What Is Sutab? Uses, Dosage, and What You Need to Know in 2026

If your doctor recently prescribed Sutab for a colonoscopy and you've never taken it before, you're probably wondering what exactly you're dealing with. This guide covers the basics — what Sutab is, what it's used for, how you take it, and what to expect — in plain language.

What Is Sutab?

Sutab is a prescription bowel preparation medication used by adults to clean out the colon before a colonoscopy. It's classified as an osmotic laxative — meaning it works by drawing water into the colon to produce bowel movements and flush out the colon's contents.

What makes Sutab unique is its form: it's a tablet. Most colonoscopy prep medications are large-volume liquids, which many patients find difficult to drink. Sutab is the only tablet-based colonoscopy prep approved by the FDA in the United States, first approved in 2020.

What Are the Active Ingredients in Sutab?

Each Sutab tablet contains three active ingredients:

• Sodium sulfate (1.479 g) — An osmotic agent that draws water into the colon
• Magnesium sulfate (0.225 g) — Works alongside sodium sulfate to produce an osmotic laxative effect
• Potassium chloride (0.188 g) — An electrolyte that helps maintain fluid balance

Together, these three electrolyte minerals create the osmotic pressure needed to move fluid into the colon and stimulate bowel movements that clear it completely for the colonoscopy.

What Is Sutab Used For?

Sutab is approved for one purpose: cleansing the colon in preparation for a colonoscopy in adults. A clean colon is essential for a successful colonoscopy — if the colon is not thoroughly cleared, the doctor may miss polyps or other abnormalities, or the procedure may need to be repeated.

Sutab is not approved for use in children under 18 or for the treatment of constipation.

Sutab Dosage: How Do You Take It?

Sutab uses a split-dose regimen — two doses taken over two days. Each carton contains 24 tablets in two bottles of 12.

• Dose 1 (evening before your colonoscopy): Take 12 tablets, one at a time, with a sip of water over 15-20 minutes, with 16 ounces of water total during the tablets. Then drink an additional 32 ounces of water (two 16-oz containers) over the following hour.
• Dose 2 (morning of your colonoscopy, 5-8 hours before the procedure): Repeat the same process — 12 tablets with 16 oz of water, followed by 32 additional ounces. Finish at least 2 hours before your colonoscopy.

Important: Each bottle contains a desiccant (a small packet that keeps the tablets dry). Remove and discard both desiccants from both bottles the evening before your procedure. Do not swallow the desiccant.

What Can You Eat and Drink While Taking Sutab?

On the day before your colonoscopy, you may have a low-residue breakfast (eggs, white bread, cottage cheese, yogurt, coffee, or tea). After breakfast, switch to clear liquids only. During your Sutab prep and until your colonoscopy:

• Allowed: Water, clear broth, clear juice (no pulp), clear soda, plain tea or coffee, popsicles, and clear gelatin (not red or purple)
• Avoid: Solid food, dairy, red or purple liquids (can be mistaken for blood), alcohol, and any other laxatives
• Stop all liquids at least 2 hours before your colonoscopy.

Who Should Not Take Sutab?

Sutab is contraindicated in patients who have:

• Gastrointestinal obstruction or ileus (blockage in the gut)
• Bowel perforation (tear in the stomach or intestines)
• Toxic colitis or toxic megacolon
• Gastric retention (difficulty emptying the stomach)
• Known allergy to any ingredient in Sutab

How Much Does Sutab Cost?

Without insurance, Sutab typically costs between $200 and $280 for a 24-tablet package (a complete colonoscopy prep), with an average retail price around $243. Prescription discount cards like GoodRx can reduce that to $136-$190, and SingleCare offers prices as low as $167. Braintree Laboratories (the manufacturer) offers a copay savings card at sutab.com/savings for commercially insured patients that can reduce your out-of-pocket cost to as little as $50.

Need to find Sutab near you? Medfinder checks real-time pharmacy inventory so you can find which pharmacies near you currently have it in stock. And to understand what to expect during prep, read our guide to Sutab side effects.