SOFTGELS/1st stool softner -- 1 week post op -- Help!

Can someone please help?  Surgery was one week ago today. 

My stool softner is a softgel.  I don't know if I can take these yet!  My nurse practioner hasn't called me back.

Also, the Vitamin D she prescribed came as a SOFTGEL.

When can I take these?  I really don't feel safe doing it yet.  If I can't take them, can I poke a hole in them and.... ???

I also have milk of magnesia on hand. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance!

What ever you do, do not poke a hole in those bad boys. I am fairly recent post-op and my surgeon put me on chewables (no swallowing pills) and I needed a stool softener and I had soft gels on hand. I poked a hole in it and oh my god it was the most nasty tasting thing. Granted I wasn't smart enough at the time to mix w/ applesauce, but wow, it's nasty.
I was extremely consitpated about 2 weeks into surgery and lets just say good for you for getting on top of it now because getting impacted is not the way to go.
As a daily regimine I do 5gms fiber gummy a day and I SWEAR by my daily probiotic, that I learned from another OH member. Every other day I do Miralax and Metamucil drink. Seems to keep me good every few days or so.
I have taken MOM (milk of magnesia) a few times and it has worked well. I take the normal dose. Obviously everyone is different to play with things yourself and talk to your NUT when you get a chance, see what their protocol is. Good luck!

LOL!  Thanks for your quick response... unfortunately... I didn't check my messages until AFTER. 
You were sooooo right on.  

I was thinking , 'how bad can it be? I mean, I can take sprinkle Altace and Prozac on Greek Yogurt and eat that.  I can handle it!'   

I was wrong, but at least I didn't puke. 

Also, found out I could order it in liquid form from rx.  Did so, but I'm telling you, I'm glad I don't need the "flavored" stuff cuz the innards of the softgel worked so drastically that now I have the opposite problem.  

I figure the Ducosate liquid, no matter how many fake grapes are in there???  Has got to be some BAD stuff.  Maybe not, though.  I can handle it!  Ha!  Anyway, I know it works so would try the flavored liquid (NOT THE SOFTGEL INNARDS!) if necessary.

Well, at least now I can start taking my iron supplements!

I can't believe I'm having this conversation,btw...  Before surgery, I couldn't even say the word F--- (as in "Fart")  !  

Cheers,  Oh!  I LOVE your profile picture!!!

my surgeon said all pills have to be the size of a regular m&m or smaller to fit through the stoma.
the surgeon also suggested  a low sugar fiber like benefiber and extra water and lots of walking to help.
of course all doctors are different and have different rules. just make sure all meds are low sugar to avoid dumping.

I started taking Colace daily a week out. They are very small soft gels. I also mix sugar free Benefiber in my protein shake. I am doing this daily because I don't want to get in that awful painful constipated state again. It seems to be working. You can take more than one colace a day if needed - they are not habit forming, just a stool softener.

 I was sent home with soft gel stool softner and was told it was fine to take.  Why would they give it to you if you weren't okay to take it?  You just can't take all your meds and vitamins at the same time and have to space it out thru out the day

 Hi Tia,
  They didn't give it to me, I bought them on my own.  Didn't notice until later they were softgels.  Yep, I'm spreading all the vast quantities of medicine throughout my day.  What a relief it will be to regain my health & be able to get rid of all those pills!  
  Thanks for your help! :)
S.

 OH I am sorry!  I assumed you were sent home with them.  Good luck with everything!  :)

I hatttte taking pills!  But it's part of my life now so I am trying to suck it up haha :)

LOL.  Thanks, Tia.  I'm taking SO many pills right now (plus all the new vitamin stuff. Or I'm trying to & failing miserably -- it just has to get better as soon as:

1. My blood pressure drops -- no more Altace!  <--- Small capsule that I'm still opening up and pooring on Greek yogurt. This has permanently ended by former love affair with Greek Yogurt, btw. It's over.  It will never be the same between us.  I HATE Greek Yogurt now, Sob.  
QUESTION:  CAN I PLEASE JUST POP THIS LITTLE SUCKER?  It's not big!  Besides, in the hospital I asked my doc and she said "YES"!  I just can't remember WHEN she said I could start doing it.  And...

2.  My antidepressants.  <--- Forget it.  This will never be possible now that I can no longer eat Greek Yogurt.  I will need antidepressants to sustain me.  Comes in another small caplet, that I poor on GY.  Ack. Gag.  Help!  I dread each day knowing I have to take my antidepressants and taste Greek Yogurt!

3. My cholestrol drops.  No more simvastatin.  I'm breaking these horsepills into thousands of tiny pieces.  Makes a nice meal, with a shake.  (I'm talking MEGA doses of statins, here.) 

Cheers,

S.

 My pharmacist ordered ducosate liquid for me, it's suppposed to be flavored so shouldn't taste as bad.