Drinking Alcohol After an Endoscopy
Health ConditionsDigestive Health

Drinking Alcohol After an Endoscopy

Drinking Alcohol After an Endoscopy
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Updated on August 7, 2025
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People experiencing problems in their upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract may need an endoscopy, or an examination of those organs, including the esophagus, duodenum, and stomach.

A special diet, including suggestions about alcohol consumption, may be prescribed by your doctor before and after the procedure to eliminate any possible complications and protect the lining of your GI tract.

Read on to learn more about what to expect when it comes to drinking alcohol before or after an endoscopy.

Before the Endoscopy

No food or drink should be consumed for eight hours before your endoscopy exam, according to Mayo Clinic. If you take blood-thinning medicines that may increase your risk of bleeding, your doctor may have you stop taking them in the lead-up to the procedure. If you are taking a GLP-1 agonist such as semaglutide (Ozempic), you may need to be on clear liquids the day before the procedure.

After the Procedure

You should not drink any alcohol for at least 24 hours after being sedated to avoid mixing it with the sedative and causing a reaction. This is because anesthesia can slow reflexes and impair judgement, according to the National Health Service — you will be drowsy from the sedation after an endoscopy.

This is also the reason why you’ll need to make arrangements for a ride home after the procedure.

In addition to the effects of the sedation, you may want to avoid alcohol because of other effects it can have on the body. For example, after an endoscopy, you may experience a sore throat. According to Mayo Clinic, drinking alcoholic beverages can worsen the sore throat caused by the procedure.

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Yuying Luo, MD

Medical Reviewer

Yuying Luo, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine at Mount Sinai West and Morningside in New York City. She aims to deliver evidence-based, patient-centered, and holistic care for her patients.

Her clinical and research focus includes patients with disorders of gut-brain interaction such as irritable bowel syndrome and functional dyspepsia; patients with lower gastrointestinal motility (constipation) disorders and defecatory and anorectal disorders (such as dyssynergic defecation); and women’s gastrointestinal health.

She graduated from Harvard with a bachelor's degree in molecular and cellular biology and received her MD from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She completed her residency in internal medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she was also chief resident. She completed her gastroenterology fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital and was also chief fellow.

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Jean Bardot

Author

Jean Bardot is a freelance writer and natural health practitioner. She started writing in 1994 and has contributed articles to publications such as "Similimum" and the "IFH Journal." She has a Bachelor of Science in public health from the University of North Carolina and a Master of Science in holistic nutrition from Clayton College of Natural Health.

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