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7. Medications to avoid before and after surgery

Medications to Avoid Before and After Surgery

Medications that increase the chances that you will bleed excessively after surgery include:

1. Aspirin, enteric-coated, baby, and plain aspirin or any other product containing aspirin. In some cases, we may recommend stopping your aspirin 1 week before surgery.  In others cases, low-dose aspirin may be continued based on your medical condition.  Please discuss with your surgeon.
2. Coumadin – discuss this with the prescriber as to the best time to stop this medication before surgery. 
3. Celebrex- stop 1 week prior to surgery.
4. Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) - stop 1 week prior to surgery
5. Naprosyn (Aleve) - stop 1 week prior to surgery
6. Plavix – discuss this with the prescriber as to the best time to stop this medication before  surgery
7. Some over-the-counter herbs can also effect bleeding.  These include chondroitin, dan shen, feverfew, garlic tablets, ginger tablets, ginkgo, ginseng, and quilinggao and fish oil.

After shoulder surgery, you should avoid all anti-inflammatory medications including ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) and Naprosyn (Aleve) and any other prescription anti-inflammatories, unless your surgeon prescribes them.  Do not resume these medications until your doctor says that it is okay.  You may take Tylenol unless otherwise instructed not to do so.

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