What about medicine after surgery

Im new to all of this, I went to two meetings last year, and bailed because my insurance would only cover bypass and I was sold on lapband, now I am back with a new insurance and probably a new decision.  I was wondering how much water you can drink at one time after the bypass? Is anyone getting dehydrated? I drink a ton of water now, probably at least 6 or more bottles of water a day. How much can you drink if you are hot and sweaty after exercise? Also.... does anyone have problems with medicine like say advil or anything like that over the counter stuff working after this. With malabsorbtion does it effect medicine?  My consult isnt until sept, so its a long wait. I get a base weight wed. so at least I can start cutting back and taking off a few pounds before my consult, hopefully it will go smoothly from there. Thanks, any information would be appreciated!! :)

Hi and Welcome.  First you have to remember that everyone is different.  Some people are able to get all their liquids in with no problem and some (like me) could only do about 1/3 - 1/2 of what was required each day.  As time goes along, it does get easier.  I also was a huge water drinker before hand and thought "no problem - this will be a breeze for me" - yeah right !    As far as med's go - you will not be taking Advil after.  NO NSAIDS.  Tylenol will be your friend.  Your Dr's office should give you a list of what you can and cannot take for OTC meds.   September will be here before you know it.  Arm yourself with all the information and knowledge you can.  Knowing too much is sometimes good and prepares you for this wild ride you are about to take ! Best of Luck  Carol

I got the 36-hour stomach flu about a month before my RNY surgery, and between the vomiting, the (((TMI))) and the incredible thirst and dehydration I experienced, I really had to wonder how I could manage after RNY surgery, since I was drinking water like crazy and barely keeping up. Now, at 6 months out, I'm not quite so worried.  The first few months, I wondered if I could get in all the fluids that are recommended.  But on most days now, I can drink a lot easier.  Not quite as fast as before, but fast enough. As far as Advil and other Rx and OTC NSAIDs, if you think you'll need them, then RNY is not the way to go.  Ibuprofen, naproxen and aspirin are all off-limits, essentially permanently (at least for OTC unsupervised self-medication).  You don't have this post-op limitation with the LapBand, VSG or DS surgeries. It's difficult to predict medication malabsorption; sometimes doses need to be adjusted up or down depending on the person's response.  Timed-release meds aren't recommended in post-op RNY patients, because the effective length of the small intestine (which is where all drugs are absorbed) is shorter than usual, so that the effect of a timed-release drug may be blunted and/or its duration of action may be shorter. /Steve

wow, there certainly is a ton to think of.  I mean im not really "ON" any meds, but I do use advil occasionally. Of course they could rid me of that need if they want to double up the surgery and do a hysterectomy at the same time, LOL.

> I do use advil occasionally. Of course they could rid me > of that need if they want to double up the surgery and do > a hysterectomy at the same time, LOL. Ibuprofen (Advil) and naproxen (Aleve) were approved for OTC sale in the US for a number of reasons, but these NSAIDs' effectiveness in treating menstrual cramps was certainly one of the most salient.  Any NSAID is superior to acetaminophen (Tylenol) for this purpose, but post-op RNY, NSAIDs are generally not recommended due their increased GI risks (ulcers, bowel obstructions, etc.) Only you and your surgeon can determine whether this will be a big problem for you or not, but it is worth thinking through before you decide which surgery to have. /Steve