Instructions for using the drug Fortrans before colonoscopy

Pharmacokinetics

The drug is dissolved - one packet per liter of water, an isotonic, isosmotic solution appears. Laboratory analysis indicates the absence of sorbate absorption (absorption) of Macrogol 4000 in the body. Biotransformation is also not observed.

When should it be taken?

The indication for use of the solution is bowel cleansing before colonoscopy. This could be an endoscopy, x-ray, surgery, or any procedure that requires colon cleansing.

Contraindications

Despite the fact that the drug is not absorbed into the intestines and does not enter the bloodstream, not everyone can take it.
So, before that? how to understand it, how to take Fortrans, read reviews about its use, you need to find out in which cases it is better to abandon it. So, you cannot use the solution for:

• severe disturbance of the general condition, which is accompanied by dehydration, cardiovascular failure;

• intestinal diseases in which the mucous membrane is damaged, for example, Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis;

• advanced carcinoma;

• suspected intestinal obstruction or when this problem is confirmed.

In addition, you should not find out how to take Fortrans correctly if the potential patient is under 15 years old. Pregnant women should take it with caution and after mandatory consultation with a specialist.

Contraindications and particulars for use

Before using the drug, you should consult your doctor. Contraindications:

• patient sensitivity to Fortrans components;
• chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system, stomach ulcers, gastrointestinal obstruction (obstruction) and others;
• colon oncology;
• perforation (or risk thereof) of the gastrointestinal tract;
• problems with gastric emptying;
• colitis, megacolon (with toxic manifestations);
• age up to eighteen years.

It is also necessary to use the drug carefully or under the supervision of a doctor for people with: kidney problems (altered function), inflammation of the intestinal mucosa, heart failure, using diuretic therapy, anyone predisposed to electrolyte imbalance (water), nervous disorders. This category should include people with impaired coordination of movement or bedridden patients, anyone prone to aspiration, etc.

During pregnancy or lactation, the drug is used after consultation with a doctor. Elderly people do not need to reduce the dosage, but should be taken under the supervision of a doctor.

Analogues of Fortrans and their comparative characteristics

If the use of Fortrans is impossible for some reason, a worthy alternative of comparable effectiveness is selected. Currently, pharmacies offer many laxatives that can be used instead of Fortrans. However, you should not do this without consulting a doctor. Important! When choosing analogues, you should not focus on their cost. It is advisable to first evaluate the action and effectiveness of the laxative.

When compiling a list of alternatives that can replace Fortrans in preparation for colonoscopy, preference is given to synonyms - drugs based on macrogol. These include:

The listed drugs are available in the form of powders from which a solution is prepared. Just as in the case of Fortrans, it is recommended to use one sachet of the drug per 15-20 kg of the patient’s weight. When assessing which synonym is better, you can be guided by personal preferences, since they are not inferior in effectiveness to Fortrans, but may have a more pleasant taste and aroma.

As for analogues with other active ingredients, these include:

1. Fleet Phospho Soda, saline laxative. Compared to Fortrans, it is a weaker remedy, since it removes only formed feces.
2. Duphalac is an osmotic laxative in the form of a lactulose-based syrup. It has a more pleasant taste than Fortrans, but larger doses and more time are required to cleanse the intestines.
3. Microlax is an enema for quick bowel cleansing. It works quickly (in just 15 minutes) but only cleanses the distal colon and rectum. To cleanse the intestines, it is combined with a strict diet and fasting (the patient can only drink for 12 hours or more).

When assessing the comparative characteristics, it will become clear why Fortrans occupies a leading position among laxatives recommended by doctors. This is an easy-to-use, effective and inexpensive remedy that must be taken strictly according to the instructions.

Instructions for use

The product is administered orally, preferably chilled.

To prepare the solution you need to: add a packet of Fortrans to one liter of water, respectively, 4 packets are required for four liters. The solution requires thorough stirring. The result will be a colorless liquid.

