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Bowel Prep Using Fleets Phospho-Soda
Before your colonoscopy, you may be asked to do a bowel prep using Fleets Phospho-Soda. A bowel prep is the process of cleaning out your bowels before a colonoscopy. There are many different medications you can use to help empty your bowels, and Fleets Phospho-Soda is a type of over-the-counter laxative that is commonly used.
A very important part of a colonoscopy is being able to see the inside of your large intestine or colon. If your colon has too much food in it, your doctor will not be able to see it clearly. To help your doctor see it better, you will need to clean out your bowels by giving yourself an enema or using special medications. Cleaning out your bowels is called a "bowel prep." The bowel prep is one of the most important parts of having a colonoscopy, even though it is done on the day before the procedure.
This article discusses bowel prep using a laxative known as Fleets Phospho-Soda®.
(You can read about bowel prep using the liquid solutions Nulytely®, Golytely®, or Colyte® by going to the eMedTV article Bowel Prep.)
Fleets Phospho-Soda is a laxative that can be bought over the counter at most pharmacies.
When you purchase this item, be very careful not to confuse it with Fleets enemas. They are made by the same company and the boxes look similar, but Fleet enemas are taken rectally and Fleets Phospho-Soda is taken by mouth. If you are unsure, make sure to ask your pharmacist.
You will need to buy a total of 3 ounces of the Phospho-soda.
Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD