Taking Medications

[Drasan 23]

Hi, I'm new to this forum and I'm investigating band surgery.

I've found a lot of answers to my questions by reading the posts but I still have a question about taking medications. I hope I haven't overlooked a thread which answers this, if so, my apologies for the repeat.

I take oral medications, supplements, Vitamins in pill form. Some are pretty large pills, like the Calcium and Vitamin pills. Will I still be able to take these meds after I'm banded? Some of the meds are essential for my health and are not weight related.

This is a great forum, I'm learning a lot.

Thanks in advance!

[Jodi_620 37]

Probably not the big pills. I take chewable Calcium and Vitamins. Larger prescription pills would need to be split if possible (some pills can't be split). Or sometimes certain meds are available in smaller sizes or liquid.< /p>

[onikenbai 33]

For tablets, you can buy a pill spliiter at the pharmacy for something like $5. Don't try and split your pills with a knife as it inevitably leads to almost amputating fingers. You can also ask the pharmacist if a smaller pill is available. Sometimes the 50mg pill is smaller than the 100mg pill and you can ask for double the number of 50mgs and take two small ones at a time instead of one big one. Some medications come in liquids or breakable capsules depending on whether you get the brand name or the generic, so you can make a specific request to the pharmacist at the time of submitting your prescription form. It's not unusual for patients to ask for particular brands of a certain medication as each brand has its different non-medicinal ingredients and often people are allergic to some ingredients and not others. Squishy caplets can almost always be punctured and emptied into something, but I can't promise you're going to like the taste!

When all else fails, squish the pill between two spoons and throw it into some applesauce. I recommend using the pill spllitter first though or else you'll be reinacting the scene from Pretty Woman with the flying bits across the room. Those pills are tougher than they look.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Maybe you can. It depends on you, how tight you want to be. I take a postassium pill that is huge. I'll measure it later and post the measurements on here. I take TWO each day (they are the generic K-dur I hate the suckers!) All told with my supplements and few prescriptions and drugs for my bone spur I take around 20 pills a day. No problems. never. I take a lot of pills, to be a pretty healthy person!

in fact the doc gave me a pill prescription for post op pain...Darvocet!

So you may have trouble while you are healing, if you are swollen. AND you may prefer to be so tight that you have issues. I am at my sweet spot, though, and have no trouble.

[123crod 170]

You can buy a pill crusher at Walmart for $2. Then dissolve in warm Water and drink. Capules can not be crushed just open and pour in mouth and drink some water and eat a TicTac. Time release pills can not be crushed.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

My big postassium pills aren't supposed to be crushed either. I found crushing to just be a pain in the posterior....and why bother if you can take them whole?

[Padanelle 2]

My thoughts are, why risk it when there are fairly good tasting chewable Calcium and Multivitamins. Regarding meds, I was told not to swallow anything larger than an advil. If you are going to try swallowing your pills, start with something small and see how it goes. And remember, each time you have a fill, something you may have been able to swallow before, you may not be able to swall after the fill.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Regarding meds, I was told not to swallow anything larger than an advil. .

Bottom line, do what your surgeon says to do. Obviously mine isn't as reticent, especially since he gave me a prescription for a pill pain killer post op. But do what your surgeon says, especially initially. As you go on, you'll find what works for you. Since I CAN take anything (and have no problem foods either) then I obviously am not risking anything...I'd risk dying of boredom if I had to crush or open and mix in with food all the pills I take! LOL .... but we all have different constitutions, swallow strength, and surgeons.

So do what your doc says. If he says you can take pills, odds are you can. and vice versa.

[pickles123 0]

I asked this question of my PCP. For example what if I need an antibiotic for something. He said a lot of things come in liquid and if not there are usually substitutions that do. If he can't find any of those you can go to a compound pharmacy and they will fix me something. So I am counting on him telling me the truth.

I do take Prilosec and he told me to take that after the surgery as well. Does anyone take Prilosec? I just wondered if it can be crushed. I thought it was time released. Or does that gel shell just disolve.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

This is just so odd! :wink:

MY PCP (who prescribed the darn potassium pills)...told me when I asked him about taking them (this before I got the band) "Most of my patients with the lap band don't seem to have any trouble taking pills".

I am beginning to think it's partly whether or not we think we can. :crying:

[pickles123 0]

That could very well be true.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

OK my potassium pills are

4/5 of an inch LONG

1/4 of an inch thick

and 7/16 of an inch wide.

See, they ARE big!

But I am sure they dissolve in my pouch before going through the band...which is ok, as far as my surgeon is concerned.

[Jodi_620 37]

I think it has more to do with restriction. I like good restriction so a pill like that would block my stoma. I have taken smaller pills than that and they went down fine at first...then the sliming began, it wasn't pretty. I can pretty much handle all round, tablet size/shape pills (around the size of a typical asperine or smaller). Caplets and capsuls are much harder.

Edited August 7, 2009 by Jodi_620

[Drasan 23]

Thank you everybody for all the responses!

This forum is awesome!

I've been discussing this process with my husband for a few months now and he is totally supportive. He has seen me struggle with my weight for many, many years and knows how unhappy I am when I can't get it under control.

I was a little more worried about breaking the news to my adult children and their spouses. I told them last night. They are tough critics and had a lot of questions which I was able to answer because I've been reading this forum.

Thanks again for the responses. I'm beginning to think I really can do this and I'm getting excited.

Gentle hugs to all!

[Froggie D 1]

My surgeon said he has had people who seemed to have no trouble with taking pills and later was able to see the pills just laying in the pouch when they did testing. He advocates liquid, chewable or crushing everything. :scared2: