Current Med and changes to Medication Post Op. - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

Hychap2009 · 11-06-2009, 07:18 AM

I've read on these forums how your health issues tend to resolve themselves or improve after surgery. Many of you have had your medications reduced or stoped altogether. I personally find this very encouraging and really hope I will be one of those as I'm currently taking a lot of medication for both Blood Pressure, diabetes and asthma.

List the meds you started and which ones you've stopped taking or which of your co-morbidities have gone completely.

So here are mine pre-op.

Clopidogrel 75mg 1 daily.
Spironolactone 50mg 1 daily
Moxonidine 200mg 1 daily
Perindopril 8mg 1 daily
Doxazosin 4mg 2 x daily
Candesartan 32mg 1 daily
Furosemide 20mg 1 daily
Metformin 850 mg 3 xdaily
Novrapid insulin 3 x daily
Glargine Insulin 1 x daily
Symbicorrt Turbo Inhaler 2 x daily
Terbutaline Turbo Inhaler as and when required
Atorvastatin 40 mg
Nasonex Nasal Inhaler

Hopefully this thread will give hope and encouragement to other pre-ops.

hollycerniglia · 11-06-2009, 07:25 AM

I started out with;

Adderall XR 30 mg
Vesicare 5 mg
Levothyroxine 50mcg
Lyrica 50 mg
Halcion .25mg
Zonisamide 100 mg
Lovastatin 40 mg
Geodon 40 mg
Cymbalta 60 mg
Norvasc 5 mg
Prilosec
Relpax PRN

Since surgery I have stopped my Lovastatin (high cholesterol), and my zonisamide (headaches).
I can't wait for the day when I get to come off more. However, I will always have to take Adderall, Geodon, and Cymbalta. I have ADD and bipolar, and depression.

mistymee · 11-06-2009, 07:49 AM

I don't really remember all the names of my meds or the amounts since it was 2 years ago... trying to remember..

I took

Lisinopril for my blood pressure 1x day

Glyburide for my diabeties 1x day

Simistatin for my blood cholesterol 1x day

Cymbalta for depression 1x day

Diflunisal for my arthritis 3x day

Zyrtec for allergies

On that 1st night post-op my blood sugar went sky high and they put me on long and slow acting insulin and I was sent home with the slow acting insulin to inject once at night before bed. I was told to stop taking my oral diabetic meds at that point.

I was required to wean myself off of the cymbalta, because it is a timed released med which are not recommended post op as there is no way to tell how much we absorb. I've not had to go back on my depression meds since but a lot of my depression was caused by the pain from my weight as well as some other issues, since resolved. I still feel down more than most and more than my life should call for, really.. but not the 'can't crawl out of bed' feelings I've had in the past.

I was not able to stop the blood pressure for about a month, the cholesterol for about 2 months and the insulin was tritated down to nothing by the end of the 3rd month.

I will never be able to take that arthritis med again (which is why I wish I'd had the sleeve instead of RNY but too late now..)

The only official "medication" I take anymore is my allergey med and some tylenol for pains.

I do take a boat load of supplements though.. those are detailed in a thread titled "for Jobu: My box" if someone is interested, lol..

poet_kelly · 11-06-2009, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistymee

I do take a boat load of supplements though.. those are detailed in a thread titled "for Jobu: My box" if someone is interested, lol..

Kel's advertising porn again!

Kelly

poet_kelly · 11-06-2009, 08:31 AM

When I had surgery, I was taking a number of meds, mostly for depression. I was on Topomax, Effexor, Klonopin, Zyrexa, and Lamictil. Currently, the only one I take is Lamictil. Along with a bunch of vitamins, of course. I know RNY is not supposed to be a cure for depression. But mine has improved dramatically since surgery.

Kelly

Hychap2009 · 11-06-2009, 08:36 AM

Misty, that is still a good outcome isnt it? Was the sleeve not an option at the time?

So you are off a fair bit of your meds, that's really good though.

I got to thinking about this because one of the doctors at the hospital said to me that I'd likely still have my diabetes after surgery becuase I've had it for so many years (12 years). She said chances are, it wont improve much. I'm wondering if she's right. I've got type 2 diabetes.

I've been pill popping for years, as a result I sometimes go through a spell of feeling depressed about it and instead of doing what's best for me, I might stop taking my tablets for days or just not take them regularly. At the time I'm aware of what I'm doing, but I just get into that mode. Sometimes it all just comes on top.

Laureate · 11-06-2009, 04:58 PM

This is a good thread, Hyacinth!

