Polyethylene glycol 3350 with electrolytes and Nausea: What Users Say (Page 2)

• Jan...
• June 10, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "It's not meant to taste like Kool-Aid! Having said that, the initial intake of the liter was fine, didn't really taste all that bad. But the more you have, the worse it gets. Coming up on my last 250ml, it took me nearly half an hour gaining up the courage to drink it all. Through the 90 minutes of drinking, I felt nauseous in waves. Took it at 7 pm, and by 9 pm, I was on the toilet like a fire hose. Was in the middle of an Overwatch game and had to leave because it literally went 0-100 in seconds. Spent the next hour on the toilet with my laptop just watching videos, got up for a bit, and now I'm back guessing that I'm finishing off the last parts. Make sure to have a water bottle with you, as you will get dehydrated and maybe get a headache. You may experience some indigestion and some unpleasant gurgling. For me, the worst part of it all was actually drinking the prep, which wasn't really all that bad till the last bits, just take your time."

• 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."

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

For Bowel Preparation "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."

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

For Bowel Preparation "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."

• 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."

• FFS...
• August 15, 2016

For Bowel Preparation "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."

• 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!"

• Pat...
• November 14, 2014

For Bowel Preparation "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."

• 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."

• ETa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 3, 2018

For Bowel Preparation "I just started bowel prep. I have been scared all day reading online comments about how bad it tastes and how it makes people throw up and gag. THIS STUFF DOESN'T EVEN TASTE BAD??!?!?! It's actually borderline sugary and good. Wow... I can't believe I got scared of reading online comments. I'll never do that again. This stuff is not so bad whatsoever! I'll post another update when I start going to see if it causes cramps/bloating/pain/nausea."

• KCM...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 10, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "Terrible product. The Gatorade and Miralax prep was much better without the side effects. Plenvu was awful tasting and caused severe nausea. The nausea lasted into the second day after the colonoscopy was completed. I plan to tell the doctor that I do not want to use this product again."

• Suz...
• January 16, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "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."

• Ann...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 27, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "I too had a negative experience with Plenvu. The taste was horrendous. It started working within 15 minutes of finishing dose 1. I was so nauseous and clammy I thought for sure I was going to pass out. I couldn’t finish the second dose as the same thing happened. My blood pressure was also very high for me after the second dose. I was crampy and bloated for weeks after and still don’t feel as good as I had before this prep 6 months ago. I wouldn’t recommend this prep to my worst enemy."

• Anz...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 11, 2025

For Bowel Preparation "After reading all the negative reviews, I was really worried about taking Plenvu, but it was nowhere near as bad as I’d feared. First impression was that the taste was better than expected - yes, it's a weird mix of salty and sweet and not something you’d drink for pleasure, but if you mix it up ahead of time, refrigerate it, and drink it through a straw, it’s entirely doable. I took 2 Buccastem anti-nausea tablets around 2 hours before each dose as a precaution. Also followed the consultant’s advice to drink it slowly over the course of an hour to avoid nausea, so divided each dose of 500ml into 4 glasses of 125ml and used a timer to make sure I finished each one within 15 minutes. As you need to drink an additional 500ml of clear fluids, I made ginger tea (peeled raw ginger root steeped in hot water) and drank some of that after each mouthful of Plenvu. Didn’t experience any nausea, and results began around 30 mins after finishing the first dose. Very effective."

• Nur...
• August 17, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "I used Plenvu yesterday evening to prep for a colonoscopy this a.m. The Plenvu prep was simple, and I was cleaned out for my colonoscopy, which was the objective. The first stage at 6 pm was 16 oz of powder mixed with water to be completed in 30 min., followed by 16 oz of water in 30 minutes. I recommend cold water and a straw. I started passing liquid stool upon finishing the plain water and was to the bathroom 4-5 times. At midnight, I began the 2nd half of the prep, which was 2 packets mixed with 16 oz of water in 30 minutes, followed by 16 oz of water in 30 minutes. I had a need to get to the bathroom before finishing the plain water. I had liquid stools for 2 hours and was clear when my stools stopped. I describe the prep as “harsh” and effective, as a successful prep typically is. I was nauseated at times and took a Zofran to ease the nausea. I had an insatiable thirst before going to sleep at 2 am and drank ice water. No prep is pleasant, but this prep worked."

