Medications, vitamins, and other ?s (newbie here)

[ajmsp8879 24]

Hi all,

Newbie and lurker here. I've been watching the boards for a while. I am thinking about taking the plunge and going with the sleeve. I'll be going to an info session in about two weeks, but I want to do as much research as possible prior to meeting with the surgeon. My story is very similar to many... I've gained and lost the same 80-100 lbs for the last 20 years way too many times. I'm on CPAP therapy, pre-diabetic, probably have a hiatal hernia, and have knee and hip pain.

I take medication for anxiety/depression and have for years. I also take an amino acid called NAC. I'm worried about how I will be able to take my meds as I heal from the sleeve surgery. I consider the amino acid (NAC) as critical as the antidepressant itself. It's known to cause stomach upset (it doesn't bother me now) but I wonder what will happen once I have the sleeve. What size pills can you take during recovery? Anything "off-limits" in terms of Vitamins and medications.

AJ

[BigAussieGirl 162]

Hi, I had my sleeve surgery in August. I am on medication for Bipolar and Seizures. My Doctor's didn't want me to miss any of my medication. I took it the morning of the surgery with a tiny sip of Water and then the day after the surgery the nurses cut the medication in half, after that I took my medication as normal. No problems at all.

Good luck with your journey!

[EagerPenguin 159]

I was told that for the first week, everything has to be less than 6mm in every direction (that's just according to my program). I'm on quite a few pills and haven't had trouble getting them in. I just broke up the ones I could split and opened up the others to get to the powder. I still break one particularly long one in pieces. Of course, you can't do that with extended release formula or gel caps. Some meds you can change the formula briefly, like instead of a gelcap do a liquid for awhile if the gelcap is huge. I would suggest meeting with a pharmacist. I was able to do that through my program and it was quite helpful.

[Creekimp13 5,838]

Some meds are available in liquid form. Others you can break into quarters. Some you have to crush and take with a spoonful of sugar free Cool Whip...but it's no big deal. Time release meds can require a different strategy cause you can't break them.

If one of your meds causes stomach upset, I'd ask about that one. My doc puts everyone on Omeprazole for a few months to protect the tummy while it heals.

After surgery, I quit taking my diuretic, my blood pressure meds, and my antidepressant. My prediabetes is in remission....my latest A1C was normal. Only meds I take now, are thyroid and Vitamins. (and Omeprazole for a few more months)