# Sort of a crappy subject, but......



## Pappy (Sep 30, 2019)

Our friend mentioned yesterday that she might as well not take her pills as they were coming out whole in her stool. If they are not resolving, why take them at all? 

This got me thinking, a rare occasion, so I googled pills coming out whole in stool. Lo and behold, up pops “Ghost pill. What, wait a minute. So here is the ghost pill explained;

A very common concern about long acting, slow release or extended-release medications is that a ghost tablet or capsule may appear in the stool. A ghost tablet contains only the outer shell of a pill without active ingredients. When this happens a person may worry the medication did not dissolve and did not work. Finding a pill in the stool is entirely normal for long acting medications. In a recent study, over half of the people taking a long acting form of Metformin for diabetes reported seeing ghost tablets in the stool. Extended-release products work like a little pump as they pass through the GI tract, slowly releasing the medication contained inside the tablet shell over a certain time period. The outer shell is then expelled upon defecation. 
Many long acting, slow release or extended-release tablets or capsules (usually, but not always designated CR, SR, XL, ER, LA, etc.) are formulated to perform quite normally in this manner. It is important that the tablet be swallowed whole and not crushed, divided or chewed. If the tablet is not swallowed whole, the medication will stop being long acting and will release its contents all at once. This may result in an increase in side effects or loss of effectiveness of the medication. It is important for all members of a person’s healthcare team to discuss and understand ghost tablets of long acting medications.


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## Pecos (Sep 30, 2019)

Thanks, that is useful information, ..... Even if it is a bit crappy.


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## Camper6 (Sep 30, 2019)

Corn comes out just about whole but the ingredients have been absorbed.


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## Sassycakes (Sep 30, 2019)

*Thank you so much for this information.*


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## Liberty (Sep 30, 2019)

Sassycakes said:


> *Thank you so much for this information.*


Yes, indeed...something I'd never even realized.


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## Catlady (Sep 30, 2019)

Camper6 said:


> Corn comes out just about whole but the ingredients have been absorbed.


Is that true?  I love corn and always felt cheated when I saw them come out almost whole, but still eat them anyway.


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## Mrs. Robinson (Sep 30, 2019)

I have been taking Metformin ER for almost 20 years now and my doc mentioned this to me when she first prescribed it.


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## Aunt Bea (Sep 30, 2019)

Thanks for sharing the poop on pills!


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## Geezerette (Sep 30, 2019)

Bless you Pappy for finding the answer to your friends problem! And I would really like to urge that before a person decides to give up a medicine because of something strange going on, to CALL THEIR PHARMACIST! Much more accessible than most primary care providers and more likely to be familiar with all unusual events that our docs don’t think to tell us about.


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## TravelinMan (Sep 30, 2019)

I've heard that a rattlesnake can digest _ball bearings_ but not _corn._  Some stuff just goes on through.


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## charry (Sep 30, 2019)

whatever comes out whole , shelled , or otherwise,.....   I do know, my hubbys bowels rules our life Grrrrrr


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## win231 (Sep 30, 2019)

TravelinMan said:


> I've heard that a rattlesnake can digest _ball bearings_ but not _corn._  Some stuff just goes on through.


That's funny, because all snakes are carnivores, so how would corn end up in them?


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## TravelinMan (Sep 30, 2019)

In a herbivore they ate?


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## Camper6 (Oct 1, 2019)

PVC said:


> Is that true?  I love corn and always felt cheated when I saw them come out almost whole, but still eat them anyway.



Fact: For starters, sweet corn is loaded with lutein and zeaxanthin, two phytochemicals that promote healthy vision. Besides helping with weight loss, the insoluble fiber in corn feeds good bacteria in your gut, which aids in digestion and helps keep you regular.

Highly Nutritious
One cup (164 grams) of sweet yellow corn contains (5): Calories: 177 calories. Carbs: 41 grams. Protein: 5.4 grams.Nov 30, 2018


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## Suzy623 (Oct 6, 2019)

Several years ago we were having our septic tank pumped out.   My husband called me at work.  Seems when the lid was taken off there were small 'tick things' floating all over the top of the...sludge.  The septic guy had never seen such a thing and he and my husband didn't know what to think of it.  I have seizures and was taking 6 Tegretol XR pills a day. Those pills would work through my system and come out in my poop which went into the septic tank. What they were calling 'tick things' was the shell of those pills. The doctor had told me about the shell of the pill passing through but it never entered my mind that they would actually float in the septic tank.


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## Rosemarie (Oct 11, 2019)

Do so many people examine the contents of the toilet after 'performing'? I flush as quickly as I can without looking!


