Adhering to Your Medication and Vitamin Regimen is Vital

The Ultimate Goal Is To Recover Well And Live Healthy 

Post-operative patients following the advice of surgeons and dieticians can avert, treat, or resolve altogether some of the common adverse internal digestive changes that occur. A procedure of this kind requires patients to have a life-long unwavering commitment and deliberate determination that is of the utmost importance especially post-surgery. Therefore, strictly adhering to your medication and vitamin regimen is vital to a positive recovery and overall long-term health outcome. Intermittent or non-compliance may result in some undesirable results and/or unnecessary complications.

A Current Drug Metabolism Journal article entitled, “Vitamin, Mineral, and Drug Absorption Following Bariatric Surgery” published in 2012, “The presence of nutritional deficiencies in obese patients before and after bariatric surgery has been recognized for several decades. Likewise, pharmacokinetics abnormalities for a wide array of medications have been described either due to decreased absorption, increased first pass metabolism or other mechanisms in these patients.” In a nutshell, the change in the digestive process caused by obesity and the subsequent bariatric surgery produces adverse effects on nutrient and medication processing and absorption in the body.

The whole purpose of bariatric surgery is to reduce or limit caloric intake to achieve weight loss and improve health. In addition to weight loss, nutritional deficiencies are very likely to develop. Patients may experience nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea all of which can lead to dehydration and a lack of nutrition. These symptoms alleviate as the body heals and patients adjust to changed eating habits and diet.

Nutritional supplements regimens take into consideration individual patient dietary needs as relates to the expected deficiencies ascribed to the bariatric procedure performed. Nutrients provide all of the elements the body needs for processes that promote healing. Proper and efficient nutrition is necessary to maintain normal physiological functions within the body. Bariatric patients failure to maintain a good diet sufficiently inclusive of necessary vitamins and minerals can lead to the potential of a progressively worse health condition. Lifelong vitamins and nutritional supplements are essential to combating conditions such as anemia, hair loss or thinning, dry skin, acne, and constipation. All of these issues can resolve with strict adherence to following the vitamin and nutritional supplement regimens prescribed by doctors and/or dieticians.

The changes in the digestive process affect how medications are broken down and used in the body. Medication regimens prescribed are for the management or treatment of pain, inflammation, infection and/or promote proper healing. The purpose of pain medication is to ease or make tolerable any discomfort arising after surgery. Others are to reduce symptoms of inflammation (swelling, redness, tenderness, soreness) related to surgery. The lack of discomfort will make it easier for patients to participate in the recovery process physically. There is a potential for infection with any surgical wound. The medication regimen prescribe by the surgeon are to minimize any possible complications.

Restoration and maintenance of good health are the ultimate goals. Doctors and dieticians advise and prescribe medications, vitamin, and nutrition supplements to ensure that patients can achieve just that for a lifetime.