Achalasia and taking meds

[Acagirl]

I had had achalasia for 21 yrs. Multiple treatments that all had worked. But here lately as I have gotten older, I require several meds for other conditions such as blood pressure and sleep. Some days it feels like I didn’t even take my meds and other days it feels like I’ve got a double dose. So, my QUESTION IS: Does anyone think that it is a possibility that the pills get hung in my esophagus like on a piece of food that gets stuck and then drop later like the next day when I take my meds for that day? ( causing a double dose). Just trying to figure out why my meds don’t work at times and at other times it feels like a megadose) Thanks in advance for your time.

[Hidden]

A lot of medications rely on absorption into the body through the digestive system, and quite a lot of them have a protective coat that dissolves after a set period of time as they progress past the stomach with its strong acid, and the dose is calculated for its effect on this time delay and where the pill would have reached. A pharmacist would explain it better.

But pills taken through the mouth can stick in the oesophagus and can sometimes do damage to the lining of the oesophagus if they do not pass through properly, which is very likely with achalasia.

So the answer may be that with any medication, consult a pharmacist and look for alternative methods o absorption, for example pills under the tongue, liquid medication or even suppositories (a lot more popular in France I believe).

So I agree with your idea that there could be a delay in the medication reaching the point in your digestive system from where it could be absorbed.

[Acagirl in reply to Hidden]

Thank you 😊

[revdj]

I have type 1 Achalasia, and cannot swallow pills or capsules. For the capsules, I take them apart and mix the contents with applesauce, and drink lots of water with it. For pills, if it is possible, I crush them and mix with applesauce, and drink lots of water with it. Having said that, some pills are not to be crushed, so you need to check with your pharmacist.