GoLYTELY for Bowel Preparation User Reviews

• hor...
• March 29, 2016

"After reading all the horror stories, I wanted to cancel the procedure, so I thought I'd share my experience. Honestly, NOT THAT BAD! I took it as directed, added nothing for flavor. It tasted very salty. Just a swig of apple juice after each 8 oz dose every 15 minutes. I had no side effects, no bloating, no gas pains, no discomfort. I only had broth on the prep day and a chicken omelet the afternoon prior to the prep. I experienced no cramping during bowel movements. The procedure was a breeze, without the 'wind'. Hope this helps ease someone's anxiety."

• sta...
• February 16, 2020

"This was my second colonoscopy. For my first, the prep was a Miralax prep, this second one was GoLYTELY. I'm an RN, and the difference between the two was markedly different. The GoLYTELY sat in my stomach for the first couple of hours, then it started to work. Too well. I had a couple of accidents without warning. But I'll say this for it: once you begin, you are determined to finish so you don't have to repeat it. There was no real covering the taste, which I compare to salty plastic. I did not experience any nausea. With the Miralax, my tummy actually felt better for a week or so. Not so with the GoLYTELY, which has left me feeling a little inflamed. I think I also cleared better with the Miralax. When it's time to repeat the procedure, I will decline the GoLYTELY prep in favor of the Miralax if possible. Overall, it isn't the end of the world. But this kind of prep is the reason that many people avoid this life-saving procedure."

• Cha...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 13, 2016

"Started drinking this concoction, and the very first thing that came to mind was, 'Why does this stuff have to taste so bad? Why can't it have a nice chocolate flavor? Is the science that created it incapable?' I mean, really, does it need to taste like what it is meant to produce?"

• Fit...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• July 30, 2019

"This worked perfectly. My directions were to drink half the bottle at 4 PM, and then the other half five hours before my scheduled arrival time for the procedure, which was 7 AM. I followed the directions to the T, but nothing happened after the first half of the prep. It did the second, though. However, my stool was not absolutely clear and still had residue in it at the last movement. I was worried, so I took a picture and brought it in to the surgery center where the nurse told me that’s absolutely what they looked for: yellow, almost clear with sediment. So don’t get discouraged if you are still passing a little bit of “sediment.” I would recommend also drinking additional fluids. I put 3 envelopes of Crystal Light lemonade in the jug, and it tasted EXACTLY like lemonade poured over ice. Had NO problem drinking it down."

• Mic...
• May 5, 2019

"This was absolutely awful. I had the lemon-lime flavor. Remember that scene in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince when Dumbledore has to drink the entire potion of despair and begging to not have to drink it anymore? Like he'd rather be killed than drink it? Literally my experience with this prep."

• Ano...
• February 26, 2020

"I had GoLYTELY split prep (1/2 night before, remaining, morning of). I mixed it with lemonade mix, and it wasn't bad. The evening was fine. I followed the directions, and all went well. I had prepared days in advance with very light foods and lots of fluids. Within 4 hours, all discharge was completely clear. Went to sleep and woke up an hour later with an excruciating headache, vomiting, trembling, and chills. This went on all night. Could not complete the morning prep at all as my stomach lurched when I touched the jug! Still vomiting a bit and headache when I arrived for the procedure. That went fine, but now I am 12 hours post-procedure, still have a slight headache and a very nauseous stomach. How long do the effects of this remain? Time will tell, I suppose. Take a hard pass on this prep, folks! There are much less severe options available."

• Fri...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 18, 2020

"This product, GoLYTELY, tasted exactly like drinking ocean water, a sickening experience. It seems there has to be a way for the manufacturer to neutralize the salt and give this product a palatable taste. I did mix it with ice, water, and Crystal Light lemonade, making it tolerable, but that increased 1 gal to approx 1.5 gal. I cannot consume 1 gal in 7-8 hrs, let alone half again as much. Surely there must be plans to stop torturing patients. I have not met anyone who could stand this stuff, and it seems that the proscribers have never bothered to taste it."

• Jus...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• June 16, 2017

"I wouldn't normally review this type of thing, but I had read every horror story on the internet before I took it. It didn't taste 'good,' and everyone is different, but it was nowhere near as awful as I expected. This is not medical advice, but as other people have suggested: 1. Chill it so it's cold when you drink it 2. Use a straw 3. As per my doctor, I rinsed my mouth between glasses with ginger ale 4. Based on what I'd read, I ate a low-residue diet for the 4 days before (toast, bananas, jello, yogurt, applesauce) and was done with the process in 3 hours. 5. Do some stretches to move your stomach around. My problem turned out to be revealed through the endoscopy, not colonoscopy. But this wasn't among my top 25 worst experiences in life."

