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Beverly Hills · 435 N. Bedford Dr., Suite 308Mon–Fri 9:00 am – 5:00 pmMost PPO insurance accepted
Allen KamravaMD · MBA · FACS · FASCRS

Free tool

Colonoscopy Prep Planner

The prep is the hardest part of a colonoscopy — and the timing trips people up. Answer a few questions and get a clear, hour-by-hour schedule built around your prep kit and appointment time.

Free · private · nothing is saved · no sign-up

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Which prep did your doctor prescribe?

Pick the kit named on your prescription. If you're not sure, call our office at 424.279.8222.

How the planner works

  1. 01

    Choose your prep kit

    Select the prep your doctor prescribed — SUPREP, MoviPrep, GoLYTELY, Plenvu and more.

  2. 02

    Enter your appointment

    Add the date and arrival time of your colonoscopy.

  3. 03

    Add health considerations

    Choose your dose type and note your medications — weight-loss / GLP-1 medicines like Ozempic or Wegovy, blood thinners — and conditions like kidney disease. The schedule adds your stop dates.

  4. 04

    Get your schedule

    See an hour-by-hour plan you can add to your calendar, print, or save as a PDF.

Taking Ozempic, Wegovy, or a blood thinner?

Weight-loss and GLP-1 medicines slow stomach emptying — under sedation that risks aspiration, so they are stopped before a colonoscopy, and an unheld dose can get the procedure cancelled the morning of. Blood thinners need individualized stop dates from the doctor who prescribes them. Check the medication boxes in step 3 and the planner puts your stop dates on the schedule; the questions below cover the details.

Do I stop Ozempic or Wegovy before a colonoscopy?

Usually yes. Once-weekly GLP-1 shots such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound and Trulicity are typically skipped the week before the procedure, because they slow stomach emptying and raise the risk of aspiration under sedation. Confirm the exact timing with our office and the doctor who prescribes it — and tell the anesthesia team, because the procedure can be postponed the day of if it wasn't held.

What about Rybelsus or a daily GLP-1?

Daily or tablet forms — Rybelsus, Victoza, Saxenda, Byetta — are typically taken as usual until the day before, then held the morning of the procedure. If your pen also contains insulin (Soliqua, Xultophy), do not simply skip it; ask your prescriber how to manage the insulin.

Should I stop my blood thinner before a colonoscopy?

Do not stop it on your own. Blood thinners and antiplatelets (warfarin, Eliquis, Xarelto, Pradaxa, Plavix, aspirin and others) need individualized timing that depends on the drug, your kidney function, and why you take it. Some are continued; some are held for several days. Your prescribing doctor and our office will give you exact stop and restart dates.

Why can a colonoscopy be cancelled the day of the procedure?

If a GLP-1 medicine wasn't held, or if you have nausea, vomiting, or a full or bloated stomach, the anesthesia team may treat the stomach as full and postpone the procedure for your safety. Disclosing your medications ahead of time is the best way to avoid a last-minute cancellation.

Medication guidance sources: American Society of Anesthesiologists — Consensus-Based Guidance on Preoperative Management of Patients on GLP-1 Receptor Agonists (Anesthesiology 2024;140(2):346–348 (PMID 37982170)) · Multisociety Clinical Practice Guidance for the Safe Use of GLP-1 Receptor Agonists in the Perioperative Period (AGA, ASMBS, ASA, ISPCOP, SAGES) (Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol (PMID 39480373)) · AGA Rapid Clinical Practice Update — Management of Patients Taking GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Prior to Endoscopy (Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2024;22(4):705–707 (PMID 37944573)) · ASGE Standards of Practice — The management of antithrombotic agents for patients undergoing GI endoscopy (Gastrointest Endosc 2016;83(1):3–16) · ACG-CAG Clinical Practice Guideline — Management of Anticoagulants and Antiplatelets During Acute GI Bleeding and the Periendoscopic Period (Am J Gastroenterol 2022;117(4):542–558 (PMID 35297395))

Is this medical advice?

No. The planner is a scheduling aid that organizes the standard instructions for common colonoscopy preps around your appointment time. It does not replace the directions from the physician who ordered your colonoscopy — if your instructions differ, follow your doctor. Nothing you enter is stored or sent anywhere; the schedule is built entirely in your browser.

Questions about your prep?

Dr. Allen Kamrava is a board-certified colon & rectal surgeon in Beverly Hills. If you're unsure about your prep or your appointment, call the office at 424.279.8222, or contact us.

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