Three Days Before Your Test

Barium enema Important! How to prepare Please read this information as soon as you get it! Your This sheet contains important information about your preparations begin several days bowel prep and other aspects of preparing for your before your test. barium enema. Please read all this information as soon as you get it so you will know what preparations you need to make.

Three days before your test . Begin a low-residue diet. (Example: If your test is on Tuesday morning, begin this diet on Saturday What you will need morning). Avoid fruits, salads, cereals, bran, You will need to buy the following Metamucil, seeds, and nuts. You may have supplies for your prep. Be sure you have them by the day before your chicken, fish, potatoes, white bread, certain soups, barium enema. Jell-O, tea, or coffee.  Magnesium citrate, lemon or . For a detailed description of a low-residue diet, original flavor – one bottle (10 see enclosed fact sheet. oz.)  Two bisacodyl tablets (5 mg.) The day before your test . Begin a clear liquid diet. (For example, if your test  One (10 mg.) bisacodyl is on Tuesday morning, begin clear liquids on suppository Monday morning.)  Three (3) bottles (16 oz. each) of clear liquid or sports drink (except . Clear liquids include water, broth, Jell-O (not red red or pink) or pink), Gatorade, Sprite, clear juices, and popsicles (no red popsicles). No milk or other  One packets of Jell-O – any color dairy products. except red or pink

. Be sure to drink plenty of fluid during the day.  Vegetable, chicken, or beef bouillon broth cubes You should be on a clear liquid diet all day, starting at breakfast.  Baby wipes

. At 4 pm the day before your test, drink the bottle of Magnesium Citrate (10 ounces). (If it makes you feel sick, try adding ice cubes and/or using a straw.)

. Within the next two hours, drink at least three 8-ounce glasses of clear liquid.

. When you begin to have diarrhea, Vaseline jelly may be used around the outside of the rectum after each bowel movement to help prevent irritation. Using baby wipes instead of toilet paper might also help irritation.

. At 8 pm the night before your test, take the two bisacodyl tablets. Over  The day of your procedure If you have questions or concerns call: . Stop drinking fluids three (3) Business hours hours before your appointment time. Dr. Bettina Siewert . 617-754-2598, or . You may take any routine . page Dr. Siewert by calling 617-667-7000 medicines at your usual time, with a small sip of water. If you take insulin Evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays or other medicine for diabetes, check Radiology resident on call with the doctor who manages your . page radiology resident by calling 617-667-7000 diabetes to see if you need to make any changes in your diabetes care on the day before and the day of your test, when you are not eating and drinking normally.

. Two hours before the test, use the 10 mg. bisacodyl suppository as directed.

. Please report to the 4th floor Shapiro Clinical Center, which is on the east campus of Beth Israel Deaconesses Medical Center. For directions to the hospital, please call 617-667- 3000.

Important! The bowel prep can cause you to lose up to two quarts of fluid in the bowel movement. It is very important that you drink extra fluid on the day that you are doing your prep and for two days after your test. This helps avoid complications, such as dizziness and fainting.

This material was prepared by clinicians in radiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. It is produced and distributed by the Beth Israel Deaconess Learning Center. ©2012, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. All rights reserved. MC0083 02/12