Preventing hypoglycemia from colonoscopy preparation
Next week I’m due to have a colonoscopy, which of course involves
cleaning
out my gut. And that requires having no solid food the day
before. Am
limited to juices without pulp (apple, lemonade, no
reds)…soda…clear
broth or bouillon…ice pops…water, tea and jello. Bon appetit,
huh??
I’m wondering how I’ll avoid having my BGs drop very low on this
"diet."
Does anyone have any experience on how to best get through this
hassle? (I’m also wondering whether to stop Byetta for that day or
two.)
Thanks,
Brian
November 13th, 2005 at 4:58 pm
Brian, I am having my colonoscopy next Friday (perhaps you will be
finished by then and can let me know how you did!) and have worried
about being too low calorie if I use the sugar free jello and having
too high bg levels if I use the jello with sugar…..But it’s only
two days………..(Ha!)
Kristi, who will call the visiting nurses tomorrow about doing the
control thing. I can’t find the original little manual for my meter,
alas.
November 15th, 2005 at 1:53 am
My Endo told me the same thing. Skip the Byetta and Metformin. Buy some
soda in case your sugar gets low.
November 15th, 2005 at 6:00 am
Marie and KJ,
Thanks for your responses. I just talked to a nurse at the local
med school’s
endo department, where I receive treatment. She confirms the idea
of
stopping Byetta and Metformin during prep stage.
Anyone who hasn’t yet had a colonoscopy…The procedure itself, in
my
experience (had my first five years ago), is no sweat. You’re
sedated with
a sort of "twilight sleep" that relaxes and calms you and half puts
you to
sleep, so the probing isn’t really uncomfortable.
The worst part, five years ago, was having to drink a gallon of a
solution
called Colyte, which is dreadful. (Try forcing yourself to drink a
gallon
of almost anything in an hour.) Now you don’t have that ordeal, at
least
if the doctor will use any of several alternatives, including
Visicol (some
laxative pills). You do want to try to avoid any preparatory
solution
that contains sodium phosphate (I think that’s the chemical), which
has been linked to serious kidney damage.
Cheers,
Brian
November 15th, 2005 at 6:16 pm
I, too, stopped my metformin the day I was on liquids.
I didn’t drink any juice. I drank broth and herbal
tea and ate sugar free jello. I also ate lightly a
day or two before so it wouldn’t be such a big
adjustment for me. Be sure your doc writes order for
a saline (not glucose) IV and check each time they
change the IV (they almost made a mistake with me).
Alyne T2, Dx 8-03, D&E, Metformin and Byetta