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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:

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.

Coumadin – discuss this with the prescriber as to the best time to stop this medication before surgery. 

Celebrex- stop 1 week prior to surgery.

Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) - stop 1 week prior to surgery

Naprosyn (Aleve) - stop 1 week prior to surgery

Plavix – discuss this with the prescriber as to the best time to stop this medication before surgery

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 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 (acetaminophen) unless otherwise instructed not to do so.

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