After the exam, it takes about an hour to begin to recover from the sedative. You'll need someone to take you home because it can take up to a day for the full effects of the sedative to wear off. Don't drive or make important decisions or go back to work for the rest of the day.
Colonoscopy recovery is usually quick with most people resuming normal activity the next day. Even so, it is important not to rush back to work. It is best to take the remainder of the day to rest, recover from sedation, and replenish fluids and nutrition. The results of your exam should be available within a few days.
Preparing for your colonoscopy:
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 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.
After the exam, it takes about an hour to begin to recover from the sedative. You'll need someone to take you home because it can take up to a day for the full effects of the sedative to wear off. Don't drive or make important decisions or go back to work for the rest of the day.
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.
In fact, most patients feel up to returning to normal activities within 24 hours. It's highly recommended that patients take it easy with scheduled activities for the first week after to allow enough time to get back to normal, especially if your doctor found and removed polyps during the procedure.
You will need to take off work the day of the procedure. Some patients who work evenings also take off work the day before the procedure to do the bowel prep.
Colonoscopies performed in the afternoon (PM) have been shown to have lower adenoma detection rates (ADR) compared to those in the morning (AM). Endoscopist fatigue has been suggested as a possible reason. Colonoscopies tend to be technically more challenging in female patients.
Your doctor may recommend that you eat sparingly, or not at all, in the hours immediately following the procedure. For the rest of that day and the day after, you'll be advised to drink lots of fluid and to eat soft, easily digestible foods which won't irritate your colon.
Getting Home
Medicines you were given can change the way you think and make it harder to remember for the rest of the day. As a result, it is NOT safe for you to drive a car or find your own way home. You will not be allowed to leave alone. You will need a friend or family member to take you home.
Will I be up all night with colonoscopy prep? Probably not, if you start on time. While everyone's body is different, most people are able to complete their round of purging before going to sleep for the night.
You may experience loose stool or no stool for up to three days following the procedure.
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.
The night before your colonoscopy you'll take strong laxatives to clear your digestive tract. The method recommended for most people is called split dosing. You'll drink a half-gallon of liquid laxative in the evening. Then you'll get up about 6 hours before your appointment to drink another half-gallon.
It can take 12 to 16 hours for the bowels to clear completely in preparation for a colonoscopy. Eating a low-residue, soft diet for a day or more before starting the prep can help make it easier and faster.
DAY OF COLONOSCOPY
bowels at least 10-15 times. By the end of your prep, your stool should become a clear, yellow-tinged fluid.
For procedures that are scheduled to start after noon, it is okay to drink clear liquids (black coffee or tea without milk, water, Seven-Up, ginger ale or apple juice) until 5 hours before the start time of the procedure. You should still not eat any solid food after midnight the night before.
Don't stop until it's gone. The goal of the prep for colonoscopy is to completely rid your body of food particles. Your bowel movements will be watery and clear or light yellow. It is still important to continue drinking your prep until it is completely gone even if your stool has become clear.
Propofol works quickly; most patients are unconscious within five minutes. "When the procedure is over and we stop the intravenous drip, it generally takes only 10 to 15 minutes before he or she is fairly wide awake again.”
During the Colonoscopy
You will need to arrive early for your appointment so you can check in and fill out paperwork. Once the nurse calls you back, the procedure will move along quickly. Most colonoscopies are performed with anesthesia or sedatives that put you to sleep, so you won't even remember the procedure.
Bleeding is one of the most common complications of colonoscopy, accounting for 0.3-6.1% of cases[35,36].
New research suggests that the grueling process of preparing for a colonoscopy may not have to be endured on an empty stomach. Colonoscopy patients typically have to forgo all solid foods and go on a clear-liquid diet while taking laxatives the day before their procedure.