Searing pain after pills taken! Any advice?

Tonya S.
on 3/6/12 6:22 am
I started off with Diarrhea yesterday, took 4 immodium (very very small pills) within hours I was what I call "seized up" cold not swallow even water. Terrific pain from my back to the torso, no real nausea, just off the chart pain. I last ate yesterday morning. I'm afraid to eat or take anything else.

I did see the surgeon today- he said the pills were stuck past the pouch, into the small intestine. I kept telling him how small these pills are. This did happen about a year ago, after taking a pill (percocet) and I was literally in the floor, and pacing. I actually asked my husband to shoot me, because I was in so much pain that I could not take it.

He said to take as many meds as I can in liquid form. He offered a Upper GI- watch the barrium pill go down with x-ray. They can dilate my stoma if needed. But if I have that it will decrease the benefit of my surgery in the first place.

So for now- I'll just be as careful with meds as I can, it's only happened 2 times in a year. But with this kind of pain- I NEVER want it again. It was like my rupured ectopic pregnancy pain!

Do any of you have this problem? How do you manage it? How do you make the pain go away? All I could do was wait it out. I came home from work early- Hopefully I can work my usual 12 hour shift. But for a few more days- he said to let my gut rest and not eat, but have protien shakes to let the swelling go down.
  
" You will be safe in his arms, the hands that hold the world are holding your heart"
AnneGG
on 3/6/12 6:40 am
Oh, I'm sorry for your for the pain you had to go through! I haven't had anything similar happen, knock on wood. I'm able to swallow huge pills without a problem.

"What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls the butterfly." Richard Bach

"Support fosters your growth. If you are getting enough of the right support, you will experience a major transformation in yourself. You will discover a sense of empowerment and peace you have never before experienced. You will come to believe you can overcome your challenges and find some joy in this world." Katie Jay

M M
on 3/6/12 9:43 am
 This happens to me occasionally with pills -- I take chewables now -- and it's *knock on wood* NOT occurred in a long time.

Judi J.
on 3/6/12 11:34 am - MN
I know of someone who only takes capsules because they found stuck pills in her pouch. Are capsules an option for you?
rbb825
on 3/7/12 2:31 pm - Suffern, NY
try taking capsules if you can - they go down easier - I can swallow an handful at one time, so I dont have this problem and they cna be horsepills.

the one thing I dont understand it why you were taking 4 immodium at one time?  the normal dose is 2 at one set and then if you go again, you can take a another one.  Most people just take 1 at first.  My surgeon actually told me after my RNY to never take immodium again - he said if we are getting diarhea it is for a reason = whether we are eating too much sugar, too much fat - and we just need to change the way we eat - not to stop ourselves up.  Taking immodium, especially post op, just causes us to get constipated causing more problems.

 

Tonya S.
on 3/7/12 10:19 pm
Thnks for the reply! I was taking immodium because the GI flu had been through my house and was starting on me. I did not want to have diarrhea all day. The pills are so tiny- like a baby fingernail, so I never imagined that it would hurt me. I've actually taken PREDNISONE and full size tylenols with out any problem.

I'm wondering if it is the GI action of the med- or the PH of the medicine? I can sure say that I'll never take it again, I'll just deal with diarrhea. It was diarrhea from a virus, not something I ate wrong.

Thanks
  
" You will be safe in his arms, the hands that hold the world are holding your heart"
MyLady Heidi
on 3/8/12 2:21 am, edited 3/8/12 2:22 am
I can't swallow pills either, they typically get stuck in my throat, its a ******g ordeal nearly every day to swallow a birth control pill.  I try it with lots of different things and always gag, it happened with pain killers once and I got really sick and scared.  I chew any pill I can.  I accidentally chewed a laxative once because I was so used to chewing everything and it was coated with a pink covering,  yeah that was uncool.  But I understand and wish you well, its scary when it gets stuck and hurts, I never had mine get stuck that far down but in my throat and it hurt so bad. Oh yeah and I can't take Immodium at all it makes me so sick, I go from one extreme to the other and can't go for days until I feel like I am gonna burst.

Good Luck!
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