Colonoscopy Prep: A Step-by-Step Guide to a Successful MiraLAX Prep

By Dr. Jeffrey Earl, Colonoscopy KC

If there's one thing that keeps people from scheduling a colonoscopy, it's rarely the procedure itself — it's the prep. The good news is that colonoscopy prep has changed dramatically over the years. Gone are the days of drinking a gallon of chalky solution; today's split-dose MiraLAX method is lower in volume, easier to drink, and far more tolerable than what most people remember from a relative's experience years ago. Here's exactly what to expect, and how to make prep day as smooth as possible.

Why Prep Matters

A colonoscopy is only as good as the view. The procedure works by examining the lining of your colon for polyps — small growths that can slowly become cancer. If stool is still in the colon, it can hide polyps, make the exam take longer, and even require the procedure to be repeated. A clean colon means your doctor can see the entire lining clearly, which is what makes the exam accurate and worth doing in the first place.

The MiraLAX Split-Dose Method

Colonoscopy KC uses a split-dose MiraLAX prep, which splits the solution across two days rather than asking you to drink it all at once. This is the key reason modern prep is easier to tolerate: taking half the evening before and half the morning of your procedure keeps the process more comfortable and leads to a cleaner colon.

Here's the full timeline.

7 Days Before

A week before your procedure, a few medication adjustments begin:

• Stop taking Ibuprofen, Naproxen, and Meloxicam, along with multivitamins containing iron, iron supplements, and fish oil.
• If you take a GLP-1 medication such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Zepbound (generics: semaglutide or tirzepatide), let us know — these need to be paused for 7 days before your procedure.
• If you take a daily aspirin prescribed by your doctor, continue it as directed. If you take aspirin on your own, stop seven days before.
• Arrange for a driver age 18 or older to accompany you and drive you home. Sedation means you cannot drive yourself.

3 Days Before

Stop eating corn, tomatoes, cucumbers, nuts, popcorn, and seeds. These foods are harder to clear from the colon and can interfere with the exam.

The Day Before (Before 3 PM)

Mix your solution early: combine 1½ bottles of MiraLAX powder (238g) into 96 ounces of a sports drink — just avoid red, purple, or berry flavors, which can stain the colon and be mistaken for blood. Shake well and refrigerate; the cold makes it much easier to drink.

Until 3 PM, follow a low-residue diet. Good choices include scrambled eggs, plain yogurt, ripe bananas, white bread, creamy peanut butter, saltine crackers, smooth applesauce, and juice without pulp. Avoid grain breads, nuts, meats, chunky peanut butter, yogurt with fruit, and vegetables.

The Day Before (After 3 PM)

From 3 PM on, it's clear liquids only: water, sports drinks, apple or white grape juice, clear broth, black coffee or tea, Jell-O without fruit, and popsicles — again, nothing red, purple, or berry.

• After 3 PM: take 2 Dulcolax tablets with 8 ounces of water.
• 4–5 PM: drink 32 ounces of the MiraLAX solution, finishing within an hour.
• 7–8 PM: drink another 32 ounces of the solution.
• Stay near a bathroom — the goal is to empty the colon completely.

The Day of Your Procedure

• 5 hours before: drink the final 32 ounces of MiraLAX solution, finishing within an hour.
• 4 hours before: nothing by mouth — no food, water, gum, mints, or candy.
• If you have acid reflux, you may take 1–2 Pepcid AC up to two hours before with a small sip of water.
• If your stools are not clear or light yellow (you can't see the bottom of the toilet), use a Fleet enema at home before coming in.
• Bring your photo ID, and make sure your driver stays on the premises.

Tips for an Easier Prep

• Chill the solution and drink it through a straw — both help mask the taste and texture.
• Walk around after drinking; gentle movement helps the solution move through your colon.
• If your stomach feels full, slow down rather than forcing the next glass.
• For anal skin irritation or hemorrhoids, hydrocortisone cream, baby wipes, Vaseline, Preparation H, and Tucks are all fine — just avoid alcohol-based products.

What Happens After

The procedure itself typically takes 15 to 30 minutes, and you'll be asleep under sedation administered by a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). You'll spend about 30 to 60 minutes in recovery before going home, and most people resume normal activities the next day. Because of the sedation, you cannot drive, operate machinery, or make important decisions for 12 hours.

Transparent, All-Inclusive Pricing

Colonoscopy KC is a self-pay practice built around transparent pricing, so there are no surprise bills after the fact. A colonoscopy is $1,275 all-inclusive, covering the consultation, the procedure, anesthesia, pathology, and surgery center fees. An upper endoscopy (EGD) is $1,175, and both procedures together are $2,175 — saving $275 versus scheduling them separately. Flexible financing is available through CareCredit, and no referral is needed to schedule.

Ready to Get Screened?

If you're 45 or older and have been putting off your colonoscopy because of the prep, we hope this guide puts your mind at ease. The prep is a day and a half of inconvenience in exchange for a procedure that can find and remove polyps before they ever become cancer.

Call (913) 379-3350 for a complimentary phone consultation. Procedures are often scheduled in as little as two weeks, and we see patients from throughout the Midwestern United States at WestGlen Endoscopy Center in Shawnee, Kansas.