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Pills Coming Out Whole (sorry... Gross)....

sarahelizabeth

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sarahelizabeth Contributor
sarahelizabeth
Posted

I was on these boards about 6 months ago trying to figure out what was going on with my son and started questioning if I might have celiac too the more I read. Well, I was started on Glucophage XR a few months ago to help with some mild insulin resistance (pcos) well I've recently noticed that these pills are coming out whole :o not broken down AT ALL... which means I am not getting any of that medication. I asked a pharmacist about it and she said that means I probably have some sort of absorption problem... which brought me back here. Anyone ever had problems with something like that before?? I need to call my Dr and see what they want me to do... but I thought I'd start here!!

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CarlaB Enthusiast
CarlaB
Posted
I was on these boards about 6 months ago trying to figure out what was going on with my son and started questioning if I might have celiac too the more I read. Well, I was started on Glucophage XR a few months ago to help with some mild insulin resistance (pcos) well I've recently noticed that these pills are coming out whole :o not broken down AT ALL... which means I am not getting any of that medication. I asked a pharmacist about it and she said that means I probably have some sort of absorption problem... which brought me back here. Anyone ever had problems with something like that before?? I need to call my Dr and see what they want me to do... but I thought I'd start here!!

I've never had problems like that, but we used to have a septic tank and once someone told me that when he was cleaning out a septic, he could see years worth of vitamins in there! I took my vitamins and put them in a glass of water to see if they dissolved, they do. Since it's a prescription, I don't have any advice, other than to see if there's a generic version ... maybe the binders holding the pill together won't work as well.

If you think you have celiac and/or absorption problems, you should probably be tested. Since it's a prescription drug, you should call your doctor.

eKatherine Apprentice
eKatherine
Posted

I've never heard anything about prescription drugs, but I heard the same thing about the vitamins. Somebody tested some popular (and expensive) brands and found that they didn't dissolve under conditions you might have expected them to.

Guhlia Rising Star
Guhlia
Posted

Before I went gluten free I would pass what looked like whole pills through. However, after some ummm... prodding... I realized that there was no medication left in the capsules, it was just the capsule that didn't digest. However, I suppose, if you have absorption problems, it would be possible to pass the pills right through your system.

StrongerToday Enthusiast
StrongerToday
Posted

I have a friend with absorbtion issues from a colitis a few years ago. His pills also come out whole, so now he cuts them in half and they seem to be absorbing well. I do think you should call your doctor though!

ladybugpumpkin Contributor
ladybugpumpkin
Posted

I don't know if this will be much help, but something similar happened to me. Only the pill was Nexium. When I asked my Doctor about it, he let me know that a lot of the "slow release" drugs don't ever look like they are broken down. The best I could understand is that they are in a waxy sort of capsule with small pores that allow the medication to release a little at a time for longer periods of time. I don't know if the kind of medicine you are talking about is the same type, but it may be worth looking into.

Mellie Newbie
Mellie
Posted

I've been on metformin/glucophage before too when it was thought I might have pcos (still not for sure but checking out other things now) so I know what kind of pills you're talking about- those are the kind that should NOT come out whole. They're large and very...well the consistency of asprin or something...it's not coated or anything like that. AND they give a NORMAL person issues with the bathroom and D esp. when you first start taking them....

what does are you on? 500mg?? I would for sure call your Dr. and see what they say. Seems pointless to take it if it's not being absorbed at all. :( Hope you get it figured out soon!

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Ursa Major Collaborator
Ursa Major
Posted

You know, last year while I was sick, EVERYTHING would go through me undigested, even cooked vegetables, never mind hard pills. You sure sound like celiac disease might be a problem. In fact, going gluten-free may fix your pre-diabetes problems without any medication. Personally, I would not worry about insulin resistance until you've figured out if you're gluten intolerant. Then, after being gluten-free for several months, be tested again for insulin resistance, and you may find out that the problem disappeared. I'm always an advocate for treating the cause of the problem (very likely grains, starches and sugars), rather than symptoms.

Mellie, I read in your signature that you have problems getting pregnant. Do you realize that infertility is a very common symptom of celiac disease (even in men)? So, don't quite give up yet, being gluten-free might help!

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