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## Pecos (Oct 11, 2019)

Rosemarie said:


> Do so many people examine the contents of the toilet after 'performing'? I flush as quickly as I can without looking!



I always do, and I also look at the stool left behind by our pets as it will tell a great deal about how their health.


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## Catlady (Oct 11, 2019)

Rosemarie said:


> Do so many people examine the contents of the toilet after 'performing'? I flush as quickly as I can without looking!


It IS a good habit, the stool, like nails, will tell you a lot about the state of your health.  The color only reflects what you ate the day before, but if the stool is black or has blood, it's a sign of old or recent bleeding in your gut.  If infected, you can see parasites.  If it is hard or runny you need to adjust the fiber in your diet.  If it is very thin, you might have an obstruction in your colon.  You should do some research for your health's sake.


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## win231 (Oct 11, 2019)

Rosemarie said:


> Do so many people examine the contents of the toilet after 'performing'? I flush as quickly as I can without looking!


I don't know if it's true, but I heard that if you're healthy, poop will float.  If you're not, it will sink.   HAHA.


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## Pecos (Oct 12, 2019)

win231 said:


> I don't know if it's true, but I heard that if you're healthy, poop will float.  If you're not, it will sink.   HAHA.


I don't think that I have ever seen a cow pie or feces from any animal floating. Maybe it is just us humans since many of us are full of hot air to begin with. It is rather disgusting to be fifty miles out to sea, enjoying the sound and sight of the ship's brow slicing through the water, dolphins jumping in the waves, and then to see a human turd floating around.


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## Catlady (Oct 12, 2019)

Pecos said:


> and then to see a human turd floating around.


When my daughter was small we went to the beach.  She was out in shallow water playing and I was sitting watching her.  About 200 feet away on the water I saw this small boat with a family and one of the kids got out and I wondered why.  After some minutes he got back on and they left.  A short while later I saw this fat turd floating toward shore and not far from my daughter.  I called her back to me while she complained and then I told her why.  Ugh!


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## Camper6 (Oct 12, 2019)

win231 said:


> I don't know if it's true, but I heard that if you're healthy, poop will float.  If you're not, it will sink.   HAHA.


Just the opposite. Eating too much plastic from contaminated water.


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## jerry old (Oct 12, 2019)

People that have never had a bowl problems  avoid this topic, do not care to hear the details,  apparently they find them distasteful.
That's okay, just wait


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## Catlady (Oct 12, 2019)

I googled it and this is the answer, and below is a website for everything you want to know about poop:

Is your poop supposed to float or sink?
Healthy *Poop* (*Stool*) Should *Sink* in the Toilet
*Floating* stools are often an indication of high fat content, which can be a sign of malabsorption, a condition in which you can't absorb enough fat and other nutrients from the food you're ingesting.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320938.php


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## Kaila (Nov 5, 2019)

That's great info I didn't know about the so-called  "ghost pills" from time release meds ….thank you for informing us on it.

I always look, to gather any health info, and especially if one sees black or blood, then it is warning and definite time for a doctor  visit.


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## Catlady (Nov 5, 2019)

Kaila said:


> That's great info I didn't know about the so-called  "ghost pills" from time release meds ….thank you for informing us on it.
> 
> I always look, to gather any health info, and especially if one sees black or blood, then it is warning and definite time for a doctor  visit.


I once had an infection in my ear and my ENT prescribed an antibiotic.  Not only did I get bowel cramps but my stool was totally black.  He prescribed another one and everything went back to normal.


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## jerry old (Nov 5, 2019)

Good info-thanks all
It is a heck of a note when you get info from this site and internet regarding your health.  Information that your physician should have clarified!

Good physicians are obtained by asking your pharmacist, nurses, physical therapist-people that have information about physicians, due to their regular
contact with them.

Pharmacist are the best source; however, you may find them reluctant to
give you more than a phrase:  Your questions place them in an ambiguous
situation.  They do not  like to part with information, don't know why that is
assume it is part of the 'professional silence.'

When seeking a physician I've taken a list of two physicians, ask pharmacist-
"Which doc would you go see.' 
Then repeat with another pharmacist with two different physicians on list.


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## terry123 (Nov 6, 2019)

Always ask your pharmacist about any meds you take and take the time to read the info with your script. I am blessed to have a pharm in the family but she tells me to always call her if any doctor wants to give me a new med.  They stay up to date on their CE requirements to keep their license. My doctor usually tells me what to avoid with my meds but I double check with her as doctors really don't get a lot of training about meds in medical school.


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## Camper6 (Nov 8, 2019)

My doctor now seems to be getting away from prescribing meds because of side effects. Told me home treatment is better for ailments like toe fungus.


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## jerry old (Nov 8, 2019)

Google says those guy are making $120k  a year


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