Need to find a Better Vitamin!

Hello everyone how are you! I'm just wondering what types of Vitamins are people taking out there...... Right now I am taking( Gummy Vites) I take 2 three times a day, I take (Slowfe) for Iron, Under the tongue B-12,And 3 Tums (Smooth dissolve) a Day..... Assorted Fruit flavor is the best. But is there anything else out there we can take! I don't like the Centrum orange. I would really like to just take one pill a Day! (Help Please) ~ Vernette M. ~

Great question! I was going to ask Rob...whose taking the Walgreens tabs for bariatric patients..what his vitamin rountine was...I'm having troubles getting my levels right..and need to find something that works better for me. My question is specifically..is how many of those tabs do you take and what additional vitamins do you still need to add? Do you add additional iron??? Thanks for asking this Vernette!!!(great picture!!!! you look awesome!) Hugs, Kimberly

Hi Kimberly, How is the weather down there in Texas. Yeah, I am taking the Walgreen's Optisource chewable tabs. I take 5 per day. Plus I take an additional calcium tablet and a B-12 sublingual daily. I take five to make sure that I consume enough, and the extra calcium and B-12 just to be safe. I don't take an iron supplement, since I was told that iron deficiency is not really a problem for men. I have been doing this routine for about three months now and both of my blood tests have come back perfect. The biggest problem is remembering to take the vitamins throughout the day. By taking one at each meal and one at bedtime I usually can ensure that I stay on top of my vitamin intake. I also have my blood levels checked every three months. Rob

Hi there! The recommended dosage for the Optisource vitamins is 4 tablets a day. If we take those, we do not need to take any additional supplements. I take two centrum chewables, liquid b-12 (yummy) and 1200 mg liquid calcium citrate daily. I take additional biotin because I am paranoid about my hair! I hope this helps! Deb

Deb, You look awesome!!! Can you tell me where to find the liquid calcium citrate? Also, If I started the optisource...I guess i would have to check out the iron amounts..I have to increase my iron now..because of the anemia I have...I'm going to fax Brett my recent results..I'll have to make a note to ask him about taking optisource and making sure I'm still getting the iron I'm supposed to add..ugh.... But, until I make up my mind on the optisource...I need to finish the stuff I have..but adding the liquid calcium citrate is an idea. I'm soooooo tired of tums. Hugs, Kimberly

