How will I feel after the bronchoscopy?
People respond differently to procedural sedation. Occasionally people feel moderately awake and alert, however most people remain drowsy for the remainder of the day. Because of the sedation, most people do not completely remember all of the details surrounding the examination and recovery period. You should not eat or drink anything immediately after the procedure until you are able to swallow without choking. DO NOT SMOKE for at least 24 hours after the exam. You may experience a sore throat for one to two days after the procedure. Gargling with warm salt water or sucking on throat lozenges may relieve some of this discomfort. Local anesthetics used to numb the airway may leave a bitter taste in your mouth. Your mouth may also feel very dry for several hours immediately after the procedure. If a biopsy was taken, you may notice small specks of blood in your sputum; this should be gone by the next day. Fever is common but should not exceed 101 degrees F and should only last 24 hours
