[Nicknerd]

Hey guys,

This is kinda embarassing/gross, but I had a strange experience the other day....

I take Mestinon time-release at night to battle the sloth tongue in the mornings...Anywho, I don't know how to put this without giving sorta graphic detail...Basically, I used the washroom during the morning, and discovered the entire tablet, not digested AT ALL, in the toilet...What does this mean? Is this something that can happen with these particular pills because of the hard coating (making it more difficult to digest), or is this more reflective of my digestive system? This has never happened before to me (then again, I don't normally examine these things with much scrutiny, but I might have to start)

Again, sorry for the bad imagery...Just wondering if this has happened to anyone else

Nicky

[AnnieB3]

That's not gross. It's actually a really good question.

Without sufficient stomach acid, you won't digest pills or food. They can go through whole.

I know a lot about the stomach acid issue because my lack of it went undiagnosed for over a decade. I had reactive hypoglycemia from my food not digesting and it "dumping" into my small intestine. I didn't absorb nutrients and ended up with a severe B12 deficiency (iron too but not as bad).

Depending upon what other meds you are taking, you can try Betaine HCL, a mild acid made from sugar beets (usually with Pepsin). I use the Solaray brand from iherb. Talk to your doctor first, of course. You should always take Betaine with food, along with the meds.

Maybe it's not that. Maybe the Timespan tabs are super hard. But still. If you have a good amount of stomach acid, you should be able to digest tough things. Steak is actually the hardest thing to digest. Have you seen the old footage of putting Coca-Cola on steak and watching it digest? So, you could always try drinking a Coke with your tab instead.

Those are my thoughts. Definitely talk to both your pharmacy and doctor.

Annie

[Nicknerd]

Hey Annie,

Thanks for the reply!

The tabs are super hard! I'm hoping that's the reason!

on the other hand, it does seem like I don't digest things properly. I feel this way for a number of reasons, some too graphic to exchange here...Well, I don't really care about sharing it, but I don't want to gross anyone out...lol...But another reason I feel this way is because it takes forever for the regular mestinons to work for me, especially in the mornings...On the other hand, I have all the side-effects from prednisone so I must be absorbing that one...I also have my B12 levels checked regularly and they're normal...My iron, on the other hand, is very low...It's at 85 right now, supposed to be at 128...That's sorta being investigated by my docs. (the cause, I mean)...It's weird because I eat plenty of red meat and try to eat iron-rich veggies so I don't know why my iron is getting lower all the time...I seem to remember you mentioning that prednisone can cause anemia because of a decrease in erythromocite (I cannot for the life of me recall the correct pronunciation/spelling of that thing...lol)...Mine was definately low at one point...Anyway, going off-topic...

The thing about the stomach acid is that I have a lot of regurgitation...I don't know if that's caused by excess acid, though, or a non-closing tab (no idea what it's called) between my esophagus and stomach...So I guess I could very well have low acid but it's just that that 'flap' thing isn't closing...Argh...Too many problems

[AnnieB3]

This acid/non-acid thing is my hot button. Everyone who has "backup" assumes it is "GERD" or "ACID REFLUX" due to the antacid/acid blocker drug companies.

What backs up when you don't have enough stomach acid is food and bile, just as corrosive. And it feels pretty much exactly like too much.

So, here's a question. Your hair grays, your skin wrinkles . . . but your stomach acid is an inferno of acid from birth until death?

People over the age of 40, sometimes earlier as in my case, start losing their stomach acid. What Pred does is to reduce the gel coating of the stomach. Why? Because it's an anti-prostaglandin. That's why people taking Pred should be on some kind of omega's (fish, flax, cod liver). That could be part of the upset stomach situation.

Without an endoscopy, it's hard to tell what's going on definitively. If you take acid with food or tabs and it's all better, chances are it's a lack of stomach acid.

Talk it over with your doctor, Nicky, but be prepared! They don't all "get" this issue.

That's the main reason I use the Mestinon Syrup. It absorbs more quickly and better in my acid-free environment.

Annie

[Nicknerd]

Oh God, tell me about it! I go to the doctor like every other day with either major, horrid sinus pressure, heart issues, infections, blah blah, so I know that he's just going to minimize the stomach issues...This is why I feel forced to research everything on the internet-because of the endless array of problems, and the lack of attempting to put the pieces together on the part of my 'rushed' doctor ('rushed' because he's consistently 3-4 hours late, and walks into a room filled with patients like sardines in a can and still wants to leave on time )...

Maybe I will try some apple cyder vinegar with my meals for now and see if that helps...I'm also going to ask my neuro. about the liquid mestinon...If it does turn out to be a lack of absorption, maybe I can reduce my prednisone or even stop taking it altogether, since the mestinon will be working better...

I think that I remember you mentioning before that you used to sometimes put a mestinon tablet under your tongue for faster absorption...Did you find that it took forever to 'disintegrate'? I have tried this many times, but end up swallowing it just because it takes so long to breakdown...

[AnnieB3]

Nope, I've never even tried the Mestinon tabs. Only the sublingual B12 that goes under the tongue. Works like a charm.

[Nicknerd]

Whoops! Mixed up posters! lol

[mrsD]

That may be just a "ghost" pill you are seeing.

Mestinon has carnuba wax in the coating. This does not dissolve in stomach acids or gastric juices. What happens is the coating swellings, bursts and releases the drug. It then goes thru the GI tract and fills up with other "stuff" and appears to be a real pill, but it is only the coating moving thru.

[AnnieB3]

Could be a "rogue" pill too, meaning maybe it was one pill that did not want to dissolve.

This is gross too - keep an eye on things to make sure it's only an isolated event.

Annie

[Joanmarie63]

I like the "ghost" pill answer