Which medications should I stop before surgery?

Published guidance indicates blood thinners, aspirin, anti-inflammatories, and some supplements may need to be stopped. Your surgical team will give specific instructions: never stop medications without asking.

Can I take paracetamol after surgery?

Published NHS guidance indicates paracetamol is the first-line pain reliever after most surgeries. It can be taken regularly (every 4-6 hours, max 4g/day) unless your team advises otherwise.

When can I restart blood thinners after surgery?

Published guidance indicates this depends on bleeding risk and procedure type. Your surgeon will give specific restart timing, typically 24 hours to 2 weeks after surgery.

💊

Medications Before and After Surgery

🦺

Last reviewed: July 2026 · Based on NHS, AAOS, NICE & healthdirect

Many commonly prescribed medications need to be stopped before surgery: some for just 24 hours, others for 7–10 days. Missing these instructions can cause dangerous bleeding during surgery or complications afterwards. This guide explains the most common medication adjustments and why they matter.

📱

Five-minute task: once you've confirmed your post-surgery medication list, it only takes a few minutes to put it where paramedics can see it too. Set up your phone's Medical ID →

⚕️ General information only. Always follow your surgical team’s specific instructions. Contact your team or emergency services if concerned.

Recovery essentials

Little things that make a real difference: the kind of practical help other patients wish someone had mentioned.

💊

Track which medications to stop before surgery and restart after. Pill organisers →

⏰

Medication alarm app or timer: staying on schedule prevents pain peaks. Set alarms for every dose. Pill timers →

Postopcare.info may earn a small commission from Amazon at no cost to you. These are things patients have told us genuinely helped their recovery, nothing else.

Your recovery toolkit

Free interactive tools to track your recovery day by day. Everything stays on your device — nothing is uploaded or shared.

Daily dashboardMeds, vitals & wound photos in one view Discharge packTurn discharge notes into a day-one plan Last-dose tracker“When can I take the next one?” Vitals trackerTemperature, heart rate, BP & oxygen Wound photo journalSame angle every day — spot changes early Pain trackerSpot the trend, share it with your GP

These tools support — never replace — the advice of your surgical team. If something feels wrong, contact your doctor or emergency services.

Medications Before and After Surgery

🧰 Your recovery toolkit

Your recovery toolkit