Question about meds and hydration

How do you all get your food, protein, and fluids in when you're on meds that require an empty stomach? I ask because I take a medication in the morning that requires an empty stomach for an hour after taking. Luckily, I only take that one once a day. Now I have the carafate that says to take it on an empty stomach. 1 hour before a meal or 2 hours after. Ok so here was my day today. 

Woke up and took my morning meds on an empty stomach. Couldn't eat or drink in that hour wait. Took the carafate, couldn't eat or drink in that hour either. Didn't know if I should eat then and have to wait another hour to drink(30 min for the "meal' and 30 after),or if I should drink and then wait 30 min to eat because then I'm running the food into that 2 hour mark when I have to take more carafate!Uggggg!!!!!!!!!!    It was like that all day taking the carafate every 4 hours. I figured it out and I have about 18 hours of not being able to drink, between the meds and the 6 small meals I'm supposed to be eating a day!

How dose anybody work this mess out!?!?! I am super frustrated right now!!!!! I want to get better, so I want to get this right, but I know that I barely got 30 ounces of water in today, and the only way I managed that was to eat full liquids so that I didn't have to wait to drink after. HELP!!!!

Perhaps you could talk to a pharmacist about the whys and wherefores of these meds and explain your pouch and shortened intestinal track and see if he/she thinks you could shorten the time needed in between the meds. Take a diagram of your surgery with you to help explain.

--gina

Thanks, Gina! That is a great idea! I never even thought about that! Doh!! But I'm still curious about how others deal with this type of thing? It just makes no sense!  I wonder sometimes if the Drs do the math on the scripts they handout. LOL

lol I think you know my opinions of doctors and their skills beyond cutting. They are so dang specialized these days....{sigh}

When you are dealing with more than one Dr. they don't necessarily know which meds may interact with others AND they just prescribe what is needed.....However, with the help of your pharmacist they may beable to find you an alternative medication(s) that wont hinder your ability to consume a proper diet.  Most Dr's prescribe and then defer to a pharmacist to figure out contraindications...if it is a real issue that you just can't seem to find answers to you should contact your hospital/clinic patient advocate and see if they can work out some type of care cooridinator for you.....good luck!

I wasn't on anything that you had to take on an empty stomach but early out I had thrush and I had to do the lonsenge then wait 1 hr, 5x a day and it did throw a real kink in the whole eating drinking thing early out.  I remember my Nut saying "it's your job for the next ??? days to get your protein and fluids in" and it did feel like a job that required a stratigic planner.  I agree with a call to the pharmasist and maybe the 2 or so that require an empty stomach can at least be taken together.  If you don't get a good answer from them, go back to your Nut or Dr.  There has to be a way to do it all, I hope.

One thing that helps is that there is no scientific reason to wait 30 minutes after drinking to start eating. You should be able to drink right up until eating. You may have to wait 0-5 min for the last liquid to clear out but that's about it.

My program says to wait 15 min before and 45-60 min after. When I asked my surgeon about it, he said that you don't really have to wait 15 min. and the 45-60 was because the stomach's emptying half-life is 90 min. I looked it up and he was right. Liquids flow right through us so they aren't in the pouch/sleeve for more than 5 min let alone 30. 

Also, our stomachs empty faster post-op so the half-life is shorter than 90 min, but no one has studied exactly how much shorter for each of the surgery types.

I also have the problem of a lot of meds that can't be taken together, and need an empty stomach.  Add the Calcium and Iron, and being at work, and I'm having a tough time.

This is something that helped me:

Celebrate Multis capsules have no iron and 100 mg of calcium

Proferrin is a heme iron supplement and you can take it with calcium unlike the other iron supplements

When I switched to these, I am now able to take my supplements in many different combinations. That means, if I forget to take my vits and get behind, I can do things like take my multi with my calcium or take my multi, calcium and iron all together.

WHat medications are you talking about that you need to take on an empty stomach?  Once I know that information and what supplements you take, maybe I could help you plot out a schedule.

One thing I will tell you is if you take thyroid medication, that makes it even more complicated - synthroid can't be taken within 6 hours of carafate - carafate blocks the absorbtion of synthroid.  When I was on carafate, my Endo had me wake up in the middle of the night to take my synthroid - this way it was 6hours away from the carafate and on an empty stomach but you need to plot it carefully because it has to be 6 hours after your night dose but 6 hours before your morning dose.  I personally was only able to fit in 3 doses of the carafate in and my gastro doctor was fine with that since he knew I couldn't go off the synthroid for 8 weeks.

As far as drink and eating - you really don't have to wait to eat after drinking.  Since we no longer have a pyloric value, the fluids go right through us.  You still want to drink slowly and for the first month, to be sure I waited 15 minutes but that was it.  My surgeon said we didn't have to wait before eating but it is essential to wait 30 minutes after but that is all you have to wait. 

Can you put fluids down your G Tube if necessary?