came home from work early today, and I’m back in bed. This medicine should be dosed out based on the size of the patient and in extreme cases only."

• Anonymous
• March 13, 2023

For Bowel Preparation "This is about my sixth colonoscopy but first time with Plenvu, and I will NEVER use it again! I took it at 6 pm for over an hour, as recommended (initially made me feel nauseous). Just after 7 pm, the bloating and stomach cramps started... and not just any stomach cramps. I have Crohn's disease, so I know bad stomach pain... these were akin to labor, and I'm not kidding, thought something serious was going on. After 2 hours of agony, the movements started. They were mostly over by 10:30 pm, with only 2 visits during the night. The next dose at 6 am made me want to heave again. No pain this time, was just back and forth to the loo for the next 4 to 5 hours. They say they get better results with Plenvu, but something that makes you feel that bad can't be good for you, so sticking to Moviprep!"

• Ibg...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 25, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "Just took the first part of the prep, and I thought the taste was 75% improved from the gallon of prep I have had to use about 10 times before. I have Crohn's disease. I had lemon slices and salt, frozen slushy white grape juice, and I managed to drink it in 40 minutes. Since I have a colostomy and only a small section of colon left, I started emptying within 30 minutes. I also took a nausea medicine 1 hour before. I am very insistent on getting the doctor to give at least two of these pills that dissolve under your tongue."

• Ann...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 12, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "Awful, awful!! Absolutely disgusting taste. Very hard to get down! I threw up the second dose about an hour after finishing it. Gave me a horrible headache. I was extremely dehydrated, and my procedure ended up being canceled. Would not recommend this prep!!!"

• 70S...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 19, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "Just had my 3rd colonoscopy, was prescribed the split dosing using Plenvu. By far, the worst prep experience of the 3. The 1st dose had the expected results, no surprises compared to other preps. None of the preps taste great, but this was so bad. The website for Plenvu lies when they say after completely mixing, the prep is clear. Mine was milky; also, there were what I can only describe as flakes in it (??!!??). Got it down, barely slept. Started the 2nd dose at about 6:30 a.m., procedure scheduled for 1:15. Couldn't finish. When I wasn't in the bathroom, I was curled up on the floor in a heap. Drank as much water as I could, nearly threw up. Almost called 911, thought I was going into shock. Even though my doctor found 3 polyps (at least 1 precancerous), if prescribed Plenvu again, I will not do the procedure. Will gladly take the gallon of water with Trilyte or Golytely. Don't understand how Plenvu is still on the market."

• i...
• November 9, 2022

For Bowel Preparation "If you want to experience a nightmare on earth, just drink this. I cannot decide what was worse: dose 1, dose 2, or the fact that they both taste like toilet cleaner mixed with seawater and some sweet bleach. I was nauseous after each sip and had to hold my nose close and take big gulps at a time so I wouldn’t barf all over my kitchen counter. It was so traumatizing, and I don’t feel like it worked well enough to make up for the therapy I will need to get over this nightmare of a couple of days!"

• BKH...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 7, 2022

For Bowel Preparation "All of these reviews had me absolutely terrified to take this prep. I am 33 and was already extremely anxious about the procedure. All that to say, the prep was WAY WAY better than I expected. The taste is really salty, but I would say it is not disgusting or terrible. I did slow down with the second dose because I started getting nauseous. But other than that (and living by the toilet a few hours), it was fine. I had no cramping or vomiting. I did start a low-fiber diet the week before my exam and did not eat any junk food. I drank A LOT of water 3 days leading up to the prep and A LOT of water the day of, and during the prep. All in all, I would give this prep a 10/10. It is not a ton to drink and was easy for me!"

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

For Bowel Preparation "The first dose was okay, the second much worse. I almost threw up, but I really wanted to be prepared well, so I knew I had to withstand the preparation. I did everything as directed, had a countless number of watery bowel movements, and yet the next day my doctor told me I was poorly prepared and he had to repeat the procedure. NEVER EVER PLENVU!"

• Son...
• September 7, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "With this prep, I found the taste not as bad as others. The prep worked as soon as I finished with the follow-up of 16 oz water, kept up for an hour and a few times after. Stool very dark brown and smelly. After the second dose same, sat for an hour until I thought I could try to sleep some, but during my sleep, I passed more fluid! The color of stool remained dark until just before I left for the exam and then yellow. Even after I got to the examination, I was still passing stool, and some was still in my colon during the exam. Had nausea and dry heaves after the second dose, which continued after I was at the doctor's office, very dry mouth, blood pressure up and blood sugar up very high, I am diabetic. Overall, it did work, but never before with different preps did the passing of stool continue as long as this did. So side effects and length of time my bowels were active plus not a complete cleaning are my concerns."

