Vitamins and pills????

I am just wondering why son many have to crush their pills??
I have been taking my meds and vitamins whole. Some I have had to split and I have chewable multi.
Just curious...my Dr. never said don't take them whole. They gave me pills like antibioctic,  PPI, and pain meds.
I put them all in a little dish in the moring and then slowly throughout the day take them.
Thanks for your imput.
Julie

My doc said I could take all mine but I did find I preferred a chewable multi for the first few weeks (although they tasted some gross!) but by a month out, I was back on the usually huge multi pill.
I guess some people have more problems than others and it might depend on what kind of pill you take. Other than the multi, my only large pill was for blood pressure and it was a capsule so it slipped right down no problem.
Lynn

 I just came from a 3 hour nutrition class with my nutritionist and she talked about the importance off vitamins.  She also said that taking vitamins whole was not the best way for our bodies to absorb all the nutrients.  With our smaller stomachs after surgery the pill spends less time being digested and therefore does not release the nutrients like you think they are and often come out almost whole once through the bowel.  

She suggested taking liquid, powder, or a few months after surgery going to chewable.  I'm going to try some powder multis now, pre surgery, so I can get used to that regimen.  


Hope that helps answer your question.

Being a former LapBand person I wasn't able to swallow large pills and got very used to chewables and liquid meds.  If the pill is small I will swallow it whole for example I am on synthroid and I do swallow that pill whole.  But my vitamins are chewable, the omeprazole that the doctor requires for 3 months is a capsule and I open it, and empty it into my mouth (it is time released so it doesn't have any flavor it is little balls) and sip water to swallow it. If I need Tylenol I use the liquid form, same with any over the counter meds I need for colds and such.  For me personally it is just what I am used to.  Perhaps for others larger pills hurt when swallowed or perhaps the amount of water needed to swallow them is too much at once....just a thought.