New pill that replaces bunch of others.

I got from Dr. Valin yesterday for Folgard OS...it has Folic Acid, 12.5mg Vit B6, 250 mcg Vit B12, Calcium (as Calcium Carbonate), 100mg Magnesium, 300IU Vit D-3 and 1.5 mg Boron. This will replace three tablets I currently take (the Bs and the Calcium). I was going to start taking Magnesium, so now I don't have to buy that bottle and take that extra pill. This is a prescription, so my insurance will pay. That saves me the cost of the bottles of Tums, B6 and B12. It's a big pill, but it's easily broken in two.

I don't mean to start a riot here, but I just wanted to mention...if you had RNY be sure you have all the information on Calcium...we're unable to process calcium carbonate anymore because of our re-routed plumbing and we no longer have the intrinsic factor in our tummies to process B12 orally (sublingually is good, though)...ASBS (bariatric surgery association) recommends calcium citrate because we can actually absorb it. And don't forget...we can't absorb more than 500mg calcium citrate at a time! So much to think about, isn't there!?! Again, I'm not trying to contradict your doc but it really is our health and we have to make sure the docs have all the information to help us as much as they can! MM 262/251/216.4/130 7/13/04

I've heard the same thing about Calcium Citrate vs. Calcium Carbonate. I got the citrate from the Vitamin Shoppe here - it's chewable. I also take the B-12 sublingual. Hugs, Nancy -46

I asked about taking the B12 sublingually instead of in tablet form...my surgeon finds that generally his patients bloodwork show that they are getting the right amount of B12 when they take it in tablet form. If my bloodwork shows differently they will recommend that I take it sublingually. My surgeon doesn't remove as much small intestine as other surgeons do, which helps with the absorbtion of the nutrients/vitamins. He was the first surgeon in CT to perform gastric bypass...has a .05% mortality rate and it is because he is VERY conservative in his surgical procedure and after surgery care. I trust his judgement. I'll wait for my blood test results to see how this pill is effecting me.

I understand completely your reliance on your surgeon's opinion. Just be careful. It's not the malabsorption that makes us need citrate it's that we don't have the gastric juices in our pouch to break down the carbonate. Also, it takes a LONG time for calcium deficiencies to show in blood work because if we don't get enough calcium in our diet to maintain a good level our bodies just take it from our bones... Please consider getting a baseline bone density test instead of just relying on the blood tests...There is a woman on the main board who has a real problem because of this very thing...darn if I can remember her name, though. Barbara Thompson wrote a book on WLS and this is a huge component in her book. Here's to a happy, healthy future for us all! MM