Beware!

Thanks, Jean! I hoped you would chip in with this cautionary tale!!

Non-bariatric medical professionals (like your pharmacist) do get it wrong sometimes. Last time I posted a thread along these lines, a relatively new bandster chipped in to say that her family doc had told her that it was fine to take her caps as capsules are designed and shaped to pass smoothly through our bodies and so would go through the stoma. She took them and it was absolutely fine.

But it is not always fine! The fact that hers went through OK is great for her. But we do need to be aware that this may not always be the case. Your own experience says it better than I can!

Kate

Thanks for the reminder, Kate! :-)

Pills just recently became problematic for me.� I�had been taking an prescription reflux/heartburn medication and one day, it just wouldn't go down.� I spit it back out and tried the next day. �The next day, it went down but came back up just a few minutes later.� I tried yet again the day after and that day, I�kind of choked on it.� I called my doc and now take chewable everything. :-)

To clarify, are you saying that tablets AND capsules should be avoided? I take 1 capsule and 1 tablet each day that I feel are very important and I don't want to do without. The tablet is an amino acid supplement that relieves neurological issues for me so it's not a drug I could easily get in another form. Probably not even made in a liquid or anything. They basically sell it in huge mega pills or smaller doses as capsules. I've been under the impression that small capsules are ok and all tablets should be ground up.  I will go with what my doctor tells me but I'm curious if the issue has been with coated capsules or tablets more than the other?  Thanks!

Thundergrrl, some of us can take tabs and caps , even those who have been banded for a long time.  Many of our docs tell us this is how it will be.

But uinfortunately, there are quite a lot of us who find that the theory doesn't fit the practice! My bariatric doc was clear that caps were fine but, like others who have come in on this here, I simply cannot take caps. They do not go down. (And I am not too tight, I can eat all foods and only PB if I eat very carelessly). I have to break them open and just eat the powder. i do this with my tiny bp cap. I have found by trial and error that there is one spot on my tongue where the taste does not register!

My view would be that if the doc is sure that your cap dissolving above the stoma will not cause harm (but see JeanM's post), you are fine. But the vast majority of things, unless they are timed release do come in alternative forms. On one occasion my family doc could not find an alternative and so he phoned a hospital consultant who was able to find one my doc had not thought of.

In your place, I would work out the time of day when my band is at its loosest (i.e. avoid first thing in the morning). But, having learned by experience, i wold also ask my prescribing doc to check into alternatives. But it may never be a problem for you.

Kate

I am not banded yet so I have nothing to add in regard to problems.  But as a pediatric/internal medicine RN and I know most all medicines can be compounded into a liquid, dis-solvable, or chewable form.  You do have to find a compounding pharmacy in your area and sometimes those are only available in larger cities.  There are some Walgreen's that will do compounding on some medicines. 

I had a lengthy conversation about taking alieve with my band NP...she went to a lot of work and found the name of the liquid form and, I think, worked hard to figure out how I can get any meds I need in liquid form.  I do nto take whole pills any more ever.  I keep a pill crusher with me at all times with pain killers in it.  If I ever need to take anything else believe me I will search high and low to get it in either crushable form or liquid.  It is just not worth the pain and even worse-risking losing my fill and/or band.

Tina

I will chime in as well.  After this last fill, 2 years after banding I can not take even the tiniest capsules.  I'm sure many have see how very small a nexium is, called the little purple pill in fact, and even that tiny capsule will NOT go down for me and I either vomit or it disolves in the pouch.  PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE avoid the situation and ask for liquids or chewables!!

Kari

OK I'm a new bandster and this is interesting for me because every medicine, especially antibiotics and over the counter meds cannot easily be found in liquid form.  I get my BP meds compounded into liquid form (at Walgreens) and one of them is DISGUSTING!!  Anyways I still take OTC meds and antibiotics in pill form...and this is what I'm wondering....
Can't you let the pill dissolve in your mouth with water FIRST before swallowing?  Thats what I was doing to get rid of  my BP pills that I had before surgery.

chimeraboo, antibiotics can be obtained in liquid form here in the UK so i would imagine in the US as well. And they don't have to be the children's version - they do adult ones too!

If you let the tabs dissolve in your mouth, I think you would need to make sure you wash them through with plenty of liquid.

Kate

Antibotics can be found in liquid form also. I just got done taking a weeks worth of the kind they always give my 6yr old just a dble dose from what he would. My PCP makes sure everything I take is liquid he wont give me anything that is crushable or dissolves. He said better safe then sorry and even crushable or dissolvable meds can sit in the stoma and irratate it. So not worth the risk.