- Yogurt (without any pieces of fruit).
- Fruit juices without pulp.
- Cream soups that have been strained so there are no vegetable pieces.
- Nutritional supplements.
- Ice cream and fruit ices. These must not have any pieces of fruit, nuts, fudge, or peanut butter mixed in.
1 day before your colonoscopy
Starting the day before your procedure, do not eat anything. Follow a clear liquid diet.
Follow a clear liquid diet
You’ll need to follow a clear liquid diet the day before your surgery. A clear liquid diet includes only liquids you can see through. You can find examples in the “Clear liquid diet” table.
When you’re on a clear liquid diet:
- Do not eat any solid foods.
- Try to drink at least 1 (8-ounce) cup of clear liquid every hour you’re awake.
- Drink different types of clear liquids. Do not just drink water, coffee, and tea.
For people with diabetes
Ask the healthcare provider who manages your diabetes what to do while you’re on a clear liquid diet. If you take insulin or another medicine for diabetes, ask if you need to take a different dose. Ask them if you should drink sugar-free clear liquids.
Make sure to check your blood sugar level often while you’re following a clear liquid diet. If you have any questions, talk with your healthcare provider.
- Clear broth, bouillon, or consommé.
- Anything with pieces of dried food or seasoning.
- Gelatin, such as Jell-O®.
- Flavored ices.
- Hard candies, such as Life Savers® and lemon drops.
- Anything red, purple, or orange.
- All other sweets.
- Clear fruit juices, such as lemonade, apple, white cranberry, and white grape juices.
- Soda, such as ginger ale, 7UP®, Sprite®, and seltzer.
- Sports drinks, such as Gatorade® and Powerade®.
- Coffee without milk or creamer.
- Tea without milk or creamer.
- Water, including carbonated (fizzy) and flavored water.
- Anything red, purple, or orange. This includes red, purple, and orange juices, sodas, and sports drinks.
- Juices with pulp.
- Nectars.
- Smoothies or shakes.
- Milk, cream, and other dairy products.
- Nut milks, plant milks, non-dairy creamers, and other dairy alternatives.
- Drinks with alcohol.
Note the time of your procedure
A staff member from the Admitting Office will call you after noon (12 p.m.) the day before your procedure. If your procedure is scheduled for a Monday, they’ll call you on the Friday before.
The staff member will tell you what time to arrive at the hospital for your procedure. They’ll also remind you where to go. If you do not get a call by 7 p.m. , call the Admissions office at 212-639-7606.
If you need to cancel your procedure, call the office of the doctor who scheduled it for you.
Suprep bowel preparation
You will drink a large amount of liquid for your Suprep bowel preparation. This may cause your abdomen (belly) to swell or feel uncomfortable. You may feel nauseous (like you’re going to throw up) or get a headache.
Call your doctor if you vomit (throw up) or feel pain in your abdomen. Feeling uncomfortable is normal, but feeling pain is not.
Start drinking the first part of your Suprep bowel preparation at 5 p.m. the evening before your procedure. Start at 5 p.m. no matter what time you’re scheduled to arrive for your procedure. You will need:
- Your 6-ounce bottle of Suprep liquid.
- A mixing container. This will come with your Suprep kit.
- 42 ounces of water. If you’re using bottled water, use 3 16-ounce water bottles. If you do, you will have 6 ounces of water left over. If you’re not using bottled water, you will need a measuring cup.
- Something to mix with, such as a wooden spoon.
To make your mixture:
- Empty the bottle of Suprep liquid into the mixing container.
- Add water up to the 16-ounce line on the container. Mix.
- Drink all the liquid in the container.
- Drink 2 more 16-ounce containers of water (32 ounces total) over the next hour. You do not need to drink the water all at once. But it’s important to finish all 32 ounces during the hour. Only drink water during this hour. Do not drink anything else.
- After you finish all 32 ounces of water, you can keep drinking other clear liquids. Stop drinking them no later than 4 hours before your scheduled arrival time.
Repeat these steps for the second part of your Suprep bowel preparation. The time you start drinking the second part of your Suprep bowel preparation depends on your scheduled arrival time.
- If your scheduled arrival time is before 11 a.m., start at 8 p.m. the night before your procedure.
- If your scheduled arrival time is after 11 a.m., start tomorrow. Follow the instructions in the section “The day of your colonoscopy.”
The day of your colonoscopy
If your scheduled arrival time is 11 a.m. or later, start part 2 of your Suprep bowel prep 5 hours before. You can drink clear liquids until 4 hours before your scheduled arrival time. Do not eat anything until after your procedure.
The following table will help you figure out when to start drinking part 2 of your Suprep. To read the table, first find your arrival time. The time you need to start drinking Suprep part 2 is listed in the column next to this.
If your scheduled arrival time ends in :15, :30, or :45, add that onto the hour listed in the table.
