Your Recovery
After a colonoscopy, you'll stay at the clinic until you wake up.
Then you can go home. But you'll need to arrange for a ride. Your
doctor will tell you when you can eat and do your other usual
activities.
Your doctor will talk to you about when you'll need your next
colonoscopy. Your doctor can help you decide how often you need to
be checked. This will depend on the results of your test and your
risk for colorectal cancer.
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. This isn't common. But it can happen after polyps
are removed.
This care sheet gives you a general idea about how long it will take
for you to recover. But each person recovers at a different pace.
Follow the steps below to get better as quickly as possible.
How can you care for yourself at home?
Activity
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Diet
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Medicines
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Other
instructions
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Follow-up care is a key part of your treatment and safety. Be
sure to make and go to all appointments, and call your doctor if you
are having problems. It's also a good idea to know your test results
and keep a list of the medicines you take.
When should you call for help?
For example, call if:
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Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
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Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact
your doctor if you have any problems.
Current as of: October 25, 2023
Content Version: 14.0
Care instructions adapted under license by your healthcare professional. If you have questions about a medical condition or this instruction, always ask your healthcare professional. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information.
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