1 day before your VCE
Video capsule endoscopy of the small bowel
Quick schedule
- 8.30am: finish eating breakfast by 8.30am and do not eat any solid food after this time
- 6pm: take the MOVIPREP® bowel preparation (laxatives) at 6pm
- 4am on day of your VCE: Do not have any liquids after 4am on the day of your VCE
Keep take your usual medicines with water during the day.
Stop taking any bulk-forming laxatives, which include
- isphagula (for example, Fybogel®)
- Bran
- methylcellulose (Celevac®)
- sterculia (Normacol®)
Stopping food
You can eat breakfast as usual, but you must finish eating by 8.30am at the latest.
After breakfast do not eat any solid food until after your examination.
Only have clear liquids during the day. This can include water, squash, fizzy drinks, clear strained soup or clear stock.
Drink lots of fluids. Try to have at least 2 litres (8 to 10 glasses) in total throughout the day.
It is best to avoid alcoholic drinks.
Bowel preparation medicine
MOVIPREP® is the bowel preparation (laxatives) that you take at 6pm.
Follow the instructions and time schedules below, and not the instructions on the packet.
Let us know if you cannot drink a large volume of fluid or more than a certain amount of fluid each day.
The solution tastes better if served chilled, so you might want to mix in advance and keep in the fridge.
6pm on the day before your VCE
- Empty 1 sachet A and 1 sachet B of MOVIPREP® into 1 litre of water.
- Stir the solution until the MOVIPREP has dissolved.
- Drink the solution over 1 to 2 hours.
You might find it easier to drink the solution with a straw, or a bottle with a sports cap. Try having lemon wedges, lemon drops or suck boiled sweets.
Stay near a toilet once you have started taking MOVIPREP. You should expect frequent bowel movements and diarrhoea within 3 hours of your first dose.
Taking MOVIPREP at 6pm means the effects wear off before you leave home to travel to hospital for your VCE.
Keep drinking clear fluids to stop you becoming dehydrated. Try to drink 1 glass every hour.
Signs that you are dehydrated include:
- feeling dizzy
- having a headache
- feeling confused
You can use a cream on your bottom to stop it getting sore during your trips to the toilet. Ask your doctor or nurse to recommend a cream at your pre-assessment appointment.
You might have some bloating or tummy cramps. This is normal.
If you are taking the contraceptive pill it might not be effective once you have taken the bowel preparation. You must use other precautions (such as condoms) to avoid pregnancy. Please speak to your GP, pharmacist or family planning clinic for further advice on contraception.
When to get medical help after taking MOVIPREP
Contact your GP, or the endoscopy unit, it you have any allergic reactions to MOVIPREP. For example:
- a rash or itchiness
- If you are being sick (vomiting)
Go to your nearest emergency department (A&E) if:
you have a reaction that causes swelling of the:
- face
- lips
- tongue
- throat
