Question:
swallowing a pill
okay, somebody posted a question about taking meds. somebody responded that they can and have swallowed whole pills w/ no probs. so, i tried (2 wks out-lap rny) and i threw up-does that mean my holes aren't big enough to accomodate pills and will that be a prob when i go to the next diet level (pureed foods)? or, did i just try too soon to swallow pills? — Godsvirtuoswoman (posted on September 5, 2008)
September 5, 2008
Hey Kim,
I think you just started too soon. 2 weeks is pretty early to be
swallowing whole pills in my opinion. I know of many people that still
crush or take liquid meds a long ways out of surgery, AND I know of others
just the opposite. I think it is Bill (William) that can now swallow a
handfull of pills/vitamins without problem and is less than a year out if
I'm not mistaken. If so, please forgive me Bill. It could go either way
for you, the fact that you threw up right after taking the pill and hadn't
had other problems tells me your holes weren't ready for it yet.
Good luck and congrats on coming over to the loser's bench,
Dawn Vickers, RN, BLC, CLC
— DawnVic
September 5, 2008
Hi. don't want to scare you but my 2 week post op is Tuesday and I can
swallow small pills. I take thyroid meds daily and cut my gallbladder med
into 4 and swallow- pills need to be small like an eraser head on a pencil
hope that helps
— LVSissy08
September 5, 2008
Kim, everyone is different. I started off taking one pill at a time with
just enough water to get it down, but by two or three weeks out I was able
to get all of my pills down in one shot every morning. I never had a
problem with throwing them up. If you're having issues, then try modifying
your routine a little and figure out what works best for you. The further
out you get, the easier it will be. Just be careful with crushing pills and
do not do that without explicit permission from your doctor - it can cause
ulcers.
— lauren_marie
September 5, 2008
Crush the pills for the first two weeks and add to apple sause. Then try
after two weeks starting with the smalles pill first. Best of success to
you.
— William (Bill) wmil
September 5, 2008
Swalling pills will vary from person to person. I personally did not have
problems swallowing pills, as long as they were not too big. But many B
vitamins and higher potency general vitamin pills tend to be large. I opted
to take liquid vitamins, easy to take in a one ounce daily dose. This
allowed all of my script pills to be in my pill container, and allowed me
to take all of my vitamin supplements at one time daily. Calcium citrate
can be taken in liquid form, pilled form, or there are powders available. I
used the powdered form for a while, mixing it with foods or shakes. But the
powdered forms normally do not contain D. I had issues with low D levels,
and many people don't realize their low D levels until they see lab
reports. Even though I take high potency vitamins, I still examine my labs
closely. My D levels improved on liquid vitamins, as they tend to be
absorbed better. But my labs, even though on liquid vits with D, only
scored a 33, up from a 14 on presription levels of D. I now augment my diet
with 3 of the 5000 IU D3 to increase my D levels to try to attain a score
of 70+, as recommended by current research. Details on my issues with D and
liquid vitamins are on my profile page. DAVE
— Dave Chambers
September 5, 2008
this entirely depends on the person-like many other topics with wls
everybody is different! when i came home from the hospital i was able to
take pills, started with my pain pills-percocet and then increased to my
vitamins and calcium, etc. when i first started, to swallow a pill was
kinda difficult and it almost felt like my pouch wouldn't let it in. i
could feel the pill go down and then just sit there like at the opening and
then like a minute or two later the sensation went away like the pill had
gone in. try taking it whole in sf pudding, yogurt, or applesauce, it makes
it slide down much easier- i did that for about the first 2
months......next mo i will be 1 yr postop and still take my pills one at a
time, but have no trouble swallowing them with any liquid now. it will get
better, just give it some time and be patient, your new pouch needs time to
heal. hope this helps...Holly
— RNlvnCARSON
September 6, 2008
I really think this is an individual thing. It is going to be different
for every one. I am 1 week post RNY and if the pills are small like my
Biotin I can swallow. If they are larger like my Estrovin or my sinus meds
I cut them in half. Take one half at a time and about 2 or 3 minutes
apart. I wouldn't worry about this effecting you soft food intake.
— phyllismmay
September 6, 2008
I am 11 weeks post op and just started swallowing pills whole...I never
would have tried it so early on..you are brave! hugs, kim
— gpcmist
September 6, 2008
I never had much problem swallowing the pills, but I won't take a piece
bigger than a baby aspirin, though I might take several of them at a time.
Two weeks is probably a bit premature, give it a little time and be
patient.
— Dusty Ray Vaughn
September 8, 2008
At 2 weeks you are still swollen and your pouch is very new. Once you
start eating, your pouch will naturally stretch, and taking pills will be
easier. Are you taking chewables? Take your journey one step at a time.
Everyone is different and responds according to there body. Good luck!
— bariatricdivalatina
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