Why no alcohol after a colonoscopy?

Why no alcohol after a colonoscopy?

Why no alcohol after a colonoscopy?

why can't you have alcohol after a colonoscopy

Important note: We’re not qualified medical professionals. Please consult your doctor if you have any questions or concerns related to having a colonoscopy, or what you should or shouldn’t do before and after the procedure. The following article is just for guidance purposes.

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There’s nothing to fear from a colonoscopy, but you may want to think about a few temporary changes to your lifestyle after the procedure. Not drinking any alcohol is an important one.

There are a whole number of reasons why you shouldn’t be drinking any alcoholic beverages after a colonoscopy (or any other medical procedure, for that matter).

We’re sorry to be the bearers of bad news, but when you reach a certain age there’s a chance that your doctor is going to start recommending a few different procedures for you. They’re a fact of life and, although nobody likes being poked and prodded, they’re for your benefit.

Procedures such as a colonoscopy are often routine and can give doctors valuable insight into what’s going on inside. For your own health and safety, it’s strongly recommended that you cut out any alcohol after a colonoscopy.

We’re all aware of a number of the health problems that too much alcohol can cause and the health benefits associated with reducing your alcohol intake. But, it’s also important to bear in mind how alcohol can affect people’s bodies after certain medical procedures, including colonoscopies.

We’ll explore some of the science behind the advice to avoid alcohol after a colonoscopy below.

So, why no alcohol after a colonoscopy?

As we’ll see below, there are a number of different reasons why you’ll want to wait just a while before picking up your next pint after a colonoscopy.

The main reason though is that a procedure such as a colonoscopy (or similar operations, such as an endoscopy) can cause you to have a sensitive digestive tract.

That’s the system inside your body that is responsible for converting your food and drink into energy and waste; it includes the stomach and intestines.

After a colonoscopy, your digestive tract is likely to be more delicate than usual. Cracking open a cold one straight after the procedure is therefore only likely to irritate or inflame the delicate tissues and stomach lining in your digestive tract. It’s a much more sensible idea to wait and fully recover first rather than going straight to the pub!

What is a colonoscopy, exactly?

There are other reasons why you shouldn’t drink straight after a colonoscopy. To help us understand the medical reasons, it’s important to understand the procedure itself…

So, first thing’s first, what exactly is a colonoscopy procedure?

Put simply, it’s a medical examination during which a doctor will insert a long, thin flexible tube into a patient’s rectum. Because the tube has a video camera attached, a doctor will be able to see the inside of a patient’s large intestine (aka the colon) and the rectum.

They may not sound like the most pleasant of experiences, but they are important. Colonoscopies can be used by doctors to check for symptoms of all sorts of nasty illnesses in your digestive system, including colon cancer. Small surgeries can also take place during a colonoscopy, as doctors are able to remove things like polyps or even tissue samples (biopsy).

However, there are steps that patients have to take during the preparation, the procedure, and the aftermath of a colonoscopy that all act as reasons to wait a while before picking up your next beer.

Preparing for a colonoscopy

Some of the most important reasons why you shouldn’t drink alcohol after a colonoscopy are because of the preparations you take before the procedure.

To get yourself ready for the examination, your doctor will likely have advised you to follow a number of steps in the days and hours before a colonoscopy. This will include stopping eating and drinking in the immediate run up to the colonoscopy, and they will also have given you a laxative to take.

Without being crude, these steps (the ‘bowel prep’) will allow the doctor a much clearer view of your internal health during the colonoscopy, so you can see why they’re important.

But all of these preparations can also lead people to feel dehydrated. Being nil-by-mouth and taking laxatives will purge your body of liquid in the run up to a colonoscopy.

It might be great for helping your doctor during the examination, but dehydration and alcohol is never a good mix.

During the colonoscopy procedure

This post was last modified on December 10, 2024 1:09 pm