I don't feelvgood...think I have a virus...had surgery Dec 14th.
Was told only could have liquid medicine or chewable stuff...vitamins etc....
Anyone know if i can take regular size pills like tylonol...i haven't had to yet...but all achy tonight

The ASMBS says RNY patients can swallow pills as soon as they are able to tolerate them.  I was swallowing pills the same day I had surgery.

But I don't know if there is some special reason you would not be able to swallow pills.  If you're not sure, you might wanna give your doc a call and ask.

i would call your surgeons office tomorrow to be sure, but i would think you could take pills/tablets at this point - i have been on regular pills/tablets since about 6 weeks out, i think

good luck

I take Tylenol 500 mg when I have a headache or when I have any pain or discomfort, I cut them in half and thats it, like Kelly I'm taking pills since I had my surgery and I had no problems. But if you dont feel good taking them just call you doctor.

I had surgery December 12th.  I have been swallowing pills since 8 weeks post-surgery (multi-vitamin, calcium, etc.)  The first 8 weeks I only swallowed stuff that was the size of an M&M or smaller, otherwise it was chewable.  I haven`t had any issues with taking my vitamins.

Judy

I prefer liquid Tylenol.

why do you prefer liquid tylenol?? it is all sugar?  I know alot people when they have to take it during the first few weeks, actually dump from it.

There is a sugar-free form of liquid Tylenol.

that is interesting to know.  It must be fairly new because I had my surgery 3 years ago, they didnt have it and I hear people talking quite ofteh saying they dump on liquid tylenol.  Now I will know what to tell them.  thanks again.

I do seem extra sensitive to sugar at this point but I've not had an issue with Liquid Tylenol.   May be because I've only had to take one dose to get rid of a headache twice since surgery.   It has always worked quicker for me than the pill form and the pills bother my stomach and digestive track.  Vitamins do the same so I use chewables.  I've had problems for years with meds and vitamins.  I have 7 meds that I have to take pill form so I don't want to put any extra pills in my stomach.  As is I have to  take one pill and wait awhile before taking another.  I've not had any issues with liquids and chewables thus far.

You say you are having so much trouble with pills in your stomach - that is very odd, since post op, we have very little acid in our stomach and pouch, so this really shouldnt cause a problem.  We are also susupposed to be taking a PPI for atleast the first 6 months and there are alot of surgeons that require it for 1 year or longer depending on if you have any abdominal problems, a history of ulcers or reflux.

Are you taking a PPI?  Nexium, protonix, prevacid or prilosec?? If not, I would either get a prescription for Nexium or protonix - or you can get Prevacid or Prilosec over the counter but they are at  a lower dose - so you need to take Prevacid 30mg and Prilosec 40mg.  This should help protect your stomach and help reduce the pain for when you take your medications and supplements.  If it doesnt work, you might need an endoscopy to see if anything wrong in your pouch or upper digestive  tract - they can see the upper portion of your small intestines.

What supplements are you taking in liquid form? The things I have seen in liquids arent as good as either the chewables or the pills.

May I ask, why if you are almost 6 months out, are you still  on liquid or chewable medications??  Did your surgeon give you any reason that made any sense as to why you cant swallow pills at this point??  The opening where the pills go down is large enough for a super horse pill and cant possibly understand why you cant unless you have a stricture and you would know that because you wouldnt be able to eat any foods.

Most surgeons (not all) tell post ops that we have to wait 1 month to swallow pills while things are healing due to swelling and they could get stuck.  Some, very few tell post ops to wait 8 weeks but I have rarely heard any longer than that.  There are even some surgeons that have patients swallow pills in the hospital before they go home.  I dont agree with that but there should be a happy medium.

May I ask you - you are 6 months out - if you are only taking chewables and liquids - does that mean you havent taken a PPI since surgery??  All post ops are supposed to take either Protonix, nexium, prilosec, prevacid for atleast 6 months post op and many surgeons require it for 1 years or longer = this is essential to prevent ulcers and reflux  = if you went 6 months without any of these without an ulcer or reflux - you are very lucky.