• Geo...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• May 26, 2015

"This was much easier than expected. First, I went on a low fiber diet two days before taking it. One day (from midnight) before the procedure, I went on a clear liquid diet with no solid food. Then, I took GL at about 6 PM. No reaction until the seventh 8-ounce glass of GL. Then it did the job it's designed to do. No pains or cramps. The solution was cold, and I got each glass down as fast as comfortably possible. Taste? I didn't notice anything bad about it and did not add any flavoring. It's like drinking a lot of water. Maybe they should have a beer flavor to make it go down even easier."

• Mis...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• November 2, 2020

"I was absolutely terrified of this GoLYTELY prep. I'm 7 glasses in, and I haven't puked, no serious cramping, and overall, it's not nearly as bad as what I was expecting. It's doing its job, and it's cleaning me out! I mixed it with powdered lemonade (heavy on the lemonade), and the taste didn't bother me at all. I drank a cup at a time, chilled, and through a straw. The worst part for me is that I'm HUNGRY!!! My procedure is at 7 a.m. in the morning, and I started my prep at noon the day before. I'll be done before 4 p.m., and then I'll just have to starve until after the procedure. I would say that the worst so far is that my anus is so sore! And I want to eat!"

• Mul...
• Taken for 5 to 10 years
• November 13, 2016

"Fifth time having the fun of GoLYTELY. I'll share what my pharmacist told me before the first time. Get some hard candy, something you don't normally want, like lemon drops. Suck on the candy while drinking the solution through a straw as quickly as possible. The candy helps to cut the salty taste, and going through a straw makes it much quicker."

• Nem...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• October 15, 2017

"After having two other colonoscopies, I suggest drinking this without any flavoring, it tastes much better that way. Adding the flavor only seems to intensify the salty taste. I divided the drink up in the 4-quart containers and drank 1 at a time-much easier to do. Drink it through a straw. You have less chance of becoming nauseous. I coated my rump as suggested by others who had the prep. It really helped. P.S. Thank you to all the people who offered suggestions, it really helped. I also drank the prep at room temperature and chilled. The only difference was that at room temperature, it was a little bit more salty. If you’ve ever mixed baking soda and water for heartburn, that’s what this prep reminded me of, but actually tasted better. It was not horrible. At the end, I replenished with Gatorade. I also had 3 more clear BM’s the next day, which was the morning of my procedure. So you might want to wear a protective pad or something like Depends or take an extra pair of clothes in case you can’t get to the bathroom fast enough."

• Dev...
• July 17, 2019

"I did the GoLYTELY prep and not Miralax because it has the electrolytes, and there is evidence that it does a better job at bowel lavage. Take 4 tablespoons of olive oil orally hours prior to prep. There are studies out of Turkey and Mexico showing that olive oil produces a better prep, especially in the right colon. Eat a low-residue diet for days beforehand. Switch to smoothies 24 hours before the procedure. Have your colonoscopy in the afternoon, and start your prep in the early morning. I stopped having smoothies before bedtime and started prep at 4 AM. Want to help your GoLYTELY go down easily? Mix 6 fluid ounces of prep with 2 fluid ounces of clear broth. The prep is salty, and you'll only taste broth. Warm it up! Make it cozy. Have coconut water in between glasses of prep. Between my diarrhea and these tips, I needed a liter of prep. And I got a 9 for my bowel cleanliness. Results may vary!"

• Sub...
• July 16, 2015

"Worked as expected. No solid food after dinner two nights before procedure day, clear liquids only, began at 6:00 PM, then chased each glass of prep with ginger ale on ice for taste. Important to use a straw with prep; helps bypass the taste on the tongue. Residual cleansing continued into the night for several hours, but not too inconvenient."

• Huc...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• March 31, 2020

"Took GoLYTELY as directed for a bowel prep, and it did not work. I started drinking the prep at 5 PM, and by 6 AM the following morning, I still had not had a bowel movement, and I did not urinate for 24 hours. I contacted the so-called professionals at the hospital, and they were not concerned that it did not work. Their advice was to drink 2 gallons of GoLYTELY. Most people can barely get 1 gallon down, let alone 2. So rather than address why the prep did not work, they just ignored it. GoLYTELY might work for you, but it didn't do anything for me."

• Anonymous
• December 4, 2012

"Wonderful prep. Had slight abdomen pain towards the end. It did exactly what it was meant for. It really was not bad at all! The only reason it didn't get a ten was because it was a lot to drink. I chugged some, sipped it, and it took 4 hours to finish, but I like this because you do it at your own pace. And once you are empty, no more loose stools!"

