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Bowel preparation before a colonoscopy is important. It begins days before your exam. Follow your provider’s instructions for SUTAB exactly as written.
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SUTAB® is a brand name for a medication that contains sodium sulfate, magnesium sulfate and potassium chloride. It cleans out your colon (large intestine) to prepare it for a colonoscopy. SUTAB pulls water into your colon to help you poop faster.
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Bowel prep completely clears your colon of stool. It’s essential because it gives your gastroenterologist the best view of the lining of your colon so they can detect polyps or cancer. For your provider, a clean colon is like driving on a clear, sunny day. A dirty colon is like driving in a rainstorm.
If you’re a Cleveland Clinic patient, you must follow the instructions for bowel preparation exactly as prescribed or your colonoscopy will be canceled.
SUTAB comes in a kit that contains two medication bottles and a cup for water. Each bottle contains 12 tablets (pills). You’ll take 12 pills (one bottle) with water from the cup the night before your exam. Later that evening, drink two more cups of water. Fill the cup to the line each time. Then, six hours before your exam, repeat all three of those steps.
Be sure to follow all the instructions exactly. If you don’t, your provider may need to cancel or repeat your colonoscopy.
The following instructions are key to a successful colonoscopy:
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A responsible driver must be with you when you check in before your colonoscopy. They must stay in the waiting area until you’re discharged. You must have someone take you home after your colonoscopy. You can’t drive or leave the facility alone. Avoid operating any sort of vehicle, including a bike, car, scooter and more.
For your safety, you may need to stop or change some of your medications before your procedure. These include:
Medications like aspirin, antibiotics or diuretics should be taken with a sip of water on the day of the exam. If you’re unsure which medications you can continue to take, please get in touch with your healthcare provider.
Stop eating these high-fiber foods three days before your colonoscopy:
You should only drink clear liquids beginning the day before your colonoscopy. Don’t eat any solid foods.
You can continue to drink clear liquids until three hours before your colonoscopy. The chart shows what you can and can’t drink:
| OK To Drink (No Red, Purple or Orange Liquids) | DO NOT DRINK |
|---|---|
| Gatorade or Powerade in yellow, green or blue | Alcohol |
| Clear broth or bouillon | Milk or non-dairy creamer |
| Coffee or tea (no milk or creamer. Sugar and sugar substitutes are OK) | Noodles or vegetables in broth |
| Sodas/soft drinks | Juice with pulp |
| Kool-Aid or other fruit-flavored drinks in yellow, green or blue | Liquid you can’t see through |
| Strained fruit juices (no pulp) | |
| Jell-O, Popsicles, hard candy (not red, purple or orange) | |
| Water | |
| OK To Drink (No Red, Purple or Orange Liquids) | |
| Gatorade or Powerade in yellow, green or blue | |
| DO NOT DRINK | |
| Alcohol | |
| Clear broth or bouillon | |
| DO NOT DRINK | |
| Milk or non-dairy creamer | |
| Coffee or tea (no milk or creamer. Sugar and sugar substitutes are OK) | |
| DO NOT DRINK | |
| Noodles or vegetables in broth | |
| Sodas/soft drinks | |
| DO NOT DRINK | |
| Juice with pulp | |
| Kool-Aid or other fruit-flavored drinks in yellow, green or blue | |
| DO NOT DRINK | |
| Liquid you can’t see through | |
| Strained fruit juices (no pulp) | |
| DO NOT DRINK | |
| Jell-O, Popsicles, hard candy (not red, purple or orange) | |
| DO NOT DRINK | |
| Water | |
| DO NOT DRINK | |
Read all the instructions before mixing the bowel prep solution. You’ll take the preparation in two parts, and each part has three steps.
Step 1: 6 p.m. the evening before your colonoscopy
Step 2: 9 p.m. the evening before your colonoscopy
Step 3: Once you’ve finished step 2, drink a third cup of water
Step 4: Six hours before your colonoscopy
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Some people’s bowels move slowly. If yours do, you may need different instructions. Please see a provider for personalized bowel prep instructions if you have:
Yes. In fact, you should stay hydrated by drinking at least 12 8-10-ounce servings of clear liquids in addition to the water you drink with your bowel prep medicine. Just be sure to stop drinking all clear liquids three hours before your colonoscopy.
You should stop pooping a few hours after you start. But everyone’s a little different. For most people who take their SUTAB pills on time, diarrhea stops so that you can get some sleep at night. Maybe you’re nervous that you’ll have to stop on your way from the house to the medical office for your procedure. If you follow the directions, you should have very little left in your bowel when it’s time to start your commute.
You may take extra laxatives in the days leading up to your prep. This should help resolve your constipation before your bowel prep day.
Contact your physician as you’ll likely need additional bowel prep instructions.
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Certain medical conditions and medications can slow bowel emptying or lead to constipation. Conditions like Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis (MS) or using a wheelchair can slow down your digestion. Medications like narcotics, gabapentin and anticholinergic medications can also have an impact. Contact your physician and be sure to share your medical history and current medication use, as you’ll likely need extra time and additional laxatives to complete your bowel prep.
Start your prep two to three hours earlier to allow yourself more time to complete the entire prep.
If you can’t finish your entire bowel prep, you’ll likely need to reschedule your colonoscopy due to poor prep quality.
Gastric bypass surgery involves your stomach and small bowel. It doesn’t change the length of your colon. You may need to drink smaller amounts of water more slowly. You’ll need to complete the entire bowel prep, it may just take longer.
Please consult your nephrologist prior to scheduling to get instructions that are specific to you. In general, dialysis patients take the Golytely® bowel prep and have the procedure on the same day as their dialysis (colonoscopy in a.m., dialysis in p.m.).
If you can pour it in a glass and you can see through it, it’s considered “clear liquid.”
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An adult must be present with you at check-in for your colonoscopy and remain in the endoscopy area until you’re discharged. You can hire a driver to take you home only if this adult escort is with you at check-in, remains in the endoscopy area until you’re discharged and takes the hired ride home with you.
No, you must have an adult with you when you check in. Your responsible adult must remain in the endoscopy center during your procedure and then drive you home. You can’t drive a vehicle for the rest of the day.
Bowel preparation is an important part of your colonoscopy. Make sure to follow your gastroenterologist’s instructions on how to prepare for your exam. Having a clear colon makes it easier for them to detect polyps and other abnormalities. Ask your healthcare team any questions you have about using SUTAB bowel preparation kit before you begin.
A colonoscopy or other screening is an important test for colon cancer. The team at Cleveland Clinic can give you peace of mind and expert care when you need it.
Last reviewed on 05/01/2025.
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