Can you take Naproxen 500 mg for pain after a tummy tuck?

Dear dceos124,every plastic surgeon has his own postoperative protocol which he recommends to his patients. I would suggest you to discuss this with your plastic surgeon.Daniel Barrett, MD

Certified, American Board of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Plastic Surgery
Member, American Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgery

Naproxen is a type of NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug). NSAIDs impair the function of your blood's platelets and can lead to an increased risk of bleeding after surgery. I generally have patients avoid NSAIDS for 2 weeks after a tummy tuck for this reason. If you are in this time period, it would be safer to take acetaminophen/tylenol as an over the counter pain reliever.
Emile N. Brown, MD
Johns Hopkins & Harvard Trained Plastic Surgeon

Thanks for your question. I don't think there should be a problem taking naproxen after a tummy tuck. In my practice I have my patients transition to a mixture of ibuprofen and tylenol as soon as possible after surgery. Every surgeon has their own recommendations about what is best for their patients post-operatively though, and I think that you would be best served by checking with your own operating surgeon. All the best with your recovery. 

Unless there is a reason not to (you would need to ask YOUR surgeon), I always encourage all my patients to switch to a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory as soon after their procedure as possible. They work surprisingly well and post-operative bleeding has been a NON-ISSUE in all of them.