You dont take any medications?  What about any antibiotics since?

All your supplements are chewables??  Multis, calcium citrate, Dry D3, carbonyl iron with vitamin C, Vitamin B1 (I dont think this comes chewable?), B12 you can take sublingual

I am just trying to make sure you have all your bases covered - I cant imagine not being able to take pills for so long

Please call your surgeon

I haven't been sick since surgery and my surgeon said before surgery that from then on out I would have to take chewable or liquids and even switched my blood pressure medicine. My blood pressure is just a half of pill that starts dissolving as soon as water hits it. And its only a half tablet. Before surgery I had some capsules that wanted to float to the top of my stomach so I wasn't sure how good that would be for my stomach.
Even my protonix is a dissolving one.
I think I am missing some vitamin though...my hairs getting thin just as of lately.
I do take vitamins, calcium chew..iron chew...a omega 3 chew when it doesn't make me tasting too much fishy taste in my mouth...a gummy multi...and the vitamin D is one a week pill, its very small and no problems. I don't know what ppi is.
There are some foods that still either me so I have been very cautious what I take in. He never said I could take pills after surgery and I have my 6month checkup on the 15th of this month.
Thanks so much for your help and your concern. I greatly appreciate all feedback on any of this. I got this surgery to be healthy and get results.

Why does it matter if she's taking liquid or chewables?  Perhaps it's easier on her pouch.  Maybe her doctor advised it?  Maybe she prefers it?  I don't understand why you are so adamant about taking pills.  It's not necessarily the size of the pill, but if the medication will be broken down and absorbed that is the question.

My surgeon gave me the okay to take OTCs in pill form, but he said I may not completely absorb all the medication in them.  Reductions in the amount of functioning GI tract after RNY lead to decreased time to drug absorption and reduced drug bioavailablity, which is why NOT ALL surgeons are okay with their patients popping pills.  Mine is not, especially Rx meds (which, thankfully, I don't need at this point in my life). 

From a 2006 article in AJHP:  http://www.ajhp.org/content/63/19/1852.full 

The solubility of drugs is affected by pH. Drugs that are more soluble at an acidic pH are absorbed in the stomach, and those soluble in alkaline environments are absorbed in the small intestine. In addition, some drugs depend on the enzymes in the small intestine to aid in their absorption. In patients who have had gastric bypass surgery, the small pouch located at the top of the stomach produces much less hydrochloric acid than the stomach previously did, possibly decreasing the absorption of medications dependent on acidic environments for solubility or absorption.

By bypassing major portions of the small intestine, Roux-en-Y bypass procedures drastically reduce the surface area for absorption. Villi and microvilli give the small intestine a much greater surface area than the large intestine. Thus, bypassing of the duodenum and jejenum represents a large loss of surface area for absorption. These changes may warrant manipulation in drug route or dose to ensure adequate delivery. Drugs with long absorptive phases that remain in the intestine for extended periods are likely to exhibit decreased bioavailability in patients who have undergone this procedure. Therefore, products with prolonged dissolution times, such as extended-release formulations, should be avoided in this population.

Not al post-ops take a PPI after surgery.  Where did you get this information?  My hiatal hernia was repaired during my RNY and I haven't touched the stuff since the day before my surgery.  It's the first time I haven't have reflux in over two decades, and I couldn't be happier about it.

I am sorry if you took what I said the wrong way - I was just trying to help her.  I was shocked wwhen I read that surgeon would tell a patient that she has to take chewables or liquids for life.  There is no reason to give patients a blanket statement preop before you even know if they have problems - she made it sound like he does it for all patients not just becasue she went to him with a problem - she said her told her preop and hasnt changed it since, so she has follewed his rules.  She then didnt know better to question him until last night when we told her differently and I wasnt the only one to tell her that they arnt needed at this point.

