Every time I have surgery, I stop both of those meds and have for years. Both the surgeon and the Rheumatologist order it. It is to help with infection. Granted it is precautionary, but if you do get an infection, bad things will happen quickly because of those drugs.

Thank you

I stopped my biologic 10 years ago when I had surgery. I had major issues, including an RA nodule in my throat which permanently wrecked my singing voice, and I could not speak for 6 months.

I had the screw from the above reconstruction and I did not go off meds. It was only a minor procedure.

I am getting my left foot reconstructed sometime in the future. I am not certain what I will do about meds. I was told 3 weeks off meds before and after for a knee replacement. I pulled out of the surgery.

I think you need to do what your doctor wants. Infection is not pretty!

I've been through a lot of different RA meds and quite a few procedures. Each RA med has a different half life (the amount of time for it to get out of your system) so that's where some of the variance comes in on how long to be off of it if at all. Of course the procedure and where it's located also increases or decreases the risk of infection.

For me, I take note of what the doctors recommend, and then I seem to either add or subtract time depending on how I responded to the RA med.

For me when I was on Enbrel it seemed I caught every single cold and even paper cuts seemed to fester while on that one so I gave a couple more weeks on each end. Now my Plaquenil, I have never noticed an increased problem in healing or infections while on it so I didn't even stop that one.

I think the best plan is to go with what your gut says, tell your doctors that this is what you are planning on doing, and run with it unless they give you a reason you can accept as to why not.

After all, it's us that has to live with the results of either stopping or continuing our meds. But take this advice with a huge grain of salt as I seem to prize my mental sanity over my physical well being a lot of the time. ;-)

Smith gave good advice - listen to docs but also know your own body. I almost never get colds or flus (last year was an exception) and heal well from cuts and bruises. So I feel like my meds just make my over-active immune system normal or I remain better than normal immune-wise), But not compromised.

When I broke my ankle and needed surgery for plates and screws and rods, I was 8000 mi from home, in NZ, and they didn't have Orencia so I was off meds for 7 weeks and I've never been the same after. Had to start a new med.

Bottom line - there is no simple answer. Best of luck.

Thank you all for your input, it helps a lot!