Doctor prescribed pantoprazole. How (and when) do I take this right after surgery if I can't crush it? Thanks in advance.

I was allowed (required actually) to take pills the day of my surgery continuing for ten days. Large antibiotic pills. There was no problem taking them and my regular bp meds, but as with a lot of advice on here…. “Ask your doctor.”

I too was given pills in the hospital. Some doctors are totally against it thigh so ask your team.

I was prescribed omeprazole (like your pantoprazole) and the capsule was a smallish one. It was not difficult to swallow post op. I just made sure I had only a small amount of liquid in my mouth to help get it down without pain.

I was given pantoprazole in IV until I was released, then okay'd to take it orally.

I split mine in half but it was a pretty small pill to begin with.

I was swallowing meds from day two. Wasn’t easy at first as I had a lot of swelling but I just spread them out. But as the days passed it hit easier.

If the meds were prescribed by your surgeon they should be fine but if you’re unsure or they’re hard to swallow just contact their office & ask.

I was told I could swallow anything that was smaller than a pencil eraser as soon as I got home from the hospital - and I did. Pantaprazole tablets are small. There were maybe two things I had that were too large to swallow right away - but I could handle those, too, when I was about three weeks out.

If you’re on synthroid make sure to take them at separate times as the synthroid causes a reaction that makes the pantoprazole ineffective so it needs about 4hrs of spacing between the 2.

Thank you all!

It’s tiny. I just finished my course of it two days ago! No more waking up at 7 am to take it, yay. (I was on it for 2 months)