Question:
what can be taken
I am 1 wk pre- surgery. I am confused about taking medicine and vitamins. I thought that a person having a rny could not take any oral pills after the surgery since stomach so small. So what is true fact....I went to my nutrition class and was tol to take vit b-complex and multi (not chewable) also some of my regular meds that will still be taken are capsule or pill that could no be chewed or crushed...any suggestions. — panda2381 (posted on September 2, 2008)
September 2, 2008
Hi there. Congrats on your upcoming surgery. I am not sure which surgery
you are having. I know with lap band you can surely still take your
prescribed medication in pill and capsule form with no problem. Otherwise
you should talk to your physician about how to crush or simplify the
medications to make them tolerable to take. Your bariatric surgeon
definetly does not want you to stop taking your meds and put you in any
physical danger. Talk to both your doctors to be sure but I am sure there
are many ppl that have been through this dilemna. Good luck to you.
— trbccowan
September 2, 2008
I'm seven weeks out tomorrow and I still take chewables. I was given a
multi from my doctor and was told to do the others after my three weeks
post surgery. I found that I have a hard time to get the pills down or all
of them in a day. My support group turned me onto a chewable that has
everything in them you just take four a day. they are called Fusion, they
are gross but I rather have a few min of them instead of missing a pill all
together.
— anajera
September 2, 2008
You cantakepillsbut they are hadtoswallow the firstmonth. I take
suplimentsmade by a group of bariatric surgeons that youcan handleeaslyand
they come chewableandor in illform. Look at Building Block Vitamins or
www.bbvitamins.com
— William (Bill) wmil
September 2, 2008
It all depends on what you're taking, the size of the pills, etc. The day I
went home from the hospital, I was given instructions to continue my
medications as prescribed. I was told to take them the same way I had taken
them the morning of my surgery - one pill at a time, with just enough water
to get it down. If you have medications that need to be crushed or
prescribed as liquids, the surgeon should be able to give you those either
pre-op or before you are discharged. Be careful with crushing medications
and listen to your surgeon on that one - my friend's mom had the surgery
last summer by the same surgeon who did mine, but the nurses at the
hospital where she was operated on were idiots and ended up causing her
ulcers by crushing some of her medications that should not have been
crushed. As far as vitamins go, I was told that the best vitamins you can
take are the ones you will take consistently. I am four months out and
still using a children's chewable multivitamin because I can tolerate the
taste and therefore am good about taking it every day. I don't know if you
have Costco in your area, but their Kirkland brand is made in an adult
dosage - if you give it to a child, you're supposed to cut it in half.
They're cheap and they taste good. My B12s are from Trader Joe's and
dissolve under the tongue - they were relatively inexpensive as well. GOOD
LUCK with your surgery next week! I will say a prayer for you. :-)
— lauren_marie
September 2, 2008
I am 4 months post RNY and have been taking my pills for at least 3 months
without any problems. I swallow them all at oncei--have never had to crush
anything. I did take liquid vitamins the first month. My surgery was
March 31, 2008 and I am 11 pounds to goal! I take Biotin, Calcium,B12, B12
Complex Multi-Vitamin, Iron, and a pill for cholesterol--all with no
problems, ever!
— ShirleyF
September 2, 2008
I was in the hospital for a week and when I went home, I started taking 2
calcium, 2 multis (both Bariatric advantage) and 2 costco C's. My doc also
put me back on a few of my regualr meds. The vitamins are chewables, the
others are pills. I had no problems with the pills, including one calcium.
The chewables, however were making me sick. I had to stop all but the
multis for a month--the others were too much for my stomach. Bottom line,
check with your surgeon and do as that person directs you. If after you're
home from surgery, and something doesn't seem right, call and ask.
— MKPstamps
September 2, 2008
i've been taking all my vitamins by the handful every morning since day 1
of being home from the hospital from rny -- never had a problem -- and
also, never crush or split any medication without asking your dr or
pharmacist first -- most medications are time released in some way -- the
only things you can crush and split are vitamins -- good luck and always
ask your dr. :)
— RCassety
September 2, 2008
I could not swallow any chucnks of anything for a very long time. (4
years) I still gag if anything is not totally chewed. My stoma is
small...and I can feel pills squeezing thru the stoma...I don't like that
feeling at all! So if I can break it, chew it, spray it , drink it or
pulverize it, I do! I will NOT take a multi vitamin in pill form. I will
not take that risk of not having it all dissolve. I will not let a
multivitamin sit in an acidless pouch with some of those potent vitamins
and risk damage to my pouch lining. No way! Liqiud and chewed Vit's burn my
pouch...I cannot even imagine letting one sit to digest there and then pass
into my large intestines where they will most like NOT be absorbed anyway.
