Fasting Instructions for patients taking Weight Loss Medications

 

Stomach emptying is slowed by medications such as:

  • Liraglutide (Victoza or Saxenda)
  • Semaglutide (Ozempic or Wegovy)
  • Dulaglutide (Trulicity)
  • Tirzepatide (Mounjaro)

If you are taking any of these medications, you need to start preparing for your surgery 24 hours before your hospital admission time. If your stomach is not empty, some of the food or drink present could come back up into your mouth during your procedure. To help ensure your safety, for 24 hours before your surgery, you should only drink “clear fluids”. Clear fluids have no particles in them at all and can usually be seen through.

 

 

24 hour Clear Fluid Fast is required - stop all fluids 2 hours before arriving at the Hospital.

 

OK to Drink

  • Water
  • Black tea or black coffee
  • Clear broths or clear miso soup (without any solids such as seaweed or tofu)
  • Clear cordial (eg. lemon)
  • Apple juice
  • Clear soft drinks (eg. lemonade)
  • Jelly
  • Icy poles
  • Electrolyte “sports” drinks

 

Do NOT Drink

  • Any drinks containing milk
  • Yoghurt drinks
  • Ice cream
  • Cloudy fruit juices (eg. prune juice)
  • Fruit juices containing pulp (eg. orange juice)
  • Alcohol
  • Soluble fibre (eg. Benefiber, Metamucil)