RE Timed Release Meds / Warning, another long Dan ramble!

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-----Original Message-----

From: Sheri s

He said that the delay in release of the medication combined with the

bypass would certainly

make them less effective and in the case of distal procedures,

possibly make them virtually ineffective. He strongly urged me to

make sure that any prescription I got from doctors (or RNP's) be for

standard rather than time release formulas.

Sherri and all,

I am a 75cm proximal RNY at the 40 month mark and have watched and tried to

absorb all these discussions re timed release meds, etc. Like most things,

I am stricken with ambivalence and kinda sorta do things " half-butted " most

of the time. I am on Wellbutrin 150mg XR twice a day,,,,,,,and have been

for a good portion of the last 2.,5 years. While not having blood levels

tested I am told by this woman who lives in the same house with me that it

makes a difference. I know it does too. Now, how effective it would be

were I to take the non extended and take it more often,,,,I dunno! On other

things, i.e., Multi-Vits I am careful and have been (specially since Ceep's

Centrum saga) to do the chewables, and when I can I take Chromagen Forte

cause the Ferrous Fumarate is in liquid form within the gel cap which others

tell me does not do me any good in that form. I know this, it sure turns

the stools black! I suspect it is dissolving in my system.

I have had this discussion with my long suffering PCP (I was his

first/second RNY) and he is a Dr that actually has ears and actually uses

them. Probably he just " suffers " me and when I give him my Labs list he

just orders for me, we not longer discuss whether this or that is really

necessary.

Interestingly, some of you may remember that the lady who lives in this

house with me (she is very very pregnant and I would describe her as

wife/mate but she does not feel that kinda love most days <s>) had a

pregnancy test on a Friday, before WLS on Monday. Pregnancy test was

negative, but really positive and now she is sixteen weeks and four days

along. It has been a very bad journey for her with Hyperemisis Gravidarium

or being sick 24/7. We have never been sure how much is WLS related, how

much is due to the fact that we are in SW Louisiana and something here is

going on allergy wise twelve months out of the year and her sinus drainage

is awful,,,,,there was a loss of some 43 or so lbs in the first month, and

since then weight has dropped a wee bit,,,,,but not the devastating amounts

during the first 30. All that to say this!

I have kinda been her advocate with the husband/wife OBGYN team who

delivered our first and live just down the street and we are very attached

to. The way she is making it now is on heavy duty regimen of anti-nausea

drugs balanced with some rest and please do not mention the fact that she

had WLS, she does not care! She is semi functional now, BUT I think that

the most critical discussion I had with her Dr's was more than once

reminding them of malabsorption factor when they were prescribing anything

for her and staying right by her side in the hospital to keep the sugar off

her tray, etc. The doctors who are caring for her listened, and actually

have asked me on occasion about various issues regarding standard concerns

for ALL WLS patients, not just the very sick pregnant ones. They adjusted

her meds based on our discussions, i.e., more often, different timing,

differerent sequencing for each,,,,and with some time passage (about six -

eight weeks like a WLS normie) there has been some return of stability for

her. Not to say that she does not have to be on guard 24/7 but, most days

it can be said she does better.

Now,,,,I am not saying that for sure extended time release meds do or do not

work, in my case it seems to make no diff but then again, I seem to be

blessed with a horseshoe on my forehead and no matter how I have tried to

destroy myself since WLS, weight stays about the same,,,,labs are

great,,,,,etc. I do know that I believe it is a factor, amongst several, in

finding some balance for in dealing with the nausea.

By the way, we are very happy. Yesterday we had first indepth look via

ultrasound with perinatologist and saw toes, bones, brains, heart,,,,,all

looked wonderfully well and despite the trauma this child seems determined

as Ceep says to form a body to bear the angelic spirit into this world. We

were very relieved and will have another in eight weeks. It was kinda

overwhelming to see,,,,truly.

So, bottom line for me, and I never know where anything is these days is

that extended time release things seem to be okay for me, might be for her,

but adjustment seemed to help. Might help me, but then again that may

require that I actually make some kind of effort for good health, LOL, and

that issue is always in doubt!

Dan Slone

Surgry 5/2/2000