Question re: medications

Is there a point in time when we will be able to take pills normally without crushing or chewing? I am just wondering b/c as of now I have to crush mine and I don't tolerate that all too well so I basically stopped taking them. I take amitryptiline for pain related to fibromyalgia and since I stopped taking it I am sooo tired and I can feel the stiffness and soreness returning. However every time I crush them and try to take them it is awful. Let me know your thoughts..... Tina

I don't crush or chew mine. I take them whole. I guess I'm lucky. But they were giving them to me whole in the hospital as well.

YES, THERE IS A TIME WHEN YOU CAN SWALLOW PILLS NORMALLY, BUT I DON'T THINK IT IS A SET TIME ... MORE RELATED TO THE NATURAL STRETCHING OF YOUR POUCH ... BUT, THE BEST THING ON THAT ONE WOULD BE TO ASK YOUR SURGEON WHEN "YOU" CAN DO SO, MS TINA. I COULDN'T TOLERATE MY MEDS CRUSHED EITHER & SOME OF THEM WERE HUGE. MY SURGEON TOLD ME I COULD CUT THEM UP INTO SMALL PIECES ... MAYBE ABOUT THE SIZE OF AN M&M OR SMALLER. THOSE UTILITY KITCHEN SISSORS WORK WONDERFULLY BECAUSE THEY DON'T CRUSH THE PILL AS YOU CUT THEM. THEN, TAKE YOUR TIME & SWALLOW EACH PIECE AS YOUR POUCH FEELS IT CAN TAKE ANOTHER ONE. THIS METHOD HAS SAVED ME FROM A LOT OF PHYSICAL COMPLICATIONS & WORKS WELL FOR ME. YOU JUST HAVE TO BE PATIENT & TAKE YOUR TIME TAKING THE MEDS SO YOU DON'T OVERSTUFF YOUR POUCH. HOPE THIS HELPS YOU. GOD BLESS YOU DAWN & NICK

Thank you so much ladies. It is good to know that hopefully eventually I can return to taking them normally. I will definately check with my dr before doing so though. I just love reading all the posts on this messageboard. I learn so much. Take care. Tina

Tina, I also take amitryptiline at night to help me sleep because I have severe degenerative disk disease. I crush them, as well as all my other medications right now too (except actigall which is a capsule I can open). The doctor told me that I can start taking them whole after 1 month post op. I've noticed that a lot of people here also take calcium, b12, and iron too. Right now I just take 2 childrens chewables and I don't start the rest of my vitamins until I can swallow them whole, also after 1 month. I had post-op pneumonia and the antibiotic they gave me had a severe interaction to the amitryptiline, so I didn't take it for 10 days. I didn't sleep more than 3 hours/night and was completely miserable. It might be gross, but you should still take them if they help with the pain. Try mixing it with just a little juice, it makes it much more tolerable. Sheryl

The only thing I take right now is Prevacid and I swallow it whole, but it's a tiny pill.

I was on about 9 different pills before surgery and they only kept me on 2 during my stay @ hosp. I continued taking them, crushed, (I bought a cheap mortar and pestal) and crushed them good and mixed them with my pain liquid and chased it with about 1 ounce apple juice.... I did, however call my doc yesterday and asked her if it was okay to take them whole and she said yes, just on a full tummy. I have been fine...

I chew up my thyroid pill but I think I could easily take it whole. I'm taking chewable centrum twice a day and liquid calcium citrate (the taste is possibly the worst thing I have ever put in my mouth) and B-12 under the tongue about 3 times a week. My surgeons nurse told me that I should never again take a capsule. If give one I should always take it apart.

I have been able to take whole pills while still in the hospital. My Doc doesn't have any rules against that. I sometimes like taking them with something warm so they will disolve better. Hugs, Dawn