• Tan...
• October 5, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "I wrote before, and yes, in the night, I frequently went and so had very little sleep. I completely drank all the Plenvu but vomited the second batch and did keep drinking squash throughout. The next morning felt windy and still slightly nauseous. Examination was okay. Had a nap later and felt better then. Next day feel fine."

• Han...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 23, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "I took the Plenvu route for my recent colonoscopy and mixed the package and started taking it at 6 pm the night before my colonoscopy. The first sip I took flew out of my mouth because it is the worst tasting formula that I have ever taken in my life! It had the most hideous sweet, salty, and nauseating taste ever."

• Jan...
• August 11, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "Took the first dose at 6 pm. Difficult to swallow, tastes disgusting. Struggled to finish in 30 minutes. Felt very bloated. No motion passed. Took the second dose at 9 pm. Felt terribly sick and bloated. Waves of nausea came, and after about 20 minutes, I started to pass brown fluid, but I couldn't get to the toilet in time. I tried to get some sleep between the many trips to the toilet but didn't manage any for a couple of hours. The next morning I felt awful and had high blood pressure. I waited 2 1/4 hours for my procedure, with my bloated tummy gurgling and popping. My procedure was then canceled as my BP was 210/106! Went home after tea and biscuits, which went straight through me in the car home. Tummy affected for a further two days. BP now back to normal, 131/72 on day 4. I have white coat syndrome but never to that extent. I had an ERCP procedure 3 weeks ago without a bowel prep and no problem with my blood pressure. Will not take this again."

• Fir...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 10, 2023

For Bowel Preparation "Since this was my first colonoscopy/prep, I found everyone's varied experiences helpful, so thought I’d add mine. Like many here have said, taste is not great. Refrigerating solution and using a straw helped. I “chased” with ginger ale. First dose took about an hour to kick in. One thing I found myself wondering was, what do people mean when they say, “stay close to a bathroom”? At first, I assumed it meant don’t be in your car or outside gardening, but no, in my case, it meant “be no more than 10 feet from your toilet.” There is very little warning…basically, by the time my brain was thinking, “hm, do I maybe have to…,” my body was like, “too late, sucker!” My 2nd dose kicked in within ten minutes of starting. I actually finished dose 2 in the bathroom. LOL. My doc prescribed an anti-nausea pill before each dose, so no issues with that, and no pain or cramping. All in all, it did the job and did it well."

• Ewa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 8, 2022

For Bowel Preparation "After reading the reviews, I want to share my honest experience. My first dose was honestly fine, the flavor isn’t as bad as people make it out to be. Yes, it’s thick, yes, it’s very sweet and salty, but it’s a laxative… it’s not meant to taste amazing. After completing it, I passed stool for around an hour until it became clear, with minimal nausea and no stomach pains - it was simple. The second sachet was worse, but it wasn’t unbearable. I only managed to get through 3/4 of the last one, as I needed to rush to the toilet after 20 minutes of taking it. This one really kicked in. I was on the toilet for longer, but it was worth it, as it worked. The liquid was a bright yellow, not sure if that’s normal, but hey, it worked. I felt pretty dehydrated and tired afterward, but that’s it. My tip - drink plenty of water during and after prep and chew chewing gum… that’s literally it!"

• Anonymous
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 14, 2020

For Bowel Preparation "I took the first Plenvu dose at 5 pm, and about 15 minutes later, I was already flushing my system. The first dose experience was not bad at all. No stomach pain or anything (I did have anti-nausea meds), the only problem was there really was no warning when I would have to go. The second dose I took at 5 am, I got about 1/4 of it down and then puked 5 times. I wasn’t able to finish it."

• Lis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 24, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "Both doses of Plenvu were disgusting. They tasted like saltwater. I thought I was going to throw up the first dose, but I did not. The second dose, however, I threw up 10 minutes after finishing. I will never drink this again. Horrible experience."

• Sha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 13, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "I was given Plenvu to prep for my third colonoscopy. Having had previous stomach surgery, I thought the lower volume prep would be a good thing. First of all…the taste. While you do not expect any of this stuff to taste good, this was disgusting. Thick, salty, and extremely sweet. Was able to get both doses down but was using anti-nausea drug with it. So thankful I had that. I did not experience cramping but extreme loss of bodily fluid. I have never had so much liquid come out of my body with any other prep. I was cold, clammy, and weak beyond words by the time I arrived for my procedure. I actually lost 8 pounds overnight, which certainly is not healthy. I believe this prep totally dehydrated me. Yes…it cleaned me out, which it is designed to do, but at what cost? I won’t be using this one again!"

• Jea...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 8, 2023

For Bowel Preparation "Plenvu is the most disgusting bowel prep I've ever had. The taste alone will make you want to vomit. After finishing dose one and dose two I had a horrible feeling in my chest between my boobs. I wasn't sure whether the prep was heading downward or was going to come back up. As far as emptying my bowels, it seemed to work. I can guarantee if this is the only option for bowel prep, I will never ever have another colonoscopy."