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Medication Advice

Inform your doctor of all the medications you are taking.

Medications to continue taking, even on the day of procedure with small amount of plain water:

  • Anti-hypertensive medication
  • Thyroid medication

 

Medications to stop:

Category of Medication Examples of Medication Date to Stop
Blood-thinning medication* Aspirin (Cardiprin),

Warfarin (Marevan),
Clopidogrel (Placta),
Ticlopidine (Ticlid),
Dipyridamole (Perazodin),
Rivaroxaban (Xarelto),
Apixaban (Eliquis)

To follow doctor’s instructions
Possibly blood-thinning supplements*Echinacea, Ephedra, Garlic, Gingko (Tanakan), Ginseng, Valerian, Hypericum (St. John’s Wort), Kava (Kavain), Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Ayurvedic, JamuStop 1 week before procedure unless otherwise advised
Iron supplementsFerrous Gluconate (Sangobion), Ironhydroxide polymaltose complex tablet and drops (Maltofer)Stop 1 week before procedure unless otherwise advised
Diabetes medicationRefer to below

Note: If you are unsure of which medication to take/stop, please bring along your medication.

* This list is not exhaustive. If you are unsure, please approach our staff for help.



Only for Patients with Diabetes

Morning Procedure (No breakfast on day of procedure)

You should take your diabetes medications and insulin as usual the day before the procedure. You may adjust your diabetes medications as follows. If you are unsure of how to adjust your medications, please check with your usual diabetes doctor.


Category of Medication Medication Instructions Before Procedure Medication Instructions After Procedure

Dapagliflozin, Empagliflozin,

Combination drugs containing dapagliflozin/ empagliflozin

Do not take 2 days before and on the day of procedure if going for colonoscopy.

Resume the medication when eating well.

Other Oral diabetes Medications

Victoza/ Byetta/ Saxenda


Omit your morning diabetes medications.
Once a day medication can be taken after the procedure, at lunchtime.

 

Take any lunch/evening medications as usual – do not take any extra dose to replace any missed morning dose.

Basal insulin

Insulatard, Lantus, Toujeo, Levemir, Soliqua

Take 70% of your usual morning dose, or to follow doctor’s instructions. Take any dose due at lunch/ dinner/ bedtime as usual.
Short or rapid acting insulins

Actrapid, Novorapid, Apidra, Humalog

Do not take breakfast dose*.Take dinner insulin as usual.
Pre-mixed insulins

Mixtard, Novomix, Humalog Mix, Ryzodeg

Do not take morning dose

Take ½ your morning dose before lunch and your usual dinner dose.

 

If you usually take insulin at lunchtime, take your usual lunch dose - do not take extra to replace any missed morning dose.
Insulin PumpStay on usual basal. Omit breakfast bolus*.Take lunch bolus as usual.

 

*If you have high blood glucose and have a correction factor/scale to follow from your diabetes doctor, take your usual correction dose.

  • Treat low blood glucose (< 4 mmol/L) with 15g rapid-acting carbohydrates, such as 3 - 4 glucose tablets, 3 - 4 chewable sweets, even during the time when you are not supposed to take any food. Re-check your blood glucose 15 minutes after treating and repeat treatment until your blood glucose is above 4 mmol/L.


Afternoon Procedure (Light breakfast on day of procedure)

You should take your diabetes medications and insulin as usual the day before the procedure. You may adjust your diabetes medications as follows. If you are unsure of how to adjust your medications, please check with your usual diabetes doctor.


Category of Medication Medication Instructions Before ProcedureMedication Instructions After Procedure
​Dapagliflozin, Empagliflozin,


Combination drugs containing

dapagliflozin/ empagliflozin   

Do not take 2 days before and on the day of procedure if going for colonoscopy.
Resume the medication when eating well.

Other Oral diabetes Medications

Victoza/ Byetta/ Saxenda

Omit your morning and lunch diabetes medications. Take any evening medications as usual.

 

Do not take an extra dose to replace any missed morning/ lunch dose.
Basal insulin

Insulatard, Lantus, Toujeo, Levemir, Soliqua

Take 70% of your usual morning dose, or

 To follow doctor’s instructions.

Take any dose due at dinner/bedtime as usual.
Short or rapid acting insulins

Actrapid, Novorapid, Apidra, Humalog

Do not take breakfast and lunch dose*.Take dinner insulin as usual.
Pre-mixed insulins

Mixtard, Novomix, Humalog Mix, Ryzodeg

Take ½ your morning dose, or

 To follow doctor’s instructions.

Take your usual dinner dose.
Insulin Pump

Stay on usual basal.

Take breakfast bolus according to the amount of carbohydrates you eat. Skip lunch bolus*.
Take your usual dinner bolus.