For your safety, do not drive, operate machinery, or power tools for at least 8 hours after getting sedation. Your doctor may tell you not to drive or operate machinery until the day after your test. Do not sign legal documents or make major decisions for at least 8 hours after getting sedation.
Eating healthy foods will help keep your energy levels up while also helping with better digestion and healing after a colonoscopy. Focus on eating foods that are easy to digest, such as scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, skinless chicken, white fish, soups and broths, and fruit and vegetable juices.
Take the day off: It is recommended that you take the day off work on the day of your procedure. You should not make any important decisions for the rest of the day following the procedure. You should not drive for the rest of the day.
After the procedure
You may feel bloated or pass gas for a few hours after the exam, as you clear the air from your colon. Walking may help relieve any discomfort. You may also notice a small amount of blood with your first bowel movement after the exam.
The medicine you received during the procedure may stay in your body for up to 24 hours. You may feel tired or sleepy and have difficulty concentrating. Once you get home, relax for the rest of the day.
Eat yogurt and kefir that is high in probiotics for several days after your colonoscopy. Make sure that the label says that there are billions of live cultures contained. Take a probiotic supplement in the morning on an empty stomach.
After a colonoscopy, eat foods that are soft and easy to digest to ease side effects such as bloating or gas. This may include eggs, white toast, and applesauce for breakfast. For lunch or dinner, choices could include lean chicken without skin, mashed potatoes, and soft-cooked carrots.
Once they are at home, patients should allow themselves at least 24 hours to rest and recover. It is common for our patients to experience some mild side effects following their colonoscopy. Some of these side effects are a reaction to the sedation, while others are directly related to the colonoscopy.
Recently, several studies have shown that bowel preparation for colonoscopy could change the fecal microbial diversity and composition, and these effects could last up to 1 month [13-15]. Bowel preparation also affects the change of gut metabolome but this is recovered within 14 days [16].
Following your procedure
It is not unusual to experience some diarrhoea for a couple of days post procedure until the bowel returns to its normal function. Abdominal pain due to air introduced into your colon during your procedure can be alleviated by hot drinks, moving around and taking peppermints.
Some colonoscopies are done using gas and air as a patient preference, which can make you feel dizzy or lightheaded for a short period. After sedation, you may feel a little more tired for the rest of the day and will be advised to avoid driving for 24 hours, or operating any machinery and avoiding alcohol.
So, for a day or so following a colonoscopy, it is advisable to avoid foods that are hard to digest, such as high fiber and spicy foods. It is also a good idea to avoid heavy, fatty foods as they can cause nausea and vomiting after anesthesia.
The procedure can also help diagnose the cause of symptoms such as abdominal pain, changes in bowel habits, and rectal bleeding. Although a colonoscopy is not a surgery, it does involve some risks. Some of these risks include bleeding, infection, and perforation of the colon.
Foods to prioritize
Popular safe options include electrolyte drinks or water, fruit or vegetable juices, herbal teas, crackers, soup or applesauce, yogurt, pudding, popsicles, mashed or baked potatoes, toast, scrambled eggs, canned fruits, or cooked vegetables.
Light foods are easily digested, simple to chew and easy on the stomach, which includes foods like fruit juices and vegetable soup. Heavier foods, such as greasy items and steak shouldn't be eaten until the sedative wears off.
Studies have indicated that colonoscopies done during the morning hours have actually contributed to more accurate findings due to a number of varying factors. Although it might not be a thrill to wake up earlier than usual, it could just help your overall health.
What Not To Eat After A Colonoscopy? – Dairy products such as milk, cheese and yogurt. – Foods high in fiber like vegetables and fruits with skin or seeds. – Nuts, popcorn and other crunchy foods.
Foods you can eat after the procedure include: Scrambled eggs. Applesauce. White bread.
“We know that probiotics, either found in fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, or kimchi, or in supplement form, can serve as 'placeholders' after microbiota disruption and can reduce the incidence and duration of antibiotic-associated diarrhea.
A person may also experience mild irritation to their rectum, gas, or other digestive problems. These symptoms are usually mild and tend to go away in a few days. However, severe pain could signal a problem, such as damage to the colon or an infection.
Please wear loose comfortable clothing. You may keep most clothing on for upper endoscopy as well as comfortable shirt and socks for colonoscopy. Women may keep their bra on for the procedure. Please do not wear lotions, oils or perfumes/cologne to the center due to the monitoring devices.
Will this help me lose weight? This is a rough way to do it, but yes, you will have a very temporary weight loss of one to three pounds typically. But, just as with your bowel habits, these few pounds will return as well once you resume your normal diet.