Page 1 of 1

Feeling sick after a Colonoscopy

Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 9:16 pm
by pstolarski
I had my 1 year post DX colonoscopy today. Good thing scope is clear, recent CBC was normal and my CEA came down and is in the normal range now :D , but I have felt terrible all day. Strange thing is I did not have this the first time I had my colonoscopy when they found the tumor. Almost as soon as I was done with the scope I felt sick to my stomach and had a headache. I can rationalize the headache as a lack of caffeine (coffee) but the nausea part I don't get. I slept most of the afternoon and got up to eat something. I had some applesauce and within 20 minutes started to feel the same way. I went and slept some more and I did not start to feel better until early in the evening. I feel better but still not quite with it.

Maybe I am just whining but this is the worst I have felt the entire time since I was diagnosed. I did not even feel this bad during chemo. Anyone else felt this way after their colonoscopy?

As a side note I used NuLytely as the prep and that was awful. The first time I used Gatorade with Miralax and I had no problem with that. Thank goodness I don't need a scope for 3 more years!

Re: Feeling sick after a Colonoscopy

Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 9:24 pm
by Terry
It could be coincidence and you caught a bug that just happened to start today, could be the medications (I threw up after the scope my first time from the meds), could be just from not having anything to eat and the prep. Do the miralax prep next time just in case it was the prep. First time I was sick after, second time I wasn't, same drugs the only thing different was I had coffee right after the first time.

I'm happy for you that your scope was clear:)

I hope you feel better tomorrow. Remember if you start to get pain in the abdomen, fever, throwing up call your doctor.

Re: Feeling sick after a Colonoscopy

Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 9:34 pm
by SkiFletch
I don't understand these doctors and their obsession with the Lytely crap. That stuff just messes your guts up, bigtime. You might be having some "restart" issues so to speak. Hope it goes away for you and next time definitely demand the miralax prep :)

Re: Feeling sick after a Colonoscopy

Posted: Tue Apr 27, 2010 9:55 pm
by garbovatwin
http://www.cumc.columbia.edu/dept/cs/pa ... scopy.html

Generally, you should be able to eat normally after the colonoscopy. If your doctor recommends diet modifications, you will be instructed regarding this. If you feel nauseous or are having persistent pain, you should inform the recovery room nurse or call your doctor. If you feel the onset of nausea when you start to eat, it is best to stop eating; usually the nausea will pass and you will be able to resume eating several hours later. Sometimes this nausea or upset stomach is due to the medications given during the colonoscopy.

Re: Feeling sick after a Colonoscopy

Posted: Wed Apr 28, 2010 7:01 am
by dianetavegia
Anesthesia? It can cause headache and nausea.

Re: Feeling sick after a Colonoscopy

Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 10:01 am
by AlabamaFarmGirl
I was told my colonoscopy yesterday (Wed.) turned out normal and all was find. I have had this done in the past with no complications, but today ( the day after), I have an all over sick feeling and small amount of bleeding ( no polyps were removed). I had no cold before colonoscopy, but last night felt sickly and had runny nose and felt achy. The doctor who did my colonoscopy said the I could start back taking meds yesterday. Well being I have bad headaches a lot and can't swallow pills, I take 3 tsps of childrens Ibuprofen ever 4-6 hours until pain subsides. I took 3 tsps last night and 3 tsps this morning. I have only read this morning where one shouldn't take this until 2-3 days afterwards. Could this be my problem? Still having a bad taste in mouth, feeling strange and sickly. Thanks for any help or suggestions!

Re: Feeling sick after a Colonoscopy

Posted: Thu Dec 02, 2010 6:45 pm
by joeyooser
AlabamaFarmGirl wrote:I was told my colonoscopy yesterday (Wed.) turned out normal and all was find. I have had this done in the past with no complications, but today ( the day after), I have an all over sick feeling and small amount of bleeding ( no polyps were removed). I had no cold before colonoscopy, but last night felt sickly and had runny nose and felt achy. The doctor who did my colonoscopy said the I could start back taking meds yesterday. Well being I have bad headaches a lot and can't swallow pills, I take 3 tsps of childrens Ibuprofen ever 4-6 hours until pain subsides. I took 3 tsps last night and 3 tsps this morning. I have only read this morning where one shouldn't take this until 2-3 days afterwards. Could this be my problem? Still having a bad taste in mouth, feeling strange and sickly. Thanks for any help or suggestions!


