Taking meds after surgery.

[sh24 1]

I am at the early stages of my journey. I have had my referral for surgery and have my 2 1/2 hour orientation class in two days. I will probably find a lot of answers to my questions at that point but I am wondering how you continue to take meds after surgery if you are on a liquid diet. I take meds for thyroid, depression, blood pressure, and diabetes including many shots on insulin each day. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

[KrissySMD 38]

You will probably be told (as I was) that you cannot swallow any pill bigger than an aspirin for 2-3 weeks. I am on a few meds as well and had to crush them and eat them with apple sauce. So buy a good pill crusher now to be ready. Eating them is nasty but it's only for a little while. I had my 2 week post op visit yesterday and was released to swallow any pill whole. But you still have to get used to swallowing them with only a sip and not a gulp with them all at once like I was used too!

Best of luck! This is an awesome place for support. Welcome!

[LindafromFlorida 1,542]

I am at the early stages of my journey. I have had my referral for surgery and have my 2 1/2 hour orientation class in two days. I will probably find a lot of answers to my questions at that point but I am wondering how you continue to take meds after surgery if you are on a liquid diet. I take meds for thyroid, depression, blood pressure, and diabetes including many shots on insulin each day. Thanks for taking the time to reply.

My husband and I were both taken off Metformin before we left the hospital, and Naproxyn. We both were taken off a blood pressure med and only take one each. We were off several meds a week prior to surgery, including aspirin. I believe we were off Vitamins a week after surgery. I went to a good liquid Multivitamin after surgery as the Bariatric Advantage multi was too huge for me. My husband has a pill crusher and one that cuts the pill in half. Some pills you are not supposed to crush but your doctor will tell you that. My husband no longer takes insulin in the morning, only a small dose at night because he eats light, and no carbs. He no longer has to eat a snack or big bowl of fruit at night as his blood sugar no longer bottoms out at with his diabetes. The doctors are monitoring him he will be coming off more meds. His A1C has dropped from about 12 to 6.7 I believe. Mine dropped from 7 to 5. I take Prilosec capsules emptied into applesauce daily, he takes none. I was on Zanax 5 mg. each night, and my surgeon allowed me to take it right up to surgery. We have no problem swallowing pills slowly since surgery, but definitely took it slow and easy (still do). Best wishes! Linda

[Chelly 364]

I took my pills the day after surgery.

I didn't take Vitamins until two weeks out.

Never crushed or cut anything.

[beeteroo 166]

My physicians instructions said to crush anything bigger than an aspirin for 8 weeks. I didn't take my meds at all for a few days post op. Then I just took my essentials and tried to crush them. Well I vomited that up quickly! I gave up and started taking them while about 1.5 weeks out. I couldn't take it. Now I'm on a regular diet but I still should be crushing my meds for another week......doesn't make sense to me. Taking them whole was the only way I could get them down!

[JCsMamaBear 58]

My surgeon said that I should have no issues taking any of my meds immediately after surgery. Granted, they're all pretty tiny pills. I did take in a probiotic capsule to show him to see if I would have to open it and sprinkle it on something, or if I could swallow it, and he said it was fine to swallow. My Vitamins are chewable or dissolvable, so that shouldn't be a problem.

[Bandista 7,466]

Hi there, congratulations on your upcoming surgery! I can't tell from your profile what kind you are going to have....your surgeon will go over everything with you. It's important to never crush or split anything that is time-release. Your pharmacist can tell you if any of your scripts fall into that category. Best wishes! Many WLS patients have getting off meds as a goal and that is always very exciting. Here's to choosing yourself and your healthy future!

[ProudGrammy 8,322]

wondering how you continue to take meds after surgery

@@sh24

immediately after surgery i was taken off my diabetes meds/insulin

per my surgeon, i didn't take other meds for my high blood pressure et al for one week

within a month i was off my high blood pressure med

i have controlled epilepsy - so those were/are the only pills i took 2X a day right after surgery

not allowed/shouldn't crush them

i was fine with swallowing all my other meds within the week

good luck with surgery

speedy recovery

kathy

Edited June 19, 2014 by proudgrammy

[mi75 1,235]

i went into the hospital taking 10 pills a day for various things...

i left the hospital taking 1/2 of 1 pill a day only. that's it! the hormonal changes that happen with surgery are almost immediate and for many people, some of your comorbidities will reverse even before you leave the hospital.

pills that are still required afterward can be cut with a pill cutter or crushed, if allowed. some pills shouldn't be cut/crushed.

when you leave the hospital the nurses should go over all that with you and you will know what you are supposed to keep taking or stopping. good luck!