Why no alcohol after a colonoscopy?

Jan 4

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

We won’t go into too many details here – we’ll leave that for your physician – but there’s a chance that you have been given some form of anesthesia in preparation for the procedure, just as would before any other surgery.

It’s extremely important to follow the advice and not consume alcoholic beverages after a colonoscopy (or any procedure!) if you’ve had any form of anesthesia, especially a general anesthesia. This is also true for prescription painkillers.

You may have been given these after the procedure to help with any discomfort. For as long as you’re taking these, you should limit your alcohol consumption.

Basically, alcohol disrupts how the body absorbs these chemicals, and this can affect your recovery time and process. It might not sound like that big of a deal, but sedatives can be some of the most powerful drugs, and too much of them can cause a risk of serious health problems – they can even be fatal.

Because anesthetic drugs can remain in the system for as long as 24 hours after a procedure, you’ll want to wait a day or so before you think about a beer or other alcoholic drink. It’s also worth noting that because alcohol can linger in your body for a few days, you should avoid drinking alcohol at least 2 days prior to a colonoscopy or similar procedure.

After a colonoscopy

Now we’ve established why you shouldn’t drink alcohol straight after a colonoscopy, you may be wondering how long exactly you need to wait. To put it shortly, this is definitely a conversation you want to be having with your physician as they’ll be aware of the specifics of your case.

That being said, there are some general guidelines to follow. For instance, after any colonoscopy, or similar procedure, you should wait at least eight hours after the end of the procedure before consuming alcohol. This window of time will give your digestive tract time to recover from the procedure.

As we mentioned above, anesthetics can remain in the system for around 24 hours, so if you have been sedated in any way, you’ll want to be waiting at least a whole day before having your next alcoholic drink. Most colonoscopies will likely involve some form of sedative, so this is the more likely course of action for most patients.

They took care of you before and during the colonoscopy, and your doctor will provide you with details of the best approaches to after-care following the procedure. A lot of this will focus on diet, including drink. Eating and drinking the right things after a procedure such as this can go a long way to making a quicker recovery.

What should I be drinking after a colonoscopy?

Now that we’ve established that the best approach to prepare for and recover from a colonoscopy is to avoid alcohol (at least for a few days either side), then you’ll be wondering what food and drink should you be having?

Again, your doctor will be able to provide more detailed and specific instructions of how best to recover from the procedure. Generally, you’ll be wanting to eat and drink lighter options (no, not a light beer!), as these will be easier to digest and aid the recovery process.

Re-hydration is important, and this is why alcohol should be avoided. Instead, your doctor will probably advise only clear liquids for a few days at least. They’ll likely suggest that you opt for water, fruit and herbal teas, and juices. Whichever you prefer, our advice is to make sure you drink plenty of fluids!

Certain drinks are high in electrolytes, usually to help rehydrate after exercise. These can also help.

Light, rather bland, and easily digestible is on the menu after a colonoscopy. Foods like soup, toast, crackers, vegetables, and eggs are all good options to get you back to your old self as quickly as possible.

You probably won’t be rushing back to the post-procedure diet anytime soon, but it can help speed up recovery.

What about an alcohol-free beer?

We’re sorry to say that even ‘alcohol-free’ beverages should be avoided as you prepare for and recover from a colonoscopy. As we’ve written about before at Zero Point Beer, even these options can contain alcohol (even very small amounts). To help your digestive tract recover, it’s better to give even these beverages a miss straight after a colonoscopy.

Instead, you could explore some delicious alcohol-free alternatives, including seasonal cocktails.

A colonoscopy is likely to be on the agenda for most men as they reach a certain age. There’s nothing to fear from these routing procedures, but it is important to understand the lifestyle changes we can make to prepare for and recover from them.

This includes cutting out your alcohol consumption before and after the procedure.

Matt Goolding