Medication Usage and Anesthesia

We advise you to review this list of medications and follow the instructions for when to stop them, if applicable. If the recommended time to stop the medications below have not been followed, please notify your surgeon immediately.

The following medications delay gastric emptying, which may lead to aspiration for patients undergoing anesthesia:

  1. Byetta (exenatide): Stop one full day before procedure
  2. Mounjaro (tirzepatide): Stop one full week before procedure
  3. Ozempic: Stop one full week before procedure
  4. Wegovy (semaglutide): Stop one full week before procedure
  5. Rybelsus (semaglutide): Stop one full day before procedure
  6. Saxenda, Victoza (liraglutide): Stop one full day before procedure
  7. Trulicity (dulaglutide): Stop one full week before procedure
  8. Xultophy (liraglutide/insulin): Stop one full day before procedure
  9. Bydureon BCise: Stop one full week before procedure

Anesthetic management of patients treated with the following medications may be complicated by a rare but possibly life-threatening condition called euglycemic ketoacidosis (EDKA):

  1. Brenzavvy (bexagliflozin): Stop 4 days before procedure
  2. Invokana (canagliflozin): Stop 4 days before procedure
  3. Farxiga (dapagliflozin): Stop 4 days before procedure
  4. Jardiance (empagliflozin): Stop 4 days before procedure
  5. Steglatro (ertugliflozin): Stop 4 days before procedure
  6. Synjardy XR (empagliflozin/metformin): Stop 4 days before procedure

Significant cardiac complications may occur in patients taking the following:

  1. Adipex-P (phentermine): Stop 3 days before procedure
  2. Qsymia (topiramate/phentermine): Stop 3 days before procedure

Sincerely,

Anesthesia Providers