Alberta Colorectal Cancer Screening Program - Your five-day guide for your colonoscopy using Bi-PegLyte Kit™

Sep 27, 2026

Uploaded by Jasmine

Your five-day preparation guide for a colonoscopy through the Alberta Colorectal Cancer Screening Program using the Bi-PegLyte Kit™ explains what to do each day, starting five days before the test. It covers sharing allergies, medical devices, and a complete medication list; managing medicines around the bowel prep solution; and planning for transportation, especially if sedation is chosen. It also details how to prepare the bowel with bisacodyl tablets and PEG3350 laxative, maintain clear fluids, and avoid incorrect product substitutions.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages13

Reading Time33 min

AccessFree to download

General points about your upcoming colonoscopy

Bi-PegLyte Kit™ medicines guidance

Make plans for getting home after the test

Preparing your bowel

Alberta Colorectal Cancer Screening Program Your five-day guide for your colonoscopy using Bi-PegLyte Kit™ | Patient’s name: | | | --- | --- | | Your colonoscopy is on: | | | Clinic where you are having your colonoscopy: | (Day of the week, month, date and year) | | Please arrive for your
colonoscopy at: | | | Clinic telephone
number: | | | ‘Ask a Question’
telephone number: | | | Start to get ready five
days before on: | | | (Day of the week, month, date and year) | | | Please prepare ahead of time | Getting ready for a colonoscopy takes five days. This handout goes through what you’ll need to do each day in your five-day preparation. Please read through these instructions before starting to get ready foryour test. If you have any questions about the instructions, please call the ‘Ask a Question’ telephone number listed above. | General points about your upcoming colonoscopy Before your colonoscopy tell the doctor or nurse about any drug allergies or health issues you have. Tell the nurse or doctor if you have any medical devices such as an insulin pump, pacemaker, defibrillator, home oxygen, sleep apnea machine, or hearing aids. Write down all of the medicines you take. Your list should include prescriptions, over the counter medicine, such as Advil™, Aspirin™, iron supplements and herbal supplements. Be sure to include strong painkillers (opioids), tranquillizers such as Valium™ and Xanax™, marijuana or other nonprescription drugs. Make sure your nurse or doctor sees this list. Bi-PegLyte Kit™ Alberta Colorectal Cancer Screening Program Bi-PegLyte Kit™ | Medicines
| Most medicine can be taken up to and on the day of your test. If you take regular medicine by mouth you may need to adjust the timing. Medicines taken within two hours of drinking the bowel preparation solution may not be fully absorbed into your body and may not work as well. | | --- | --- | | | Do not take any medicine within the two hours before or after drinking the bowel preparation solution. If you need advice on when to take your medicines, talk to your pharmacist or healthcare provider. | | | Diabetic pills and or insulin, blood thinners, and antithrombotics, such as Coumadin™, Plavix™, Pradaxa™ and Xarelto™, are examples of medicines that might need to be adjusted or stopped.
If you take these medicines talk to the nurse or doctor before your test. They will tell you if you need to stop or adjust any medicine before your test. | | | If you start taking any new medicine once your test is booked that the clinic doesn’t know about, let them know right away. Some medicines can make the test unsafe to be done. Call the‘Ask a Question’ telephone number listed on the first page before the day of your test to make sure it is OK to take. | Make plans forgetting home after the test • You may choose whether or not you want to have sedation medicine. Colonoscopies can be comfortable without medicine to help you relax (sedation). Some people can get cramps (pain). Many people do choose to have sedation medicine for the procedure. | • If you have sedation medicine, you may not drive for at least eight hours after you were given sedation. Sedation will make you feel sleepy. A responsible adult is required to take you home after the test. | | --- | | • Your driver will need to come into the department where you’re having your test done to pick you up. Do not drive, or take a taxi or bus by yourself to get home. | • If you do not want sedation medicine, talk to your nurse or doctor on the day of your test. Make plans to have someone drive you home after the test, in case you end up asking for sedation so you can be more comfortable. Alberta Colorectal Cancer Screening Program Bi-PegLyte Kit™ | | It’s important for you to let your driver know the
following information: | | --- | --- | | | Your driver will need to be in the clinic hours after the time you were told to arrive.
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FAQs

What should you tell the doctor or nurse before your colonoscopy?

Tell the doctor or nurse about any drug allergies or health issues. Also report medical devices (e.g., insulin pump, pacemaker) and hearing aids, and write down all medicines you take so the nurse or doctor can see the list.

How should medicines be handled around the bowel preparation solution?

Most medicines can be taken up to and on the day of the test, but medicines taken within two hours of drinking the bowel preparation solution may not be absorbed well. Do not take any medicine within the two hours before or after drinking the solution, and discuss diabetic pills/insulin and blood thinners with the care team.

What bowel preparation steps are required and why?

Prepare the bowel by taking bisacodyl tablets and drinking a strong PEG3350 laxative solution to empty and clean out the bowel. If the bowel isn’t clean enough, polyps or other areas may be missed and the test may need to be cancelled and rebooked, requiring the prep process again.

Sep 27, 2026

Uploaded by Jasmine