Pantoprazole that can't be crushed

I have been having the worst heartburn ever. It's all the way up into my chest. My surgeon prescribed pantoprazole which is protonix but the bottle says do not crush. Does this mean that it has enteric coating and I won't absorb it? I need to get something else called in if this isn't going to work :(

It may have ingredients in it that can cause irritation to the pouch/stomach lining, but that doesn't necessarily mean you won't absorb it in your intestines.  Many pills are designed NOT to dissolve until they reach the intestine.  I would be very surprised if your gastric bypass surgeon would prescribe something you cannot absorb.

Many people swallow all but the largest kinds of pills (calcium, multivitamins) right after surgery.  I presume by your question that your surgeon wants to to crush things for a while, though, so I would call the office and ask if it is ok to swallow it (and if they say no, tell them about the issue).

Lora

I used to be a pharmacy technician at a hospital that does heart and did weight loss surgeries. They changed the weight loss surgery part to a different hospital in the same system. Anyway ask your doctor about prevacid odt. These are tablets that you put on your tongue and disolve and they should be a lot cheaper than protonix. Protonix is enteric coated which basically keeps it from irritating your stomach is all the coating is for and doesnt have any effect on the actual absorbtion of the drug.

 

I was also given protonix, iv at the hospital and a scrpit to take for 30 days.  I had my surgery this week.

I think they prescribe protonix because the prevacid kind that you are talking about required an insurance pre auth.. which apparently takes weeks.  I spoke with my dr about the protonix with the label saying not to crush and they told me it was ok to just swallow it whole.

Mine also says don't crush but its a capsule with little balls in it. You can't cru**** but you can pull the capsule apart and swallow the little balls in water.

I think they prescribe protonix because the prevacid kind that you are talking about required an insurance pre auth.. which apparently takes weeks.  I spoke with my dr about the protonix with the label saying not to crush and they told me it was ok to just swallow it whole.