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Q.

What am I allowed to eat before having a colonoscopy?

Related Topics: Colonoscopy
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Internal Medicine
Emory University
131 Answers
28,458 Helpful Votes
26 Followers
A.

Nothing! At least, not after midnight the night before. And don’t drink anything either.

A few bites of food or sips of coffee before your colonoscopy may seem like no big deal. But you won’t be fooling your gastroenterologist. A little food goes a long way toward obscuring the view of your colon. That makes it harder to identify any polyps or potential tumors during a colonoscopy.

It might seem almost unbearable to go hungry, or face a medical procedure caffeine-free. But think how much more uncomfortable it will be to undergo a repeat colonoscopy because of your “poor prep.”

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