Need Help -- taking meds

Please help, need information. I am home from the hospital after RNY surgery. I am grinding all pills into powder form and washing powder down with water. Calcium is powder, so I've been adding it to a protein drink. My biggest problem is potassium. Prior to surgery I took 5 K-tab 8 meq coated tablets. My surgeon told me I can continue sallowing them -- however, I'm afraid to try swallowing them, afriad they'll get stuck -- I've read about pills getting stuck so many times on this site. Please let me know how y'all take this kind of medication. These tablets are quite large, larger than the diameter of a pencil eraser -- they can't be crushed. Thanks for taking time to read/respond to my urgent question. Marilyn

After trying it a couple of times I refused to crush my meds, they were just too disgusting. I just chopped them up into smaller pieces, allowing them to get bigger as time went by. A few days ago I was put on potassium. The doctor told me I would not be able to break them as they had tiny beads inside that taste metallic and gross. But when I picked them up from the pharmacy they were just white and scored. I checked with the pharmacist who said they'd be fine cut in half, or even smaller if I preferred. So I do. Mine are huge 20 meq tablets, and even though they are ER, they're still okay to snap into pieces. They do crumble a little but they don't taste bad!

Marilyn, I had no trouble swallowing pills at all.  there are liquid potassium suppliments, but not sure how they taste and usually need about 4oz to mix the in. You would be drinking all day!  I would try 1 pill and see how it goes.  It should dissolve in your pouch.  I routinely took my tylenol just broken in half at first because crushing it tasted too foul.   Not a problem! 

marlilyn...welcome home! taking meds was no fun early out-- WHY can't the potassium be crushed??? if it cannot be crushed can it be at least broken in half or quartered and taken that way??? or is it a capsule? i think you really meant tablet when you said tablet!-not trying to doubt your word!! if it were a capsule it could be opened up - uck could your doc possibly prescribe a liquid for temporary? or is it somehting you MUST have right now? could you do without for a few weeks??? wish i could offer more help!