Bowel Prep: Managing Discomfort and Preventing Irritation

I have a capsule endoscopy scheduled for Thursday, so I’ll need to do the bowel prep on Wednesday, along with following a low-fibre diet for a few days beforehand. I also plan to avoid eating on the day of the bowel prep.

The last time I did a bowel prep (Plenvu), the first dose was manageable, but the second dose caused very acidic stools. This led to significant discomfort, including bleeding and painful bowel movements, it felt like a burning or acidic sensation. I had used Vaseline at the time, and I found that Sudocrem actually made the discomfort worse.

For context, I’m Muslim and regularly use both toilet tissue and a bidet, so I don’t think the irritation was caused by rough wiping.

This experience has made me quite anxious, and I’ve delayed this capsule endoscopy for months because of it. I remember someone previously mentioning they had a similar issue and found ways to prevent it from happening the next time, which I’d really like to explore.

This time, I’m planning to use a different bowel prep, Cavilon cream to protect the area this time around, and possibly Instillagel (within safe limits) to help manage any discomfort.

I would really appreciate advice focused on prevention and comfort, and I’d prefer to avoid anything that might increase my anxiety at this stage.