PIlls

ok I see all these about people not taking pills is it because they are too hard for you to swallow. becasue since I came home from the hospital I have been taking pills first the pain pills and then my blood pressure and aniexty pill and have no trouble swallowing.. and my surgeon was ok with it...

so I was jsut curious

If your surgeon is ok with it and your pills are small, then you should be fine.  Every surgeon has a different protocol they follow.  Mine preferred chewable vitamins because of the size but said I could take things that were smaller than an M&M.  I've stuck with chewable vitamins simply because I like them.  But you should be fine swallowing pills as long as they're small.

Now I do , take the chewable vitamins cause they were big I just was talking about all the other pills.. tylenol , someone having a uti ETC...
its jsut soo weird how every surgeon is different and how ever patient is different

You might be able to swallow them, but are you absoring them?

I assume soo, my blood pressure is down and my aniexty is low.. and when I was taking the pain pills they sent me home with I was not in pain and could feel  the effect

Jenn,

As Victoria said, you do need to be aware of the different absorption pathway you now have, and you need to make sure that your non-bariatric docs AND YOUR PHARMACIST are aware of your new needs.  While you may have lucked out and be taking meds that are easily absorbed in the small intestine, you'll need to stay proactive about asking the question for any future medication needs. 

Because the pill no longer "soaks" in a bath of hydrochloric acid in your stomach, the coatings of some pills will never really break down.  So things like time-release and extended release medications are typically unusable on any gastric bypass-type patients.  Others have "enteric" coatings to be gentle on the stomach, but those coatings will not allow the med to be fully absorbed in the small intestine.  

I assume your doc has also briefed you on the "no oral NSAIDS" rule, as well - that's because of a very direct known link between NSAIDS (advil, aspirin, etc.) and the development of ulcers, particularly where the stomach has been cut and sewn back together.  

So it's a more complex world you live in now with your medical care - learning about it and becoming your own best advocate is important... and getting yourself a MedicAlert is another important step!  (should say something like "RNY - no blind NG tube - no oral nsaids" and also include any medication allergies you might have).  I got mine from www.medicalert.com - cheap, effective, and a wide variety that look quite nice...

Hope this helps!
Karen

thank you so much for your post back.. yes I did know about the no NSAIDS.. I guess I jsut didnt realize the absorbtion factor on the other ones.. well guess for my b-day I am getting a medicalert bracelet thank you ... there is just soo much to know and remember...

now would you want to put on the medic bracelet RNY or Gastric BYPass

Yeah - there's a lot to learn, but it gets much easier over time.  And you've got a wealth of experience here on the boards to lean on as you're learning the ropes!  :-)

Karen