Taking Pills & Meds Post Op

[Irish76 0]

I met with the pharmacist recently and feel blown away with all the crushing of pills that I will need to do post op. Some of my current pills are extended release and I will have to go back to taking several a day instead of the one extended release. This means crushing pills while away from home (at work, on travel etc). All the food restrictions and rules about pills and not doing this or that is starting to get to me. How do others manage?? I need advice on what to take to work for each meal, how to get the pills in during the day if I am not supposed to snack (only 3 meals a day is mandatory). Especially post op, I can only have 2-3 ounces of food for each meal but I will still be taking around 8 pills a day. Right now thisis getting to be too much and I want to scrap the whole idea of this surgery. Any suggestions?? Does anyone know if the vertical sleeve procedure requires you to crush pills? Maybe that is an option?:confused2:

[Sades 4]

I am just over 3 weeks banded and at this point have no problem taking my tablets. I'm not sure if that will change once I have more restriction. I take 5 tablets a day and I used to take them in one mouthful but now I only take 1 or 2 at a time just in case.

The other thing to look at is the more weight you lose the less tablets you may need to take. I wouldn't let this put you off the band. Good luck with your decision.

[Long2BFree 12]

Talk with your doctor to find out what is recommended for taking meds that many times a day. Maybe he can give you some ideas.

Like Sades posted, you might be able to elimanated some of them once banded.

I take one of mine in the morning on an empty stomach, one at night that I just chew up and chase with Water (it doesn't have a bad taste and the other one I just open up, dump in my mouth and chase with Water. Inconvienent? Yes, but worth it.

BTW, I don't know how close the sleeve is to gastric bypass, but my friend has GB and still has to crush her pills after a year of surgery. In fact, when she had the surgery the nurse in the hospital gave her her pills to take which weren't crushed, one got stuck causing ther to vomit. She then had to go back in for emergency surgery to dislodge it.

[Fairysaddle 0]

I'm at a good level of restriction, and I can even take the big vitamins/fish oil tablets.

You will probably be able to go back to your regular pills after a couple months. Although I personally wouldn't even attempt it for about 2 months. Give yourself time to heal before risking it.

How about Patches for some of the medications? My doctor put me on Catapres (patch) for my blood pressure. I changed it once a week. I really liked it, although I stopped using it after it became a problem with swimming over the summer. I now take the pill form of the same medication.

Note that they were very expensive. So if you don't have good insurance, that may not be the best option.

edited to add - you can get little plastic pill crushers at the drug store. You could carry one of those in your purse for when you are out and about.

Edited August 3, 2008 by Fairysaddle

[mdgarcia31665 0]

You may also want to have your doctor talk to the pharmacist about liquid forms of meds. They sometimes are more expensive so be sure to ask about that too.

[lspeeler1 1]

Irish73 -

I only suffered for the first few days with taking crushed meds with liquids. Dr. ok'd taking opened or crushed meds with applesauce after 1st week. I also take extended release meds and everything was fine. I'm now 2 mos out and take capsules with no trouble and large pills I cut in half. I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Edited August 3, 2008 by lspeeler1
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[Irish76 0]

Everyone, thank you so much for the advice. I feel better now that I have slept on it and have decided that I am not going to let this stop me from continuing through the process. C'mon 20 Aug, I am ready for you! Yes, I will be able to eliminate probably 4 pills eventually. But those are all the little ones, I'll take the big honkers for life (heart is damaged and I've been on anti-depression drugs since I was a teenager.) I will ask about the liquid meds---hadn't thought of that. :wink_smile: This is the best site ever! :thumbup:

[overhillmom 0]

Thanks all. Worst part is swallowing crushed pills. Was told I would have to crush them for the rest of my life. Some are available in injection, some liquid, but most I have to crush. Don't think I can do it.

[mbranham0306 0]

I had the same problem when I first had my band, I have to cut up my pills (I take over 10 in the morning and 8 at night). So now, I have 20 pills in the morning and 16 at night after cutting them up. I have to admit that the first morning after my surgery I tried taking my medicines with Water. It about killed me--that was way too much Water to drink that soon. What I figured out that worked for me is using pudding to take my medicine with. I make sugar free pudding and just keep it in a bowl in the fridge. Every morning I get a 3 oz. cup, get me 2 small spoons of pudding and just put my medicine in it. I can take all that medicine with 2 small spoons of pudding. Its worked wonders for me! I still have to do this--I'm 3 weeks post op today. I too had a time released capsule and they just changed it to two small pills.

You might want to ask about liquids too. Some of the medicine comes in liquids. Any capsule if its large, can be opened up and mixed with juice--thats how I take my actigal every day. Also, getting everything ready once a week is a great ideal. I have a weekly medicine box and it works out great.

Yes they tell you no Snacks, just 3 meals, but a few bites of s.f. pudding to take medicine with is I'm sure going to be okay. Just ask the doctor. Also, I do snack on a Protein bar most days between Breakfast (at 5am) and lunch (at 12 noon)--if I didn't I'd starve! LOL

It seems like alot of crap to have to do but it will be worth it. That's what I tell myself every Saturday when I fix my medicine for the week! :crying: Also, this is not for good, when I lose weight I'll be able to lose most of my meds too! That might be the case for you as well.

[NikkiReyes 1]

I never had any problems taking a whole pill, they aren't very big (the size of a tylenol) but I swallow them one at a time and wash it down with alot of Water.< /p>

[ParrotheadCathy 0]

Immediately post-op you may have to crush them. After you're healed and the swelling has gone down you may find that you can either take them whole one at a time or at most cut them in half.

Let me also point out that in the case of Type II Diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol and even depression meds, after you lose weight (not even all the way to goal) you may not even need the meds at all. I haven't take any meds since the day of surgery and pre-op, I was take 3 diabetes meds, 3 blood pressure meds, lipitor and an antidepressant. None now.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Check with your doc. I take about 20 pills a day (that's a lot for a relatively healthy person..but a good chunk of them are Vitamins and Calcium etc)

I also take 2 K-DUR potassium pills a day. Those suckers are HUGE.

I have never once had any trouble taking any of my pills. ever. Not from when I started post op (and I did NOT take the ones that needed "food" with them until I could have food) and now I'm at my sweet spot and STILL get them all down (I dole them out...some with each meal).

I did find this...as I've hit restriction I've needed to adjust the time I take my potassium (it HURTS if you take it on an empty stomach) I need to take it 2 hours AFTER my main meal, then I'm fine. Odd but true.

SO don't panic, don't crush, ask your doc. Odds are you'll be able to take them all just fine. (my doc even gave me a pill prescription pain reliever for my post op pain! LOL I can't take lortab/vicodin/hydrocodone so he gave me darvocet in pill form. It may have just been an oversight on his part but I took them the few doses I needed with no issues. By day 3 I'd tossed the liquid tylenol...ick...and gone back to the capsules)

It probably won't really be a problem for you.