What vitamins are you all taking?

Hello fellow May 2005 re-borns ... Hey, you think you can write in the vitamins you are all taking, brand names and how about the time of day? Please give us ideas and suggestions. I'm trying to get a medium to where I can make a habit of taking all the correct vitamins and at the correct time each day. Here goes: Wake up: Gotta have the Java w/ Soy Milk Wellbutrin and my High Blood Pressure Meds NOTE: Caffeine cancels out the effectiveness of the vitamins. What a drag! Would love to get it all over with in the morning. Day time: I try to only eat Protein and more Protein. I chew tons of ice chips. Coming home from my day around 4:30PM: Centrum Chewable Hair, Nail and Skin Vitamin (Walmart brand. Break in 1/2 to swallow) Sublingual B-12 W/ Folic Acid and Vit D (Trader Joe Brand) Folic (for hair, Trader Joe Brand) Before Bed: Nectar Fuzzy Navel Protein Drink. I drink it while I am on the computer checking out the "Message Board." Citracal (I break in 1/2 to swallow) to all us Mayers! Bye for now and can't wait to hear from ya all..... and hugs from, the Jersey Girl

Hey there, Jersey ~ Have you tried decaf coffee?? Caffiene is also an appetite stimulant, just so ya know. Okay, I take my Centrum Chewable, Chewable Calcium (generic tums type thing), and chewable iron first thing in the a.m. If it's my day for my B-12 I take that then, too (I take it 3 times/week). I eat my bfast right after that. I'll take either another Chewable calcium or a Viactiv (candy like calcium - very yummy) in the afternoon or evening. I have two smoothys per day, one usually between breakfast and lunch and one between lunch and dinner (if I miss one then I'll have it between dinner and bed). Michelle

Michelle, A few suggestions... 1. Do not take your calcium and iron together. The iron affects absorption of your calcium. 2. Tums are calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate requires stomach acids to be absorbed. As RNYers, we don't have stomach acids anymore therefore the best calcium for us is calcium citrate. Kathy

My doc says that he prefers calcium citrate, but calcium carbonate is okay - he'll check my levels at my next visit (on Aug. 23) and see how things are going. My problem with the citrate that I got was that they are ENORMOUS horse pills and I would have to chew up 4 of them a day. I asked him at my first post-op visit if there was something else I could do and he said it was fine to do the tums - quite a few of his patients do fine with it. If it isn't working - we'll go from there. I didn't know that iron affected the calcium absorption. Hmmm...learn something new everyday!! Michelle

Yea, calcium and iron don't play nice together. I've read the study from NIH on the calcium citrate versus carbonate plus I was instructed VERY firmly that citrate is what we take. I do chewables. I actually enjoy them. How sick is that? Kathy

That's pretty sick... I do the liquid calcium citrate and don't enjoy it at ALL! Another tidbit I read and was told by my Nut - blood levels for calcium can be decieving as your body will leech calcium from your bones to make up for calcium you're not ingesting, meaning a blood test wouldn't necessarily show a calcium deficiency, only a bone scan would... Isn't it weird how docs are all different?

The Twinlabs Calcium Citrate Chewables are sweet and tart. I am sick - I like 'em. Hubby likes 'em too. I was going to say that bone scans (Dexascans) are definitely necessary for post-ops. I have added calcium issues. Prior to surgery (and for the past 3 years), I've had elevated calcium levels along with elevated PTH (parathyroid hormone). The cause is usually a benign tumor on one or more of the 4 parathyroid glands (only purpose is to regular calcium levels in the body). My levels haven't been high enough to warrant further investigate and then remove the offending parathyroid gland or glands. I did have a Dexascan two years ago as well as an ultrasound (which showed nothing). My regular PCP did blood work on me at one month post-op and the nurse called to tell me to cut my calcium intake in half. Well, I didn't want to do that. I'm afraid of reducing my intake for fear of it stealing more from my bones. Spoke to my surgeon and he referred me to a new endocrinologist. (I didn't like my old one.) I have an appointment in two weeks. Hope to get this monitored very, very carefully so that I'm not put at unnecessary risk, ya know? Kathy

Hey Becky Sue, First I have to comment on how "Bling" you and your hubby look. You guys are gonna be mega-funning. I enjoyed your profile and site. Thanks for sharing. Thanks for the up and up on the blood work not showing correctly the levels for calcium. I guess that is why they have the Dexascans. I heard you must have one at least once a year. EEEEEWWWWW on the calcuim chewable wafers. I have a huge jar. They are to sweet for me. The stuff gets all stuck in my teeth and I feel like I have to brush for an hour just to get it out. I was doing them once a day and then I read the instructions better and I almost fainted when it said to chew 4x's a day. Also, don't you think you get enough B Complex in the Centrum Chewables? It is so interesting to see what each individual is experiencing and doing, especially when they are May 2005ers like us. Thanks for all your insight! Hugs to ya ... Terrylyn

Was it the "bling" that was meant for me? If so, thanks so much! According to my nut, we need additional B12 and a B complex in addition to what we get from the multi-vitamins. Hugs to ya too, Kathy

Hi Michelle ... yea please check out the Viactiv thing. Because Viactiv is carbonate and definitely won't do us any good. I know, the same thing happened to me. I have a whole container. I pop them in every once in awhile because they taste like a caramel. Also glad you found out about the iron and calcium together. Us newies are all in the learning mode. Have fun ... hugs to ya ... Terrylyn