Is it ok to have a drink of alcohol the night before a colonoscopy?
How about a puff or two of ganja?
Thank you, dopers.
Will you be under any kind of sedation? My understanding is that that’s common in the US but not in Europe. If you are, it’s a horrible idea, particularly alcohol. If not, it’s probably still a bad idea.
That’s a question for whoever is doing the procedure, but I’m guessing it’s probably not recommended and that you should stick to whatever preparation instructions they give you. IANAD.
The night before, you’ll be on the toilet so much you won’t enjoy it. At least the prep will taste like stale Margarita.
I’ve had 2 colonoscopies. It’s not a good idea to have anything that could interfere with the sedative that will be injected in you the next day, even if the alcohol is likely to be out of your system by then.
Alcohol is a blood thinner. Bad idea before a procedure.
ETA: MJ may be as well and lowers heart rate and blood pressure, also bad ideas.
At least tell the medical team, so that they know, especially if MJ.
Is it listed as OK on the preparation instructions? No? Then follow the instructions.
In any case, FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS.
Since this involves a real-world medical issue, let’s move this to IMHO.
I smoked a mountain of pot the night before my colonoscopy. No issues. YMMV
As a whiskey aficionado, I enjoy my nightly dram. Part of my enjoyment of my whiskey is to not become addicted to it. I do this in 2 ways, I skip my drink if there will be any driving involved and every 8 weeks, I have a dry week. 7 days, no booze. If during any dry week I show any weaknesses, it automatically becomes a dry month. Fortunately, this has not happened yet. Just this past week I made an appointment for a colonoscopy, that also became a dry week for me. There will be no question I will follow all the prep instructions.
How long does this last? Are the effects still noticeable the next day?
Some people drink several beers and then drive home without an issue. That doesn’t mean it was a good idea.
Driving while you’re intoxicated substantially increases the risk you will be in a car accident. So people shouldn’t do it even if some individuals have done it without having an accident.
Consuming alcohol or marijuana shortly before receiving sedation substantially increases the risk you will have a bad reaction to the sedatives. So people shouldn’t do it even if some individuals have done it without having a bad reaction.
Beats me; I looked up the OP’s question and therecaears to be additional info online.
My first one is for scheduled dec 21, just finished the 14 pages of admissions questions.
Instructions are quite clear about food and liquid intake, avoiding red colored drinks in particular.
Caffiene seems Ok, in soft drinks etc, last minute questionaire they ask you to bring the day of, mentions alcohol and drug use and when you last used any of them. (and to stop other blood thinner type meds etc) I would love a little relaxer,(MJ) as Im a bit nervous at the doctors but in this case will follow the instructions to the letter.
Boullion and jello!!
I have 2 PRNs that I have by prescription which I take at bedtime if I have trouble sleeping. There are separate instructions for each (different circs, like a stressful day vs. jetlag). I also have other meds I take on a regular basis to combat insomnia.
They went over each one.
I was instucted to take one early, because of the color.
I was told not to take either of the PRNs, for the reason that recent exposure to them could make the sedatives less effective-- that is, I could either not go under, or I could wake up during the procedure. Further discussion led to the decision to use nitrous, and less IV sed for me; in other words, drug me silly, but not count on putting me out.
I was given the OK to take Benadryl, which actually suprised me, instead of my sleep meds (like it would do much), but to buy the dye-free kind. The pink kind was a no-go.
So, as someone else said, these are really questions for your doctor, but just as a warning, if you don’t go that route, either the sedation may be unsuccessful, or they may bump up the dose, and you may be kept in recovery longer, and given different instructions from what you expected regarding the time following in which you should not be left alone.
I have instructions for a colonoscopy a week from Friday and they are very clear on NO ALCOHOL the day before.
And they will likely cancel the procedure on the spot and bill you for the cancelled appointment - and be absolutely right in doing so!
Of course, not telling them could lead to other problems. I don’t know what effect MJ consumption would have on the procedure, and I don’t think that’s the time to find out. Ditto the alcohol.
Personally, I’d recommend the simplest approach: don’t do weed or alcohol that close to a procedure. If you are unable to skip them for a day, then you likely have other concerns.
When I originally posted my question in Factual Questions, I was seeking factual answers. It wasn’t meant to be an opportunity for respondents to act judgmental.
^^^I’d hardly call the replies judgemental.