After surgery, doctors may recommend a person abstain from alcohol for 5–6 weeks. Avoiding alcohol after surgery can reduce risks such as delayed healing, problems with heart function, and infection. If a person has alcohol use disorder, it is best they discuss treatment options with their doctor before surgery. Stopping drinking alcohol abruptly could lead to alcohol withdrawal syndrome, which could cause severe complications.
Blood Thinners FAQs
People who have any level of alcohol dependence should ideally try to abstain from alcohol for 6–8 weeks before surgery to decrease the risks of potentially fatal complications. When a person undergoes a general anesthetic, their reflexes temporarily stop working. If a person’s stomach contains food or drink, there is a risk that they may vomit the contents of the stomach into the throat, where it could travel to the lungs. This process is called pulmonary aspiration and is potentially life threatening. Bleeding during surgery can increase the length of time a person needs to stay in the hospital and increase the risk of complications and death. Consuming alcohol before surgery can lead to several health complications.
What Are Blood Thinners?
People taking blood thinners are cautioned against drinking alcohol, but research has found that it is generally safe when done so infrequently and in moderation. Speak to a healthcare provider before drinking alcohol while on blood thinners. Despite their name, blood thinners (also called anticoagulants) don’t actually thin your blood. They work by keeping your blood from sticking together in a clump (clotting). Blood thinners keep a clot where it is and from getting bigger and prevent new clots from forming. They can also allow your body to absorb the clot through the walls of your veins over time.
Overwhelms Our Liver
Doctors aren’t there to judge or berate us but to make sure we come out of surgery as healthy as possible. If we’re not honest or upfront, we’re essentially putting our life at risk. Well, any amount of alcohol before surgery can be dangerous, and it’s just not worth taking the risk. Thus, you absolutely shouldn’t drink alcohol before surgery. Withdrawal symptoms can make surgery and recovery very dangerous. This will help them determine what steps are necessary to provide you with the safest possible surgery.
Blood Thinners and Catheter Vascular Procedures
Anticoagulant medications work by interfering with the normal clotting factors that circulate in the body. This makes it harder for the blood is alcohol a blood thinner to clot and increases the length of time that the body needs to successfully form a clot. Drinking alcohol during recovery is risky because it can slow down healing, heighten the chance of infections, and mess with your medications.
