Skip to Content

Due to staff departures from the Salida VA Clinic, the clinic hours will temporarily be reduced starting on October 7. The new clinic hours will be Tuesday-Thursday from 9am-12pm and 12:30-3:30pm. Lab draw appointments will be available on Tuesday mornings only.

Preparing for a Small Bowel Capsule Endoscopy

Preparation instructions for your upcoming small bowel capsule endoscopy.

Questions after reading this?

Call the GI Triage Line at 720-723-6166, Monday – Friday and leave a message. An RN will call you back within 24 hours, or on Monday if you call on the weekend. For questions at night or on weekends, call 303-399-8020, select “0” and ask for the GI doctor on call.

What is a “small bowel (SB) capsule endoscopy”?

  • You’ll swallow a PillCam™ SB capsule, which is the size of a large vitamin and contains a camera. The capsule passes through your digestive system, taking pictures of the small intestine.
  • A belt with a recorder will be placed around your waist. The belt will be worn for the duration of the exam. After you swallow the capsule, it will begin to send pictures to the recorder.
  • After 8 hours, you’ll return to the GI Lab and a nurse will remove the recorder for processing.
  • The capsule is disposable and will naturally exit your body in a bowel movement.
  • For your doctor to get the best information, you will need to follow the instructions below.

Prep Medications

  • If you are missing your prep medications, please call the outpatient pharmacy at 888-336-8262, choose option 1 – option 3 to request a refill. You will need to provide:
    • Name/Last 4 of SSN
    • Date of procedure
    • Prep medication name or Type of procedure
    • And, if able to pick up at RMR VA Outpatient pharmacy window

14 days before your SB capsule endoscopy

  • If you haven't received a bottle of Polyethylene glycol (PEG) 3350/MiraLAX in the mail, call the GI Triage Line at 720-723-6166.
  • Buy a 32-ounce size bottle of Gatorade, but NO red colored flavors.

3 days before your SB capsule endoscopy

  • STOP taking any IRON supplements as they interfere with the imaging.

The day before your SB capsule endoscopy

  • Do not smoke for 24 hours before your exam.
  • No solid foods today!
  • Drink ONLY clear liquids (liquids you can see through) such as Gatorade, soft drinks, clear juices (without pulp), Kool-Aid, Jell-O, popsicles, clear broth, black coffee or tea. DO NOT DRINK milk or dairy products, alcohol, beer, or anything that is red in color.
  • At 5 p.m., mix 1/2 (one half) of the bottle of PEG 3350/MiraLAX (about 119 grams) in the bottle of Gatorade. Shake it well to dissolve. Drink an 8-ounce glass of this solution every 5 to 10 minutes until it’s gone. This is a laxative and will give you diarrhea. This is normal. It empties your colon, so its walls will be seen clearly by the camera.
  • You may discard the other half of the PEG 3350/MiraLAX.
  • You may drink clear liquids until midnight. DO NOT EAT or DRINK anything after midnight!

The day of your SB capsule endoscopy

  • Do not eat any solid food or drink any liquids today, except as instructed below! Your stomach must be completely empty for the exam.
  • Take any morning medications you need either BEFORE 5 AM or 4 HOURS AFTER you swallow the PillCam™ SB capsule. You may have a few sips of water to swallow any pills, tablets or capsules.
  • Wear loose-fitting pants and shirt for your appointment.
  • Come to your appointment at 7:30 a.m. The GI Lab is on the 3rd floor of building D, Mount Harvard, on the East side of the building. Take elevator number 1 to the 3rd floor.Prior to swallowing the capsule, you’ll take 2 tablets of simethicone/GasX.

After swallowing the PillCam™ SB capsule

  • Do NOT eat or drink for at least 2 hours!
  • After 2 hours you can drink any clear, colorless liquid you’d like, such as water or Sprite. No food!
  • After 4 hours, you can have a light snack, but please do NOT eat any leafy greens.
  • Do not go near any source of powerful electromagnetic fields, such as an MRI device, ham radio or a gambling casino until the capsule has passed out of your system.

In the 8 hours the PillCam™ is working

  • Do not disconnect the wires or remove the belt at any time during this exam.
  • The recorder is sensitive and needs to be handled with care! Avoid any sudden movements or banging the recorder against solid objects.
  • During the exam, please verify EVERY 15 MINUTES that the small light on top of the recorder is blinking twice per second. If it stops blinking at this rate write down the time you notice it and call the GI nurses at 720-723-6166 to leave a message.
  • Write down the time and details of any event, such as eating, drinking, physical activity or unusual sensations on the Event Form and return it to the nurse when you return the equipment.
  • Avoid physical activity that might cause sweating. Do not bend over or stoop.

Return to the GI Lab as directed by the GI Nurse, to return the recorder.

After your SB capsule endoscopy

  • If you are unsure whether you’ve passed the PillCam™ SB capsule from your body and you have nausea, abdominal pain or vomiting, contact your doctor for evaluation and possible x-rays.
  • Do not have an MRI if you cannot verify that the capsule has passed from your body.

Small Bowel Capsule Endoscopy Event Form

Last updated: