A colonoscopy is a way for us to gain insight into the possible causes of various gastrointestinal conditions that you may be experiencing. It may uncover the causes of abdominal pain, chronic constipation, chronic diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and the like. The procedure can also detect other abnormalities in your colon.
Colonoscopies can detect conditions like colitis, inflammatory bowel disease and diverticulosis. But mainly, doctors are looking for precancerous or cancerous colon polyps, which are growths on the inside of the colon's lining.
A colon cleanse can wipe out the healthy and the unhealthy microbes, so you may want to consider taking probiotics after a colonoscopy. Probiotics can help rebuild colonies of beneficial gut flora to help your intestines reestablish the balance of your digestive system (Source: Livestrong).
Preparing for a colonoscopy requires clearing the bowel with fasting, a laxative drink and, in some cases, an enema. While such preparation can alter the microbiome, the rich array of microbes that are present in the gut, research suggests that the microbiome bounces back in about two to four weeks.
Researchers concluded that colonoscopy bowel preparation does not have a lasting impact on the gut microbiota.
Building of the intestinal flora after colonoscopy with a balanced diet. Immediately after the colonoscopy low-fat and easily digestible foods spare the still empty digestive tract. Tea, still water and vegetable juices are well suited to compensate for the loss of fluid.
In conclusion, bowel preparation has a profound effect on the gut microbiome and metabolome, but the overall composition recovers to baseline within 14 days.
You will probably feel a bit tired or groggy even then, so you cannot drive yourself home. Your doctor will not release you unless there is someone there to bring you home. The effects of the sedation could last up to a day, so you should not drive or operate any machinery until the following day.
Several studies show that probiotic supplementation may benefit those undergoing bowel prep and colonoscopy.
Conclusion: Our study has shown a significant reduction in the duration of pain days post colonoscopy in patients taking probiotic compared with placebo. No significant effect was seen in terms of return to normal bowel function or bloating post colonoscopy.
Examination of the tissue of the GI tract itself with an upper endoscopy or colonoscopy may be obtained. Some of the material from the jejunum, the middle part of the small intestine, may be obtained to analyze. The number of bacteria present in this sample can determine if there is overgrowth.
Probiotics may restore the composition of the gut microbiome and introduce beneficial functions to gut microbial communities, resulting in amelioration or prevention of gut inflammation and other intestinal or systemic disease phenotypes.
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) can not be diagnosed by colonoscopy, but if your doctor suspects you have IBS he will do a colonoscopy to make sure there is nothing else going on. People with IBS appear to have sensitive bowels that are easily 'upset'.
Remember, you can't drink anything for at least 2 hours before your procedure. You must have someone to take you home after your colonoscopy and stay with you for at least two hours. Do not use alcohol, marijuana, or other substances that could impair your thought process prior to your appointment.
Beginning 5 days before your procedure, please avoid taking iron supplements (or multi-‐ vitamin containing iron); or Vitamin E, Fish Oil/Omega 3, black cohash, ginseng, ginkgo biloba, St. John's wort, or other herbal preparations until after your procedure.
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.
Positive result. A colonoscopy is considered positive if the doctor finds any polyps or abnormal tissue in the colon. Most polyps aren't cancerous, but some can be precancerous. Polyps removed during colonoscopy are sent to a laboratory for analysis to determine whether they are cancerous, precancerous or noncancerous.
Conclusion High levels of obesity, metabolic dysfunction and undiagnosed fatty liver disease were found in individuals attending for colonoscopy.
You may not have a bowel movement for several days after a colonoscopy. You should, however, pass gas normally after a colonoscopy.