Calcium woes...help!

I am SOOOOOO sorry.  This morning in the shower I was going over your problem and I got to thinking about something I never mentioned last night that was SOOOO totally obvious that I SHOULD have mentioned.

Iron deficiency.

I'm no doctor and you should have your levels checked to be sure - but I really believe that that is probably your issue.

The reason I got to thinking that was that you mentioned that this had happened when you did your zinc supplement.  Zinc is an iron absorption inhibitor - as is calcium.  In fact, zinc has been shown to decrease iron absorption by around 56% in some studies. 

You may not have any problems with iron deficiency (or iron amemia for that matter) when you are not taking anything that inhibits the absorption of the iron in your diet (and multi-vitamin).  But when you add zinc supplements (or in this current case calcium supplements), it could be inhibiting the absorption of the iron you're getting to that point that that is causing the fatigue.

So instead of STOPPING or reducing the calcium (BIG NO NO), the solution may lie in you changing the TIMING of your supplements.  Calcium needs to be taken fairly evenly throughout the day - but iron is usually only taken once a day (even if you are only taking it as it exists in your multi-vitamin and not an added iron supplement).  You can take iron ANYTIME during the day or night - although it's best to take it without food or anything since some foods inhibit iron absorption (namely nuts, soy products and polyphenols - commonly found in tea, coffee, etc).  For this reason, when I used to have to take an iron supplement, I took it in the middle of the night with a drink of water.  (If you get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom or anything, that timing may work great for you too.)  If that is NOT convenient for you, make sure you take your  multi-vitamin (or extra iron supplement) seperately from your calcium at least.

Iron is like the whimp of the vitamin/mineral family.  Think of it as "I run" instead of "iron".  When vitamins and minerals compete for absorption in our bodies, iron takes a look at the vitamins and minerals fighting one another to be absorped and says "the hell with this" and takes off running. 

Anyway, I've got to get to work - I just wanted to throw that out there while I was thinking about it. 

As usual, ya'll are wonderful!!! How in the world would anyone get through post-WLS without a support group like this?!?!

Please nobody hollar at me, but as I've said in meetings, I have a VERY tough time getting all of my "pills" down...so I don't take many at all.  I take a Centrum multi-vitamin every morning and every evening, and I'll try spacing my citrucal petites out throughout the day.  I get B-12 injections every other week, and haven't had  my levels checked recently 'cause I haven't had time due to my work schedule.  I love Vemma but have slacked off of it the past month due to the expense.

I eat LOTS of cheese and yogurt, so hopefully I'm getting a little more calcium from those sources.  I'll add an iron supplement and try sneaking it down in the middle of the night with a sip of water.

Lord love you Susan, Wendy, and Wendy #2...and everyone else as well!!!  I've learned so much from all of you that no amount of book-reading or internet searching could ever cover!

Whenever I am looking for my vitamin pills that are not my normal brand, I always note how many pills a day will I have to take to get what I need.  This is especially important when I am getting my calcium.  First thing I do, is look at the ingrediants, make sure its calcium citrate.  A few times I have picked up a bottle thinking it was citrate based on the name, and find out it was really carbonate.  I get the Walgreens brand of calcium, Calcium Citrate, is the name of it on the front.  Serving size is 2 caplets, their a bit big but I can easily break them in half with my hands.  Per 2 caplets, I get 400mg.  So easy math tells me that each one is 200, so 3 will get me 600, take 3, 3 times daily, gets me 1800mg. 
Next I look at how many come in the bottle, if I need to take 9 a day, then a 90 ct bottle wil only last me 10 days.  Also I look at price, I don't want to be spending a lot just for 10 days, but I don't mind spending extra to get 200 ct bottle, since it will last me abt 2 weeks.

Also, I take the green gel caps for Vit d, I unwillingly, poke a hole through both ends of the gelcap and bite down until the gelcap is empty, and I spit the gelcap out.  I don't see any reason swallowing it.  I don't care for the way it coats my mouth will oil.  

For multi-vit I get Centrum chewable from Wal*Mart, it leaves an iron taste in my mouth, and everything I drink/eat for abt an hour will taste like iron/blood.  But it doesn't bother me.  Also get my protein from Wal*Mart, $14 for a big tub (chocolate or vanilla) will last me 2 weeks.