Who's crushing pills????????

Hi Folks, I am 4 months out and have been on chewable vitamins. The bottle is emply soon and I am wondering if everyone is still crushing their pills or can you actually take a vitamin whole???? I had a pill one day from the Doctor for an infection and out of habit just popped it in and it went down fine with water. What is everyone doing??????? Karen. 290- 214- 145- (-76)

I started swallowing my Centrum a couple weeks ago. I had my surgery on July 13th. I also take a Biotin for hair loss and I swallow that too, although it is smaller. I have also been swallowing my birth control pill since my second month but they are very very small. I still have not attempted the Calcium Citrate, but I am going to have to do it soon. Melissa

I have been doins pills for at least a month now. It was hard int he beggining, but it gets easier as time goes by.... So far, no problems at all... -Flávia

Oh, lawd no! I quit crushing anything at 4 weeks out (with surgeon's blessing). Even swallowed huge multivitamins whole. Now I'm using Building Blocks so they're not as big as those horse pills. I find, though, that now pills get stuck in the back of my throat (not my stomach)whereas they never did before so I take them with milk or protein shakes and they slip right on down! MM

My Dr. gave me the go ahead to swallow pills a couple of months ago. They go down just fine. ~Debra

I crush all of my vitamins...calcium, C, Biotin, MVI, iron and mix them in with my shake....if I don't crush them I'm too full to eat and I had a calcium get stuck once...that was enough for me! I will probably crush them forever! My allergy pill and BC pill are small so I swallow those without a problem. CJ 246/178/138

Hi CJ, Just a note about combining your Iron with Calcium. It's not advised. I was told to take my Iron at least two hours before or after Calcium so I take my Iron and my multivitamin that contains some along with my vitamin C the minute I get up then two hours later I can start my calcium (after breakfast) which I take three times a day because you're supposed to space them out. Don't forget that you need Vitamin D and Magnesium to get the full benefit of your Calcium. Cathy 302/235/145

Thanks CC. I know that I'm supposed to seperate the iron from the calcuim but right now if I don't take them all at once I don't take them. I get so full from the pills that I can't eat or drink. Then I don't get enough water and food in! Sounds ridiculous that a few pills can stuff you up for a day but that's the way it is. I tried the liquid vits...ughhhh...nasty! So, I have my labs checked next month and I'll find out if everything is okay. I figure at this point something is better then nothing. CJ

Hi CJ, I'm concerned about what you are doing. Have you had any post op labs yet? I've had labs at 3 months out where they found I was low in Potassium and Iron and they took immediate steps to correct it. They then had a followup to see if the corrective additional supplements of Iron and Potassium were working. I am scheduled for another set of labs in three weeks to see how I am doing after my Potassium was discontinued after it was normalized by mega supplements. I am concerned based on my own experience and that has to do with Calcium supplements. It is relevant that I am 61 years old and post menopausal. If I hadn't pushed to have a baseline bone scan (DEXA) done last Spring, 3 months before my RNY, I wouldn't have known I had osteopenia and osteoporosis. I was referred to an endocrinologist who put me on Fosamax right away and I continued that medication until surgery when it had to be discontinued because you can't take it with a new pouch following Gastric Bypass RNY. It is called a "pouch burner" because you must take the pills weekly with a full 8 oz of water and remain upright for 30 minutes. It's impossible to do that with a new tiny 2 oz pouch. I will have another bone scan next Spring, a year after my baseline one and I will be able to take Fosamax if needed at that time. For now I am taking 1800 mg of Calcium. I am taking Chewable Caltrate 600 Plus (Vit. D and Magnesium). I have been told to take this by my endocrinologist and my Surgeon is in agreement. This form of Calcium is a carbonate but I have been told by my Endocrinologist (who handles osteoporosis cases) that both forms are acceptable although you may have to take a bit more of the calcium carbonate because it is not absorbed as easily as the Calcium citrate. Prior to my surgery I had been taking Calcium Carbonate, (1,000 mg with 500 mg of Magnesium). It did not have any extra Vitamin and I only got the amount of Vit. D that was included in my daily Multivitamin/mineral which was 400 I.U. Now my Vit. D is 600 IU in the three Calatrate Plus and the 400 IU which gives me 1,000 IU of Vitamin D. daily. My total amount of Calcium is 1800 mg bedcause I don't count the calcium included in my multivitamin which has Iron in it and therefore is not utilized to its fullest extent. You say you get full on the pills you take. I know that I used my chewable caltrate as a "meal" but took it with Isopure Clear Zero Carb Whey Protein Isolate and I still take a lot of pills with my Isospure so as to get in my liquids and Protein together. I just want you to think about what you are doing and ask for professional help before you waste any more time and effort taking pills that in fact do not benefit you fully because of the way you are taking them. If you are not taking your nutrients based on lab tests then you are not getting good medical advice. Have you had any labs drawn at all following your surgery? My surgery date was two days before you and I was sent home with Actigall which I was told to begin taking immediately. I also had to take my heart meds but my cardiologist supervised the cutting of the pills so I didn't compromise my medication. I took chewable multivitamin/minerals for 3 months but for the past month have been able to take my regular multivitamin/mineral. Have you tried taking any pills with warm tea? I found that helped me a great deal. Aside from the pills I worry that you are not able to swallow well enough to obtain an adequate amount of protein. How are you doing with your protein and water totals daily? If you are not able to swallow at 4 months out you should consult with your surgeon to see if you have a stricture or some complication that should be corrected so you can obtain adequate nutrients at this point. Keep me posted. We are connected by our close surgical anniversaries so I'm very concerned. Cathy Open RNY 7/26/04

I swallow them all and have been for about a month now. The worst ones are the calcium citrate and the Actigall, but I take my time and they usually go down no problem. Hugs, Nancy -74