Surgery and Medications

[mav2126 18]

Hi All-

Just got my surgery date of 6/27. Have to say that I am nervous about it. Also I have Bipolar disorder and have many medications that I hope will still work after the surgery.

[moondoggie1983 202]

Hi! I’m bipolar too! I’m also on quite a few medications for it. I made sure to get the liquid or ODT versions on those that were large. I also made sure none of mine were time release because you can’t crush those. I had VSG on 5/10 and I’m now taking my normal pills (other than the trazadone which now makes me vomit, and the lamictal which I still use the ODT form of because the crushed tastes disgusting and the tablets are too large to swallow.) I’ve only changed one medication dose since surgery and that was because crushing them made me absorb them much faster. Also, I feel so much better after losing some weight that I honestly didn’t need that 3rd daily dose anymore anyway.

[mav2126 18]

Thanks Moondoggie for responding so quickly! Can I ask what does ODT mean?

[KimTriesRNY 1,853]

ODT is an orally disintegrating tablet. It dissolves in the mouth and does not need to be swallowed or crushed.

[lysdexic_girl 2]

2 hours ago, moondoggie1983 said:

Hi! I’m bipolar too! I’m also on quite a few medications for it. I made sure to get the liquid or ODT versions on those that were large. I also made sure none of mine were time release because you can’t crush those. I had VSG on 5/10 and I’m now taking my normal pills (other than the trazadone which now makes me vomit, and the lamictal which I still use the ODT form of because the crushed tastes disgusting and the tablets are too large to swallow.) I’ve only changed one medication dose since surgery and that was because crushing them made me absorb them much faster. Also, I feel so much better after losing some weight that I honestly didn’t need that 3rd daily dose anymore anyway.

So can you not swallow regular pills after the surgery? My surgery is also the 27th and I also have bipolar disorder!! No one told me anything about swallowing pills would be a problem... now I’m concerned.

[moondoggie1983 202]

On 06/05/2018 at 23:19, lysdexic_girl said:

So can you not swallow regular pills after the surgery? My surgery is also the 27th and I also have bipolar disorder!! No one told me anything about swallowing pills would be a problem... now I’m concerned.

My team recommended that no large pills be swallowed for the first month. Small pills, like my lunesta, are fine. But large pills like my lamictal, trileptal, trazadone ect needed to be liquid, ODT or crushed. You can talk to your team, but I’ve never personally heard of people being able to swallow large pills after WLS. Crushing them sucks. I have yet to have one that wasn’t gag inducing. My best advice is get the liquid or ODT forms for what you can. Typically those don’t taste terrible. But they are sometimes more expensive. My lamictal in tablet form was $3. For a month of ODT it was $85. Thank god I met my opm and deductible with my surgery so I didn’t have to pay for more than one month of the scripts.
Don’t get overly concerned, you will still take your meds, just in a different form. :)

[moondoggie1983 202]

On 06/05/2018 at 21:19, mav2126 said:

Thanks Moondoggie for responding so quickly! Can I ask what does ODT mean?

You’re welcome! You’re going to do great! If you get nervous, I’m always around. I’m more than happy to talk to you about anything. I know if I had met some other bipolar people before I had my surgery, I probably would have felt better. :)

[Frustr8 7,886]

And 🐶Moondoggie although no one has yet gifted me with a bipolar diagnosis I am surely Neurodiverse to hang with you folks. Crazy phone said first band instead of hang, but that could be true also. Got to haul myself of to Staples, they haven't decided to put me through another EGD or not, so I'll fax all the papers I have from EGD #2 and hope that suffices. Anybody who says the road to bariatric surgery,is smooth as silk hasn't been traveling with me!