- If your arrival time is 11:15 a.m., start part 2 at 6:15 a.m.
- If your arrival time is 11:30 a.m., start part 2 at 6:30 a.m.
- If your arrival time is 11:45 a.m., start part 2 at 6:45 p.m.
| If your scheduled arrival time is… | … start drinking Suprep part 2 at |
|---|---|
| 11 a.m. | 6 a.m. |
| 12 p.m. (noon) | 7 a.m. |
| 1 p.m. | 8 a.m. |
| 2 p.m. | 9 a.m. |
| 3 p.m. | 10 a.m. |
| 4 p.m. | 11 a.m. |
| 5 p.m. | 12 p.m. (noon) |
| 6 p.m. | 1 p.m. |
Things to remember
- You can drink clear liquids until 4 hours before your scheduled arrival time. Do not eat anything until after your procedure.
- Take only the medicines you were told to take the morning of your procedure. Take them with a few sips of water no later than 2 hours before you arrive at the hospital.
- If you wear contact lenses, wear your glasses instead.
- Do not wear any lotion, cream, makeup, powder, perfume, or cologne.
- Remove any jewelry, including body piercings.
- Leave valuable items at home.
What to bring
- Your wallet card, if you have an AICD and your card isn’t already on file with the hospital.
- Your rescue inhaler (such as albuterol for asthma), if you have one.
- A case for your glasses, if you wear them.
- Your Health Care Proxy form, if you filled one out.
Where to go
Your procedure will take place at one of these locations:
- David H. Koch Center
530 East 74th Street
New York, NY 10021
Take the elevator to the 8th floor. - Endoscopy Suite at Memorial Hospital (MSK’s main hospital)
1275 York Avenue (between East 67th and East 68th Streets)
New York, NY 10065
Take the B elevator to the 2nd floor. Turn right and enter the Endoscopy/Surgical Day Hospital Suite through the glass doors. - MSK Monmouth
480 Red Hill Road
Middletown, NJ 07748
Visit www.msk.org/parking for information about parking at these locations.
What to expect when you arrive
Many staff members will ask you to say and spell your name and birth date. This is for your safety. People with the same or similar names may be having a procedure on the same day.
When it’s time for your procedure, you’ll get a hospital gown and nonskid socks to wear.
Meet with a nurse
You’ll meet with a nurse before your procedure. Tell them the dose of any medicines you took after midnight and what time you took them. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, patches, and creams.
Your nurse will place an intravenous (IV) catheter into one of your veins, usually in your arm or hand. You may get fluids through the IV before your procedure.
Meet with your GI specialist
You will talk with your GI specialist before your procedure. They will explain the procedure and answer your questions.
Meet with an anesthesiologist
You will also meet with an anesthesiologist. They will go over your medical history with you. They will talk with you about the kind of anesthesia (medicine to make you sleep) you will get.
Inside the procedure room
A staff member will bring you into the procedure room when it’s time for your colonoscopy. They’ll attach you to equipment to monitor your heart, breathing, and blood pressure. You will also get oxygen through a thin tube that rests below your nose.
You will lay on your left side with your knees bent. You will get anesthesia through your IV, which will make you fall asleep.
Once you’re asleep, your GI specialist will do your colonoscopy. This may take about 40 to 60 minutes.
After your colonoscopy
In the Post-Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU)
You will be in the PACU when you wake up after your procedure. A nurse will keep track of your heart, breathing, and blood pressure. You may feel bloated and have stomach cramps after you wake up. This is normal and goes away, usually within 15 minutes, by passing gas.
The nurse will take out your IV before you leave the hospital. Your care team will tell you when it’s safe to leave. You will need a responsible care partner to go with you.
At home
- You can eat all of your usual foods after your procedure, unless your doctor gives you other instructions.
- Do not drink alcohol for 24 hours after your procedure.
- You can go back to doing your usual activities 24 hours after your procedure.
If you had a biopsy, it’s normal to have a small amount of bleeding from your rectum. There should not be more than a few drops of blood. The bleeding should stop within 24 hours after your procedure.
After a colonoscopy, it’s normal for your bowel movements to be irregular or different from usual. This may last for up to a week after your procedure.
When to call your healthcare provider
Call your healthcare provider if you have any of the following:
- A fever of 101 °F (38.3 °C) or higher.
- Very bad stomach pain or hardness.
- Bleeding from your rectum that lasts more than 24 hours.
- Bleeding between bowel movements.
- Weakness, faintness, or nausea.
- Heavy bleeding from your rectum.
Contact information
If you have any questions or concerns, talk with a member of your healthcare team. You can reach them Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. After 5 p.m. , during the weekend, and on holidays, call 212-639-2000. Ask for the GI specialist on call.
For more resources, visit www.mskcc.org/pe to search our virtual library.
How To Prepare for Your Colonoscopy Using SUPREP® Bowel Prep Kit - Last updated on January 12, 2024
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