FDA Approves New Colonoscopy Prep That Tastes Like a Sports Drink

The FDA has approved a new colonoscopy prep drink that reportedly tastes better than the current prep drinks on the market. 

The new drink, called Suflave, claims to have “a taste similar to a lemon-lime sports drink,” the manufacturer, Sebela Pharmaceuticals, said in a press release.

This could be really good news, especially since the preparation for a colonoscopy—which involves taking strong laxatives to “clean out the colon.” —has been called “the most unpleasant part of the whole procedure and the biggest deterrent to repeating it,” as one study said.

Colonoscopies are performed while the patient is sedated or under general anesthesia. During the procedure, a doctor inserts “a longer, thin, flexible, lighted tube to check for polyps or cancer inside the rectum and the entire colon,” the CDC explains. “During the test, the doctor can find and remove most polyps and some cancers.”

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The hope is that a better-tasting prep beverage will encourage more people to undergo a colonoscopy, and then follow up on future colon screenings, as needed. 

“What is remarkable about Suflave is that it has a taste similar to a lemon-lime sports drink yet retains high levels of efficacy among available prep options,” Douglas K. Rex, MD, a distinguished professor emeritus at Indiana University School of Medicine and a full-time clinical gastroenterologist at Indiana University Hospital, told Health. 

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Dr. Rex, who was involved in the development of the new prep drink, added,  “Positive patient experience ratings for Suflave may help reduce colonoscopy hesitancy and allow patients to feel less anxious about their colonoscopy procedure.”

The CDC recommends that people get regularly screened for colon cancer every ten years once they turn 45 — but earlier, and more frequent screenings are recommended if someone has an inflammatory bowel disease (such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis), or a personal or family history of colorectal cancer or colorectal polyps, among other pre-existing conditions.

A colonoscopy isn’t the only test for colon cancer: Stool tests and an x-ray-based test called a computed tomography (CT) can also be used for early detection of colon cancer.

Early detection is important, as Dr. Mehmet Oz can attest. He said, “I found a pre-cancerous polyp” during his first colonoscopy.

“Early detection is the best way to catch these before they turn into colon cancer,” he said. “I’m damn lucky I got checked out.” 

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