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Surgery has a major impact on your body & your mind. Even though surgery is done with the best of intentions & in a clean environment, your body needs to put out extra effort to mend from even minor surgery. The demands place a strain on your immune system in particular. While you are recuperating, you are more vulnerable than usual to a range of infections & skin breakdown.

Not all doctors have the same approach to nutritional therapy & surgery. If you’re facing surgery & want to pay special attention to nutrients that might be helpful, you will have to find a doctor who uses methods that you feel most comfortable with.

The hospital & your supplements

When you have to go into the hospital for surgery & you take your supplements with you, some one will tell you not to take them, & you are left wondering why.

The situation is this: Vitamins are considered medications, & in the hospital, you need your doctor’s approval for every medication you take. You are not able to take whatever tablets you were taking outside the hospital - not even your vitamins - without explicit approval.

You may even find that the attitude of the staff is less than supportive for you taking supplements. Many health professionals who practice orthodox medicine are not aware of the many health benefits associated with nutritional & other supplements. You’ll need to find a Doctor who is supportive - these Doctors will not require convincing that you need nutritional supplements & will be informed about the supplements that would be best in your particular situation.

For example it’s recommended that surgery patients be prescribed about 400 IU of vitamin E daily prior to surgery - but do not take more than 600 IU without your doctor’s okay, especially if you have had a stroke or bleeding problems in the past. In large amounts, more than 800 IU, vitamin E can worsen bleeding problems & if you are taking anticoagulants, it is best not to take vitamin E supplements. Vitamin E itself acts as a natural anticoagulant.

When you are going into surgery, it is a good idea to be fully aware that all the nutritional & herbal therapy you’re taking that might interfere with blood clotting, such as taking garlic for heart conditions. Garlic can cause bleeding problems, & it’s recommended that garlic is stopped for a few weeks prior to surgery. Taking any kind of supplementation may interfere with the surgical procedure & recovery so to be safe, take supplements only under supervision of a health professional. A few weeks prior to surgery, you might want to discuss any supplements you have been taking with your doctor.

So what do you do?

Talk to your Doctor about the supplements you want to take before you have any surgery & continue to keep your doctor & other care givers as informed as possible about what you have been taking, in order to avoid any possible complications. There is more. Talk to your Doctor & gain approval for whatever supplements you want to take while you’re in hospital. Ask your Doctor to ‘write-up’ the supplements on your hospital medication chart & to sign them as approved ‘medications’. Then if anyone questions your taking them, refer that person to your medication chart.

Special note

Orders for “nothing by mouth” prior to surgery apply to everything & this includes taking supplements. You need to have an empty stomach prior to surgery.

Getting the nutrition you need when you have surgery is important for your healing & overall health. Taking a quality, non-contaminated vitamin & mineral supplement will assist with your recovery. However not all health professionals, especially those who practice orthodox medicine, are informed about the benefits of nutritional supplements for people who are going to undergo surgery. This means that you’ll have to ensure that you inform your Doctor & other members of the health care team (as necessary) about what nutritional & other supplements you have been taking & want to take.

Dr Jenny Tylee is an experienced health professional who is passionate about health & wellbeing. She believes that health isn’t just absence of disease & seeks to actively promote vitality & wellness through empowering others. So… She encourages people to improve their health by quit smoking & cleansing their body, taking essential vitamin & mineral supplement & many other methods, including herbal remedies.

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