Avoid These Foods and Drugs Before Breast Augmentation Surgery: Your A-Z Checklist

Updated on: September 1, 2018

When you go in for your breast augmentation consultation, one of the questions you'll be asked is "are you on any medication?" A simple "yes" will not work here. You'll need to supply your breast implant surgeon with a comprehensive list of any medications, supplements, and some foods you take or plan to take before your breast augmentation proceeds.

Not divulging everything could put you at risk for excessive bleeding and adverse reactions between the drugs and the anesthesia you are given.

We know it's hard to know where to start, so we've collected a partial, yet robust list of the foods and medications you'll want to avoid before your breast augmentation. It's not all-encompassing so if you find anything in your cabinet or pantry not on this list, still be sure to bring it to your surgeon's attention.

Why you need to avoid certain medications, supplements, and foods before breast augmentation

Some medications and supplements contain blood-thinning agents, while others just don't gel with anesthesia.

If taken in the weeks and days leading up to your breast augmentation, you put yourself at risk of heavy bleeding and increase your chances of experiencing minor to major adverse effects from the anesthesia, including:

  • Vomiting
  • Troubles breathing
  • High blood pressure
  • Rapid heartbeat
  • Death

And if you have pre-existing health conditions like diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, allergies to anesthesia, you'd be making matters even worse.

Don't risk it. Tell your surgeon everything you are taking and eating during your consultation. Later, remind him and your anesthesiologist during both your pre-surgical appointment and on the day of surgery.

This will help your surgical team plan out your breast augmentation in the safest way possible.

What to avoid before breast augmentation surgery

Before you go into your breast augmentation consultation, you need to prepare to give your plastic surgeon and his surgical team a full account of which medications, supplements, and foods you take or plan to take before breast augmentation surgery.

Your surgeon may augment your procedure so it is tailored to meet your needs or clear you with what you are already taking. But if not, he will provide instructions on how and when to omit them from your diet. In most cases, you will be asked to stop one to two weeks before your surgery and either a few days to a week after.

Blood-thinning foods

Blood-thinning agents aren't only found in medications, they can be found in foods too. The following contains salicylates, which are used to kill pain, reduce fevers, and decrease inflammation but could delay blood clotting time and may interact negatively with anesthesia.

A

Almonds
Apples
Apricots

B

Blackberries
Boysenberries

C

Cayenne Pepper
Cherries
Chinese Black Beans
Cucumbers
Currants

G

Garlic
Ginger
Grapes

O

Olives
Oranges

P

Pickles
Pineapples
Plums
Prunes

R

Radishes
Raspberries

S

Strawberries

T

Tomatoes

W

Wine
Worcestershire Sauce

Blood-thinning medications

Aspirin and ibuprofen are two blood-thinning medications that could cause excessive bleeding during your breast augmentation surgery. Even if the bottle doesn't have their names on the labels, they can be found in many other medications on the shelves of pharmacies and stores.

Here is an incomplete A-Z list of aspirin and ibuprofen-containing medications. Check them against the medications you are currently taking and mark them on your list.

Ibuprofen-based medications

A

Actron
Acular
Advil products
Aleve
Anaprox products
Ansaid

B

Bayer Select (ibuprofen)

C

Cataflam
Clinoril
Celebrex

D

Daypro
Diclofenac
Dimetapp Sinus
Dristan Sinus

E

Etodolac

F

Feldene
Fenoprofen
Flurbiprofen

G

Genpril

H

Haltran

I

IBU
Ibuprin
Ibuprofen
Ibuprohm
Indochron E-R
Indocin products
Indomethacin products

K

Ketoprofen
Ketorolac

L

Lodine

M

Meclofenamate
Meclomen
Mefenamic Acid
Menadol
Midol products
Motrin products

N

Nabumetone
Nalfon products
Naprelan
Naprosyn products
Naprox X
Naproxen
Nuprin

O

Ocufen
Orudis products
Oruvail
Oxaprozin

P

Piroxican
Ponstel
Profenal

R

Relafen
Rhinocaps

S

Sine-Aid products
Sulindac
Suprofen

T

Tolectin products
Toradol (ketorolac)
Trendar (ibuprofen)

V

Vioxx
Voltaren ( diclofenac)