• nfa...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 15, 2020

For Bowel Preparation "First, I'll say that my Boston Prep Scale score was a 9, which is the perfect score and means that your prep worked and your colon was optimal for visualization. As far as effectiveness, Plenvu did the job. That said, if I ever have to have a colonoscopy again, I will ask to try a prep other than Plenvu. The taste of dose 1 was so vile, but I kept it down and it did its job. Dose 2 was less vile tasting, but my stomach expelled it in 20 minutes in the biggest projectile vomiting I've ever experienced. I hope to never have to have another colonoscopy."

• Jay...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• August 22, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "I would highly recommend this prep, which I chose for my first colonoscopy. It's the lowest volume option (less to drink), and while I suspect they all taste horrible, I was able to drink this without issue (kept it cold, used a straw to minimize contact with taste buds, and sipped water to clear the aftertaste immediately). I get an upset stomach easily but didn't experience that with this prep. It was effective but with no cramping or nausea, and I didn't have to get up in the middle of the night. I did scale back on certain foods a few days prior, however, (red meat, anything with skin (onions, grapes, etc.). Doc said prep was excellent."

• 55M...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 15, 2021

For Bowel Preparation "I have had three colonoscopies, and this prep was by far the worst, BUT very effective. I started the first dose at 6 pm and had a hard time drinking it all. Within 20 minutes, every negative side effect started ... bloating, nausea, runny nose, chills, feelings of nervousness, and need to vomit, which I did. It kicked in relatively quickly. I drank most of the first dose but not all and went to the bathroom until about 10 pm. I called the doctor, and he gave me tips, including drinking ginger tea. I tried to sleep before the 1:15 am dose #2 but could not fall asleep. I tried to finish before the side effects started again but could not. I left about 1/4 that I just could not choke down. All the same side effects. I went to the bathroom until about 4 am and tried to sleep but could not. I went to the bathroom another 5-6 times before the 8 am procedure. Even though I did not finish and vomited the first dose, I still had clear discharge before the procedure."

• Her...
• July 20, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "First time for a colonoscopy, had PLENVU prescribed and took it, but nothing to compare it to. Dose 1 the night before was like drinking fruity seawater, but I got it all down. In less than half an hour, the floodgates opened—success! It works!! (No “false alarms” with this stuff, so be near the potty ;-)). Felt nauseous with it but figured it’s all part of the process. Slept fine that night, next morning on to dose 2. Flashback to last dose. After finishing dose 2 (and during), nausea started again but knew that was normal. Unfortunately (or fortunately, as the case may be), projectile vomiting of dose 2 commenced, luckily into the toilet. A LOT. But some must have made its way through my system as the projectile “squirts” commenced as well. Sure felt better after the vomiting, though!! Called my doc’s office after this vomiting of dose 2 episode and was told don’t worry, just keep pushing fluids. So I did. No problem with colonoscopy being done. And that was it!!"

• san...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 15, 2019

For Bowel Preparation "Plenvu split dose: Easy to use. Taste is perfectly acceptable. Dose 1 better than Dose 2. Worked very fast on me. Bowel prep is not a pleasant undertaking, but Plenvu is lower volume, so taking it is not a matter of ingesting a lot of liquid. I had short-lived episodes of nausea with both doses. They were both fleeting and very tolerable. If you do a good job with diet a couple of days prior to the actual bowel prep, your experience with Plenvu should be just fine. Remember: You're cleansing your bowels, it's bound to wreak a little havoc on the gut."