Belly Pain or Discomfort Your doctor may use air to inflate your colon so they can get a better view. They might use water or a suction device as well as certain surgical tools to take off a polyp. All these things can move and stretch your colon, so you might feel uncomfortable for 1 or 2 days afterward.
Colonoscopy Recovery: After the Procedure
The effects of the sedation could last up to a day, so you should not drive or operate any machinery until the following day. You may feel gassy or bloated for a while after the procedure because of the air that was injected into your intestine during the colonoscopy.
It is recommended that patients stay home on the day of a colonoscopy. Avoid making important decisions on this day, since there can still be lingering effects from the sedative. In the first few days after a colonoscopy, you may feel slight discomfort and tiredness, so allow yourself to take it easy.
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.
Colonoscopy Post-Op Instructions
You may feel gas or cramps for a few hours. This is because air was introduced to the colon during the procedure. You should start to expel gas before you leave the hospital. However, if you have abdominal (stomach) pain or swelling, please call our office right away.
After the test, you may be bloated or have gas pains. You may need to pass gas. If a biopsy was done or a polyp was removed, you may have streaks of blood in your stool (feces) for a few days. Problems such as heavy rectal bleeding may not occur until several weeks after the test.
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].
Belly Pain or Discomfort
They might use water or a suction device as well as certain surgical tools to take off a polyp. All these things can move and stretch your colon, so you might feel uncomfortable for 1 or 2 days afterward. The sedatives may also make you nauseated.
Call your doctor immediately if you see rectal bleeding after colonoscopy or if you feel faint, dizzy or short of breath or have palpitations. Also call your doctor if you have abdominal pain with or without nausea and vomiting, or if you develop a fever, chills, severe headache or muscle aches.
Schlondorff told Reuters Health that ``patients should understand that if they have trouble concentrating or are excessively sleepy after colonoscopy, they should check with their doctor about possible (blood chemical) problems. ''
A balanced, vitamin-rich and fibre-rich diet is particularly suitable for this. Wholemeal products, fruit and vegetables, nuts, legumes and dairy products provide valuable nutrients and minerals that serve as a nutritional basis for beneficial intestinal bacteria.
You will experience increased flatulence (bowel gas), until your colon returns to its normal state (24 hours). Walking can help rid the gas. You may experience loose stool or no stool for up to three days following the procedure.
What if I've taken all my preparation and am still passing solid stool on the day of my exam? In this case, your procedure will need to be rescheduled. You may be prescribed a different preparation for your next procedure. Please call the triage nurse to reschedule your procedure with a different preparation.
It is common to feel generally weak and tired after any operation. The body takes time to recover from both Anaesthetic and the surgery. It is important to rest adequately. There are no restrictions for return to full activities such as lifting and exercise.
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.
Preparing for a colonoscopy requires clearing the bowel with fasting, a laxative drink and, in some cases, and 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.
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.
Mild abdominal pain/discomfort immediately after a colonoscopy is not rare, occurring anywhere between 2.5% to 11% of the cases [2]. Though it may have a host of etiologies, it is most commonly a result of air insufflation, endoscope looping, and/or manual pressure maneuvers used during a colonoscopy.
You may not eat anything the morning of your procedure, but you may continue to drink clear liquids up until 2 hours before your procedure. You may shower and brush your teeth.
Usually if a suspected colorectal cancer is found by any screening or diagnostic test, it is biopsied during a colonoscopy. In a biopsy, the doctor removes a small piece of tissue with a special instrument passed through the scope. Less often, part of the colon may need to be surgically removed to make the diagnosis.
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.