Gastric Bypass Truth

So you may remember this post where I was mad at my surgeon for prescribing extended release meds to me.

I said I would find out where I’d heard that it was bad to take them. Well, I’ve found a boatload of information on the topic. And guess who was right?

Yup. Me. According to multiple articles from very reputable places, extended release medications should be avoided in the gastric bypass population because the malabsorbtive aspect of the surgery prevents proper assimilation. In other words, it’s a waste of medicine.

I found this information in the following places, just to name a few:

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/545489_6

“Therefore, products with prolonged dissolution times, such as extended-release formulations, should be avoided in this population. ” – http://www.ajhp.org/cgi/content/full/63/19/1852 

“Extended release medications should be avoided in these patients” – http://www.obesityaction.org/resources/oacnews/oacnews1/healthqanda.php

OK, there are a ton more, but those will suffice.

Lesson: Your surgeon isn’t God. Mine has a great personality, seems like he’d be a great guy to hang out with. But he’s wrong here and it cost me a nice chunk of change on meds I couldn’t use. He did a fantastic job on my surgery but has been so-so on follow-up care.

So now I know (and you should, too) that it’s up to me to be diligent and in charge of my medical care.