Pill size

I was told initially not to swallow pills by the bariatric nurse, but at the hospital post-surgery my surgeon told me that it's a common misconception that you can't swallow pills after the sleeve--it's only after the gastric bypass that you can't. So I have been taking small pills, no problems, for a little over a week now. However my vitamin regimen includes 4 multivitamins and 2 calcium pills daily that are chewable and I find taking them awful--the taste and texture as I'm chewing literally makes me nauseous. I know I can substitute them with swallowable pills but I am sure they will be big pills (multi-vitamins always are) and those might be too much for me right now. Would really appreciate any thoughts/advice here, especially from someone who perhaps did start with pills again soon after their sleeve procedure!

bypass patients can also take pills. Except for ursodiol and calcium pills (which are pretty big), I started swallowing pills as soon as I got home from the hospital..

as for calcium and multis, do you have a pill splitter? If not, you can probably pick one up pretty cheaply at Target or CVS or Walgreens. You could cut them in half and take them that way. Otherwise, calcium citrate tabs will eventually dissolve in a protein shake - esp a fruity one (acid) (it takes a lot longer in the milky ones). The multi vitamins might as well, but I've never tried as I could tolerate the chewable ones. Not sure if dropping them in a shake would taste weird or anything (I could never taste the calcium citrate tabs in my shakes)

I was swallowing whole pills before I was discharged from the hospital. My surgeon never ascribed to the "crushed pills" philosophy.

My surgeon said anything smaller than an M&M was fine on the 2nd day after surgery. The only pills I had bigger than that were a multi and an omega 3 capsule I take. She said I could just skip them for the first couple of weeks, and then start trying things one at a time. By the time I was about 2-3 weeks out, I could swallow any pill I needed to, if I took them one at a time. By a couple of months out, I was able to down my pills by the handful like I always have.

Also, I use the Celebrate bariatric vitamins (I get them on Amazon) that are capsules as I also can't stand chewables, and they're regular size not horse pills. The full dose is 3 a day, I take 2 in the am and 1 in the pm. I think you're supposed to space them all out, but I NEVER remember to take a noon dose. :)

Snag yourself a pill splitter! I got mine for two bucks at Walgreen's. I used it to split my multivitamins into two smaller pieces and had no trouble swallowing them right after surgery. I had to take pills on surgery day (meds for bipolar) and this helped a ton.

this is what gets me, my PCP knows I had gastric bypass, and knows the size of pills I can't take, so why do they insist it's ok for me to take them? Also he wants me to take Tylenol 2times a day.. I have back issues due to car accident and I am in ultram, it helps and isn't giving me stomach issues. Tylenol makes me so sick stomach hurts like crazy, I understand ultram is a narcotic, but I don't take a high dose 50mg 2 times a day.. no issues, and sometimes I don't even take them.. my stomach can't handle Tylenol! As for big pills, my stomach can't handle them!

Have you asked him about it?

I had gastric bypass 4 weeks ago and have been swallowing my vitamin D and my ursodiol capsules. The ursodiol i just started last week, prior to that I was dumping the contents of the capsules in unsweetened applesauce. Otherwise I haven't had any issues.