Question
I take diclofenac Voltaren in order to keep walking. How soon before elective surgery would I need to stop taking it, and how soon after could I take it.
Answer
Diclofenac is a member of the family of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). One of the effects of these drugs is to reduce normal clotting, so the risk during surgery is that bleeding will be hard to stop. So, these drugs should be stopped about 10 days prior to surgery. Usually, they can be restarted 1-2 weeks after surgery. However, you should query your surgeon about these issues also as he/she may have slightly different preferences.
