Chills after a colonoscopy

Feeling cold briefly can occur while recovering from sedation or a cool clinical environment. Repeated shaking chills or chills alongside other symptoms need assessment because infection, a reaction to medicine, dehydration, bleeding, or a bowel injury may require treatment.

Check the person's temperature if a thermometer is available, and notice whether the chills settle with normal warming. Consider when they began, whether a polyp was removed, and whether there is abdominal pain, swelling, vomiting, dizziness, rash, or unusual bleeding.

Chills do not by themselves show which problem is present. The endoscopy team can interpret them alongside the procedure details, medicines given, vital signs, and other symptoms. Chills after the test do not indicate whether bowel cancer is present; biopsy or polyp results address that separate question.

Call the number on the discharge instructions and describe the chills, temperature, pain, bleeding, and ability to drink. Follow the team's directions about fluids, food, and regular medicines. Avoid driving, alcohol, and important decisions while sedation effects remain.

Keep the discharge sheet nearby and have another adult stay with the patient for the period advised by the unit. Do not take extra pain medicine or antibiotics unless a clinician confirms they are appropriate, because some medicines can obscure symptoms or increase bleeding risk.

Seek urgent assessment for shaking chills with fever, severe or increasing abdominal pain, a swollen or rigid abdomen, repeated vomiting, inability to drink, increasing rectal bleeding, black stool, marked dizziness, or worsening weakness.

Call emergency services for trouble breathing, chest pain, fainting, confusion, severe uncontrolled bleeding, or difficulty waking the person. Do not wait for a routine follow-up when these signs occur.

Ask whether any tissue or polyps were removed, whether there were difficulties during the procedure, and which medicines were used. Confirm what symptoms are expected, how long sedation precautions apply, how results will arrive, and which contact number is staffed overnight.