The bypassed intestines is where vits used to be absorbed (most of them)
I open my capsules and swallow them unlesss they are foul tasting. I have
had to learn to swallow capsules...It's not easy for me. They often start
to melt before I can get them down anyway! LOL I am sooooo weird! I just
have a ahrd time...I learned to CHEW CHEW CHEW and not stretch my
stoma...SO why would I swallow a pill? Sorry, not me...I'm not taking that
chance. gel caps filled with powder are the only pills I will swallow
because I know they melt really fast, even it it gets stuck, warm tea or
water will melt or dislodge it.
I have no stoma problems and kept my weight off for 4.5 years with normal
minor fluxs in my weight here and there.
You decide what works for you though...This is just my humble opinion and
preference...and nothing else! I do what works for me and I share those
experiences...I take a B complex (B -100) Once a week...It's a big yellow
FOUL FOUL tasting powder. I cannot open and take that powder on my taste
buds ...and I will chocke that puppy all the way down before I open it! I
don't care how many times I have to attempt to swallow it...Just taste it
once and you learn REALLY fast how to swallow a capsule! LOL
— .Anita R.
September 2, 2008
I buy my vitamins from bariatriceating.com. I use the bariatric advantage
brand for multi, calcium, iron, vit D and b-12. The Vit D is a
capsule...the others are chewable. I think you can take some pills (not
necessarily vitamins), depending on what they are and what your dr
recommends. I just feel that if my body has a problem absorbing them...I'm
going to give it something that was specifically designed for it. One of
the previous people gave another brand that was made for WLS patients...and
I know there are a few others...you'd just have to research and find out
which ones work best for you. My biggest recommendation is to get the best
you can afford.
Good luck in your surgery.
— Hollywog
September 3, 2008
I buy my vitamins from bariatriceating.com. I use the bariatric advantage
brand for multi, calcium, iron, vit D and b-12. The Vit D is a
capsule...the others are chewable. I think you can take some pills (not
necessarily vitamins), depending on what they are and what your dr
recommends. I just feel that if my body has a problem absorbing them...I'm
going to give it something that was specifically designed for it. One of
the previous people gave another brand that was made for WLS patients...and
I know there are a few others...you'd just have to research and find out
which ones work best for you. My biggest recommendation is to get the best
you can afford.
Good luck in your surgery.
— Hollywog
September 3, 2008
I am almost 4 weeks post op. I have taken chewable vitamins and now take
Centrium. I cut my pills into small pieces. I also take capsules with no
problem. Just don't take all of the medication at one time. Space them
out about 15 minutes apart or more.
— CHEWAWASRULE
September 3, 2008
I am having the VSG procedure in one week. I have been told I can still
take my pills, I will probably have to break them into pieces though, and I
will be taking 2 multivitimins. I bought the liquid type as a backup in
case the pills don't work, but all in all, I am to cut my other supplements
in half to take them.
— cydthekid50
September 3, 2008
I HAD RNY AND I STARTED TAKING MY 6 MEDS 2 DAY AFTER SURGERY. I HAVE TO
TAKE THEM FIVE MINUTES APART. BUT I HAVE NO PROBLEM AND THEY ARE NOT ALL
SMALL PILLS.
— cecilie
September 3, 2008
CHEWABLES!!!!!! That's the only way to go! I'm 7 weeks out and still (and
will for a long while) take chewable vitamins. I've found them in
everything but the iron. So I found a chewable multivitamin that has 100%
of the iron requirement... problem solved. As far as my other meds go, I
crush them and mix with yogurt or something to take them. If the pill is
small enough, you can take it without crushing it, but I still didn't do
that until only a week ago... just to play it safe. Although my friend (2
weeks later than my surgery) started taking her reg meds only cut in half,
from the beginning and she's had no problems. I think it may be in the
fluid intake... how much water does it take for you to swallow your regular
meds? Anyway, hope this helps!
— pattschiele
September 4, 2008
We're all different. Here's MY experience. I was told to crush pills after
I returned home from RNY surgery. Yuck!! About two days of that was quite
enough for me. I resumed taking all my oral meds whole, both prescription
and OTC? No problem!
— [Deactivated Member]
September 10, 2008
Why all the messing around with crushing pills or taking chewables ? Just
take a powerful "liquid" vitamin / mineral supplement like VEMMA.
Has 1000 IU of vit D3, most important. Go to www.TrySomeVemma.com
— [Deactivated Member]
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