Challenges with medication

My biggest challenge so far, once the nausea subsided, has been taking medication. Both because the stomach is much smaller and because it might not have enough acid to break down medication, all my meds must be liquid or crushed for at least three months after surgery. 

In the months before surgery, I spoke with different doctors about the medications I regularly take. My biggest concern was antidepressants. My depression is quite severe, and I take three medications. Two come in liquid form, and the third comes in a crushable form; it would taste horrible, my psychiatric nurse practitioner told me. "No problem," I said blithely. 

I intended to switch to my liquid and crushable meds a week or two before surgery, but I didn't. The morning of surgery, I carefully measured the two liquids and squirted them in my mouth. And staggered. Pure alcohol taste that burned my mouth and made me sick to my stomach. I spared myself and swallowed the third pill. 

That was Tuesday the 14th. I wasn't given my antidepressants in the hospital; when I was released on Friday the 17th, they told me to resume my meds. I couldn't face it. Monday the 20th, I called my psychiatrist's office and got permission to crush my meds instead of taking them in liquid. My nurse practitioner told me to do them one at a time so I would know if one of them was especially wretched, but again I forged blithely ahead and crushed my three antidepressants plus my high blood pressure pill. I added the powder and chunks to some heated unsweetened apple sauce — and asked Paul to get my pink bucket from the hospital. It was awful. The taste was incredibly bitter and made me nauseous. 

The next morning, Tuesday the 21st, with the memory of the crushed meds fresh in my mind, I decided to try one of liquids again. Paul suggested I drink it down quickly, and I did. It was horrible — absolutely horrible. Paul got my pink bucket again, and I sat with it for awhile, hoping to not vomit. I ended up feeling queasy for two hours and lousy the whole day. That meant I wasn't hydrating or getting enough protein. I called my surgeon's office. 

Erin, the bariatric nurse I've worked with, called me back. I told her my troubles and was hoping for permission to swallow my pills. However, she suggested trying the pills crushed with yogurt. If that absolutely doesn't work, she gave me permission to cut the pills into small bits and swallow them — but explained between the lack of stomach acid and sharp edges on the cut-up pills, it's not ideal. She also gave me her direct number in case I have more problems.

My wonderful husband went off to the store again, this time for flavored low-sugar yogurt and sugar-free pudding (suggested in an online forum). I planned to try yogurt or pudding the following morning. 

Meanwhile, I also take medication at night to help with muscle tension in my neck and prevent migraines. I haven't had that in more than a week, either, and my poor neck is getting tighter and tighter. After a few hours of sleep tonight, I woke with a lot of neck tension and quite a lot of pain. Paul massaged it for a while, and finally I got up, reheated my moist heat pack, and crushed a pill and sprinkled it on pudding. It was bitter, but I got it down — without getting queasy. This is the most success I've had with meds post-surgery, and I hope it keeps getting easier.