Problems taking tablets

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pureserenity
Posts: 47
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 11:32 am
Location: Stockton on Tees

Problems taking tablets

Post by pureserenity »

Hi, Im due to have my TX on 11th April (soooo excited) and im kind of concerned that I have trouble taking large tablets.
Are the immuno suppresant drugs they give you big? If they are im in trouble!!!
I swear my throat closes and my gag reflex is super strong! I cant take the torpedo paracetamol but anything bigger is a no go. Ive tried and tried...
The phosphate binder they gave me (phosex) was an absolute killer, after numerous attempts and making myself ill they changed it for the chewable adcalD3!

So...what will happen if the drugs are too big for me to swallow? What do they have for people who cant swallow big tablets and lets say children, surley they dont expect kids to take such big pills? Im really stressing about it, i dont want anything to jepodise my new kidney!

HELP! x
IgA nephropathy rapid progression - may 2010
Incentre Hemo Dialysis via neckline - July 2011
Live Kidney Transplant - 11th April 2012 from my second cousin Peter <3
pureserenity
Posts: 47
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 11:32 am
Location: Stockton on Tees

Re: Problems taking tablets

Post by pureserenity »

* sorry that should read CAN take the torpedo paracetamol* :oops:
IgA nephropathy rapid progression - may 2010
Incentre Hemo Dialysis via neckline - July 2011
Live Kidney Transplant - 11th April 2012 from my second cousin Peter <3
Tibbs
Posts: 1081
Joined: Wed Nov 30, 2011 11:59 am

Re: Problems taking tablets

Post by Tibbs »

The biggest tablet I take at the moment (I'm pre-transplant) is Myfenax, which is mycophenolate mofetil which is also a post transplant drug.

I don't often take meds other than my presription drugs (they're enough!) but from memory the Myfenax is no bigger than the 'Max Strength' Paracetomol Tabs I've taken in the past. I don't know how big Tacrolimus is, but seem to remember seeing the prednisolone tabs once and they were quite small.

I guess I'm lucky - I take 10 tabs in the morning, and they all just go down in an enourmous handful, with the help of some water of course!
26/11/12 - Live donor transplant from my dad
6/1/13 - Discharged - Rejection episode over
7/1/13 - Getting on with life
24/9/13 - Left Radical Nephrectomy of Native Kidney due to cancerous tumour
14/10/13 - Back to work, getting on with life
Thumps
Posts: 1302
Joined: Thu Sep 14, 2006 3:50 pm
Location: London, England

Re: Problems taking tablets

Post by Thumps »

The Cyclosporin tablets are pretty big, but I don't think they really prescribe them much anymore. All my current tablets are no bigger than a cold cure type capsule.

I hear you re: difficulty swallowing - when I'm ill in hospital it can take me a good half an hour to get them all down one at a time with big gulps of water (god knows what I'd do if I was ever fluid restricted!!). At home though I just punt them all down with one gulp. It's definitely got easier over time.

Do your hospital do pre-transplant seminars? I met some existing patients and they showed me their tablets before I had my tx> I generally think that fore-warned is fore-armed :) It REALLY stressed me out initially, so much so I almost cancelled the whole thing (crazy, huh?) but with some perseverance and a lot of support from peers in clinic I got past it and now it's all fine. :mrgreen:
PKD/PLD diagnosed 1994, CKD stage 5 Oct 2007, Living Donor Kidney Transplant Dec 2008, still going strong!
rheaybou
Posts: 1381
Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2011 11:04 am
Location: Doncaster

Re: Problems taking tablets

Post by rheaybou »

When I first started all this messing about with kidney problems and tablets it would take me about a half pint to take 2-3 tablets.
Now with my fluid restrictions I have managed to take my morning pills in two hits, 3 pills then 4 pills all with just a little sip.....save that precious fluid for a small tea at work
One day when I get a transplant I have promised myself a nice big glass of ice water for pill time, untill then I will just have to make do with sips
Now 35 with Alports and I had my first kidney-versary 18th feb 2013....I hope to have many more.

My living donor and his family are doing all well.