Going hungry, getting dehydrated, etc, could definitely leave you open to bugs and other minor ailments. I'd just drink plenty of fluids and lay low for a while.

Re: Feeling sick after a Colonoscopy

Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 12:02 am
by nister
i had a colonoscopy this morning and tonight i still feel nauseated. my story sounds so similiar to the others because ten years ago i did not have this post scope, and i did the miralax prep. i couldn't wait to eat and i had jello and gingerale. ugh, i hope tomorrow is better, thank godness it was negative.

Re: Feeling sick after a Colonoscopy

Posted: Wed Jun 22, 2011 7:59 pm
by KimT
I got very sick after my last colonoscopy. They gave me this prep called swiff in thailand. I only had to drink like an ounce of it followed by two liters of water. It cleaned me out very quick and other than the swiff stuff tasting like I imagine poop does, I had no problems with it. When I woke up though, I was very sick. As soon as I woke up they got me dressed and dumped me in the waiting room shivering and heaving, I was so nauseous. My husband wasn't there yet, on the way as I told him he didn't need to leave work until I went in. It was an emergency colonoscopy and I did the prep at the hospital. I had a book and didn't need an audience while I was going through the prep. I vomited water all over myself as it was the only thing in my stomach. A nice thai person near me got a nurse for me and she brought me a blanket and a plastic bag to puke in. When my husband got there 10 minutes later, he was livid. Made a scene in the waiting room about my condition. They gave me a shot of zofran which stopped the nausea and vomiting and I was in decent shape by the time we left but I didn't feel real well the rest of the day. When I had my resection done here, I googled the miralax prep and did that myself because I knew they would give me that same prep again and there was no way I was going to do it again. I had no problems with the miralax prep at all. Woke up from surgery, no nausesa, and no ng tube.

Re: Feeling sick after a Colonoscopy

Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2011 12:20 pm
by lib
I have had burning in my throat and stomach since colonosocopy... pain in my left shoulder blade. Anyone experience this

Re: Feeling sick after a Colonoscopy

Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 2:36 pm
by LEO
I had my first colonoscopy per all the hype from Dr Oz, the media, and other friends of mine. Was very nauseated after the procedure, but was released from Scripps’s Hospital anyway with a wheelchair ride to my car. My friend dropped me off at my home and I was able to walk inside and got to my bed but with much difficulty. (Much different from their story that I would be able to walk out of the hospital and get into my car after the procedure). After a few hours I made myself a piece of dry toast, then after a short time started to throw-up. I threw up the rest of the day (mostly the dry heaves after getting rid of the toast). I called back to the out-patient unit and explained my problem to the nurses three times during that day. All said that I would get better with time. At 5 pm my husband came home from work and watched me heave for another two hours. Since I had no food for such a long time in my system, I could not walk. My husband called an ambulance and went to the hospital where the ER Doc gave me some Zofran. I stopped throwing up but very weak . About 30 days later, I get a case of the stomach flu that was going around at the time. I ended up at urgent care getting zofran again from an I.V. (Zofran has become my new friend.) Between the colonoscopy and flu, I was a very sick person. I would eat and then throw up. I started to just eat the BRAT diet and it helped. Went to a gastro dr and got diagnoses of “gastroparisis”. The moron gastro dr. said that I could have never got it from the colostomy. I went to another dr and she said, yes. Because of throwing-up for so long after the colonoscopy and then getting a virus as a result of the flu, I have viral gastroparisis folks! Check out what happens to you when your vagel nerves are shot after tossing your cookies for so long. Moral to this very sad story….don‘t leave the hospital nauseated. I told them I was nauseated, called them back several times, and just believed what they were telling me. Later they said that normally, most people don’t have a problem. Let me tell you, when you are having a problem, you don’t care about most people. I would say don’t go to Scripps Hospital, San Diego; however, they are all about the same. My life will never be the same as a result of this procedure. I certainly understand how this procedure has saved lives; however, if a patient is nauseated don’t send them home. K