2 questions:)

Does anyone have trouble with rapid heartbeat or pvc's? Also does anyone take their pills whole or do you crush them? Thanks for the info! Becky

I dealt with a rapid heart rate directly after surgery. Lasted on and off for about 2 weeks. Once potassium stabilized, the rapid heart rate left. Hope this helps. Traci L

Becky, I cant answer related to the reapid heart rate. But regarding the pils whole or crushed. I take them whole. I take 2 and no problems, but they are small pills. I tried crushing them at first but gagged on the taste. YUCK, so now I swallow them. Hugs, Jodi

Hi Becky, It depends on how big the pills are. I asked this question at Dr Brights office on my 2 week follow up and they said that if your pills are really small you can swallon them.....if not, you get to crush them until you are 3 months post op. Hope you are doing okay...when did the rapid heart beat start. Call the doc Becky. Please take good care of you.

I agree that you should call your doctor. Rapid heartbeats can be caused by so many things. If you have hypothyroidism, weight loss can make your synthroid dosage too high and cause your heart to race. This can easily be corrected but you need to see a doctor to do it.

be careful when crushing meds... it may dump meds too fast into your system and cause lightheadedness , ect.... Don't ask me how I know this... LOL!!! one thing is to get a pill cutter or a sharp knife and cut the pills into 2 or 4 pieces.... I would advise cutting into pieces INSTEAD of crushing.... i take a heart med and an antidepressant... I cut those it works for me.

Be very careful about crushing pills. There are a lot of pills that cannot be crushed. Make sure you check with your doctor or pharmacist to see if your medication can be crushed. I learned a trick from my mother-in-law who has cancer and takes a lot of pills. She uses pudding to help her get her pills down. I take a medication at bedtime that I have to take either 4 or 5 capsules, alternating. I was having a terrible time swallowing them, even one at a time and kept gagging on them. I have started taking them with a spoonful of sugar free, fat free pudding, and they slide right down without a problem! The other trick I learned was for capsules. Most people put the capsule in their mouth, take a sip of water, and lean back to swallow. Capsules float, and will float to the front of your mouth, making the very difficult to swallow easily. If you put the capsule in your mouth, take the sip of water, and lean forward, the capsule floats to the BACK of your throat, and you should be able to swallow it with little problem.

You were told capsules are okay? I was told not to take them or whole pills cuz of the pouch exit? Believe me I have no trouble swallowing and I hate crushed Becky

I take Nexium capsules, twice a day, with no issue. I take three pills a day and have no trouble at all. If the pills are a problem, check with your doctor. Sometimes, there are liquid forms of the medication. Also, as your pouch expands, it should get easier.

If you have a rapid heart beat often, call your doctor. Anything with the heart it's good to get medical advice than not know for sure. Ya know? I have never crushed pills. I just break them in 1/2. I don't take them whole unless they are teeny. Otherwise I break them in 1/2. You can get a pill cutter at any pharmacy. That helps unless you have a good thumb! This is what I have been doing since day 1 and am six week out now and doing just fine. Surgeon knows and okays it.