Pills - Whole or Crushed?

In the instructions from my surgeon's office they said I will always have to crush non-chewable pills when I take them.  My high blood pressure medicine is really bad-tasting crushed, but the Prilosec is the worst!  Will it ever be safe to swallow whole pills?

I always swallow my pills whole he might want you to crush them since you are early out but even when I first had my surgery I swallowed my medicine like the medicine they gave me for pain and the Prilosec . I never crushed them

I was told right after my surgery not to swallow a pill bigger then a m&m..so when I had to take something that was bigger, I just cut it in half.....if it was in capsule form, just put it in a spoon of jello or something.....

I don't crush--just cut/snap in half or thirds. If I can see the medicine on the inside, I'm happy, and pretty sure it will be able to get to where it needs to be absorbed.

--gina

I was not suppose to have anything bigger than that size (AT FIRST) but after the first month, I was back to taking any size...and my multi is good size...I pop my vitamins/medication normally now, NO chewing or crushing.

Once you heal, your stomach will function normally, just won't get as much in it.

Prilosec will not work nearly as well crushed.    If you need omeprazole (Prilosec) in a powder then there is Zegrid and open the capsules.  It has sodium bicarb in it that will help with absorption.  Regular Prilosec has a special coating on it that keeps it from absorbing in the stomach and passes to the duodenum where it absorbs.  It needs a more basic environment.  The Zegrid has the sodium bicarb in it to create the basic environment in the stomach.  Therefore, those can be opened up. 

That all being said, I was taking pills just fine the day after surgery.  And I take a lot of pills.  I just took them one at a time over the course of about an hour.  Now, I take handfuls of pills at a time.  No prob.

I never crushed a pill.  There was no surgery done on your esophagus.  There is no reason to crush a pill.  I started taking my vites at 5 day post and some of them are horse pills.

Thank you all so much for the information - it is extremely helpful, especially about the Prilosec!  The problem with the handbook from the surgeon is that the information is virtually identical for all four surgeries the doctor performs, so I think some of the information is more for lap band or one of the others.

It sounds like you're getting generic 'non procedure specific'  instructions for all wls.  Not only do I take my pills whole, but I take several at a time.

Hallelujah!  Glad that's not going to be a life-long requirement.  Really sick of all the chewable supplements, too.