Schmeve asked
Can you give me a list of all the medications that may not be completely digested and you can see after you go to the bathroom?
Answer
Why Would I See A Ghost Tablet?
Some pills are broken down after you swallow them and as they travel through your gut. This is the way your gut handles most foods. However, some pills are not broken down in your gut. Similar to the way you can sometimes see corn in your stool, these pills leave ghost tablets.
If I See A Ghost Tablet, Does This Mean The Pill Didn’t Work?
If you see a ghost tablet, it doesn’t mean the pill didn’t work. Think of ghost tablets like sponges that have been wrung out. The medicine has been “wrung out” of the pill by your body. But the ghost tablet, like a sponge, stays intact.
What Types Of Pills Leave Ghost Tablets?
Pills that leave ghost tablets are usually those that release the medicine slowly. These pills are often taken just one or two times a day. You might see letters like “XL” or “ER” as part of the names of these pills. The types of tablets that produce ghosts include those with unabsorbable components: wax matrix, GITS (Gastrointestinal Therapeutic System), OROS (Osmotic Controlled Release Oral Delivery System), and SCOT (single-composition osmotic technology). Here are some examples of pills that leave ghost tablets:
- Adalat CC
- Adalat XL
- Asacol
- Asacol HD
- Cardura XL
- Concerta
- Ditropan XL
- Dynacirc CR
- Exalgo
- Fortamet
- Glucophage XR
- Glucotrol XL
- Glumetza
- Invega
- Jurnista
- K-Tab
- Klor-Con
- Lialda
- Lopresor SR
- OxyContin
- Pristiq
- Procardia XL
- Rayos
- Sudafed 24 Hour
- Tegretol XR
- Urocit-K
