I usually don’t like to blog about negative things. My Mom always says if you can’t say anything good about something, then don’t say anything at all (actually, I think all moms say that.) But in this case I feel compelled to dump this post about GaviLyte-N on the world, because most people are going to have to drink this nasty stuff at some point in their lives. I’ve created a new category for my blog called “Ick!” – it’s for anything that is particularly disgusting, and this stuff is at the top of the list.
I’m not new to this drink – I endured it in the mid ‘90s for my first colonoscopy. Good Lord, with all of the amazing technology out there (yes, Virginia, they did put a man on the moon) you would think they could make this stuff taste better, maybe like a nice bubbly or iced tea. I read on drugs.com that GaviLyte-N has “a pleasant mineral water taste.” Pleasant? Whoever wrote that must be on crack. If they can’t improve the taste, at least have smaller doses. A gallon of this sh*t to drink in 8 oz. pours every 15 minutes? Really? Really? Why not just a shot in the arm or the butt they are so attracted to? Or develop a simple blood test – one little pinch of a needle and you’re done. And it costs more than $20.00 to boot. I have to pay to drink this crap? And endure a liquid diet the entire day before the procedure? Jello is the only “food” I get? I’m tempted to add vodka (it is clear) to it and make jello shots, LMAO.
All of this reminds me of a response to a question on the ‘60’s television show “The Newlywed Game” with Bob Eubanks as host. Four newlywed couples would each separately answer “suggestive” questions (at the time) and compare their responses to see how well they really knew their spouses. The couple with the best score at the end would win some sort of prize. Anyway, this was the question and answer:
- Bob: Where’s the most unusual place you’ve made whoopee?
- Female contestant: That would be up the butt, Bob.
Apparently this is true – check it out on snopes.com. It’s funny regardless – wish I could have seen Bob Eubank’s face – he probably laughed his a$$ off!
Back to this gallon of sh*t to clean your pipes out the day before the procedure. It comes with a little package of “lemon flavoring” to add to the concoction. Bless your heart for including that, pharmaceutical company, you crack me up. And BTW, thanks for suggesting the nausea pills and the recommendation for the baby wipes so I won’t have any chafing. Glad to know you’re covering my a$$!
I had to get a substitute to lead my water aerobics class tonight so I wouldn’t cause a “brown-out” in the pool. The only bright side is I’ve probably lost a few pounds. Note to self: Buy some more toilet cleaner.
Okay, that’s a load off. But now I’ve gotta run ….
Kel's Cafe of All Things Food 
LOL — I had something different from GaviLyte-N it was something else-Lyte and it had 5 flavors, but I mixed it with white grape juice which I will never drink again. I probably wouldn’t have liked white grape juice anyway, it’s icky sweet, but still. I did use a straw which only lets it hit minimal taste buds and keeps it from coating your mouth. I find it easier to “chug” through a straw. I asked about both vodka and white wine, no dice from the doc. Wet wipes are a butt-saver! I hope all is well and you have no “pole-yips” — from an SNL episode where Alec Baldwin kept calling polyps, “pole-yips”.
While I am so sorry you had to endure this but wow – that was a pretty funny post. You make me laugh!
Too – Too Funny!!! Good post.
This is absolutely hilarious! And it is all so true!
I am also doing this thing tonight. YUCK!!! I added a package of lemon sugar free jello to my gallon. Also beef/chicken broth was allowed during the day. Three hours before starting this sh*t I had to drink carbonated Epsom salts also. They really do need to figure something else out.
Good luck today, Jami! At least the procedure is easier than the prep!
Hillarious! Thanks for the humor!
I am on my fourth cup of Gavilyte, first time, and I don’t find it all that bad, yet despite reading all night how awful the prep is supposed to be.
Last night I adjusted my fridge temp to be cooler than usual since reading “colder-the-better.”
I shaked it real good, had a sip of vegatable broth, and downed it *holding my breath* the entire time. But I did need to breath in between, then finished it- two gulps total. After each cup I wipe my mouth, then take a little sip of the vegatable broth again to avoid any aftertaste.
I would equate the ‘taste’ (if there is any this way) to salty mineral oil-water. I did NOT add the flavoring. That would only make it harder to make it ‘tasteless’.
After the 3rd cup I had to make the bathroom trip.
I cut out food yesterday and the day I cut down to liquids and rice and bread to avoid the cramping I heard about and to minimize the ‘elimination’ process.
I find this very tolerable but maybe some of you are laughing because you know that it gets alot
worse after the fourth cup?
Best to all of you AND may your results be wonderful good news!
Hope your procedure went well!
Meant to say I cut down food yesterday and the day BEFORE only had rice and bread and liquids.
Oh…thank you so much for blogging about this. I’m doing the prep now (not my first time either) and while I knew about making it cold and the straw thing from experience it’s still always nice to see some medical humor while going through these things! 🙂
Glad you liked this post! I hope your procedure goes well!
