Question about taking pills when post op.

Hi everyone.  I am 8 months out and I have a question in regards to taking pills.  What I am wondering is if it best to take pills with food as opposed to water. Would we absorb it better making it last longer and be more effective with food?   

Here is the issue. I work 12 hour midnight shifts and I have to take something to help me sleep,  otherwise I am awake after 2 hours or so. When I take the sleep aid,  or even a couple gravol I'm getting about 4 hours.  When I was pre op I would get 6 to 8 hours with the pills. I'm not sleeping enough and it so hard on me. I work 72 hours in 6 days.  

Hoping I can maximize the effectiveness by trying different things.  Any suggestions would be appreciated

Kim. 

Well, my grandma always says its best to take pills with food unless otherwise noted. For what that's worth! This might be a good question for your centre. Since it's gravol that is in question, you might be best to conduct an experiment on yourself and try it for a few days with food and a few days without and see which one is more effective for you.

Have you asked your centre or your GP about the best options for helping you with sleep? It could be that gravol just doesn't cut it. I know that it can make you drowsy but it's not really meant to be a sleep aid. There are OTC sleep aids, as well as prescription ones but you need to be careful that you don't develop a dependency. This might also be a good question for your pharmacist.

Thank you for the response. 

I went to my GP about 3 months ago regarding this and he did prescribe me something ( cannot remember the name now) when I called my center,  the nurse wasn't sure if I could take it and instructed me to call my internist office. When I called doctor Glazer he told me I could only take meds that had Tylenol in them. 

I have tried the sleep aids,  and the pain meds with the sleeps aid.  Now it's gravol.  Nothing is working. I worked my 3rd night lastnight. Got to bed around 9am and have been up since 11:15. I go back in tonight.  I feel like a bag of chit! 

I'm not sure why you wouldn't be able to take a prescribed sleep aid, unless it contained NSAIDS for some reason, which is doubtful.

Not that I'm advocating it, but I know of several people who have had some success with Benadryl.

Karen

I know I thought it would be okay but Glazer said no. :(

I may have to try the Benedryl. Thanks Karen for mentioning it. 

As a terrible insomniac, I feel your pain on this. Lack of sleep is a killer. Hope you can figure something out that works for you.

K.

That is rough. Shift work can really do a number on your sleep patterns. Ask your pharmacist, you should be able to take sleep aids. I have taken Zzzquil (OTC) the odd time and it is not an NSAID, so should be safe to take. Sleep aids aren't for all the time use though so check with your doctor/pharmacist.

I haven't tried that one. Might have to invest in that as well. Mix them up every day lol...hopefully something will work. I don't take them on my week off. I do a week on and a week off. 

Kim:

I'm sorry I don't have any great advice but just know I feel your pain.

Laurie

Thank you Laurie