MiraLAX® Bowel Prep

This information describes how to take polyethylene glycol (MiraLAX) to empty your colon before your surgery or procedure. This is also called bowel preparation or bowel prep.

Your care team will tell you if you need to do MiraLAX bowel prep before your surgery or procedure.

Buy your supplies

Your nurse will check off the supplies you will need. You can buy these supplies at your local pharmacy without a prescription.

• 1 (238-gram) bottle of polyethylene glycol (MiraLAX).
• 1 (64-ounce) bottle of a clear liquid.

You may also want to buy the following:

• Clear liquids to drink during the day before your surgery or procedure.
• A pitcher to mix the MiraLAX and 64 ounces of clear liquid.

The day before your surgery or procedure

Follow a clear liquid diet

You’ll need to follow a clear liquid diet the day before your surgery or procedure. A clear liquid diet includes only liquids you can see through. You can find examples in the “Clear liquid diet” table.

Ask your healthcare provider if you should avoid red, orange, or purple liquids. This will depend on your surgery or procedure.

While you’re following a clear liquid diet:

• Do not eat any solid foods.
• Try to drink at least 1 (8-ounce) cup of clear liquid every hour you’re awake.
• Drink different types of clear liquids. Do not just drink water, coffee, and tea.
• Do not drink any liquids you can’t see through, such as milk or smoothies.
• Do not drink sugar-free liquids unless you have diabetes and a member of your care team tells you to.

How to follow a clear liquid diet if you have diabetes

Ask the healthcare provider who manages your diabetes:

• What to do while you’re following a clear liquid diet.
• If you need to change your dose of insulin or other diabetes medicine(s), if you take them.
• If you should drink sugar-free clear liquids.

Check your blood sugar level often while you’re following a clear liquid diet. If you have questions, talk with your healthcare provider.

Get your MiraLAX bowel prep ready

The morning of the day before your surgery or procedure, mix all 238 grams of MiraLAX with 64 ounces of clear liquid until the MiraLAX powder dissolves. Once the powder is dissolved, you can put the mixture in the refrigerator if you want to.

Take your MiraLAX bowel prep

At 5 p.m. on the day before your surgery or procedure, start drinking the MiraLAX mixture. It will cause frequent bowel movements, so make sure you’re near a bathroom.

• Drink 1 (8-ounce) cup of the mixture every 15 minutes until it’s gone.
• When you finish the MiraLAX mixture, drink 4 to 6 cups of clear liquids.
• Apply zinc oxide ointment or Desitin® to the skin around your anus after every bowel movement. This helps prevent irritation.

Eating and drinking after your MiraLAX bowel preparation

• 8 hours before your arrival time, do not eat or drink anything except these clear liquids:
  • Water.
  • Soda.
  • Clear juices, such as lemonade, apple, and cranberry juices. Do not drink orange juice or juices with pulp.
  • Black coffee or tea (without any type of milk or creamer).
  • Sports drinks, such as Gatorade®.
  • Gelatin, such as Jell-O®.
  You can keep having these until 2 hours before your arrival time.
• 2 hours before your arrival time, do not drink anything. This includes water.

Other instructions

Take only the medicines your healthcare provider instructed you to take with a few sips of water.

Follow any additional instructions your healthcare provider gave you about your surgery or procedure.