Thank you!Thank you!Thank you!
This blog is too funny, especially since i am also prepping with this nasty liquid. I am having problems getting the second half of this cr@p down. All i kept thinking was, really? They don’t have a better solution?
Thank you for the comedy on this ICKY prep night.
Thanks for your nice comments – I hope your procedure goes well!
I’m sitting on the toilet after drinking this vile liquid and I can’t wait till my procedure is done tomorrow. Yes after the 4th cup or so I’m starting to gag and kept from throwing up by not breathing during my drinking phase. Thanks for posting your blog.
Gary
I can’t tell you how much these comments made me laugh! I just drank my first glass of this “pleasant-tasting” prep and found, much to my surprise and delight, that most of you either didn’t mix the solution sufficiently or just have really delicate taste buds. I had the choice of lemon, cherry, or orange flavorings to add and I chose the orange. I, also, am a “sipper” so the most difficulty I had was just chugging such copious amounts of liquid. While I’m dreading the procedure,since I have to go under anesthesia, I’m looking forward to the NAP!
I have drank 4 cups and can’t drink anymore. If i do i’ll puke. I can’t believe you don’t mind the taste.
It is awful stuff – the worst part of the procedure for sure. I hope everthing went well, Lorra.
Good luck with your procedure, Ronda! To me it was much better than the prep. Hope to see you soon!
Why can’t we just pour this mess into two 2-quart douche bags and consume rectally? This way would be much faster and leave no aftertaste. No gagging and no vomiting.
Agreed, LOL!
After I went thru the whole process of this icky stuff, and posting in here….I found an acceptable replacement treatment. It is called the Amazing liver and gallbladder flush. A book written by a DR. it gets you to the same place with apple or cranberry juice. Much simpler to handle.
That’s good to know, Jami! Luckily, I got a 10-year pass for my next colonoscopy, so I’m hoping the procedure has changed dramatically by then.
Doing it tomorrow. I hope it won’t make my tummy sick!!!
I hope your procedure went well. The prep is much worse, in my opinion.
I am in the middle of the prep–did the 3 liters last night with one to go this morning. I had the Gavilyte-C solution with the White Lemon flavor packet….I hate to say this but it was good! In other circumstances the flavor would be great in a lemon drop martini!! It was slightly salty and quite lemony. I mixed it with Crystal Geyser Spring Water and didn’t chill it. Hope the rest goes as well as the prep has so far.
I hope your procedure went well!
Found your post when looking or HELP!!! Halfway through the prep and while I found the taste horrid, the worst part is that after the 5th glass, I started vomiting violently right into the dry heaves. Waited an hour like the instructions said (now really? Why, if they know it most likely will make you vomit, do they still insist on this method?) drank another glass and am vomiting again. Anyone know how to know if there is any chance of getting clean enough to bother if you get to taste each glass after 5 twice – once down and once up? I will most likely NEVER have another lemon flavored drink in my life. ~sigh goodby lemon drops~
After the fourth cup i quit. If i drink anymore i will hurl as well.
Lorri, I hope your procedure went well despite all of the problems you had – ’tis indeed some vile stuff!
Oh I am doing this tonight but with the Gavalite C. I am not ading the lemon to the mix looks like it will be easier to handle that way. the nurse did say to add the lemon pack a bit to each glass as needed. i have a huge gag reflex so hope this is tolerable for me.
Oh and the blog made me laugh! You are wonderful to have a fun blog!
I get both ends done tomorrow around noon, Fun times ahead! I am wondering how bad the potty time will be for me being as I have diareah up to 25 times a day anyhow. Geesh and I just changed the sheets!!
Good luck, Daphne! I hope your procedures go well!
On 4/1/13, my husband will have his dose of what sounds like very horrible stuff to drink—> I got smart and will see what he goes through…ha ha !! This was a great place to find what others went thru and the hints to drink the liquid cold and other ideas on how to get thru it all….Cleo
I hope your husband makes it through his procedure with flying colors, Cleo!
HAS ANYONE EVER USED THE FLAVOR TUBES YOU PUT IN YOUR GYM BOTTLES. DO YOU REALLY ONLY HAVE TO USE THE LEMON FLAVOR PACK GLUED ON TO THE GAVILYTE-N CONTAINER?
I’m not sure – I would consult with my physician first to be on the safe side, Dee. Good luck with the procedure!
I am doing the Gavilyte-N right now. I have drank 4 cups and don’t think i can drink anymore. I quit because if i don’t i will be throwing it right back up anyway. I did however learn that if you suck on a piece of candy after drinking it helps.
Gosh, I am three fourths of the way through my gallon of Gavilyte-N, and am practically enjoying it. The orange flavoring is fine. These others must have some different material. The liquid is smooth and goes down easily. I have tried many mixed drinks that were far worse.
