Obesity surgery may alter drug absorption pattern

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Obesity surgery may alter drug absorption pattern


NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Obese individuals who undergo stomach
surgery may not properly absorb certain medications and nutrients from
vitamins, minerals and dietary supplements afterwards, a review of
published studies suggests.

"Patients should always inform all of their healthcare professionals,
including pharmacists and other physicians, that they have undergone
bariatric (stomach) surgery and ask them if their medications,
vitamins, minerals, or dietary supplements will be properly absorbed,"
advises Dr. Kelly M. Smith of the University of Kentucky College of
Pharmacy in Lexington.

"Physicians, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals should
always carefully evaluate the ability of any drug, vitamin, mineral or
dietary supplement (taken by mouth) to be absorbed in bariatric surgery
patients," she added.

Smith and a colleague, Dr. April D. Miller, who is also at the
University of Kentucky, reviewed the available literature on potential
absorption problems that stomach surgery patients may face.

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They focused their review on the type of stomach surgery performed most
often in the U.S. called Roux-en-Y gastric bypass, a combination
procedure that restricts the amount of food the stomach can hold by
making it smaller. The surgery also includes creating a bypass of a
portion of the small intestine that can cause malabsorption of
nutrients.


This could cause drug absorption trouble, Smith explained, given that
some medications like delayed or timed-release formulations are
designed specifically to be absorbed in certain sections of the
gastrointestinal (GI) tract. These drugs "may not be properly absorbed
if a patient's GI tract has been altered by a surgical procedure," she
said.

"If absorption is likely to be a problem, alternative medications or
dosage forms, including liquid medications or those made in a patch
form, may need to be utilized," Smith told Reuters Health.

Miller added in a statement, "After bariatric surgery, all patients
should take a daily multivitamin and calcium supplementation --
preferably in a powder or liquid form to enhance absorption. "Monthly
B12 injections and early bone density testing should also be
considered."

***********

"Obese individuals who undergo stomach surgery may not properly absorb
certain medications and nutrients from vitamins, minerals and dietary
supplements afterwards, a review of published studies suggests."

No *** sherlock. You take someone who has eaten the wrong foods all
their lives. Instead of getting them to eat the right foods, you just
go into their bellies and physically staple most of the stomach shut
and only allow them to ingest a tiny amount of food at a time, and it
could be the wrong foods for all we know.

Ya think this might limit their ability to get the nutrients they need?
Huh

TC

.