I used Golytely five years ago for my colonoscopy. It didn't taste good but was tolerable. It seemed to do a good job of cleaning me out. This year I was given Moviprep for my procedure. This stuff tasted awful and the worst part was it was rather ineffective. Instead of five years, I have to go back in three because of the poor prep. Unless something better comes out in three years I will probably go back to Golytely. If you have to go through the prep for the colonoscopy, at least use something that works well.

hjmpostal

USA

**Golytely**. Yea...right. Go heavily. Go fast. Go, honey, go. Go go go. But not lightly. Nope. Not even close. Even Polyethylene Glycol/Electrolytes for Solution (generic name) sounds better suited to this drug than Golytely. **Golytely** is a bowel prep--a strong laxative. This is a memorable drug. It is used to cleanse the bowel before tests such as a colonoscopy. After reading this, if you get the burning urge to take this drug, you'll have to get a prescription from your doctor. **Here's what's good about Golytely:** - If taken as directed, it will clean you out from your eyelashes to your toenails. If you would like pretty pictures for your colonoscopy, this is a good thing. - It comes with a choice of flavors. **Here's what's bad about Golytely:** - You have to mix the medication in a jug about the size of the refrigerator. Well, maybe I'm exaggerating a bit on that one, but 4 liters certainly looks big. - The drug must be mixed with water and your chosen flavor packet--I have not heard of anyone saying if any of the flavors taste good. I believe the orange and lemon-lime flavors are definite nasty flavors, but there are probably others that are just as bad. Information on a website specifically says not to add sugar, sweeteners, or other agents to Golytely. - You might want to wash your mouth with mouthwash after drinking Golytely, and it tends to be easier to drink it as quickly as possible, especially since you'll be drinking a cup every 10 minutes. - They say chilling the mixed drug improves the taste. I guess it COULD taste worse warm. - You are supposed to shake the drug before each dose--you may want to do this while sitting on the toilet because sudden jerking motions may be dangerous after drinking about 2 liters of this stuff. - The doctor will usually order you to stop eating a few hours before beginning this medication. Since it may make you feel like throwing up, not eating is probably a good thing. Usually only clear liquids are allowed and you may not be allowed to take anything by mouth for a certain number of hours before the procedure. - A normal prep involves drinking 8 ounce (240 mL) of **Golytely** every 10 minutes until all of the drug is taken (it contains 4 Liters or 4000 mL total) - Unless there is a major bowel problem (and you would need to contact the doctor if you do not begin to have bowel movements while taking **Golytely**), you should begin to feel the effects of this medicine and are likely to have cramps within about an hour--they say that about 3 liters is required to produce the watery stools that you are striving for. - Do they equip toilets with 5-point restraints? Perhaps you should put the jug on ice by the commode rather than replacing it in the refrigerator. - You will be glad to know that you are getting exercise by moving rather quickly from point A to the bathroom numerous times throughout the course of this treatment. - Perhaps the only thing worse than having to take this drug is not taking enough of it to get good pictures in the colonoscopy--that would not be a good thing to have to repeat. Better get your time and money's worth the first time around. **Other cautions...notify your doctor if:** - you are allergic to any of the ingredients in **Golytely**. - you are taking any other medications. - you experience allergic symptoms - you experience severe side effects such as chest pain, a slow/irregular heart beat, etc. - you are pregnant. **My Viewpoint:** I have never taken **Golytely**, but I have witnessed people who have. I have also seen other bowel preps that are not quite as hard to take. This one seems to resemble cruel and unusual punishment to me, but it can work. If you must take **Golytely**, I feel for you.

Katrena

Piedmont, NC

Number two you say, no pun intended, what could possibly be worse??  Well a needle biopsy on my thyroid with no anaesthesia is number one for me!  This stuff was nasty, foul tasting.  It comes with a packet of lemon flavor you can add, but I am alergic to the artificial sweetners in it so that was no use to me.  My doctors office actually included instructions to sip it!  Yeah right, I chugged it down, starting at 4pm a glass every 15 min with a small break in the middle and then on to the last half of gallon.  I finished it at quarter to 11pm!!!!  My husband had a colonoscopy and didn't get stuck with this nasty stuff, I think I got a lousy doctor.  Next time I am going to choose the doctor by what the prescription for cleansing is on his/her list.  This stuff was still tearing up my guts, even though they were empty the next day!  I got a migraine and the nurse told me the prep causes migraines! 