Don't remember all my dosages, but before surgery, I took:

Mobic (arthritis in my knees), now off it and fine
Diovan 320 for blood pressure (was just cut to 160 and should, they say, be able to get off it)
Spironolactone (also for blood pressure, and for lymphedema, which was a particular problem after my thyroid cancer in Feb. 2008)), now off it and fine
Metformin 1000 for diabetes, twice a day, now off it and fine
Protonix, still taking for a couple more months, but soon to be off it
Levothyroxine -- I'll be taking this thyroid hormone the rest of my life because my thyroid has been removed

Hychap2009 · 11-06-2009, 05:15 PM

So Lareate I see we have one of the meds. in common for the BP. Due to me going for this surgery my dose was increased to help bring down my BP - to make me ready for surgery.

The Metformin, it's only been a short time since your surgery are you saying that you've noted a diffence in your diabetes already?

Laureate · 11-06-2009, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hychap2009

So Lareate I see we have one of the meds. in common for the BP. Due to me going for this surgery my dose was increased to help bring down my BP - to make me ready for surgery.

The Metformin, it's only been a short time since your surgery are you saying that you've noted a diffence in your diabetes already?

Yes, Hyacinth, I'm off the diabetes meds and normal now. That said, note that my diabetes was discovered early back in February and did not get to advanced stages.

But one of the reasons I chose RNY gastric bypass was to deal with the diabetes. For people like me, you lose the diabetes even before you lose the weight. It has something to do with the intestinal attachment point, they think, but I don't know the details.

I've heard that people with advanced diabetes still can drop their meds and the like with bypass. I don't know how that works with the sleeve, but it seems to me losing weight would have to help. I sure hope so.

And now for my nagging: Don't stop taking your meds! People like me care too much to see you take such risks.

I'll hush on that for now, but ....

mistymee · 11-06-2009, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poet_kelly

Kel's advertising porn again!

Kelly

heh... you know- that thread got a lot of views, I think people were disappointed to find out it was my pill box.

Quote:

Originally Posted by poet_kelly

When I had surgery, I was taking a number of meds, mostly for depression. I was on Topomax, Effexor, Klonopin, Zyrexa, and Lamictil. Currently, the only one I take is Lamictil. Along with a bunch of vitamins, of course. I know RNY is not supposed to be a cure for depression. But mine has improved dramatically since surgery.

Kelly

My depression has been much relieved as well. I know a lot of it for me, was situational, and caused by pain I was dealing with as well.

Something not mentioned in the 'meds' list above but equally important to me is the arthritis pain was so bad that my knees were dying... the doctor thought I was headed for knee replacement very soon, as I couldn't get around without a crutch.. shopping in the stores, I was that fat chick riding the motorized shopping cart, and the one driving around the parking lot looking for a close parking spot, cuz my knees weren't gonna hold out to walk from further out. Within about four weeks, I was able to ditch that damn crutch, though I did struggle while out shopping for a while. I suffered from multiple issues post op, not the least of which was total and utter exhaustion from the smallest bit of exertion.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hychap2009

Misty, that is still a good outcome isnt it? Was the sleeve not an option at the time?

Yes, this was a good outcome, it was about as good as I could hope, minus the 45+ excess lbs I'm still walking around with.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hychap2009

So you are off a fair bit of your meds, that's really good though.

Other than the allergy med, which wouldn't have been affected by the surgery at all, and the various vitamins and supplements I'm off all of them, thankfully. I'm thrilled with that. Added to that.. I had signs of diabetic and high blood pressure damage showing in my eye exam a few months before my surgery. Last month at my exam, they could not find any of that damage, so that damage has been reversed. Considering my dad is now blind from diabetes and my bio-father died from diabetic complications, after losing both his legs.. you can imagine how ecstatic I am with these results.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hychap2009

I got to thinking about this because one of the doctors at the hospital said to me that I'd likely still have my diabetes after surgery becuase I've had it for so many years (12 years). She said chances are, it wont improve much. I'm wondering if she's right. I've got type 2 diabetes.

I've been pill popping for years, as a result I sometimes go through a spell of feeling depressed about it and instead of doing what's best for me, I might stop taking my tablets for days or just not take them regularly. At the time I'm aware of what I'm doing, but I just get into that mode. Sometimes it all just comes on top.

I don't know much about the sleeve and it's affects on diabetes. I would assume that losing weight would have a positive impact though.

From what I understand, you can see improvement of the diabetes with the weight loss, and a better diet, which is where you're headed with the sleeve so I say, think positive!

I had type2 as well, and mine had been 'official' for about 5 years, but I'd been dealing with issues for a long time.. just went undiagnosed due to a whacky A1c.. mine never went tooo high till late in the game. Prior to that, my A1c stayed in the fairly normal range because it went to high and then really low, leveling it out some. My point being.. I have seen fantastic results, though they were not immediate as many RNY'ers seem to see.. just don't give up hope!