Preparation scheme for colonoscopy: a liter of solution should be consumed per fifteen to twenty kilograms of a person’s body weight (the average volume is three to four liters). If a colonoscopy is scheduled in the morning, it is better to complete the intake three hours before the session.

How to drink Fortrans before a colonoscopy: drink two hundred and fifty milliliters of liquid every fifteen minutes (one glass). The appointment is extended over four (six) hours.

Through a gastric tube: fifteen to twenty milliliters per minute.

The gastrointestinal tract will begin to clear 1-2 hours after taking Fortrans.

Stages of preparation for colonoscopy with Fortrans

When an instrumental study is prescribed, a preparation program is developed, including a special diet and precise dosages of Fortrans. The medicine is used in several stages depending on the time of the planned colonoscopy - in the morning or in the evening.

Slag-free feeding

The first stage of preparation is following a diet. The patient must temporarily exclude from the diet foods that cause “pollution” to the body and enrich the table with healthy foods.

Prohibited products include:

• fatty meat and fish;
• smoked meats;
• canned food;
• legumes;
• fast food;
• dairy products;
• strong black tea, coffee, soda, alcohol;
• fruits and berries;
• any baked goods.

The following products will be useful:

• bran;
• baking with water;
• lean meat and fish;
• broths;
• buckwheat, boiled rice;
• dairy products.

The duration of the slag-free diet is 4 days. This time is enough to cleanse the body and prepare the intestines for taking a laxative.

Dosage calculation

The laxative is packaged in sachets, each diluted in 1 liter of water. The volume of medication is calculated taking into account the patient’s weight:

• Up to 50 kg – 2 liters of water and 2 sachets are required;
• 50-80 kg – 3 liters and 3 sachets;
• 80-100 kg – 4 liters and a similar amount of medicine.

If the weight of the patient being examined is more than 100 kg, the dosage is calculated by the doctor individually. The medicine is taken in portions at a rate of a liter per hour, the last dose no later than 5 hours before the colonoscopy.

Colonoscopy scheduled for this evening

It is recommended to skip dinner the day before; breakfast and lunch on the day of the procedure are prohibited. The laxative is taken according to the following scheme:

1. You must start drinking the solution no later than 10 am.
2. Divide the volume of medicine into equal portions and drink 250 ml after 15-20 minutes.
3. The last portion is drunk no later than 4 hours before the examination.

Bowel movements will end 3 hours after drinking the last portion of the laxative. This must be taken into account when going for the procedure.

The study is carried out in the morning

It is recommended to divide the solution into two portions - only one sachet is left for the morning. The speed is the same - a liter per hour, glasses every 15-20 minutes. You calculate the time yourself, taking into account the consumption of the last portion 4 hours before the colonoscopy.

Side effects and overdose

Sometimes, immediately after consumption, patients begin vomiting and nausea. Then this effect stops. Side effects can be identified such as:

• Disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. Accompanied by pain and bloating, vomiting.
• Immune system disorder. Characteristic for people with a high level of sensitivity. Symptoms: itching, rash, urticaria. Anaphylactic shock or angioedema may occur.

Drug overdose is rare. Signs of overdose: diarrhea, electrolyte imbalance in the body, nausea, vomiting. Treatment involves symptomatic treatment (internal fluid intake). More severe cases are rare; if this problem occurs, intravenous infusions are necessary. If these signs occur, you should contact the clinic.

Interaction of Fortrans with other drugs

The diarrhea effect may interfere with the absorption of other agents. The effectiveness of drugs characterized by a short half-life decreases. The doctor must be informed about the medications the patient is taking.

Specific instructions when taking the drug

It is not recommended to consume solid and dairy products two hours before starting the solution. It is better not to do this until the end of the session.

It is also better that there is a gap of at least an hour between taking other medications and Fortrans.

The drug does not affect the ability to drive a car or operate electrical units and mechanisms. The body’s reaction to drinking liquid can provoke a negative effect.

