Can You Use Decongestants Before Surgery?

Prescription and over the counter #medication use are not a matters that  surgeons or physicians than your own can advise on, without seeing you in-person or knowing your #medical history and surgical details. Therefore, its best to ask your surgeon this and about any additional medication use you have concerns about.

It’s not unusual for patients to
use decongestants when they develop upper respiratory infections. In the vast
majority of preoperative patients this doesn’t represent a problem.
Unfortunately some decongestants can cause significant elevations in blood pressure.
This type of decongestant should be stopped well in advance of cosmetic
surgery.

More important than decongestant
use is the upper respiratory infection itself. If this problem isn’t adequately
treated, the potential for complications is significantly increased. These
infections can lead to airway spasm and pneumonia.

For these reasons, upper
respiratory infections and the use of decongestants
should be discussed with your surgeon prior to surgery. Safety should be
everyone’s first priority and surgery should be postponed if patients haven’t
fully recovered from upper respiratory infections.