Medications

I am having my surgery on July 22....yay me!

But I suffer from Trigeminal Neuralgia and HAVE to take medications for it.

After surgery, how will I take my meds for it?

In the hospital, will I just bring my meds with me to the hospital and take them myself? How will i take them if they are hard and have to be swallowed?

When I get out and go home, will I be able to take them if I am on a liquid diet?

This may seem dumb, but not taking these medications are pretty much life or death for me. Trigeminal Neuralgia is also called the Suicide Disease due to the pain it causes and I can't risk not taking my meds for ANY length of time.

When I went to my pre op appointment at the hospital, they told me how to handle my medications. Your surgeon should be able to answer this too.

Yes, take the meds to the hospital. Document them in your records and the nurses will make sure you take them. It's not a big deal taking pills or capsules after surgery and if it can't be broken down to a smallish size or crushed they will get a liquid form and they will inject it. If it's something you have to have, they will make sure you take it.

I took my medications with me to see my surgeon at my pre-op. He examined each pill and told me "yes, you can take it" or "you need to call the pharmacy and get them to order you an elixir form." I only had 3 but still. He told me a good way to measure it was if the pill fit in your nostril with no problems then you can swallow it fine. If the pills too much to put up your nose then you need to find another form. I laughed at this, but hey, whatever works! 

I tool all meds to the Internist for the pre-op admit.  They were noted and than I was told to leave them at home, except an inhaler, which I no longer had.  They gave me all meds at the hospital.  I had to have all liquid/crushed in the hospital and for the first two weeks.

If they don't bring this up you need to pre-op.