Question:
Has anyone had to crush their meds after surgery?

I was told by my surgeon that after the surgery I will have to crush my meds. I cant even imagine tasting them. I need to know how to go about doing this and what foods to take them with so I dont taste them as much.    — Kerry P. (posted on September 20, 2001)

September 20, 2001
You can't crush time release meds (which I'm sure you already know). I have one child that takes a LOT of meds. I have found that VERY small amounts of sugar-free applesauce helps somewhat. Also, a lot of meds really are available in chewable or liquid form if you request them (e.g., liquid prozac and chewable vitamins).
   — Kathy J.

September 20, 2001
I have had to crush Tylenol and couldn't stand it so I went to buy the liquid. I would suggest you try It first and see what you think. Good LUCK
   — Heather G.

September 20, 2001
I used a pill splitter & cut 'em up the first month. I don't take any timed release meds and I know I'd not do too well tasting 'em, either. After the "break in period", I had no trouble swallowing pills. They should dissolve in the pouch, anyway, so should not hang up in the stoma.
   — vitalady

September 20, 2001
Every surgeon has different approaches to post-op meds and diets, so I'm not sure that there IS only one "right" way. The four of us in my family who have had lap RNY surgeries were taking Percocet (tablet, uncrushed/uncut) in the hospital for pain the day after surgery and were instructed to resume all our usual medications as soon as we arrived home two days post-op. The only exception to that was that we were told to take chewable Flintstone vitamins with iron for the first 3 weeks post-op and a chewable calcium supplement....then we could change to any vitamin and calcium supplement of our choice. We all were initially on a lot of medications and never had any problems taking any of them uncrushed/uncut. Good luck!
   — Diana T.

September 20, 2001
Every doctor is different. I DO NOT have to crush my meds at all. I am 2 weeks post op and take daily meds with no problem. In the hospital I took percoset pain meds and they were whole tabs also. I have taken Tylenol with no probs also. I DO know of people that have to crush their meds and they take them in applesauce or something like that and do fine. Good Luck to you!!!!
   — Diane P.

September 21, 2001
I didn't have to crush my pills either. But everyone is different. There is one thing you need to consider before you crush your pills As a nursing student I have learned that some pills are not meant to be crushed or even split. Many have a coating on them so they don't cause stomach irritation, some don't get digested in the stomach at all but in the small intestine, some of the coatings are a time-released mechanism so by crushing them you could be over medicating yourself which could lead to some serious problems as overdose or you could develope a tolerance to the med. I would ask your Pharmacist about each pill before you split them. Please note that your doctor may not which pills can be split. They know alot, but when it comes to drug interactions and medication related issues the pharmacist does know more. That is their specialty. Good luck.
   — Carla C.

September 21, 2001
the meds that i take are chewable vit. a time released capusale that i have to open up and a pill for my high blood that i do have to crush but i fold it in either apple sauce or yougart i do that with my iron also its also in a capusale form the doctor does not want me to take meds whole right now. and hopefully in the next few months i will not have to take the high blood med. because its better than it has been in the past 2 years i am 3 mon. post op.
   — shirley A.

September 21, 2001
I have some pills that I need to take that I can't get in liquid or chewable. First my antidepressant would probably go down, but I don't want to take the chance so I cut in in 4 different pieces and fold it in to what ever I am having for breakfast. My sleeping pill is about twice as big as a piece of rice, but it just wasn't being absorbed that well when I took it whole. So I tried crushing it and now it works just like it did before surgery. The taste is unbelievably bad - but I have found that if I mix it with sugar free/fat free vanilla pudding it doesn't taste that bad at all. Just keep trying different things. I have mixed it with water in a spoon and chased it with something strong like v-8 splash and it isn't as bad - but mixing it with pudding is much better.
   — K T.

September 21, 2001
Well as we all know this is gross. But it has to be done. My first suggestion to you is to see if any of the meds. you are on come in liquid form. (thats a good thing) Next remember its only for about 3 weeks post-op that you need to do this...eventually they go down fine. Im 5 wks out now and take all my pills in whole form. (spread out over time) with a glass of h20 as much as i can stand. Next if you do need to crush it add it to some sugar free yogurt or unsweetened applesauce....Hope this helps good luck!
   — Melissa S.

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