How Do You Absorb Medication After A Gastric Bypass?
Gastric bypass surgery patients are at an increased risk for poor absorption of certain medications. Because the surgery essentially reroutes food and drugs around several major sections of the small intestine, these patients have a significantly decreased surface area for soaking up nutrients and certain medications. While there are not many detailed recommendations for improving drug function in these patients, some guiding principles may help them absorb medication better after gastric bypass surgery. Substitute immediate-release drugs in favor of extended-release medications. Since gastric bypass surgery reduces the length and surface area of the small intestine, extended-release medications are more likely to pass through the gastrointestinal tract partially unabsorbed. The same holds true for delayed-release and coated medications. Take some medications more frequently. Some physicians may decide to give a gastric bypass patient more doses of an immediate-release drug to get the
