Question:
How will I ever be able to take all my many medications post-op?

I have a number of co-morbidities and take 15 pills per day to treat these problems. I do realize that after surgery, I may be able to cut down or eliminate some of these medications. However, even if I can cut down immediately after surgery to "only" 10 pills per day, how will I be able to get them all down? I know about crushing, but almost all of these pills are larger than M&M's. Thanks a lot.    — Leah B. (posted on October 29, 2000)

October 29, 2000
Leah, I choke 23 pills down a day. I am 8 days away from my surgery and have the same concern. I have withdrawn from alot of them in preparation for the surgery. I am also concerned about going into withdrawal with the others I have not stopped. My doctor assures me that after a couple days I will be able to take them crushed. He's never tasted some of these though. Yuck!! Possibly after awhile we will be able to crush them and put them into a capsule.
   — mrs.qtip

October 29, 2000
Hi. If you have the gastric reduction with Duodenal Switch, there is no problem with pills. I was taken off IV fluids at 2 days post op, and all meds were then given to me in pill form. You can check out www.duodenalswitch.com --Leslie
   — Leslie A.

October 29, 2000
Just an idea - My PCP is working with my pharmacist to get as many of the medications in liquid form as possible, some I am going to patches for and some we are actually chaning because they cannot be crushed or chewed. I would suggest speaking with your PCP for help like this. I also take 12 prescriptions - most multiple times a day. I have much more peace of mind since both my PCP and pharmacist are looking out for my best interests.
   — D W.

October 29, 2000
After you're healed up and feeling somewhat normal, all meds should pass through uneventfully. I even take these enormous multi-minerals that I refer to as ocean liners! They are WAY bigger than a multi. But it does take time to get there. Some can swallow a big pill immediately, some cannot. The only trouble I ever had was when two pills stuck together in an X. THAT was weird. I've seen people toss down a handful at once! That would not be me. One at a time, so each has a chance to go through. Wads scare me, even after 6 yrs.
   — vitalady

October 29, 2000
I had a lap proximal RNY and my surgeon is one of the leading specialists in this procedure. Pre-operatively I was taking about 12 pills/day and I was concerned about crushing some of those which were sustained-release tablets. He advised me to take my medications as usual, without crushing, and I never experienced any problems. He prescribed chewable vitamins for the first 3 weeks, simply for the increased ease of absorption, but then I was allowed to change to any vitamin of my choice. Since I had had no problems with any of my other pills, I started taking Centrum which is a fairly large tablet and again had no problems. Within 4 months of my surgery, the only medications I was on were my vitamin and calcium supplements. Best of luck to you!
   — Diana T.