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Taking Multiple Pills Post Surgery



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For those of you that have to take multiple pills at one time, how are you doing it? I need to take 4 pills at one time each night and I’m curious how to handle this once I’m sleeved. I usually throw them all back at once and swallow but I don’t think that’s going to work anymore.

Are you just swallowing them one at a time every few minutes or so?

So much to learn with this.

Thanks.

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I actually had acid reflux when I took my pills right before bedtime so I changed them to earlier and it wasn't a problem. As for pills you can take them all at once if that is what you are doing now. It will be fine.

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I have trouble taking a bunch of pills at one time. I have to take them one at a time and space them apart by a minute or so. Otherwise I feel pain in my stomach.

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Right after surgery I took my separately for the first couple of weeks while my esophagus was healing. Now 5 weeks out, it's not bad taking them together, but found I prefer to take them apart.

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Right after surgery, I was a little afraid to take pills. So for about a month or so, I did everything I could to avoid. I did the vitamin patches, tried to get chewable or Gummy anything else I had to take. I even crushed things or opened capsules and put the powder on pudding/yogurt to swallow down.

By the time I was on regular food again, I was taking normal size pills. At first, I took them 1 at a time, but now...I just put them in my mouth and swallow them down. I usually try to take them with food or within 15-20 minutes of eating. I find that if I take them on an empty stomach, I regret it: I taste the pills, I burp up medicine burps, get heartburn, or even get nauseated.

The largest pill I take is a gel-cap that's 3/4 inch long. The most I take at one time is 5. That's 2 reg size capsules + 2 small gel caps + an Iron pill. Right now, I'm still doing gummy MVI's, but when those are gone, I think I'm going back to my normal size Multivitamin.

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At the one month point, I can take my 3 multivitamin capsules with no problem. I used chewables for the first 4 weeks.

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This is all refreshing to hear. I've always been someone who can toss back a whole handful of pills and my surgeon's plan is so super cautious about everything and so strict. They want anything chewable if possible or crushed up if not, and I just want to swallow the damn pills. I'm still pre-op but I'm worried about the pills not absorbing after if I just toss them back. This surgical team warns you about every little thing. They also poo-poo any kind of Protein Shakes, which I think is ridiculous. They only want you to eat all natural everything, even on the liquid phase. Nope, this girl isn't pureeing chicken, blech. I asked them why so strict about the Protein shakes, and they basically admitted that they don't trust their patients to be smart enough to choose the right ones that aren't too high in sugars, so they just say don't do it, rather than give you a list of researched brands and what is the best to use. So since I am intelligent enough to read a label and I trust myself apparently more than they do, I'm hoping it's the same with swallowing pills.

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Have always taken all my meds in one swallow. Post surgery we were told we could swallow pills the size of or smaller than the bed of your pinkie nail. I switched to taking 2 pills per swallow for the 1st few weeks then as soon as it became comfortable I went back to all at once.

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I am still able to take a bunch at one time. I take 4 at the same time with no issues.

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Doing fine but one came through unchanged, since several are the same size I will forever wonder which it was. An no, I did not keep it around long enough for an in-depth interview, it just went bye bye down the River of No Return!✋✋💩

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Same as what other folks have said—still take 3-4 at a time for morning. My acid reducer helps mitigate any tummy/esophagus upset though. 😂

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Wake up now, Lovenox shot first, then Ditropan and Zofran. Both small tabs, if they don't choke me , on to Wellbutrin, still much smaller than M&M size, and then my day kicks into gear, if I make weak cream of whatever, will it stay down or will Precious Pouch rebel? If she does, we are NOT in to a GOID DAY!

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Current Score Precious Pouch 1 and she retains the virtual ball
Frustr8 -Zero and weeping💦

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At this point I can take 7-10 pills at a time with no issues. They range in size from my fish oil capsule (huge) to my Cozaar pill (tiny).

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      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

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        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

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