Patient information ·  ← All guides

Medications.

What to keep taking, what to pause, and what to bring — getting your regular medicines right makes your anaesthetic safer and smoother.

Bring a complete list

Before your procedure, write down everything you take — prescription medicines, over-the-counter tablets, inhalers, patches, supplements and herbal remedies — with the doses. Bring the list (or the boxes) on the day. The more I know, the safer your plan.

Usually keep taking

Most regular medicines — including those for blood pressure, reflux, thyroid, epilepsy and asthma — are best continued, taken with a small sip of water on the morning of surgery. Don't stop anything on your own; we'll tell you if a particular tablet should be skipped.

May need pausing

Some medicines need special timing — blood thinners, certain diabetes medications (including insulin and the newer weight-loss/GLP-1 injections), and a few others. These are planned individually, so always follow the specific instructions you're given over this general guide.

Read next: Fasting · Safety & risks — or ask us anything. This is general information, not advice for your specific situation.
← Back to all guides