I am not totally against chewables - I take chewable multi and calcium but because I like them - they are  a candy like treat a few times per day rather than swallow horse pills that I tend to forget - dont get me wrong, I have been able to swallow the horse pills since my 5 week follow up and I did take them back then but I switched when I was 2 years post op.    Everything else I take in either capsule or pills but I absorb capsules better than pills - so maybe you might want to try capsules if you are having trouble absorbing things.  I take following in capsules (dry D3 and carbonyl iron with vit. C from vitalady.com), selenium, B1 and DHEA - from GNC  - I used to take vitamin A also from vitalady.com but dont need it anymore.

You would be amazed at how much better the capsules work than pills.  I was taking my selenium in pills and when I switched to a capsule in the same dosge, my level went up about 50 points so I had to cut my dose after only 2 months on the new stuff.

We all know that certain pills arent absorbed properly or atleast all surgeons should have explained it to all postops but unfortunatley they dont all explain it.  We cant absorb any long acid or slow release meds because like your article said they go through the system too fast and we dont get full affect of the drug.

as far as the supplements - the chewables and liquids arent all the same or as good.  Multi's and calciums are fine as long as you get the right ones which she didn't she has gummy multis which we cant absorb properly - I am not sure which calcium chews she has if they are calcium carbonate even if chewables - like your articles says without enough acid, we cant absorb and that is why we need calcium citrate but not everyone knows the why these rules are given.  Iron is another one - we need carbonyl iron with C or heme for the same reason - they dont need as much acid - any iron with ferrous in the name is different  - they cant be absorbed without a ton of acid.

I take quite a few pills which  I do pretty well with but I feel I dont absorb my pain pills as much as before because I take a higher dose on my breakthrough pain narcotic but to avoid the absorbtion issue - I wear a narcotic pain patch, so it goes directly into my blood stream.  I dont absorb my thyroid medications very well but my endocrinologist understands this and she checks my levels very frequently - I have had to have my doses changed 7 or 8  times over the past 3 1/2 years - it is crazy.  I now take 2 different thyroid medication - synthroid and cytomel.

Thank y'all for your replies and concerns. I haven't taken anything I don't have to. Taking vitamin chews and been feeling great. Still some foods don't agree so I stay away.
I haven't been sick til now...just a virus I do believe or allergies, but that usually doesn't cause aching.
I haven't taken tylonol since before surgery...like I said...I have been great!

It really amazes me sometimes how confrontational some posters come across on here. With all of the why are you doing this??? (all the extra question marks, etc.) or Why AREN'T you doing that???? (all the extra question marks). Geez people, she doesn't feel good and was just asking a simple question!!! (note all the extra exclamation points). LOL

Barbie, I hope you're feeling better.

It's fine Kay, I appreciate all the feedback, because ya'll have been there before and find stuff that works for you, and I need suggestions. I don't go into lots of info unless someone request it like the one did, that is how you know what to suggest to someone. If I wasn't doing something I should, then it will benefit me if someone tells me, then its up to me if I choose not to, at least someone did tell me.
I am kindof trying to wait for my stats on the 15th before getting other supplements, to see if I need them.....feeling better some today.
Thanks again to all of you.

Maybe some of us are just trying to help her and explain to her that by now there is no reason she shouldnt be able to take to pills by now.  There are a sellect few (and probably just a few) that give out rediculous rules, information and even lists of supplements they should take and that is why we are all here = IS TO HELP EACH OTHER.  Is that better than the repeated question marks = I dont even know if I used them, sometimes I just type really fast and I have a new laptop with a funky keyboard that just does what it wants and I always finding extra characters in what I type.  If I find an extra  punctuation mark - I dont bother to go back and fix it but wording mistakes I try to fix them - I didnt realize it offened anymore - you are the first person I have ever heard to mention and I have been on here for years and I see this done all the time.  I do purposely use repeated exclamation marks.

I am sorry if I offened you but it was no  my intention.  I was just trying to help her since sticking to chewables and liquids can be really tough - I did it for a month at first and it was tough.  When  I went over some of the stuff she is taking, she wont absorb the stuff she is taking - so, if they are what her surgeon told her, he really doesnt know what he is talking about.