Medication Use after Gastric Bypass Surgery

You have a small stomach (pouch) which is directly connected to the small intestine.

There is less acid in the small pouch than in the large normal stomach. The connection from the pouch to the intestine is narrow making passage from the pouch to the intestine somewhat delayed. Absorption of medications (and food for that matter****urs in the small intestine.

Early Phase (while you are on liquids) and your stomach is healing

Do not take any tablets or capsules whole.

Do not take any medication which is irritating to the stomach (see next section for list), do not even take liquid forms of these irritating meds.

Any tablets which are taken should be crushed and any capsules taken opened.

Put the med. in yogurt, diet pudding, diet jello so you will not have an awful taste in your mouth

Do not crush any medication which says sustained-release or extended-release as they are NOT meant to be crushed.

Ask the doc if you are not sure.

Later Phase (while you are on solid foods and for the rest of your life) but you still have a sensitive stomach with less acid and directly emptying into the small intestine

Medications can be taken whole (tablets or capsules), be careful with very large meds

Do Not take meds which are irritating to the stomach (see other side ) unless there is no other alternative, then consider taking them with a strong antacid such as Prevacid- ask your doctor.

Note that Sustained-release or Extended-release meds may be absorbed differently than with a normal stomach, the dose may have to be adjusted, or different meds given, speak with your doctor.

Long term vitamins/minerals must be taken after gastric bypass surgery to avoid serious deficiencies. The vitamins should be made specifically for gastric bypass patients to make up for the knows requirements.

Iron- Is difficult to absorb after gastric bypass (only take Iron if instructed by your doctor).

Iron should be taken without any other meds, foods, or vitamins to get the best absorption

Ferrous Sulfate is poorly absorbed and not advised

Use Ferrous Gluconate or Ferrous Fumarate instead and take it with vitamin C to help the absorption (Niferex, Vitron C comes with vit C)

Calcium carbonate is poorly absorbed, Vita4Life has calcium in it. If additional calcium is needed,

use calcium citrate and not calcium carbonate.

B12 is difficult to absorb after gastric bypass, Most patients do well with Vita4Life but sometimes have to take additional B12. If so look for sublingual B12 at a large vitamin store, also you can get a prescription for nasal B12 (Nascobal- 1 puff in one nostril once a week), or your regular medical doctor can give you a B12 injection intermittantly

read the ingredients carefully especially with over the counter remedies

Anti-inflammatory medications, used for pain, joint inflammation, or fever are usually irritating to the stomach. Tylenol is OK.

Potassium Pills K- Dur, Klor-Con, Micro-K, KCl (Liquid Potassium is OK)

Steroids including

prednisone

cortisone

Intravenous steroids (Solucortef, Solumedrol)

(Joint steroid injections or back injections are probably OK)

(Inhaled steroids are probably OK)

Aspirin containing meds (not Tylenol (Acetaminophen) which is OK)

Alka-Seltzer

Anacin,

Aspirin (enteric coated baby aspirin is probably OK)

Bufferin

Coricidin

Darvon

Dolobid (diflunisal)

Excedrin

Fiorinal

Vanquish

NSAIDS- (non-steroidal-anti-inflammatory-drugs) are extremely common and very irritating the stomach

Aleve, Anaprox (Naproxen)

Advil, Motrin (ibuprofen)

Arthrotec (diclofenac)

Clinoril (sulindac)

Dolobid (diffunisal)

Feldene (piroxicam)

Indocin (indomethacin)

Lodine (etodolac)

Mobic (meloxicam)

Naproxen (naprosyn)

Orudis (ketoprofen)

Tolectin (tolmetin)

Toradol (ketorolac)