I’m having a colonoscopy tomorrow and am on a clear liquid diet today. The instructions say to drink Gatorade. I am drinking it (sipping it) throughout the day. In checking my blood sugar, it was 195 mg/dl [10.8 mmol/L], which is really high. Should I just stop and drink water? Also, the instructions tell me to mix the prep this evening with Gatorade. Should I have water?

The problem with the preparation for a colonoscopy is that you need to drink a lot of fluids to replace those that are flushed out of your system with the standard prep solutions. In addition, you are usually asked to eat a liquid diet that may make it more difficult to consume all the carbohydrates you usually take. I am not sure if you are using the Gatorade as a prep to clean the colon, or whether you are using the Gatorade to replace calories as carbohydrates. It would have been helpful if your physician told you that the prep was concentrated in carbohydrates or whether there was an alternative for those with diabetes. If you take insulin, you might be able to take some additional insulin and cover the higher sugars. If you take pills, it may have been better to have discussed an alternative regimen rather than allow the high blood sugars for a day or so.

JTL