I am REALLY tired of having to crush pills. I only take 3 a day now, compared to 6 before surgery, but it still takes me like 30 minutes to crush them and take them. One is a 1000 mg pill and I have to cut it in 4 before I can even crush it, and then take it in 2 doses! My question is, will I always have to crush pills? I know I should follow what my surgeon says, but just for general information, when were you able to start swallowing whole pills? I have a friend that had GBP approximately 8 years ago, and she doesnt crush her pills, but she has also completely derailed from what her Dr has told her to do, so I dont want to follow any of her examples.
I started swallowing pills the day I came home from the hospital. Now, I have a sleeved stomach, not a pouch, so I'm not sure what difference that might make. I will say I have always found it much easier to swallow capsules than tablets, so I buy almost all of my vitamins in capsule form. How are you only taking 3 pills a day? Are you not yet up to the full vitamin regimen? Or maybe you're doing things like calcium chews that you don't mention?
I don't remember when I got to stop crushing my pills, but I think it was probably at modified soft? Crushing them was killing me, though, because the taste made me want to die.
I have not been there, GBP
but I know that a new coffee grinder with a little brush would make it go much faster I had to crush my kids meds for awhile.
are you able to put it in apple sauce or something to help the taste?
Just an idea
Good luck, and congratulations on your loss so far!!
is your doc concerned about absorption? or about the pills getting stuck? my surgeon didn't require me to crush, but i was also a pill wimp! still am - if it's too big, it's not going down!
if the doc is concerned about absorption, i'd suggest a chat with your pharmacist [and i DO MEAN the pharmacist, not one of the technicians]. some pills lose their absorption/efficacy when they're crushed, and you have to be sure that this isn't happening. also, if you switch from one generic to another or from one brand to another, differences in the way the pills are made can and will affect the absorption.
pharmacists know all this stuff - and they can help point you and your doc in the right direction. and, of course, be sure to tell him/her that you had the surgery - it'll make a difference.
and let us know what happens! we all have these debates with ourselves and our docs.
I have chewable vitamins, so I dont have to crush those. I do mix them with yogurt, but they are still disgusting. The antibiotic I'm on now (for an unrelated issue) is totally gross, I gag almost every time I take it.
I believe the Dr is worried about the pills getting stuck and not going down.
Ready4skinny, thanks for the idea about the coffee grinder. That would make it go a LOT faster as most of the time is spent with my little hand-powered pill crusher.
I don't crush pills any more, though I did for the first few months. I asked my pharmacist if there is sublingual or liquid versions of what I take. If not, I try to find pills that are non-coated tablets. If they are coated, like Tylenol, I bite them in half before I take them.
The pills I take for S.A.D. taste horrid and have a coating. The problem I have with coated pills is that the slow release becomes ineffective when I cut it in half. Because of the fact that my body won't even dissolve the coating before it passes through, I have to at least cut it in half with a pill splitter. The pill still works, but I have to take it more times during the day; it’s not as convenient.
I can't take aspirin in any form, I have tried non-coated and powered aspirin and it still burns my pouch. I stick with Tylenol.
Talk to you dr. before you change anything, but there is hope that you might not have to crush forever.
Angela
Last edited by missangelaks; 01-22-2011 at 08:53 PM.
Crushing Pills Forever?
I had to crush my kids meds for awhile.
