Prescription Advice

Ok, I know you aren't doctors or pharmacist but I need your advice.  I'm down and out today with strep throat-ugh!  So I went into urgent care tonight and of course forgot to ask the doctor about the mediciation pill and my bypass surgery.   I did talk to the pharmacist and he said the gel capsule will melt in my stomach within a minute and so I should be fine taking it. Do you agree?

How could you argue that?

I know :o)  It sounded so logical in the pharmacy but now that I'm home I'm wigging out on taking a capsule so big.....

What did they give you? How big is it? You can't take the slow release drugs, but most antibiotics aren't slow release drugs.

I haven't heard you can't take slow release drugs.  I'm on Effexor XR (extended release).  Is that the same?  Why would my dr prescribe that if she knew I had bypass?  Now I'm worried.

I just found out the same thing for my allergy meds. So I told the doctor about what I found out about extended release and he didn't know that bypass patients couldn't take extended release. So they had to change my prescription. But would not if I hadn't told them.

Do you know why we can't?  What happens when we do?

Our tummies only absorb a third of the pill instead of the full amount. It's either a third or half I can't remember the exact amount but I do know it's under a half. The rest just moves on through to the other end.