There is nothing worse than not eating all day in order to prepare for a colonoscopy and then somehow messing up your preparation and having to do the entire process all over again. Here are some common mistakes that many people make while preparing for a colonoscopy and how to avoid them.

1. Leaving the House For a Long Period of Time

One common mistake that many people make when preparing for a colonoscopy is leaving their homes for long periods of time. The reason why this is a bad idea is because you are likely going to have watery stools and diarrhea that will be inconvenient if you don't have access to your own bathroom. You can avoid this problem by simply planning to have your colonoscopy on a Monday, which means that you will be able to stay home all day Sunday, since there is no work, and prepare for it. You can also actively work to keep any trips that you are going on outside the home as short as possible.

2. Giving Up Partway Through

You need to not eat for 12 to 24 hours in most cases for colonoscopy prep. This can be very unpleasant because you are going to end up feeling weak and tired, as well as cranky because you are so hungry. You might be tempted to give up. However, this will result in your stools not being clear enough for the doctor to actually be able to tell if your colon has any issues or not. This means that you will have to repeat the test and get checked again a few weeks later. It is better to be miserable for one day than for more than one day. Avoid this problem by motivating yourself to get through it. One popular form of motivation is planning on going to a big lunch at your favorite restaurant when the procedure is completed.

3. Taking Certain Medications

The last thing that you need to avoid doing is taking certain medications, such as fiber supplements or blood thinners. You might be so in the habit that you automatically take them after waking up. Hide all of the medications that your doctor says are not okay to take before the colonoscopy so that you don't automatically take them by accident. This will allow you to go into your colonoscopy knowing that it will be able to be completed.

For more information, talk to a company that specializes in colonoscopies.