DeniseSmithPope

Charlotte, NC

I took this as a prep for a colonoscopy.  Being only 31 years old, I wouldn't go through with a colonoscopy OR this prep unless it was really necessary.  I was told by several people how awful this would taste so that stuck in my head and scared the living bejesus out of me.  In preparation, I have had 4 liters of water chilling in my fridge for the past two days and, as instructed, I put the 4 liter container of GoLytley into my fridge 2 hours before taking it.  The combination of the absolutely freezing cold water plus the chilled solution makes it tolerable to drink.  I have a horrible gag reflex and it's kicked it a lot while taking this product, but as someone with no sense of smell and a hindered sense of taste, it's really not that bad.  Focusing on how bad it supposedly tasted and having to drink 8 ounces at once is what was making me gag more than anything. I couldn't mix anything with the product (I've read there is flavor packets available, but I never received any and was never even given the option to choose a flavor) so the way I handled it was drink 8 ounces of GoLytlely, take a sip of Sprite (you can drink anything that is clear, such as Sprite, Sierra Mist or 7-Up) and then wait 10 minutes and repeat. It also helps if you don't focus on just drinking this solution.  Meaning, instead of pouring the glass and then just standing there to drink it, if you can distract yourself while drinking it (watch TV or something similar), it's not as horrible.  The "terrible taste" everyone complains about is a salty taste - it really just tastes like salt water to me.  Due to that gag flex I mentioned earlier, I waited 15 minutes between each 8 ounce glass.  As always, you should take it as prescribed. My prescription says to take it until it produces clear, watery stools or until the product is gone.  This meant a very long night for me!   While most of the reviews here have said that it "kicked it" and started working after 45 minutes to 1 hour, it took me 2 hours before I had that gush of basically watery stool that everyone talks about.  It shocked even me so be prepared for that - it's a lot at once!  But, after that long, I was just glad to see that it was working! It's possible to avoid the side effects of this medication (nausea, cramping, migraines, ect) if you take it as instructed...meaning do not eat anything for the entire day, but especially ***2-3 hours BEFORE*** taking it and ***1 hour AFTER*** you've finished the four liters.   I highly recommend that when you get this product, take 10-15 minutes to read the product information that is given to you from the pharmacy.  You should do this naturally with any medication you receive, but with this product, it really can make all the difference to understand what you're dealing with and what to expect.  You also should keep in mind that since you haven't eaten all day, the nausea and the headaches/migraines could be from hunger and not necessarily from this product.   The cramps would be an obvious side effect to me, since you are cleaning out part of your digestive system.  Women, those of us that have dealt with PMS cramping on a monthly basis for years, even mildly, have nothing to fear from this product.  We're seasoned warriors!  LOL All in all, the myths you've heard about this product are worse than the realities.  It's 2-4 hours of your life - just drink it every 10 to 15 minutes, let it do it's job and then have your procedure.  In comparision with other medical requirements for diagnosis and treatment, this really isn't that bad.      

siva418

Southgate, MI

I really needed help going to the bathroom. I am only 35. Nothing seemed to work, stool softeners, laxatives, eating more fiber, nothing. My doctor took an X-ray and found that I was severely "stopped up". I have never been this stopped up in my life. Now I think that it would have been better to have stayed stopped up than go through he nightmare that is called GoLytely. First of all, there is nothing "lyte" or light about it. It is the strongest laxative known to man. It does not make you have regular BM's, Oh no, it gives you liquid poo instead, and LOTS OF IT! It was pretty much like peeing poo. It did clean out my bowels, but now I am experiencing extreme gassiness and cramping in my stomach that is not allowing me to sleep. I keep on eating, thinking I might be hungry, but I think it is only making it worse. I can't leave the house because I might poo in my pants while just checking the mail! My stomach is gurgling at this very moment and you can actually hear it from 10 feet away and see the flesh ripple. I took this concoction at 10:00 A.M. and it is now 12:00 at night and I am not able to sleep due to the discomfort I am experiencing. I think next time, although I pray to God that there is NOT a next time, but if there is because God is cursing me, I will try every other avenue before taking this medicine. I will even try an enema, an operation, committing myself to a convent and praying to God to release me from constipation. Am I being overly dramatic? If you have been extremely constipated and have gone through the torture that is called Golytly , you will think not. THE END.

Deathbecomesme

Round Rock, TX

I was prescribed golytely for pre-colonoscopy bowel prep. The product reminded me of chalk and water. Even though I thought it was doing it's job, the next morning, before the procedure, I still had a bowel movement - a bad omen. Well, the colonoscopy failed. I still had junk in my colon !!! I have to reschedule. Osmoprep and Fleet phosph-soda worked better.

TreeSloth

Tucson, AZ