Aspirin-containing medications

4-way cold tabs
5-Aminosalicylic Acid

A

Acetilsalicylic Acid
Adprin-B products
Alka-Seltzer products
Amigesic
Anacin products
Anexsia w/codeine
Argesic-SA
Arthra-G
Arthriten products
Arthritis Foundation products
Arthritis Pain Formula
Arthritis Strength BC Powder
Arthropan
ASA
Asacol
Ascriptin products
Aspergum
Asprimox products
Axotal
Azdone
Azulfidine products

B

Bayer products
BC Powder
Bismatrol products
Buffaprin
Buffasal
Buffered Aspirin
Bufferin products
Buffex
Butal/ASA/Caff
Butalbital Compound

C

Cama Arthritis Pain Reliever
Carisoprodol Compound
Cheracol
Choline Magnesium Trisalicylate
Choline Salicylate
Cope
Coricidin
Cortisone medications

D

Damason-P
Darvon Compound-65
Darvon/ASA
Dipentum
Disalcid
Doan's products
Dolcin
Dolobid
Dristan
Duragesic

E

Easprin
Ecotrin products
Empirin products
Enteric coated aspirin
Equagesic
Excedrin products

F-H

Fiorgen PF
Fiorinal products
Gelpirin
Genprin
Gensan
Goody's Extra Strength Headache Powders
Halfprin products

I-L

Isollyl Improved
Kaodene
Lanorinal
Lobac

M

Magan
Magnaprin products
Magnesium Salicylate
Magsal
Marnal
Marthritic
Meprobamate
Mesalamine
Methocarbomal
Micrainin
Mobidin
Mobigesic
Momentum
Mono-Gesic

N

Night-Time Effervescent Cold (Alka-Seltzer)
Norgesic products
Norwich products

O

Olsalazine
Orphengesic products
Oxycodone

P

P-A-C
Pain reliever tabs
Panasal
Pentasa
Pepto-Bismol
Percodan products
Phenaphen/Codeine #3
Pink Bismuth
Propoxyphene Compound products

R

Robaxisal
Rowasa
Roxiprin

S

Saleto products
Salflex
Salicylate products
Salsalate
Salsitab
Scot-Tussin Original 5-Action
Sine Off
Sinutab
Sodium salicylate
Sodol Compound
Soma Compound
St. Joseph Aspirin
Sulfasalazine
Supac
Suprax
Synalgos-DC

T

Talwin
Triaminicin
Tricosal
Trilisate
Tussanil DH
Tussirex products

U-Z

Ursinus-Inlay
Vanquish
Wesprin
Willow bark products
Zorprin

Tricyclic antidepressants

You may or may not be asked to stop antidepressants before your breast augmentation. It will come down to your surgeon and perhaps any medical professionals you work with to maintain mental stability. Expect to be asked questions regarding your use, present mental state, and how that state changes when you are withdrawn from medication.

Be honest and forthcoming. Removing or reducing antidepressant medication, or even deciding to keep you on them, can be a real dilemma for surgeons. On one hand, antidepressants may increase bleeding for your surgery, while on the other your depression symptoms could worsen.

Putting these on your list will help him weigh your bleeding risk and potential mental health outcomes:

A

Adapin
Amitriptyline
Amoxapine
Anafranil
Asendin
Aventyl

C

Clomipramine

D

Desipramine
Doxepin

E

Elavil
Endep
Etrafon products

I

Imipramine

J

Janimine

L

Limbitrol products
Ludiomil

M

Maprotiline

N

Norpramin
Nortriptyline

P

Pamelor
Petrofrane
Protriptyline

S

Sinequan
Surmontil

T

Tofranil
Triavil
Trimipramine

V

Vivactil

How to prepare your intake list before breast augmentation consultation

What we've given you is only a partial list, so don't stop here. When you get home, if you're not home already, search through your medicine cabinet and any other spaces you store pills and powders like the pantry. Anything you take, even if it's a protein supplement, write it down and include the number of milligrams or servings you take, along with how often you take them.

Keep a food diary of what you eat.

Provide both logs to your plastic surgeon and consult with him. He will inform you about any medications, supplements, or foods he wants to be removed. Make sure you have in writing when he expects them to be removed by and when you can return to them.

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