How to prepare for a colonoscopy with Lavacol

What is Lavacol: composition, release form and indications for use

Lavacol is prescribed for colonoscopy because it is one of the most effective laxatives with osmotic properties. It is a powder for the preparation of an oral solution. The product is produced in 14 g bags, which are sold in packs of 15 pieces. The main active component in it is macrogol 400 (12 g). And another 2 g are auxiliary components - sodium and potassium salts.

The main indication for prescribing this remedy is preparation for endoscopy, irrigoscopy or surgery, during which the intestines must be absolutely clean. In addition, it is actively used for the treatment of systematic insufficient bowel movements in adult patients.

Preparation with Lavacol, if the procedure is under anesthesia

Given the pain and discomfort during colonoscopy, diagnosis can be performed under anesthesia. The following types of anesthesia are known: sedation, local or general anesthesia.

If pain relief is necessary, Lavacol is taken according to the same regimen. The product does not reduce the effectiveness of anesthesia, since the last dose is taken 4-5 hours before. Failure to do so may reduce the effect of the sedative. Also, unwanted vomiting develops during the manipulation.

Attention ! During the morning procedure under anesthesia, patients should not eat any food. Food can trigger severe vomiting and an allergic reaction.

Patients with diabetes should discuss management tactics with their doctor.

How does Lavacol work?

Each sachet of the drug contains an osmotic laxative. Intestinal cleansing occurs according to the following mechanism:

1. The active substance increases excess hydrostatic pressure and the volume of fluid contained in the intestine, accelerating intestinal motor function.
2. The active component of the drug interferes with the absorption of water from the stomach and intestines, and also accelerates bowel cleansing due to the frequent urge to defecate.
3. The water-electrolyte balance of the body is not disturbed, since the composition contains sodium and potassium salts.

In order for the preparatory process for colonoscopy with Lavacol to go smoothly and productively, it is necessary to strictly follow the medical recommendations and the information contained in the annotation.

Characteristics of the survey

Colon cleansing is a standard procedure before examination with a colonoscope. Colonoscopy represents instrumental diagnostic methods. It is performed by inserting a colonoscope, which has a compact video camera at the end. Diagnostics allows you to examine the intestinal mucous membranes if the doctor suspects any pathological processes in them.

The device is administered rectally. A doctor can examine the lower intestine in real time for the following diseases:

• foci of inflammation;
• erosive and ulcerative lesions;
• internal hemorrhoids;
• benign or malignant tumors;
• polyps;
• presence of foreign objects.

The procedure may cause some discomfort, therefore, if the patient is highly sensitive, anesthesia is recommended. The duration of the procedure is no more than half an hour. If the patient has not been trained, the doctor has the right to refuse the study.

Diet before use

It is necessary to thoroughly cleanse the digestive tract before colonoscopy. Before you start taking a laxative, you need to change your approach to eating:

1. The diet should be dominated by easily digestible foods, which, after entering the gastrointestinal tract, are digested without residue.
2. 2-3 days before the examination, it is not recommended to overeat at night, but it is better to drink low-fat fermented milk products or green tea instead of dinner.
3. After your last meal, at least 12 hours should pass before your scheduled colonoscopy.

The peculiarities of the colonoscopic examination of the intestines require that the patient adhere to a slag-free diet for 3-5 days. This means that it is necessary to abandon foods that increase flatulence and the formation of large volumes of feces.

How to prepare for a colonoscopy examination?

In order to examine the intestinal mucosa, it is necessary that there is no feces in the lumen and on the walls of the intestine. The success and information content of the study is determined mainly by the quality of preparation for the procedure, so be careful about following the recommendations for preliminary preparation and following the method of using the drug.

Preliminary preparation of the intestine for examination

If you do not suffer from constipation, you should follow the following diet for two days before your colonoscopy.

Exclude from the diet:

• all fresh vegetables and fruits, including beets (borscht), potatoes, herbs, berries
• “coloring” drinks: tomato, pomegranate juice, black coffee, Coca-Cola, etc.
• black bread, mushrooms, beans, peas
• Activated carbon

Allowed for food:

• bouillon
• semolina
• egg
• omelette
• boiled meat
• fish
• cheese
• oil
• fermented milk products, except hard cottage cheese

If you have a tendency to constipation (lack of independent bowel movements for 3 days), then you need to take your usual laxatives 2 days before the test, and also adhere to the diet described above.