==
Alports.
cazpi
Posts: 427
Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2010 2:05 pm

Re: Problems taking tablets

Post by cazpi »

What a nightmare, I can take a whole handful with one sip, or even without water if need be.
pureserenity
Posts: 47
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 11:32 am
Location: Stockton on Tees

Re: Problems taking tablets

Post by pureserenity »

OMG im borking just thinking about it. I need half a pint of water and half an hour to prepare before i take a tablet the size of a paracetamol. I was on mycophenalate for 6 months when i was told I had IgA. I didnt do too badly with them to be fair but if im nauseous ANY tablet is a no go. x
IgA nephropathy rapid progression - may 2010
Incentre Hemo Dialysis via neckline - July 2011
Live Kidney Transplant - 11th April 2012 from my second cousin Peter <3
Aileen
Posts: 298
Joined: Fri Jul 18, 2008 9:46 am
Location: Peterborough

Re: Problems taking tablets

Post by Aileen »

Pureserenity.... I'm sure you'll cope when you remember that the longevity of your transplant depends on you swallowing multiple tablets, some larger than others :)
Aileen
The half full glass or the half empty? it's a no-brainer! :)

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000139507823
clare123
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Nov 14, 2011 8:57 pm

Re: Problems taking tablets

Post by clare123 »

Pureserenity, my OH has a similar aversion to taking tablets and I hopefully have good news for you...

He also really struggled with the phosex and was also put onto the calci-chew things instead. Pre-transplant if tablet-taking-time coincided with a spell of nausea then he would struggle to take anything.

He is now 2 weeks post-transplant. For the first few days his meds were mainly IV so nothing to worry about there. The tacrolimus capsules (adaport) are tiny and once he was sitting up has had no problem taking them. The worst ones in hospital were some magnesium supplement tablets which he had to break into 4 pieces to be able to take. 2 weeks later his largest tablets are paractemol and they are going down fine - remember that when your new kidney is working (hopefully!) then the nausea goes away and so everything becomes much easier.
pureserenity
Posts: 47
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 11:32 am
Location: Stockton on Tees

Re: Problems taking tablets

Post by pureserenity »

The biggest tablet i take is mycofenalate and i can take that no problem now :D I have trouble with the tiny pred though lol but only because they taste yack and start to dissolve straight away before i get chance to swallow them. I now take them with breakfast and they are getting reduced tomorrow hopefully, I will ask for the coated ones if i am going to be on them for any length of time x
IgA nephropathy rapid progression - may 2010
Incentre Hemo Dialysis via neckline - July 2011
Live Kidney Transplant - 11th April 2012 from my second cousin Peter <3
pureserenity
Posts: 47
Joined: Tue Dec 14, 2010 11:32 am
Location: Stockton on Tees

Re: Problems taking tablets

Post by pureserenity »

I think alot of the problem was feeling nauseous all the time, now that has all gone I can take the meds without any issues :D x
IgA nephropathy rapid progression - may 2010
Incentre Hemo Dialysis via neckline - July 2011
Live Kidney Transplant - 11th April 2012 from my second cousin Peter <3
Thumps
Posts: 1302
Joined: Thu Sep 14, 2006 3:50 pm
Location: London, England

Re: Problems taking tablets

Post by Thumps »

Excellent news :)
PKD/PLD diagnosed 1994, CKD stage 5 Oct 2007, Living Donor Kidney Transplant Dec 2008, still going strong!
cazpi
Posts: 427
Joined: Sun Aug 15, 2010 2:05 pm

Re: Problems taking tablets

Post by cazpi »

You have to be fast, any dithering and they start to go claggy, then they'll never go down.
MidgeMan90
Posts: 132
Joined: Fri Jun 22, 2012 8:49 pm
Location: Staffordshire Moorlands
Contact:

Re: Problems taking tablets

Post by MidgeMan90 »

I'm currently on Tacro, Azathioprine and pred and they are all pretty tiny. You will be fine :)
Diagnosed with end stage renal failure out of the blue - 11/02/2010
Haemo - February 2010 - April 2010
APD - May 2010 - June 23/2011
Transplanted via live donor - 24/06/2011.

Doing my best to look after that kidney.
madonbrew
Posts: 60
Joined: Tue Nov 27, 2012 11:18 pm

Re: Problems taking tablets

Post by madonbrew »

You can maybe cut them in half? Some meds you need to swallow whole tho, and also with halving them, it also means you have more to swallow as well.
IgG4 systemic disease causing chronic pancreatitis, CKD, and affecting the liver.
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