If this bothers someone, let them try a drink made from a jar of herbs and I don’t know what filled with a quart of rum and soaked for several months. The native Venezuelans said it would do great things – but not for me. I will take Gavilyte-N anytime.
Good luck.
Thanks for your comments, Cliff. I hope they have changed the formula since my original blog – glad it went down easy, and hope your procedure went well!
Thanks Kelly. Possibly they have changed the formulation. However, things went very well. I am pretty tired tonight though.
The Gavilyte-N is well formulated to neither take liquids from the body nor return them Thus in drinking 4 liters in 4 hours, I had no out of the ordinary need too urinate. The rest of me was surely cleaned out.
It did go down easily.
I want to know why I can’t mix the powder with something other than plain water (and yes, I was thinking vodka also. Even mentioned it to the pharmacy clerk).. Flavored iced tea might make it more palatable. I tried calling the pharmaceutical company to ask, but no one answered the phone. Going to start this stuff in just a few minutes and I’m throwing in some mint iced tea anyway.. Kelley, loved your blog!
Thanks, Pat. I hope your procedure went well!
Kelley, all went well. Don’t have to endure that awful stuff again for another 5 years. I did mix it with mint iced tea and it wasn’t so bad.
Well I’m drinking this Gavilyte-N now and am about to give up. I just can’t stand this stuff, any more than a sip makes me vomit it back up. It’s more the consistency of the stuff not the flavor or anything like that. I’ve been sipping as much as I can take for about 3 hours now. Forget the wait between 8 Oz glasses. Argh….. there has to be a better way to clean out the bowles. I came here looking for some help on drinking this stuff but evadently there is nothing one casn really do. A straw does help a bit but I still can’t tollerate more than a couple of swallows at a time every so often. I guess I’m just going to slowly sip it till it’s gone or as long as I can take it.
It is some nasty stuff! I hope your procedure went well, Steve!
Last evening, at only two glasses in, I begin to throw up. The vomiting lasted 4 hours and the sleep-depriving nausea lasted til 3 a.m. I couldn’t keep anything down, not even an antiemetic. I cancelled my procedure this morning as soon as the office opened ($100 cancellation fee). Too ridiculous. This is the most advanced nation on the planet? Even Dr. House never put anyone through this.
Linda,
I’m so sorry you had such a rough time with it, and agree that there must be a better way! And love your comment about Dr. House!
Kelley
This was my week to drink a gallon. It was terrible. Don’t tell but I did not drink all of it. I wanted to live. Diane
I hope your procedure went well, Diane!
I am going onto my 4th glass this evening…I’ve got the cherry flavor…honestly, don’t think it’s helping much. It’s the consistency and volume that’s getting to me. Keeping it cold and using a straw is helping…that and eating a banana popsicle between drinks…I have a 4 year old cheerleader…only 13 more glasses to go mama…thanks for your post…I got the straw info here. Much Appreciated!
Good luck, Yvonne! I hope you pass with flying colors and it’s another 10 years before the next one. Hopefully they will come up with a better prep by then!
Just finished my 2nd half of the gallon! All 16 cups are finished!! Going into this prep I was mainly nervous for the fact that I read most of the reviews on Gavilyte C I believe its called and everyone said how it made them vomit, caused headaches, and nausea. It was definitely a not a good feeling to drink this every 10 minutes for 2 hours but it was very tolerable. What really saved me was the chicken broth. After each cup I simply washed my mouth with the broth and then spit it out (since I couldn’t drink liquid on the day of the procedure other than the solution itself) Anyways, my colonoscopy is today at 2:15 and man am I looking forward to that compared to the prep LOL!
Alexis, the chicken broth was a good idea! I hope your procedure went well!
I have to start the taking this crap in 5 hours hope I can stomach it.
I hope your procedure goes well, Robert!
I start the prep in 2 hrs..Half tonight and half tomorrow morning… I have TERRIBLE gag reflex and hope I don’t vomit. I made it this morning with the lemon Packet and. It has been sitting in the fridge since 8AM chilling.. I wonder if I add some crystal Lite powder to each glass if that will help?
I hope your prep went well, Tim, and that the procedure was a success and you get a 10 year pass!
My friend did hers this Wk. Lost 6 lbs. I said wow, I need that for weight loss. Not knowing it is bad as most of u say. Is there anything else that cleans u like that over the counter for self cleanse?
Hi Bjae,
I cannot recommend any over-the-counter self-cleanse products as I am not familiar with them and, more importantly, qualified to do so. It sounds like your friend’s procedure went well, so yaaaaaay about that!
Cheers,
Kelley
Hello all!