While taking the drug, only liquid food (broth, sweet green tea) is consumed.

On the morning of the test, you should drink green sweet tea.

Instructions for use

How to take Lavacol is described in detail in the instructions. Before use, the powder should be thoroughly dissolved in 200-250 ml of water. If the patient begins to use a bowel cleanser, then at this time it is allowed to consume food only in liquid form. The preparatory stage using a laxative should be completed 3-4 hours before the scheduled diagnostic procedure.

General rules for using Lavacol

The use of the drug must be carried out according to a certain scheme. If the remedy is used for the systematic treatment of constipation, then the patient needs to drink one glass of the solution in the morning and in the evening. The daily dose is selected based on the body’s response and the achievement of a therapeutic effect.

The patient feels the effect of the medicine for two days. When, with the help of an osmotic laxative, it is possible to normalize intestinal motility and its basic functions, then in the future, in order to prevent persistent constipation, it is necessary to lead an active lifestyle and enrich your diet with plant fiber.

Use of Lavacol before colonoscopy

The use of Lavacol in preparation for a colonoscopy may vary depending on the planned time for the procedure. Preparing for a colonoscopy with Lavacol, if the procedure is planned in the morning, means taking the solution the night before - all 15 sachets, 1 piece every 20 minutes. The optimal time to take the medicine is from 17:00 to 22:00.

If the procedure is planned in the afternoon (after 12 o’clock), then taking the solution should be divided into 2 stages. In the evening of the previous day, you need to take 10 sachets, and the remaining 5 in the morning. The optimal hours for taking a laxative are from 19:00 to 22:00, and in the morning - from 6:00 to 9:00.

The principle of action of the medicine

how Lavacol works
The main purpose of Lavacol is to cleanse the gastrointestinal tract of food debris and feces. This procedure is necessary before performing various medical procedures, in particular colonoscopy. The importance of the gastrointestinal tract cleansing procedure is due to the fact that the effectiveness of the diagnostic procedure depends on it. If the intestines are not properly cleansed, there is a risk of complications and infection. Following the instructions for the drug will help achieve the purpose of its use and eliminate the need for an enema.

Preparation for the intestinal colonoscopy procedure with Lavacol has its own characteristics. The main active ingredient of the drug is polyethylene glycol. It holds water molecules and accumulates them. This is necessary to increase the volume of intestinal contents and further its rapid exit. Additional substances such as sodium sulfate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium chloride, potassium chloride will prevent intestinal dehydration and, as a result, water imbalance.

Features of the drug

Features of the drug

In most cases, some discomfort in the body is expected from the use of laxatives. Lavacol in this regard does not cause discomfort in the stomach, there is no pain and no gag reflex. A significant advantage is its relatively low cost, the price varies within 200 rubles for the entire package. There is no need to select measured doses, since the product is packaged in convenient single-use sachets.

Recommendations for the use of various laxatives note their ability to disrupt the intestinal microflora. But according to reviews of people who have used this drug, such an effect is not noticeable.

However, it is necessary to warn that the drug does not have a very pleasant taste. But this is only a temporary and easily removable effect. When used correctly, the drug will help to thoroughly cleanse the intestines and prepare for the upcoming procedure.

Note that bowel cleansing can occur not only with the help of this drug, but also in a more budget-friendly way - an enema.

Restrictions on the use of Lavacol

Despite the effectiveness of this product, there are many contraindications:

• individual intolerance to macrogol or any other component present in the composition;
• dehydration of the body;
• formation of ulcerative lesions in the stomach;
• decreased activity of the muscular apparatus of the stomach;
• complete or partial disruption of the passage of contents through the digestive tract;
• penetrating damage to the wall of the large intestine;
• ulcerative colitis, regional enteritis;
• decompensated myocardial dysfunction;
• patients under 18 years of age.

