GLP-1s and Anesthesia: Hold or Continue? Guidance by Drug

Every GLP-1 label warns that food can stay in the stomach longer during anesthesia or deep sedation, so tell the care team before any procedure.

A look at half-life and weight loss

How long each medicine stays in your body

Half-life in days: how long it takes your body to remove half a dose, based on section 12.3 in every FDA label.

Weight loss in the main weight trial for each medicine

Share of body weight. Trials, doses and lengths differ, so compare each one with its own placebo on its page.

Sources (10)

FDA label (DailyMed) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10.

GLP-1 medicines and surgery
Medicine	What the label says	How it is taken
Ozempic	Label warning: tell the care team	weekly injection
Wegovy	Label warning: tell the care team	weekly injection or daily tablet
Rybelsus	Label warning: tell the care team	daily tablet
Mounjaro	Label warning: tell the care team	weekly injection
Zepbound	Label warning: tell the care team	weekly injection
Foundayo	Label warning: tell the care team	daily tablet
Trulicity	Label warning: tell the care team	weekly injection
Saxenda	Label warning: tell the care team	daily injection
Victoza	Label warning: tell the care team	daily injection
Byetta	Label warning: tell the care team	twice-daily injection

GLP-1: label points for surgery
What changes	What the label says	Labels
Low blood sugar with insulin secretagogues or insulin used at the same time	When you combine it with insulin or a sulfonylurea, low blood sugar is more likely, and those medicines may need lower doses.	All of them
Severe Gastrointestinal Adverse Reactions	Stomach and gut side effects are common, and some of them can be severe. Not recommended for people with severe gastroparesis.	Ozempic and Byetta, plus Wegovy, Rybelsus, Mounjaro, Zepbound, Trulicity, Saxenda, Victoza
Severe Gastrointestinal Reactions	Stomach and gut side effects are common, and some of them can be severe. Not recommended for people with severe gastroparesis.	Foundayo
Taken with oral medicines	By slowing stomach emptying, this medicine can affect how other pills are absorbed.	All of them

FDA labels are the source of these points: FDA label (DailyMed) 1 2.

The label warnings in FDA label (DailyMed) provide these points.