How to take your bowel preparation for an afternoon appointment using Plenvu®

7 days before your appointment

If you have diabetes or are taking any medication that thins your blood, other than aspirin (which you can remain on) please contact the relevant Endoscopy Unit on the Medication Advice Line (answerphone). The telephone number is at the end of this page.

Stop taking any of the following medication:

• Imodium® (loperamide)
• Codeine phosphate
• Lomotil (co-phenotrope)
• Iron tablets
• Fybogel® (ispaghula husk)

Please note all other medications such as heart tablets and blood pressure tablets should be continued as normal, including on the day of your test.

2 days before your appointment

Start on a low fibre diet. Eat foods only from the following list:

• Eggs – boiled or poached
• White fish
• Chicken
• Lean meat for example beef, lamb, veal or ham
• Gravy using stock cubes (white flour or corn flour to thicken)
• White bread or rolls (No seedy bread)
• Potatoes – boiled or mashed (no skins)
• Pasta/noodles
• White rice
• Butter/margarine – use sparingly
• Clear jelly (not red) without fruit pieces
• Sugar/honey/syrup/treacle/fruit jelly (e.g. bramble jelly)/jams/marmalade (without peel)
• Boiled sweets or clear mints
• Tea/coffee
• Herbal tea - clear (avoid red colours)
• Lucozade®, water, soda water
• Fizzy drinks, squashes, clear fruit juice (no bits)
• Quorn, tofu, textured vegetable protein

1 day before your appointment

Have a breakfast of food taken from the low fibre list.

At 1:00 pm have a good lunch of food taken from the low fibre list. After this do not eat any solid food.

Drink plenty of clear fluid such as tea without milk/clear herbal tea/coffee without milk/fruit squash/carbonated water drinks or plain water.

Morning of your appointment

At 6:00 am open the carton and remove the Dose 1 sachet. Pour the contents of the Dose 1 sachet into a measuring container that can hold 500ml of fluid. Add water to make up to the 500ml and stir until all of the powder has dissolved. Drink this over 1 hour.

Drink a further 500ml of water afterwards.

It is important that you do not become dehydrated. Clear fluids can be drunk right up to the time of your appointment.

You should expect frequent bowel actions and eventually diarrhoea. Some cramping in your stomach is normal. Your bottom may become quite sore – please use a barrier cream to stop any irritation. A barrier cream is a treatment used to place a physical barrier between the skin and contaminants which may irritate. There are many products available from your local pharmacy.

At 9:00 am open the carton and remove the Dose 2 sachets A and B. Pour the contents of the Dose 2 sachets A and B into a measuring container that can hold 500ml of fluid. Add water to make up to 500ml and stir until all of the powder had dissolved. Drink this over 1 hour with a further 500ml of water.

Clear fluids only should be taken this morning – no solid food.

If you have any difficulties

Sometimes, the bowel preparation may cause side effects such as nausea, vomiting, sleep disturbances, dizziness, headache, pyrexia (fever), thirst or hunger. Do not take the bowel preparation if you suffer with the following:

• Hypersensitivity (allergic reactions/sensitivities) – please read the ingredients on the package
• Congestive cardiac failure
• Gastrointestinal obstruction or perforation
• Toxic megacolon or ileus
• If you experience problems with food and fluid emptying from your stomach (gastric paresis, gastric retention)
• Phenylketonuria
• Renal impairment (kidney problems)

If you are pregnant, please discuss with a doctor before taking the preparation.

If you feel that you will be unable to complete the bowel preparation successfully, please contact the relevant Endoscopy Unit for advice.

Contact information

Medication Advice Line (answer machine)

If you have any questions relating to your medication, please leave a message and a member of staff will return your call:

Cheltenham General Hospital

Tel: 0300 422 3370

Gloucestershire Royal Hospital

Tel: 0300 422 8232

Other Endoscopy Units

Cirencester Hospital

Tel: 0300 421 6294

Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 6:00pm

Stroud General Hospital

Tel: 0300 421 8073

Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 6:00pm