If the patient has such restrictions, the doctor may recommend that he use other laxatives that are suitable for his case. Or he will tell the patient another way out.

Indications and contraindications

The drug is prescribed not only before colonoscopy, but also during other types of examination of the gastrointestinal tract. Preparation for abdominal surgery is not complete without such a cleansing procedure. The rather simple composition of the drug did not relieve it of contraindications. These are the following states:

1. If the patient has perforation of the intestine or any of its parts, then this drug is not used as a laxative;
2. Intestinal obstruction is a condition in which the use of Lavacol poses a danger to the patient's health. Therefore, this is also a contraindication;
3. Some diseases leading to thickening or thinning of the large intestine exclude the possibility of using the drug in question;
4. For peptic ulcers of the gastrointestinal tract or gastric stenosis;
5. All kidney pathologies;
6. State of dehydration of the body and general weakness;
7. Heart failure;
8. Children's age up to 5 years.

Analogues of Lavacol and their comparative characteristics

Among the main analogues of Lavacol in the pharmacy, the patient can be offered: Fortrans (France), Moviprep (Netherlands), Endofalk (Germany), Tranzipeg (Switzerland), Kasenlax (Spain). Often patients are lost and do not know what is best to choose.

Some people prefer to support the domestic manufacturer and, in the absence of Lavacol, continue to search for it in other pharmacies. And others still opt for analogues, but at the same time try in every possible way to understand: Lavacol or Fortrans - which is better for preparing for a colonoscopy.

Lavacol certainly has a more attractive price, but the pros and cons of such a plan should also be taken into account:

1. Lavacol has a more neutral taste, reminiscent of mineral water, while Fortrans has an unpleasant taste and smell that can provoke a gag reflex in the patient.
2. After using Fortrans, the effect occurs within 60 minutes, and after the Russian analogue only after 2-3 hours.

Although Lavacol, Fortrans and other listed drugs are synonymous analogues (they have an identical composition), and therefore have a similar effect on the body, it is still possible to replace one drug with another only with the permission of a doctor.

Lavacol before colonoscopy is a proven remedy that helps to prepare the digestive tract for the examination as correctly as possible. Taking this drug is not the most pleasant experience, but any patient can cope with this task. The main thing is to do everything as stated in the instructions for use.

Purpose of the drug and its side effects

Lavacol is usually prescribed as a preparatory measure for a colonoscopy. In addition, the drug is indicated in the following cases:

• For carrying out any research procedures of the gastrointestinal tract.
• As a preparatory measure before operations.

Lavacol is an effective remedy to help prepare for a colonoscopy

There are situations when taking a drug causes side effects, which manifest themselves in the form of:

• nausea,
• vomiting,
• feeling of heaviness in the stomach.

In this case, you should not continue taking Lavacol. Moreover, the symptoms will stop after complete cleansing of the rectum.

Reasons for taking the drug

In medical practice, Lavacol is a frequently prescribed drug for bowel cleansing before surgery or examination of the gastrointestinal tract. A significant advantage of the solution prepared from powder is its ability to cleanse all parts of the gastrointestinal tract, and not just relax rectal motility. This is how other laxatives or enemas work; a one-time dose of the medicine does not affect the balance of microflora in the digestive tract and does not change the composition of the blood. An analogue of Lavacol is the French fortrans, which is inferior to the Russian medicine in taste and cost.

When planning examinations, it is recommended to use Lavacol, due to its easy tolerability and ability to improve visualization during rectal examinations of the digestive or genitourinary systems. Basically, the use of the drug is indicated when planning:

• surgical operations on the intestines,
• endoscopic or x-ray examination of the colon,
• colonoscopy with the introduction of a rectal probe for visual assessment of the condition of the lower sections,
• TRUS is a transrectal ultrasound examination of the prostate, which is one of the most informative for the study of this organ.

Preparation for research begins at least 18 hours before the procedure itself, the medicine is prescribed by a doctor, and dispensed from pharmacies without a prescription.

What information is missing from the article?

• More drug analogues
• Contraindications for concomitant diseases
• Dosage of the drug
• When will the effect of use be noticeable?
• What drugs should not be combined with?

