Question:
Why can't I take my anti-depressants, and what can I take?
I live in a really rural area where I am one of the only patients they have dealt with that has such anxiety and depression problems...I've been on paxil for seven years now, and now that I've had the surgery I have to crush it...but...my blood pressue drops significantly after I take it, and not to mention the fact that it tastes like krap! Any suggestions as to what else I could take or do? — mbraley342 (posted on April 10, 2006)
April 10, 2006
Hi There!
You might want to try Zoloft. The 50mg pills are very small and my husband,
after his surgery, was able to take them without a problem. Or, have you
talked to your md about decreasing your dose?
Good luck to you!!!
— amysocko
April 10, 2006
I took prozac for a few years before surgery and continued to take it after
surgery without any problems. They put me on Liquid Prozac but I couldn't
stand the taste so they said it was fine if I just took the pills.
— jengriggs01
April 10, 2006
I had a horrible time with my meds during and after surgery. Dr. took me
off all of them for way too long, so I can appreciate what you are going
through.
If you are taking Paxil CR, that is a sustained release tablet, and should
never, ever be crushed. You would essentially be overdosing on the meds.
The other suggestions for meds are helpful, but you need to speak with a
mental health professional. Dont ignore this, as depression is very
serious, and can lead to much more serious complications post operatively.
Chris
— CChappell
April 10, 2006
Hi~
Every Dr. is different i take 20 mg tab of paxil every night and have had
no problems...they were even giving it to me post-op @ the hosp. not sure
wht your BP would drop...maybe this is why he advised against it. I am only
5 days post-op and doing well on it
~Tiffany
— tiffany E.
April 10, 2006
I'm not sure why you have to crush your med...that can cause an unsafe
level to enter your blood stream. Did your doc suggest that you do that? I
mean vitamins are very large (for the most part) and they do not need to be
crushed.
— SteffieBear15
April 10, 2006
You definitely have to crush, but Paxil comes in a liquid. If there's a
Wal Mart near you they will be able to get it for sure. Just ask your doc
for a new RX. (I crush NASTY Wellbutrin, but wouldn't dare go without it!)
The liquid Paxil is orange and not too bad tasting. Best to you! ~christi
— christi_in_VA
April 11, 2006
I have taking Paxil for a long time also I had no problem swallowing the
pill because it was small. If yours is smaller then a asprin you should be
able to swallow it and no you shouldn't crush the paxil cr tablets. if
worse comes to take and put it in a teaspoon of applesauce and swallow it
but I am sure you won't have any problems swallowing it. Make sure to take
it after you eat also. Good luck if you have any questions please write me.
Cindy down 103 lbs. ann. date was 4/7/06. 1 yr. out
— NYCindy
April 11, 2006
You should be able to take pills without crushing them. I was taking pills
while still in the hospital...
MaryLyn
— Kriola
April 11, 2006
Just to re-iterate what was said here - do not crush meds without talking
to your doctor or pharmacist. You should be able to take Paxil, and even if
you are on the sustained release, the reactions are individual and you may
do just fine continuing on that. Only you can be the judge of that. There
is no scientific data regarding how much you may or may not absorb after
RNY. And you should be able to swallow pills. They won't get stuck unless
the opening from your pouch to the intestine is too constricted, and you
likely would be having problems with food if that was the case.
— koogy
April 12, 2006
At first, my pharmacist crushed it and put it in liquid suspension. HE did
the work, not me. But that was RIGHT after my surgery. After awhile, I was
taking the pills alone. (I'm on Paxil) If it was a little too large, I
broke it in half. OR, you can go the route of getting them in 10MG tabs.
— Tracydarlin
April 13, 2006
I am taking 100mg of zoloft daily and they taste like crap too. I asked My
doc how long I would have to crush pills and he said at least 6 mos!! for
the 1st month I took liquid zoloft which tastes like crap too! but at least
I could mix it with lemonade to help camoflauge the taste. At 6-8 weeks
post op I crushed my zoloft tablets and my blood pressure pill and put them
in gelatin capsules that I bought from the pharmacy. I would drink
something hot like d-caf tea after I took the meds to make sure the capsule
melted quickly. Now at 4 mos post op I just take them with bottled water.
I haven't had the nerve to try to take the pills whole yet. When I asked
my doc about the gelatin capsule and if I could do that instead of trying
to swallow the crushed powders, he said "sure if you want to meet me
in the ER afterwards" He scared the dog doo out of me. I finally got
desperate and tried the gelatin capsule trick when I was at work (next door
to our hospital just in case I did need to get there in a hurry) and it
worked like a charm. I'm not suggesting that anyone do this too early on,
but once you're cleared to eat meats, you shouldn't have a problem.
— jcrefasi
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