May 25, 2012
Topics A-Z Digestive Disorders Undigested pills and food in Diabetic Mother
Undigested pills and food in Diabetic Mother |
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Dear Ask The Doctor: Since my mother came off Actos last summer, she has been having problems digesting medications and certain food products. She originally came off of the Actos due to severe joint and muscle pain--that pain disappeared within 2 weeks of her stopping the Actos. Now her sugar levels are consistently higher than they should be, and she has found that the Metformin she is taking is being eliminated whole, undigested. She is now on insulin, and is worried that her medication for high blood pressure is also not being digested. She has eliminated her Fish Oil and Calcium gel packs, as well as other vitamin supplements because they were not digesting either. She has never had this problem before, and does not know what could be causing it. What does she need to do since her GP is not being very helpful or concerned about the situation? Thank you. Dear Laura: The first thing that I would recommend to your mother is to visit her physician to readjust her Diabetes medication since you say that the Glucose levels are high consistently. The undigested pills found in her stool could be caused by them being an extended time release pills or tablets and/or your mother experiencing rapid intestinal transit in which food and other contents are moved from the mouth to the rectum too quickly. It may be present for a short period of time and will go away on its own but could also be caused by a deficiency in an enzyme necessary to metabolize or break up those products. Most of the medication that she is taking at the moment affects the Gastro Intestinal tract specially causing diarrhea and discomfort as a side effect specifically the Metformin, Fexofenadine and the actos that she was taking before. If she is experiencing these side effects at the moment, they could be one of the causes for her rapid intestinal transit too. I would like to suggest you to discuss her medication more deeply with her physician and rule out any other cause. Also it is recommended an annual eye and urine examination for possible Diabetes complications. |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 09 February 2010 ) |
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