Nil by mouth, does this mean no water?

[NoLogicInThis]

Due a op tomorrow and at my pre op I was told I could have light breakfast at 6 then no food and last water drink at 1130 as my op is in the afternoon.

But I've just found in my paperwork it says nil by mouth 6 hours to admission. Does this mean no water as this isn't what I was told?

Yes it usually means no water. No water before an op is very standard so I would assume so in your case.

I was told I could have the tiniest sip of water first thing in the morning prior to 9.30am admission to hospital with surgery scheduled for 11am.

The TINIEST sip,was all.

All the best for tomorrow OP.

Sips of water is generally ok

Don't neck a pint.

Yes, no water. Otherwise it would say fluids only.

Only person I regularly take for anaesthesia is DS, he's allowed water up to about the same as you were told. Sips, not pints.

They don't want you dehydrated. So I'd have sips from 6 til 11.30 so you aren't thirsty but don't drinks pints to quench your hunger.

I was told by the anaesthetist for my CS that even water stimulates the production of stomach acid which in turn can lead to reflux (hence ranitidine tablets the night before) and vomiting (which is what they're worried about. So nil by mouth really meant nil by mouth. When it became apparent that my op was going to be delayed (series of emergencies bumped the electives down the list) they put me on a drip to stop me getting dehydrated.

Yes I understood it to mean absolutely nothing. I was allowed to wet my lips, nothing more. It was horrible, I was so thirsty!

Err on the side of not causing a potentially fatal/lung-damaging vomiting on the operating table. Go with 'ingest nothing at all for six hours'.

Ask when you go in, whether you can have a little water - explain the entry notes. They'll guide you.