Question:
Once you have the RNY do you have to crush your vitamins forever?

I was told the vitamins and all other meds would always have to be crushed is this true?    — davonjack (posted on January 13, 2010)

January 13, 2010
No it's not true. I was able to take small tablets a few days after surgery, and larger ones at a month out.
   — Janell C.

January 13, 2010
I was given small uncrushed vitamins during my hospital stay.
   — Caribou ME

January 13, 2010
I did the chewable vitamins right after surgery, I never crushed them. Now I take the Bariatric Advantage capsules. They have a new multi vitamin that is in capsule form and easy to take. You take 3 in the morning and 3 later on in the day. My calcuim is chewable. I have found other over the counter meds in gelcap form which is easy to take and doesn't get stuck.
   — ToniLee

January 13, 2010
I'm almost two weeks post op and havent' had any meds at all (except for childrens Motrin). However, when I was researching the surgery and attended an info session with my surgeon, someone asked the same question and he said the RNY unlike the Band, allows you to go back to taking meds normally about a year out ! So it's not forever !
   — KQinNC

January 13, 2010
No you don't need to But the only thing about crushing as in liquid vitamins & prescriptions, your body will absorb more of the pill already broken down somewhat.
   — Michael Eak

January 13, 2010
You don't have to crush your pills but B12 should be desolved in your mouth. That's due to the nature of B12 and when it enters the system.
   — Muggs

January 13, 2010
I had a RNY. I never had to crush vitamins or medications. I break the calcuim in half. I just take them very slowly; waiting 3 to 5 minutes between pills. You can never take any non-steroidal pain medication again as they can cause ulcers. As always, go by what your doctor tells you. I call the office and talk to the nurse if I have concerns.
   — MargaretHM

January 13, 2010
physically you will not have to crush to swallow. However, according to my Dr you will not absorbe enough of the good stuff to sustain you if you take tablets. I take chewables in all of my vitamins. They are not hard to find and you can get them at walmart. My meds for my back I just made sure that my dr knew about the RNY he changed my dosage to accomidate.
   — phyllismmay

January 14, 2010
Surgeons differ in opinions on this. I was told our surgeon has recently changed his opinion to "no vitamin pills ever, only chewables" after having to do emergency removals of too many vitamin pills that got stuck for RNY patients. I'm pre-op, have always taken multivitamin pill, planning to switch to bariatric chewables after surgery + chewable calcium + sublingual B12 per doc's recommendations. As for other meds, you may find you won't need some of them after surgery. For my diabetes, my doc has switched me from my three oral meds to all-insulin injections so I have more control over my changing blood sugars as I head into pre-op liquid diet and then the surgery. So that's three pills I don't have to take any more. I'm seeing my regular doc soon and am hoping he'll give me a pass on cholesterol med for a while pending lab results after surgery. Obviously no more daily aspirin as NSAIDs are out for RNY patients. That leaves a diuretic which I'm also hoping to take a pass on... and a blood pressure med that had been prescribed to "protect the kidneys" from diabetes, even though my pressures have always been normal (now lowish normal). So... my answer has been to work with docs to get off all oral meds before surgery. But... with my surgeon, if I am to be on an oral med, they want me to crush it. Not looking forward to that.
   — Greg K.

January 14, 2010
I took small pills right after surgery and was able to take larger ones later on.
   — Janet H.

January 14, 2010
crushing is only needed in the early months. Some people never do. I find large pills can give me problems so it is better to cut them in half. Otherwise It is fine after the first three months.
   — trible

January 14, 2010
I've never crushed anything I've taken after surgery. I got Bariatric Advantage chewable multi-vitamins before I ever had the surgery, and I take one in the morning and one in the evening. I take TwinLab chewable calcium citrate, 2 wafers 3 times per day, and Nature's Choice chewable vitamin C in the morning and evening. I also take a chewable "pro-biotic" from Bariatric Advantage, and the sublingual B-12, and the rest of the vitamins I take are very small and were never an issue as far as passing through my stoma - that would be Biotin, Vitamin D (2000 IU), Vitamin K, Folate, and B-Complex. I don't know if this applies to everything they sell, but all the vitamins that I don't get at Bariatric Advantage.com, I get at The Vitamin Shoppe, and they are all "tiny" and dissolve within about 5 minutes or less (a requirement for ANY pill I take).
   — Erica Alikchihoo

January 15, 2010
No I didn't have to crush my vitamins forever. I think I had to wait two months. However, you do what your Dr. tells you to do. I am very compliant on what my Dr. tells me to do. I read the booklet he gave me religiously.
   — FSUMom

January 16, 2010
Nope I just swallow mine whole. I never have any problems with pills. I am 10 months out from my RNY
   — rkurquhart

January 17, 2010
There are many adult chewables out there in various flavors and Kroger now has a B12 sub-lingual tablet that is tasty.
   — [Deactivated Member]

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