My surgery is tomorrow and I think I am just starting to worry about everything. Currently I take Cymbalta daily and my doctor said I would need to open the capsules and pour in liquid to take for the first week. But after looking online they are time released tablets and say do NOT open. Anyone else taking Cymbalta after your sleeve surgery and how did you take?

This is a good question. I didn't think to ask my doctor about this medicine because it's new to me.

Some surgeons say you can't take extended release medications with gastric bypass because it won't stay in your system long enough to be fully absorbed. I don't think the same applies to people with the sleeve.

I’m also on cymbalta and I thought I wasn’t allowed to take it, so I stayed off for 2 weeks and was severely dizzy, I called my dr and he asked me if I stopped any of my meds, when I told him about the Cymbalta he said oh no you need to take that ASAP you can’t just stop that medicine, he said I could have swallowed that pill from day 1....please don’t miss any of your doses it’s very important.

Good luck

Lena

I had RNY so I had to stop it. Not because I couldn’t take pills, but because it would move through my pouch/intestine too quickly and not enough would be absorbed. I don’t think that’d be an issue with the sleeve.
But yeah, def don’t open or crush them.

I know this isn't exactly the same, but I take Effexor and was told to take it as normal after the surgery. So far, I haven't had any ill effects.

I take it but i started way after healing i think. I take 3/30mg pills once a day now. I'll be 3 years out in October. They are tiny capsules, you should be ok. I used to take pills 1 at a time. I got used to it quickly.

Fun-freckles I take 40mg of Cymbalta daily and I have taken them everyday since post-op with no issue. Cymbalta is not something you can abruptly stop. Once I didn’t have my Cymbalta for 3 days ,waiting for a refill, and I had the worst headache like zapping in my brain and dizzy. My pain management doctor now makes sure that I never run out. If you are taking 60mg you could ask for it to be filled in 20mg capsules they are smaller.

I also take 60mg of Cymbalta a day in one capsule. I've taken one every day since my sleeve surgery on June 13, 2018. I did have a brief period after surgery where I felt like my Cymbalta "wasn't working" and my PCP (not my bariatric surgeon) suggested perhaps they were not being absorbed fully and offered to up my dosage temporarily or look into another delivery route. I declined and decided to wait it out and see if things improved and they did very quickly. It was just a very minor blip and I've had no other issues taking it. I feel amazing! My surgeon never wanted me to stop it after my sleeve surgery or open the capsules. Good luck to you!!

21 hours ago, fun_freckles said:

surgery is tomorrow, take Cymbalta daily and my doctor said I would need to open the capsules and pour in liquid to take for the first week.

@fun_freckles

i asked my doc pre-op, about cymbalta - take or not at all. Doc said continue as normal - don't stop.

your doc told you differently - this is a perfect example of listen only to "what you doc says"

you might have already had your surgery, speedy recovery!!

good luck?

kathy