What is Fortrans and indications for its use

The laxative Fortrans belongs to the osmotic category. It increases the amount and volume of feces in the intestinal lumen, thereby accelerating the appearance of stool. The product is used to cleanse the intestines and remove feces, mucus and other components of chyme from it. It is considered one of the strongest laxatives, since the urge to visit the toilet occurs within a few minutes after taking the first portion of the solution.

• does not have a direct effect on intestinal peristalsis and innervation;
• stimulates stool by increasing stool volume;
• facilitates colon cleansing by diluting its contents;
• is not absorbed in the digestive tract and does not affect the functions of internal organs and systems.

The main active component of the product is polymer fine powder macrogol.

Auxiliary components are a complex of sodium and potassium salts. The product looks like a white powder, packaged portionwise in small bags.

The main indication for the use of osmotic laxatives, which include Fortrans, is the need for flushing (lavage) of the digestive tract. In addition to preparatory measures for colonoscopy, preparation with Fortrans is also used before other diagnostic and therapeutic procedures:

• endoscopy and irrigoscopy of the intestine;
• intestinal irrigography;
• surgical intervention on the intestines and organs located in the abdominal cavity.

In addition, Fortrans is used periodically for chronic constipation, when diet and other means do not help regulate bowel movements.

Important! Even if there are direct indications for using the drug Fortrans, you should consult your doctor before using it.

Mechanism of action on the patient's body

Getting into the digestive tract and mixing with feces, Fortrans promotes swelling of intestinal contents. The increased volume of feces creates pressure, to which the body responds by increasing peristalsis. This is how all osmotic laxatives work, so preparing the intestines for colonoscopy at the final stage, when you need to take medications, takes about 5-7 hours. In this case, the intestines are cleansed not only in the distal part (sigmoid and rectum), but also in the upper sections.

Unlike drugs based on fiber and saline laxatives, the active ingredient of Fortrans does not provoke the removal of water and salts from the body. Macrogol acts as a sorbent that increases in volume with prolonged contact with liquids:

• does not limit the degree and speed of liquid absorption by the intestinal walls;
• does not change the acid-base balance in the intestines, does not inhibit microflora;
• does not lead to dehydration of the body (dehydration);
• maintains water and electrolyte balance.

Stool occurs within an hour after taking each portion of the product, which allows you to use the minimum possible dose of the laxative. There is no risk of excessive stress on the digestive tract.

When taking Fortrans before a colonoscopy, there are no side effects such as bloating, flatulence, or severe intestinal spasms.

Nutritional considerations before use

Following a diet during preparation for a colonoscopy is an important condition that all patients are warned about. You need to use dietary food several days before taking laxatives. This allows you to prepare the intestinal walls and cleanse them of toxins that have settled in the large intestine. In addition, restrictions in the formation of a food set help to remove fecal stones - dense and hard accumulations of feces that accumulate in the folds of the colon and are not expelled on their own.

To ensure that the radical cleansing of the intestines before the examination is gentle and as comfortable as possible, patients are advised to carefully consider the composition and preparation of food. The standard diet before intestinal colonoscopy involves avoiding foods that slow down peristalsis and enhance the absorption of fluid from the intestinal lumen. These include:

• alcoholic drinks;
• fatty varieties of meat and fish;
• smoked meats, pickles, marinades;
• mushrooms.

You should also exclude from the menu foods that provoke irritation of the mucous membranes of the digestive tract and the formation of gases: legumes, spicy seasonings, carbonated drinks, black bread, all types of cabbage, fresh milk.

The list of what you can eat before a colonoscopy includes cereals and dairy products, lean varieties of meat and fish, potatoes and eggs. Patients are advised to drink a lot of plain water, tea and fruit drinks, clarified juices (not red!). On the day of taking Fortrans, it is recommended to eat boiled rice, grated cottage cheese and natural yogurt, no more than 200 g of boiled veal or chicken breast, and chicken broth.