Well, it depends…
Tylenol: This has no effect. You can continue to take up to the day of surgery. No need to stop. We would be remiss, however, if we didn’t tell you that Tylenol is not very good at treating pain after the operation. Most people don’t need any pain pills after parathyroid surgery at our Center, but if you do, ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin are usually the best.
Aspirin: we have another page on Aspirin, go there. We prefer that you stop taking aspirin 5 days before surgery, and can re-start the day after surgery.
Ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin: Just like Tylenol, you can keep taking this. No need to stop.
Aleve, naproxen, Naprosyn, Anaprox: All of these drugs are the same, Aleve is just a smaller dose than the others and is available without a prescription. You should stop all of these drugs 5 days prior to surgery, just like aspirin. You can re-start using these drugs the evening of surgery.
Plavix: We have a separate page about Plavix. Click Here.
Weight Loss Supplements: You should stop taking any weight loss supplements about 5-7 days prior to surgery.
Over the Counter Nutritional Supplements: In general, you can continue taking over the counter nutritional supplements up until the day of surgery (do not take any supplements the day of surgery). We are talking about supplements like: Omega 3, Vitamin E, CoQ10, Turmeric, Curcumin, and Chondroitin/Glucosamine.