Allegra and GBP

I have terrible allergies and if I don't control them I end up with asthma attacks. I used to take Allegra 180 mg daily before surgery and I really need to still take it, but I've been getting very conflicting information about time released meds as a PO GBP patient. My surgeon approved my time release heart med (my blood pressure hasn't adjusted down since surgery, unfortunately, so I still need to take it), and the meds list they sent me home with had  the Allegra listed as a med I should start taking again, but the other literature the surgeon gave me (and everything I've ever read) says NO TIME RELEASED MEDS. Allegra is not available as a non-time released med OTC. Not sure if it's available in an immediate release formulation by Rx.

The only immediate release formulation I've seen OTC is the melting lozenges for children and I'd have to take like 6 at a time to get the right dosage. That gets $$$ fast.

 

I guess I'm just wondering is anyone has any experience with this? Any input is appreciated.

My understanding is that the issue with time released meds is just that we may not get the full effect due to the length of time it stays in our body.  I did a quick search and there seems to be quite a few posts on it so maybe you can get some further info that way.

Here's one of the posts:

http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/rny/4435995/Time-release-Allergy-pills-after-RNY/

 

Good luck to you :)

Allegra is certainly not the only medicine of its type that you can take, and the others may be available in a non-time release formula.  As the other poster said, though, the issue is just at you might not absorb all of the Allegra so it just might not work as well.  With that type of medication, dosage is not nearly as important as for something like anti-depressants, anti-psychotics, heart meds, etc.  Taking time-release meds will not hurt you in any way, though, so it isn't as if you CANNOT take them at all.

Lora

Thank you both! I guess that'swhat I was wondering about - would time released meds cause an ulcer or something. So, I guess I'll try the regular formula and see how I respond to it. Even some relief is better than not taking it. I've been sneezing my head off for days!

I took Zyrtec 10mg daily prior to surgery... and still take the same now at almost 5 months post op. It is dosed 1 pill per day. Don't know if it is a "time release" pill or not. It is NOT a double layer pill (like extended release mucinex).
I would continue using it, since you were discharged on it. If you notice any change in effectiveness call your surgeon. You may cut the pill in half and take 2x per day. I did that when I was pregnant and my allergist suggested I try to cut back to 1/2 dose per day.Unfortunately 1/2 dose did not work, so I went back to regular dosing. Also the zyrtec are an odd shape and were hard to split evenly with a pill cutter.

After i had that useless lap band they did not tell me timed release were ineffective or less effective. I continued my blood pressure meds and in two weeks my pressure was way up. I panicked i felt so weird and bad. They changed me to the non timed release form of the same med and it settled back down. So watch your blood pressure closely.

I've been checking my blood pressure a few times a day since surgery. They didn't discharge me with approval to start my BP med again, but after 36 hours of VERY high readings (181/120), I spoke to the surgeon and he told me to start it again and track it to see if I was getting too low or if maybe I was losing effectiveness on the med later in the day. So far, so good with that med.

As far  as other allergy meds, they don't work for me at all. Claritin worked the first year it was out and then totally stopped working for me and I can't function on Zyrtec...I just can't keep my eyes open. But when I combine Allegra with Nasonex, I can actually live without wanting to gouge out my eyes. :)

I am confused.  With a lap band, your meds would not have been affected at all. The problem with time-release medications only applies to those with an intestinal bypass since the problem is that because of the intestinal bypass, the pills are in the small intestine (which is where they are absorbed) for a significantly shorter period of time.  With lap band, everything (foods,vitamins, meds) are all absorbed just as they normally are.  So your blood pressure meds should not have been impacted in any way.

Lora

Well the blood pressure meds were rendered ineffective.  No one told me at the time I had the band placed not to take certain meds.  Then when the blood pressure soared they said - cutting it to the point - that banding causes time released meds to remain in the stomach for too long so even if they can physically pass with no issue you can run into problems with bioavailability (too much or too little being absorbed).  They said once you have restrictions of any kind there is a good chance timed/extended release tablets might not work for you.  This is apparently what happened to me within a 2 week period of incorrect absorption.  Then, after the fact, they gave me a list of meds I could no longer take in a timed or extended release form.  Metroprolol succinate was what I was taking and it was on the banned list.  So my PCP switched me to Metoprolol tartrate which is not timed/extended release and I have been on that since the 2009 surgery.  I take one 25 mg. every morning and have good readings.  This is just my story and to let people know to pay attention as it could happen to you (or maybe not).  I hope all is spelled correctly.  I also hope I don't have succinate and tartrate flipped but you get the idea.

Merry Christmas to all

I take Allegra HCI 180 OTC. Was not aware it was time released. I have used it pre and post op with no problems. Of course prior to it being OTC it was by Rx only.