COLONOSCOPY PATIENT DISCHARGE INFORMATION
What to expect after Colonoscopy
After your colonoscopy a responsible adult must collect you, as you will be drowsy from the medication you have been given. You must not drive a vehicle, drink alcohol or make any important decisions until the day following your discharge. This is because it takes some time for the medication to work its way through your system. You may resume your normal daily activities the day after the examination.
Food and drink
Alcohol in combination with any sedation you may have received is likely to make you much more sleepy than usual. Normal food can be taken after the examination, though you may prefer light meals on that day of examination. The doctor or nurse will have told you before being discharged if you had biopsies taken or polyps removed. If this was the case you may notice traces of blood coming from your back passage. If bleeding persists, becomes more severe or the abdominal pain becomes worse, you should contact the Endoscopy Unit or your GP or come to the Accident & Emergency Department.
Medications
You may resume normal medications immediately after your colonoscopy but if a polyp was removed we advise against taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs in any form for the next week. Please ask if you are not sure that a medication will be safe. You may take stool softeners and bran but do not take strong laxatives.
Bowel actions
Your colon has been completely emptied and you should not expect necessarily to start to have normal bowel function for two to three days. Bowel actions after that should rapidly return to normal.
Things to report to your doctor
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| Endoscopy patient recovery |
Food and drink
Alcohol in combination with any sedation you may have received is likely to make you much more sleepy than usual. Normal food can be taken after the examination, though you may prefer light meals on that day of examination. The doctor or nurse will have told you before being discharged if you had biopsies taken or polyps removed. If this was the case you may notice traces of blood coming from your back passage. If bleeding persists, becomes more severe or the abdominal pain becomes worse, you should contact the Endoscopy Unit or your GP or come to the Accident & Emergency Department.
Medications
You may resume normal medications immediately after your colonoscopy but if a polyp was removed we advise against taking aspirin or anti-inflammatory drugs in any form for the next week. Please ask if you are not sure that a medication will be safe. You may take stool softeners and bran but do not take strong laxatives.
Bowel actions
Your colon has been completely emptied and you should not expect necessarily to start to have normal bowel function for two to three days. Bowel actions after that should rapidly return to normal.
Things to report to your doctor
- Severe pain or vomiting
- Passage or vomiting of blood
- Temperature greater than 38 degrees
- Redness, tenderness and swelling at the site of the intravenous injection that persists