About to mix a batch for my third (yes, 3rd – lucky me…) colonoscopy and was looking for tips on which flavor pack might be more tolerable, as it’s time to mix my brew. Sounds like the product hasn’t changed much in three years – too bad. As many have noted, the prep is the worst part – the getting it all down without gagging or worse. As for the procedure itself, I’ll be ‘snoozing’.
For what it’s worth, I encourage all to have a colonoscopy. Knowledge is power, as they say, and in this case possibly a life saver. I’ve lost 5 family members/friends to colon cancer. It’s a slow growing cancer, I’m told, and if caught early enough it can be treated or managed. For me, tiny polyps were found and removed at each prior procedure, so I’ve been recommended to return on a 3-year schedule. Recently, I gained employment with insurance, so am ‘happy’ to go thru it again.
Hang in there, folks, and know you are not alone.
Thanks for your comments. You are absolutely right – even though the prep is awful, having the procedure could save your life. I hope all goes well this time around! — Kelley
Getting ready to do this at 3:00 p.m. today. I appreciate all the tips. I hope I can choke it down without any issues.
Good luck! I hope your procedure goes well!
I will begin my introductory association with GaviLyte-C tomorrow afternoon, and have enjoyed reading all the suggestions here on how to make this tolerable. I have heard from many that the prep is worse then the procedure – so I’m going with that. Tomorrow I’m on the clear liquid diet, and have been told that clear chicken and beef broth makes a great lunch and dinner alternative. A friend of mine used GL-C a few years back, and took it like a champ! Im going to go into it with the same resolve. Hopefully, I’ll succeed! Plus, I’m only a couple of pounds away from my goal weight after already having lost 28lbs. by diet and exercise. I’ll consider this the lemon topping on that cake!
Good luck on your procedure – I hope it goes well!
i agree this is horrible to drink altho bc I don’t have to have a procedure done im using it for constipation. I didn’t have a bowel movement for hours and then it came. A lot of it. But that was it and a few loose stools. I went to sleep when I thought I was all done and I woke up with a terrible stomach ache. I dont know what to do. I have some anti nausea medication but it’s not working. I dont know what else to do? I couldn’t finish it and put it in the refrigerator and deans the othe half before the 48 hours were up. I wonder if this could be causing my stomach ache?
Hi Jackie, I would contact your health care professionals as soon as possible to see what they suggest. I’m not exactly sure why you’re using this if you don’t have an upcoming procedure, so please check with them as I am a food blogger and not a medical expert. But I do hope you feel better and are on the mend soon!
Thank god I just finished my last glass of this stuff. Tasted like a lightly lemon / salty liquid plastic drink. Awful. My doctor split the drink in 2 batches of 2L each. First batch was not fun, but tolerable. Then I had to wake at 3:30 am to finish the rest. Right before my final glass, my body started shaking, and I just had to vomit! Hope I didn’t ruin my procedure.
I hope your procedure went well, Danielle, and that you get the 10 year pass!
It is 3:00am. I’ve got about 1/2 liter to go….this stuff is disgusting!! I used the cherry flavoring. It tastes like an outhouse smells!! YUK!!!! I’m not sure I’ll be able to finish this stuff, but I’ll try….
Hi Anita, I hope your procedure went well! Hopefully there will be a different prep option available soon!
Back in 2000 I was given Fleets PhosphoSoda (1-1/2 oz at noon and at 4pm day before procedure) with 4 Dulcolax tablets at 5pm. That’s only 3oz total of special fluid to take!!! Of course, I was to take copious amounts of clear liquids including Gatorade. It was the easiest thing and the colonoscopy went smoothly with no remembered pain!! Then I did the 4 liters of Golytely in 2009 and had terrible pain during the procedure due to “tortuous colon” (twisted and long). Today I’ve been given the GavilLyte-N cuz my insurance won’t cover the over $100 for the Suprep Bowel Prep Kit that only involves mixing their 6oz bottle with 16-oz water twice during the day. Instead, ugh, 4 liters here I come. I wish I had investigated the prescription last week so as to have them give me PhosphoSoda instead or get a Prior Authorization for the Suprep! Guess I’ll learn my lesson. But others…beware…you can get alternatives to the 4 liter stuff!
So glad to have this information! Thanks for sharing, Jan, and I hope your procedure went well!
I hope someone can help me. I am taking prep solution called gavilyte n
Can anyone tell me if I can mix clear liquids with sugar while taking it?
I am posting this Tuesday evening 7:46 April 12, 2016
Did you mix it with a sugar drink like gatoraid or use water? I’m in the same boat.
I just used water b/c Sport drinks weren’t an option for me. If you have that option, I’d go for it. Good luck with your procedure!
Kel
Have tried this twice and unable to take it both times makes me sick to my stomach and end up throwing it back up. Doctor cancel the colonoscopy because of my problems with it.
My God that was crazy!!!. I thank all of you for helping me get through the full 4 liters. Half way through, I did not think I could take another swallow, but you guys took me down the home stretch.