An endoscopy is a procedure where a doctor uses an endoscope – a thin, flexible tube with a light and camera – to look inside your digestive tract. Endoscopies are used to screen for diseases, diagnose gastrointestinal problems, and perform certain treatments.
After an endoscopy, your doctor likely gave you some instructions on what to do and avoid during your recovery. It’s important to follow these guidelines to prevent complications and help your digestive system heal.
Here’s a quick overview of some of the main things you should avoid after an endoscopy:
- Driving – Don’t drive for the rest of the day after being sedated.
- Alcohol – Avoid alcohol for 24 hours.
- Big meals – Stick to light foods and small meals.
- Strenuous activity – Take it easy and don’t exercise vigorously.
- Certain medications – Don’t take aspirin or other NSAIDs.
Read on for more details on why your doctor recommends avoiding these things after your endoscopy.
Why can’t I drive after an endoscopy?
If you received sedation or anesthesia during your endoscopy, you will need to avoid driving or operating heavy machinery for the rest of the day after your procedure.
Sedation drugs cause drowsiness, dizziness, and impaired coordination and judgment for several hours after administration. Your reaction times and ability to concentrate will be affected too. This makes driving unsafe.
Your doctor will only clear you to drive again once the sedation has fully worn off, which typically takes 8 to 24 hours. This depends on factors like:
- The specific sedation medications used
- The dosage you received
- Your individual metabolism
Even if you feel awake and alert within a few hours of your endoscopy, the sedation drugs can still impact your driving ability. Avoid driving until the following day to give the medications time to fully leave your system.
Ask someone else to drive you home
Since you cannot drive yourself home after an endoscopy, ask a family member or friend to accompany you to your appointment and drive you home afterwards.
You should not take a taxi, bus, or other transportation that would involve you driving yourself. Having someone you trust drive you is the safest option.
Rest and recover
Go straight home and rest after your procedure – don’t try to run errands or resume your normal daily activities. The sedation can make you tired, dizzy, and unsteady on your feet for several hours.
Once home, relax and take it easy. Sleep off any lingering drowsiness. Stay in bed or on the couch until the sedation medication has fully worn off.
Why should I avoid alcohol?
Your doctor will likely recommend that you avoid drinking alcohol for 24 hours after your endoscopy.
There are a few reasons why alcohol and endoscopies don’t mix well:
Alcohol can interact with sedation medication
Drinking alcohol while sedatives are still in your system can intensify the effects, causing increased drowsiness, impaired coordination, and slowed breathing. This could lead to dangerous side effects.
Even if your procedure was done under local anesthesia without sedation, alcohol can still interact poorly with any numbing medication used.
Alcohol can irritate your digestive tract
Endoscopies involve inserting a scope into your esophagus, stomach, and possibly part of your small intestine. This can leave your digestive lining feeling tender and irritated afterwards.
Drinking alcohol can further aggravate irritation and inflammation of your GI tract. This will slow the healing process and may cause pain.
Alcohol can contribute to dehydration
As part of preparing for your endoscopy, you likely had to follow a fasting or liquid diet beforehand. This can leave you feeling a bit dehydrated.
Alcohol acts as a diuretic, causing you to lose fluids and become more dehydrated. Opt for water and hydrating beverages until your system fully recovers.
When can I drink alcohol again?
You should be able to resume moderate alcohol consumption 24 hours after your procedure, barring complications or other health issues. However, it’s smart to:
- Drink in moderation
- Stick to clear spirits (vodka, gin, etc) mixed with non-carbonated beverages
- Avoid beer, wine, and cocktails, as these can cause more irritation and gas
Check with your doctor if you have any concerns about when it’s safe to drink alcohol again after your endoscopy.
Why should I avoid large meals after an endoscopy?
Your doctor will likely recommend sticking to light, bland foods and small meals after your endoscopy. Here’s why:
Large meals can cause discomfort
When you eat a big, heavy meal, this places physical stress and pressure on your digestive tract as the food is processed. After an endoscopy, your GI system needs time to recover. Large meals can cause bloating, pain, or other discomfort.
