Vitamin and Iron troubles

Hi all! I had my 9 month check up yesterday and again the doctor told me that my iron and zinc levels are low. I told him I was having trouble with the Ferium Sulfate so he told me to try Vitron C twice a day. Have any of you had any success with this? Also have any of you had trouble with Iron and Zinc intake, if so how did you handle this. I thought at my sixth month check up, my levels were low because I gave blood at the office blood drive but apparently I was wrong. I was also taking the Weight Smart vitamin and I was told to stop taking that one and take a differnt multivitamin. My doctor still says three meals a day no snacking at all, not even beef jerky or cheese but I do not know how I am going to get all the vitamins and nutrients my body needs with the three small meals I have been eating. I am still struggle somedays to get the 60g of protein in a day. I am down 100 lbs and have 10 more to go to my goal but I am afraid that I am making myself weak. Lori 258/158/148

Hi Lori, i had iron "issues" before surgery, which i never knew until i had the preop bloodwork done and i was put on the VitronC since then. I havent had any trouble w/ my iron levels since. tho i think they were only checked once since surgery (they'll check them again either this month when i go to PCP or in April when i go for my 1 yr post op visit) i do take a one-a-day vitamin and b12, as well as my gallbladder pill. i did stop taking all my meds for a few months around christmas and felt crappy so i started taking them again, WHAT a difference!!! about the no snacking, i dont know.... my doc says to eat a few healthy snacks inbetween b/c it keeps your metabolism working... so i guess every doc is different about that stuff.... lots of luck to ya, hope this helped! ~Kim

Lori, perhaps you should go to a dietian specializing in our surgery.....I agree with you....how can you get enough vitamins AND calories, fat, etc if you eat only 3 small meals a day.... A few times I have heard "rules" doctors have given and it makes no sense to me....in fact, if I ate only 3 meals a day I wouldn't get far....I have to eat every 3-4 hours otherwise I don't do well....I eat mini-meals.... RAE

Does your doctor work with a specific dietician? If so, I would say make and appointment with the dietician and discuss your plan. Every doctor is so different. I have had trouble off and on with my iron levels so my doctor has me on Doctor's Brand bariatric liquid vitamins whi*****lude 18g of iron plus 1 chewable Bariatric Advantage Iron tablet a day. That seems to take care of it. I've never had a zinc deficiency though. I think Zinc is important for our immune systems isn't it? There are lots of different choices for vitamins out there. Just make sure that the one you choose is absorbable. One test I've heard of is to take the tablet and let it sit in a glass of vinegar or water and see how long it takes to disolve. Do you still supplement with protein shakes to get all your protein in? That is one way to do it. Well, that is my fountain of knowledge..... Good luck, Ronda 297/286/193/170