READ CAREFULLY:
• For fourteen (14) days before your test (or as directed by your clinician), do not take any antibiotics.
• For seven (7) days before your test, do not take any laxatives or stool softeners (for example Colace, Milk of Magnesia, Ex-Lax) or stool bulking agents (for example Metamucil or Citrucel). You should also not undergo any test that requires cleansing of the bowel, such as colonoscopy or barium enema.
• The day before your test: You may consume only the following foods and drinks:
Plain white bread, plain white rice, plain white potatoes, baked or broiled chicken or fish, water, non-flavored black coffee or tea. Only salt may be used to flavor your food. Butter or margarine is not permitted. Soda drinks are not permitted. DO NOT EAT OR DRINK ANYTHING ELSE – it could give false results for the test. Specifically, avoid beans, pasta, fiber cereals, and high fiber foods. The night before the test, have an early dinner of rice and meat.
• You must stop eating and drinking 12 hours before the test. For example, if your test is at 9:00 a.m., you would stop eating and drinking at 9:00 pm the night before. You may continue to take your usual prescription medicines with water until 12 hours before the test. Take no medications the morning of your test unless directed by your clinician.
• The day of your test: You should not eat or drink anything in the morning. If you are diabetic requiring insulin or diabetic pills, ask your physician if you should change your morning dose. Generally, half of your normal long acting insulin is given. Oral hypoglycemic medications are usually not taken that morning until completion of the test and resumption of eating meals.
Always check with your physician prior to altering any of your medications, or your diet.