Your system may be sensitive
If biopsies were taken or polyps removed during your endoscopy, the lining of your digestive tract will be sensitive and possibly inflamed afterwards. A large influx of food can further irritate the area.
You may have throat discomfort
The endoscope tube can leave your throat feeling scratched or sore. Shoveling in a big meal can exacerbate throat pain and make swallowing difficult. Go easy on your throat while it heals.
You may feel gassy and bloated
You’ll likely need to take in quite a bit of air during the endoscopy procedure. This can leave you feeling gassy and bloated afterwards. Large meals will contribute to gas and bloating.
How long should I avoid large meals?
It’s smart to stick to a low residue, bland, low-fiber diet for 1 to 2 days after your endoscopy. This gives your GI tract time to recover. Slowly reintroduce larger meals, but chew them thoroughly. Stop eating if you feel pain or discomfort.
Why can’t I do strenuous activity after an endoscopy?
Doctors recommend taking it easy and avoiding strenuous exercise for at least 24 hours after an endoscopy. There are a few reasons why:
Activity can cause bleeding
If biopsies were taken or polyps were removed during your endoscopy, these sites could bleed or re-open with vigorous physical activity.
Activity can cause pain and irritation
Increased activity can irritate an already sensitive and inflamed digestive tract. This could potentially cause tears or other injury.
Exercise may cause dehydration
Physical activity can lead to dehydration, especially if you are already prone to dehydration from fasting before your procedure. This can slow healing.
Activity can be tiring
You may feel tired and fatigued after being sedated. Pushing your body too soon with vigorous exercise can exacerbate fatigue and weakness.
How long should I rest before exercising again?
Take a full 24 hours off from strenuous activity to allow your body to recover. After that, ease back into exercise slowly. Start with short, gentle workouts. Avoid heavy lifting, crunches, and intense cardio for at least a week. Increase activity gradually over 2 to 4 weeks.
Why can’t I take NSAIDs after an endoscopy?
NSAIDs like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), naproxen (Aleve), and aspirin can cause increased bleeding and should be avoided for 1 to 2 weeks after an endoscopy.
Here’s why these medications are problematic:
NSAIDs thin the blood
NSAIDs have a blood-thinning effect that can increase your risk of bleeding from any biopsy sites or irritated areas in your digestive tract. Even small amounts of bleeding could be amplified.
Bleeding can be internal
You may not even realize you have internal bleeding until it becomes more severe. Avoiding NSAIDs reduces this risk of hidden, ongoing blood loss.
ASA also affects platelets
Along with thinning the blood, aspirin affects platelets which are involved in clotting. This impairs your ability to stop bleeding.
Acetaminophen is a safer option
For pain relief after an endoscopy, acetaminophen (Tylenol) is a safer option than NSAIDs and aspirin. If stronger pain medication is needed, your doctor can prescribe something appropriate.
How long should I avoid NSAIDs after an endoscopy?
You’ll need to avoid aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and other NSAIDs for a full 1 to 2 weeks after your endoscopy. This gives any irritation, inflammation, or tissue removal sites time to fully heal.
Conclusion
Following your doctor’s instructions for recovery after an endoscopy is crucial. Avoid driving, alcohol, heavy meals, intense exercise, and NSAIDs like your doctor recommends.
This will help prevent complications like bleeding, support healing, and get your digestive tract feeling healthy again. Take it easy and give your body the time it needs to bounce back after this procedure.
With the proper rest and aftercare, you should soon be feeling your normal self again. But don’t hesitate to call your doctor if you have any concerns about worsening symptoms or other unusual issues. Report any bleeding, severe pain, dizziness, fever, or other problems.
Most patients recover fully within a couple weeks after an uncomplicated endoscopy. Adhering to your doctor’s recommendations will help ensure you smoothly heal as well.
