Be sure to take Plenvu rather than Gavilyte for your colonoscopy prep

I've had four or five colonoscopies, can't remember exactly.

Started when I was fifty, then, because unlucky me always has benign polyps, I'm scheduled for another colonoscopy 4-5 years later, while my more fortunate wife gets away with a 10 year repeat (she can even have the test for colon cancer that doesn't require a colonoscopy).

Tomorrow I'm having another one. So today was the preparation day: no solid food, with the colon cleansing prep starting at 4 pm, with a repeat at 11 pm, a couple of hours from now. 

I'm looking forward to the colonoscopy itself tomorrow morning, since that's the easiest part. I'm a fan of propofol that I've been getting for anesthesia.

When I wake up (or regain my memory, I'm not sure which) my first reaction always is disappointment, since the propofol puts me in such a peaceful, blissful state of consciousness -- which argues for me not remembering the procedure, rather than being unconscious.

Drinking the prep stuff, not a fan. But there's better and worse colon cleansing approaches. At first I was prescribed Gavilyte by Salem Gastro, even though the Colonoscopy Preparation Instructions I was given referred to Plenvu.

I learned about the switch only after my pharmacy said that the prep was ready to be picked up. I noticed that the container was really large, but didn't think much about this until I got home and realized that I'd gotten Gavilyte, on the right in the photo below.

When I phoned Salem Gastro to find out what happened, they said that Regence MedAdvantage, my insurance company, wouldn't pay for Plenvu, which uses the much smaller bottle on the left for two split doses. 

I told them that I'd pay out of pocket for Plenvu, since Gavilyte requires drinking 4 liters, or 135 ounces, of water mixed with the prep solution, while Plenvu requires only 32 ounces of water mixed with the prep solution, 16 ounces in two split doses. You're also supposed to drink another 16 ounces of additional clear liquids of your choice after each dose.

Fortunately, my pharmacist told me that Plenvu had a discounted price for people like me whose insurance company won't cover the cost of it. So I ended up paying $50, I think it was, for the Plenvu. The cost was worth it, since I would have add to drink over four times more prep solution with Gavilyte. 

Keep this in mind if you're scheduled for a colonoscopy. The colon cleansing process isn't pleasant, given that you have to stay near a toilet after taking any prep solution. But drinking 32 ounces of the stuff is way better than drinking 135 ounces of it.

Lastly, my even more important advice is to not put off getting a colonoscopy if your doctor says it's time for one. As unfun a colonoscopy is, it's hugely preferable to dealing with colon cancer. 

Comments

[Oldhalloween]

Colon cancer at 49 and pesky polyps so I am a frequent flyer. I use the Miralax method and the bottle is under $20. All the prescription prep has too much sodium and was hard for me to keep down. Hope you had a polyp free procedure.