2 to 1 day before your VCE
Video capsule endoscopy of the large bowel
Quick schedule
- 2 days before your VCE: Have a meal at about 8pm and do not eat any solid food after this time
- 1 day before your VCE: Do not have any food
- 1 day before your VCE at 6pm: Take the MOVIPREP® bowel preparation (laxatives) at 6pm
2 days before your VCE
- keep taking all other medicines as usual
- keep having small meals and you should now follow the food guide
- drink lots of fluids, try to have 2 litres (about 8 to 10 glasses) each day
- 8pm. Have a meal at about 8pm. Do not eat anything after this meal.
Food guide
You can eat or drink:
- water, including flavoured water
- black tea or black coffee (no milk)
- soft drinks (including fizzy and energy drinks)
- chewing gum
- boiled sweets that are dissolved slowly
- clear soup or stock (no solids in it and not pureed)
- Bovril or Marmite as a hot drink (only 1 mug as it’s salty)
- clear fruit or vegetable juice with no bits
Do not drink:
- do not drink milk
- do not drink red or purple drinks
- do not drink alcohol
1 day before your VCE
Keep take your usual medications with water during the day.
Stop taking any bulk-forming laxatives, which include:
- isphagula (for example, Fybogel®)
- Bran
- methylcellulose (Celevac®)
- sterculia (Normacol®)
Stopping food
Do not eat any food
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 (8-10 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
Resource number: 5264 /VER3
Date published: March 2023
Review date: March 2026
