How many days before being put under by anaesthetic do I stop taking Nurofen / aspirin for an operation?
Nurofen (Ibuprofen) is not aspirin but non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug; NSAID (analgesic and anti-inflammatory). First, why you are taking it? I think it is mostly chronic arthritis or back pain. How long have you been taking it? and are you taking it regularly? Regular intake of NSAIDs for more than 3 months is not adviced for stomach and kidney toxicity as well as effect on blood coagulation. Newer forms (as Mobic) are less harmful to kidney and stomach but there are doubts concerning their long-term use. What is the dose you are taking? Anyway, I understood you are taking only Nurofen on regular basis. In such case 3 – 5 days are usually enough. For aspirin, you should stop at least 5 days before surgery. A simple solution is to do what is called “platelet function test”, which is a blood test, the night of surgery in any nearby laboratory (but it is not available in every lab and I am not sure about the cost). Another important concern, if you are taking aspirin, what is the i