• Rob...
• July 11, 2022

"I was ready to tell my doctor to forget the whole thing, was not going to go through the prep after reading everyone else's horror stories. It was probably one of the easiest things I've had to do. Besides being stuck in the house close to the bathroom, I found the GoLYTELY very easy to get down. I didn't think it was salty, nasty, or unpleasant in any way. Don't read the other horror stories as I did. If you put your mind to it and just get it done, you will be fine. Finish the whole jug because it takes it all to be completely cleaned out. Trust me, you will know when you are completely cleaned out. Good luck! :)"

• Cai...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• December 7, 2020

"This is my third time downing this GoLYTELY in my adult life. Twice for severe, chronic constipation via ER, and today for the GI doctor before my colonoscopy. I have tried it with sodas and Gatorade, but I can always taste the salty bitterness beneath it. This time I am chasing it down with peppermint tea, as that is a natural stomach calmer and anti-bloat. Ask your doctor if you can have anti-nausea medication alongside the prep, and do what makes you the most comfortable otherwise. Ice chips, pajamas, a bath, laying in bed with your favorite show on under your favorite blanket, a cold cloth for any potential sweating, a towel or vomit bag just in case. If you puke, take a short break before continuing. You're gonna be alright by morning, I promise. It will get the job done, even if it tastes bad or makes you cramp up."

• Thr...
• Taken for 2 to 5 years
• March 7, 2018

"This was my third time prepping for a colonoscopy, second time with GoLYTELY. I usually don’t mind the taste, but this time they didn’t offer a flavor, so I got the unflavored. Yuck! Started at 6 PM, immediately felt bloated, drank till 8 PM, expecting to explode before my next dosing at 3 AM. 2:30, I feel like it’s finally going to work, it did. So I’m sitting in the bathroom with a 1/2 gallon of Satan’s nectar, drinking it plain and chasing with Gatorade, no straw. I got the best cleanout I’ve ever had this time. Next time (I grow polyps, so I’m an every 3-year preparer), I’ll ask for the flavored kind or add some Crystal Light. All in all, not a bad experience now that it’s over."

• Ace...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• April 26, 2019

"I vomited half of the GoLYTELY prep along with most of my insides! Started drinking it at 11:30 AM the day before the colonoscopy and got that half down. At 4:00 PM I tried drinking the other half and vomited it all and then some. My friend brought me an anti-nausea suppository after I vomited the anti-nausea pill and managed to get the last quarter of the solution down. Headache, nausea, chills, I feel like I drank rat poison. Never again!"

• MiF...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 25, 2019

"I had used GoLYTELY as prep for a colonoscopy. I was required to drink 2 liters between 4-6 PM and another 2 liters at midnight. That’s a lot of liquid. I don’t think I could drink that much of something I loved. Needless to say, I couldn’t get through the first two liters and ended up canceling my procedure because my system was not sufficiently flushed. The taste wasn’t an intense or gross taste—at first. But as I kept drinking, it began to taste like salt water. My body naturally decided that drinking two liters of this stuff was too much, and I began vomiting. This was meant to be my second colonoscopy, but my first time using GoLYTELY as the prep. Very disappointed in this stuff and the fact that there are doctors who still use this 4-liter prep approach when, apparently, there are much better and lesser-volume options available."

• Ame...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• January 29, 2020

"Low fiber diet for two days before prep. (Salmon, chicken, rice, potato.) The taste of the prep wasn't too bad, I added some flavored lemonade packets to the mix along with the lemon flavor that came with it. Super cold helped. I did take three Dulcolax tablets the night before as well, and that helped a lot. It took approximately 2.5 hours from the time I started drinking it until everything came out looking like light yellow water. Debating waking up to do the rest at 2:00 a.m., though ... lol. I drank a little more than half already, but I probably will just to be sure nothing builds up. Good luck and put a smiley face on the bum for the doctor."

• Bil...
• September 24, 2019

"Though it tastes like water with a hint of salt and a soap-like aftertaste, I found that using a straw towards the back of my throat and quickly getting it down helps. Then, a sip of Gatorade or ginger ale to get the residual taste out helps. Also, I kept mine in a cooler on ice by the commode. 64 oz down, 64 oz to go in the morning, then the easy part, sweet sleep and a camera in the butt."

• Jan...
• Taken for less than 1 month
• September 10, 2018

"Ok, it does taste awful. This is what helped... First, hold your nose while you are drinking it. Also, breathe through your mouth. Second, have some Sprite or other drink ready to chase it. Third, have something in which to vomit, because you may vomit. Fourth, be near a toilet. Fifth, have some really soft toilet paper ready. A lot of toilet paper. Overall, it wasn’t the worst thing I have had to do, but it is definitely on the list. I did feel extremely nauseous after and weak. My entire digestive tract felt like it was on fire, and my anus was very sore."

• Gul...
• March 13, 2013

"I dunked it without ice, awful taste, but when I put ice and lemon in it, it was awesome, just like lemonade. I strongly recommend ice in your glass. By the way, those powders that come with it are very sweet and don't taste good, but ice and lemons are the best. It is a lot of drink, I did it in 2 days after 5."