The mechanism of bowel cleansing with Lavacol

According to the instructions for Lavacol, to carry out one cleansing procedure you will need one package of the drug with all its contents (fifteen sachets). Those whose weight is less than 55 kg can use 2-4 sachets less. But, as practice shows, for the vast majority of people with average body weight, ten sachets are enough to completely cleanse the intestines.

The cleansing procedure is long and tedious; it is advisable to allocate a whole day for its implementation and subsequent rest.

Cleaning sequence:

1. It is advisable to start the procedure in the morning, always on an empty stomach: even a small sandwich eaten the day before can provoke vomiting.
2. Pour the contents of one sachet into a glass (200 ml) of boiled water, cooled to room temperature. Macrogol does not dissolve well, so mix thoroughly.
3. Drink the resulting solution; wait 20 minutes.
4. After this time, dissolve another packet of Lavacol in the same amount of water; Drink the entire amount again.
5. Continue preparing and drinking the solution in the same way until all the sachets from the package are used and the total volume of water drunk is 3 liters.
6. The result will not be long in coming. Within two to four hours after you start taking it, you will become a regular visitor to the toilet. In essence, the action of Lavacol resembles severe diarrhea, but with less pronounced spasmodic pain in the abdomen.
7. The consistency of the stool will be liquid from the beginning to the end of the procedure. Cleansing can be considered complete when clear or slightly yellowish water begins to come out of the intestines.
8. After taking the solution, consume mainly liquid foods - pureed soups, low-fat broths, etc.

The Lavacol colon cleansing scheme is simple to understand, but difficult to implement. Theoretically, all that is needed for its correct implementation is to drink three liters of water with powder diluted in it. But not everyone can pour such a volume of salty-sour liquid into themselves. Difficulties in administration are the main problem when cleansing with Lavacol: drinking the solution is often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

Why is cleansing necessary?

Preparation before colonoscopy is aimed at creating the most satisfactory conditions for examining the intestines. Cleansing before a colonoscopy will allow the endoscopic device to move freely through the colon and also detect any areas of pathological processes.

The large intestine needs to be cleared of the accumulation of feces, waste, and possible blood clots. Preparation also includes a three-day diet; fasting is indicated in the last twelve hours before the examination. It eliminates constipation and promotes cleansing. Afterwards, a medicinal or enema cleansing of the intestines is performed.

If bowel cleansing is not performed, the doctor may refuse to perform the procedure. Also, if the cleansing is not complete, the examination results may be considered unreliable - this is not in the patient’s interests, since delay in treating the intestines can lead to life-threatening conditions.

special instructions

Doctors prohibit the use of the drug for long-term treatment, because this can cause increased stress on the intestines and lead to failure of its peristalsis. Before using the product, be sure to consult your doctor. The medication does not contain dextrose or lactulose; it can be used by patients with diabetes mellitus and patients with glucose-galactose intolerance. You can use the powder no more than 2-3 times a year to avoid:

• microflora disorders;
• development of chronic constipation;
• colitis, enteritis;
• dysbacteriosis.

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Dietary recommendations

The Express Preparation Diet lasts three days, but to get the most detailed results, it is recommended to start the diet seven days in advance. In the first days, you should follow a diet in which calorie content will be reduced. It is necessary to exclude the following dishes:

• fatty meat, cabbage, legumes;
• bread, baked goods, confectionery;
• fast food, pickles;
• dried fruits, bananas, citrus fruits;
• raspberries, sorrel, spinach;
• soda, alcohol, strong coffee and tea;
• smoked products.

Nutrition helps eliminate bloating, flatulence, and reduce the amount of feces. It is recommended not to have dinner, take only liquid foods and fermented milk products with a low fat content.

The following products should be included in the diet:

• low-fat fish;
• boiled meat: veal, chicken breast, rabbit;
• secondary broths;
• porridge from rice, buckwheat;
• baking only from wholemeal flour;
• jelly, compote, juice;
• kefir, low-fat cottage cheese.

It is recommended to eat raw foods whenever possible. Process fish and meat by boiling or steaming. You should choose herbal or green tea, replace sugar with honey. First courses are made with vegetable broths or secondary meat and fish broths.