Absorption of Psych meds??

I am pre op and am currently on 2000mg of Depakote ER, 200/300mg of Seroquel, and 150mg of Welbutrin.  My diagnosis is BiPolar type II, mixed episodes; panic/anxiety disorder associated with agoraphobia.  My question actually is, after surgery will my body be able to absorb these medications?  And how do I take them right after surgery?  The only one that comes in liquid is the Depakote and I will definitely need that because they are hoarse pills.  Any comments or suggestions would be of great help.

My pills were cut up for me, very small, but the nurse.  I was able to swallow them with a sip of water.

I can't answer the absorption question.  I just know that I was able to get on the ground fast enough, and get some help. 

Good luck,
Trish

Puggy dawn..usually on the RNY board has posted this numerous times maybe it will help.
Thanks Dawn
Post Date: 4/7/09 9:21 am
Last Edit: 4/7/09 9:39 am
I have seen two posts regarding information specifically to bipolars....So I thought I would share this chart with you.

Since RNY surgery I have had to have my thyroid medication (I'm hypothyroid) adjusted every 3 months due to my lack of absorbtion and getting my bipolar meds on an even keel has been a nightmare for me and my family.

Here's the chart....if you think you are having problems with your medications (psych meds), please print this chart off and go and discuss it with your doctor.  My psych doctor was not aware of the percentage that I WASN'T getting into my system.



EDITED TO ADD:  The explanation of the above results...
Twelve of the 22 medication preparations were found to dissolve differently across the two environments. Ten of the 12 dissolved more in the control model, and only two dissolved to a greater degree in the RYGB model. Although not reported, variability within each sample of three pills was minimal. In no case did a value stray beyond 10% difference from the median weight change. (Variability data are available from the authors.) We chose not to report standard deviations, as we could not confirm that the data were parametric. Reporting the high and low values in addition to the median seemed unhelpful, considering that there were only three pills in each sample.

Within the antidepressant class, bupropion was the only agent that dissolved to a greater degree in the RYGB model (a median of 450 mg dissolved, compared with 320 mg in the control model, p<0.05). The dissolution of citalopram and venlafaxine did not differ between conditions. The remaining antidepressant medications (amitriptyline, fluoxetine, paroxetine, sertraline) dissolved more in the control model than in the RYGB model (Table 1).

Among the anxiolytic/sedatives, only one of the six medications varied between the conditions. Clonazepam was found to dissolve slightly more in the control model (a median of 100 mg dissolved, compared with 90 mg in the RYGB model, p<0.05). Dissolution of the remaining agents (buspirone, diazepam, lorazepam, trazodone, zolpidem) did not differ between conditions (Table 1).

For the antipsychotic/miscellaneous category, lithium carbonate dissolved significantly more in the RYGB model (median of 280 mg dissolved, compared with 130 mg in the control model, p<0.05). The dissolution of haloperidol, oxcarbazepine, and methylphenidate did not vary between conditions. Five newer antipsychotics (clozapine, olanzapine, quetiapine, risperidone, and ziprasidone) had greater dissolution in the control condition (Table 1).

 

Hi - I am not able to read this chart, it's cut off on the right side. I'm very interested in learning about this as I am medication too. Could you give me a link to a website with this infomation?

There are pharmacies (northern Pharmacy, Drug City) that will compound the medications into a liquid if need be. 
That's a good question I am on Cymbalta.  I don't have an official diagnoses but have major anxiety that the Cymbalta definitly helps to make livable.

Hi-
I just posted about this a couple of days ago, wondering if anyone had experienced their meds not working after surgery.  My official diagnosis is Borderline Personality Disorder, Major Depression and Bulimia.  I have been taking Topamax and Geodon.  They both came in capsule form so for the six weeks after surgery I opened the capsules and swallowed them with a sip of water.  Now I'm experiencing an increase in my depression so I asked my doctor about the absorption.  She just added liquid Prozac to the mix.  Best of luck to you!

I don't believe you will be able to take the ER any longer as they don't let you take any meds that are Extend Release- due to time it takes to get into system and through it.  They prefer Reg Depakote which is what I was on, and Rapid Release Tablets are ok like Rapid release Tylenol are ok but Extended release anything wouldn't be.  They will definately adjust your medications, what I mean is they may have to change them so you should be putting in a call and asking what they have planned for this. 

 It was something I set up an appointment just for, as I was on so many medications and a great many were on the list of can't have any more and they were the only thing keeping my pain away, or helping with my arthritis.  So now I am flying solo on the arthritis, and was the back pain until today but we had a new situation come up with the back pain so I had to get the pain patches.

 I am sure your doctors will all worked together for the better you@ Can't wait to see you in six months!

I had the sleeve done in October 07, I am bipolor Type II too.  I could not tolerated the amount of medication that I was on before surgery so my schrink had to decrease my pills dramatically.  I am unable to take certain medications because they make me too spacy and the doctor says that the meds are absorbed much more quickly because I have no stomach.  I also take xanax XR and have never had a problem with the extended release.
Mary Jo

Depakote caused me to gain over 100 lbs I was taking 2000mg daily for two years, it and seroquel are both well known for causing weight gain.  I was taken off Depakote and put on Tegratol which has a low weight gain, I'm on Seroquel as well, and unfortunately going off that isn't an option for me.  

actually going off of Seroquel is not an option for me either.  I have been on different medications and these two are the only two that have been found to work for me and not give me adverse effects.  I have been on these medications for about 3 years straight, and they work well.  I have never tried the Tegratol though, I may talk to my Psych about it, Thanks.