Expert: Ronald Levy, M.D. - 4/5/2010

Question
I am having rhinoplasty on 4/9/2010 and was on phentermine up until 4/3/10.  Is six days enough for it to be safe to still  have the surgery?  Is there a way to flush it out of my system faster?

Some of the stuff online has really scared me.

Answer
The half-life of the drug is about 24 hrs so it should be flushed out of your system by 6 days. There is no way to flush it out sooner. You also should not stop medications like these without a doctor's supervision. Make sure they know what you've been taking and when you stopped it. It is up to the anesthesiologist and the surgeon but it should be enough time.

Ronald Levy, MD
Professor of Anesthesiology
UTMB-Galveston