Prepopik prep - has anyone from Canada used it?

[elise]

I paid $22 for 2 packets of it in Ottawa at a big name pharmacy.

[kims]

Probably too late to order it now, but you can get it from any of the online Canadian pharmacies without a prescription - its about $20-$25 USD for 2 packets plus shipping costs. In Canada it is called Pico Salax, but its the same manufacturer as Prepopik. Figures they are selling it for 1000X profit in the US!

[mattduke]

I used Prepopik for my colonoscopy yesterday. I live in the U.S. My Dr. was not familiar with it and it took some arm-twisting to get a Rx. Pharmacy had to special-order it and I paid $70. It was covered by my insurance, but as a non-formulary drug so most of the cost was out-of-pocket.

Would DEFINITELY recommend it - my last prep (phospho-soda) was awful going in and awful going out. Split-doses of only 5 oz. each (followed by water). Didn't taste bad. Cleansing was effective but gentle. I never thought i'd describe colonoscopy prep as "no big deal".

[Mountain mama]

In the U.S. most drug insurance companies will not pay for it. It cost me $98, but much better than the gallon of awful tasting liquid I've had to drink previously.

[dalte]

Target pharmacy just phoned me and said that my rx of the prepoik would be $45. and that is AFTER insurance- why so much more here?

[eantnay]

Prepopik was prescribed by my gastroenterologist for a routine colonoscopy in NY recently. He requested the split dose regimen, which was to take the first dose the night before, then the second dose the morning of, at least 5 hours before the procedure. I mixed up the first 5-oz dose at 7:30 pm and drank it with no problem. Nothing objectionable to me about it at all. It has a slight citrus aroma and tastes a little salty. Much better than the 64 oz of MIralax laced Gatorade I had 5 years ago and light years ahead of the Fleet Phospho-soda I had 10 years ago. I followed that up with five 8-oz glasses of clear liquids over the next ~2 hours (some water, some Gatorade, some apple juice). At around 10 pm nature called and I had a very watery bowel movement that lasted about 10 min. After that, I felt fine and went to bed around 10:30 pm. I figured that was going to be it until I took the next dose in the morning, but I was wrong. I woke up around 4 am with stomach cramps and headed to the bathroom. Another round of the runs, this time mostly fluid. I also had some nausea and began to feel faint. I decided that I could not take a chance on what the second dose would do to me and how long the effects would last, so I did not take it. I did drink an additional three 8-oz glasses of fluid that morning, stopping about 2 hours before the procedure.

Upon check-in at the facility, they asked about my prep and I told them exactly what happened. The doctor was able to perform the colonoscopy and afterwards I asked him if the prep was sufficient. He said he had to do a little extra cleanout work, but it was fine.

[CRguy]

The trouble with all these newest and greatest ideas is that most DOCTORS have never actually done them for themselves ...
kinda do what I say not what I do !!!

Pico Salax (Canada) = Propopik (USA) and is NEW in the US but been used for many years elsewhere. It is the ONLY prep I have ever used and I've been juicing this c-scope stuff now since 2007. Here's the way I use it (Canada) : first dose 8 am the day before scoping, second dose 3-4 pm the day before scoping, then clear liquids only until the scope next day. Talk nicely to the booking nurse and get an early scope, wake up by 10 - noon and then back to "normal" for the rest of the day.

mini-rant on your behalf !
Sorry to be rude but if your Doc told you to start your prep at night ...... what the hell did he think was going to happen OVERNIGHT ... duh ! WTF ?
YOU did the right thing by cancelling the second dose if you were not feeling well, but your Doc needs a bit of a bitchslap into reality.

Next time ask him over for cocktails at night and spike HIS drink with Prepopik then call him at 3 am to see how he's doing !

Glad you cleaned out and hopin' for a good scopin' result.

Cheers and Harmony
CRguy