Bowel Prep With GoLYTELY

If you have recently scheduled a colonoscopy or barium enema x-ray, you may be familiar with the term "bowel prep." This term refers to the process of emptying the bowels completely before your procedure, often through a combination of fasting and taking a prescription laxative such as GoLYTELY^® (polyethylene glycol electrolyte solution).

When you start taking GoLYTELY as part of your bowel prep, you will mix it into a large amount of water and drink it before the procedure (typically the night before). The standard dosage is eight ounces (240 mL) every ten minutes until bowel movements are watery and clear, or until four liters are consumed. Usually at least three liters are needed for watery and clear stool.

In addition to containing a laxative, GoLYTELY has electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, to replace the electrolytes lost from the body in the watery stool.

(To learn more about bowel prep, click GoLYTELY Uses. This full-length article tells you what you need to know about GoLYTELY's effects in the body and explains why the product is currently approved only for adults.)