Kimberly, Here I go sticking my nose into something that I was not asked to do ... forgive me if I offend as that is not my intention. You can get liquid calcium citrate through bariatriceating.com. It is supposed to be a high quality citrate. I have not tried it yet, nor have I seen the specs on it, but just wanted to let you know I have heard of it from there. Susan Maria (the owner of that site) is bypass and only sells what she personally uses. I am sure there are other places that you can purchase it as well, but figured this was a good place to start and you can go and peek at the stats of it there. About the opti-source ... Personally I didn't like the stats on it and choose not to use it ... I believe that Rob mentioned that Brett was not recommending them either. Someone (I believe it was a long term postie) sent the following doc to me not too long ago, perhaps it could be a starting point to help you figure out what will help you get your labs in line. Sure do wish you the very best in getting it all figured out. Hugs, Tammy **************************************** Vitamin Regimen - BASIC plan (Add to this based on your particular labwork) > 30g of protein supplement, made in water, 3 to 6 times per day, > no milk, no sugar. > > AND 64 oz of water, minimum > > >This vitamin schedule is just a suggestion. You can take them any way you wish as long as you follow the rules listed below. Since the rules can be complicated, many people wanted a good place to start. That is why this schedule was created. I find it a good idea to put the vitamins all out in a pill case for the week. Then I can see what I have taken, or if I have missed something. My pill case has sections for 7 days....4 sections for each day...... > Vitamin Schedule: > AM: > 2 iron (25 mg each) Ferrous FUMERATE or elemental iron > 1 Vit C (1000mg)ascorbic acid with rosehips > > mid-day: > 1 calcium CITRATE(500mg) with Vit D and MAgnesium (250mg) > 1 Vit E (400IU E a-alpha tocopheryl sucinate) > 1 multi-vitamin (equal to Centrum) > > evening: > 1 calcium CITRATE (500mg) with Vit D and MAgnesium (250mg) > 1 zinc (50mg zinc gluconate, chelated) > 1 Vit A&D (10,000 IU Vit A & 400 IU Vit D3) > > bedtime: > 1 calcium CITRATE (500mg) with Vit D and MAgnesium (250mg) > 1 multi-vitamin (equal to Centrum) 1 sublingual B-12 daily (cobalamin concentrate) or monthly B-12 injection Add B Complex tabs for energy, if desired --------------------- http://www.vitalady.com prices for the basics as of Nov 12, 2002 > Carbonyl iron = 100 days = 5.79 (never ferrous SULFATE) > Calcium Citrate = 80 days = 14.99 (500 mg calcium citrate + D + mag, per EACH) > A&D (dry) = 100 days = 4.99 (oil gels are not absorbed) > zinc (tablet) = 250 days = 5.79 > E (dry) = 100 days = 10.99 (oil gels are not absorbed) > * multi = 250 days = 15.79 > * Vit C = 500 days = 17.99 > > * = OR choose the chewables > > Chewable: > chewable C = 300 days = 16.00 > chewable multi = 150 days = 12.50 Sublingual B-12(500mcg) = 100 days = 7.00 light cherry flavor, cobalamin concentrate ----------------------------------- * multi-vitamins: (equal to Centrum) vit A 5000 IU, 25% as beta-carotene, vit C 120mg, vit D 400IU, vit E 60IU, thiamin (B1) 1.5mg, Riboflavin (B2) 1.7mg, Niacin (B3) 20mg, Riboflavin (B6) 2mg, Folate (folic acid) 400mcg, B12 6mcg, biotin 30 mcg, pantothenic acid 10mcg, calcium 162mg, iron 18mg (ferrous fumarate), phosphorus 100mg, iodine 150mg, magnesium 100mg, zinc 22.5mg, copper 3mg, selenium 45mcg, manganese 2.5mg, chromium 120mcg, molybdenum 75mcg, chloride 72mg, potassium 80mg, silicon 2mg, boron 150mcg, tin 10mcg, vanadium 10mcg, nickel 5mcg, lutein 275mcg ---------------------- Some rules for vitamin supplements: IRON............. Take iron (ferrous FUMERATE only, NOT ferrous SULFATE!) Iron is NOT a friendly vitamin. Take iron ALONE, NOT with other meds, juice, dairy products, calcium, etc....ALONE (ok with Vit C only), or it will be useless. We have a VERY hard time absorbing iron, so this is very important! CALCIUM.......... Take Calcium CITRATE, NOT Calcium Carbonate. Not Tums (This is carbonate). We do not absorb the carbonate! There are some other types we do absorb, one is elemental calcium. Remember....do not take it with iron. Calcium also needs Vit D and Magnesium to work. If your calcium does not have these in the tablet, then you must add Magnesium and more Vit D also. The Calcium listed on the price list above DOES contain the D & Magnesium. Another brand is "Citrical Plus" - ultradense calcium citrate with Magnesium, D and minerals, which can be purchased in most pharmacies or large grocery stores. Multi-vitamins..... You can use children's chewables COMPLETES...like Flintstones COMPLETES, or a generic brand as long as it says COMPLETES, right after surgery (when you can't take large pills yet), but double the dosage on the label as we only absorb about 50% of it. But a regular adult multi-vitamin, either swallow or chewable is better long-term because it contains more essential vitamins than the children's. Remember to double the dosage on any multi you take, not just chewables. Vitamins A,D,E and zinc and C (and any others you may add)...... use only DRY tablets....we do not absorb anything in an oil type gel cap, or ones that are enteric coated, or time-release versions. B-12 injections....you can get a perscription from your primary doctor for a vial of B-12 that will give you about 30 injections. The B-12 is quite inexpensive. I paid under $5 for the vial, and that was regular price (less than my copay would have been.) If you don't like injections, you can use the B-12 sublinguals. They melt under your tongue like nitroglycerin tabs for heart patients. You can get them many places, including GNC stores. If you choose the sublinguals, you will need to take them daily, whereas the injections are monthly. Remember, these are the BASICS. If your labwork shows drops in any areas, then these amounts will have to be adjusted. Some additions..... Problems with hair loss or brittle nails....add Biotin Problems absorbing Calcium......add Boron Problems absorbing iron.........add Copper

Hello again ~ See I don't want to have to take 3 or 4 pills a day I would like to just find one pill a day that has everything in it that we need...... It has to be something out there like that,To be honest I know I have to take the Vitamins for life,but This 3 or 4 times a day stuff is geting to me.Maybe it's a mind thing (smiling) Kimberly, Thanks for the kind words,your looking beautiful also ~ Vernette M ~

Vernette, Kimberly is right, you are a beautiful lady! As far as the vitamins go, I sure do with there was a way for us to simply take one vitamin and that be it. It doesn't mean it does not exist, I have just not been able to find it or figure out how to do it. I am still searching for answers but here is what I have found thus far ... again, take it with a grain of salt ... there are such differing views on vitamins and bypass. But this is what I find to be true, and would consider it a travesty not to share it with you and allow you to decide for yourself what is best for you. I think the more information we have the better informed our decisions are. And the better informed our decisions are the better chance for long term good health. Okay with that said, here goes ... Because of the very nature of our surgery, with our changed anatomy and the fact that we malabsorb (extent depends on the amount of bypass and personal nature) we need extra vitamins. More than the normal person usually does. Most vitamins out there ( 1 a days) are geared toward those normies. We are no longer able to do the time released stuff, nor does our body let it hang around for extended periods, so we have to continually feed our bodies the appropriate vitamins as well as the appropriate foods ... ie the same reason our dietitians and docs recommend several smaller feedings per day . We need things that enter our systems faster to help ensure that we absorb it. No longer having the stomach acids to help us break down the hard pills, we need to make sure that what we take is available to us in a short amount of time. With that we need to spread out our vitamins throughout the day to help ensure the greatest absorption of these much needed vitamins. Take for instance calcium, we can not absorb more than 500 gms at a time. So in order to get 1500 that PMRI recommends, we need to space this out over time. Iron should be combined with vitamin C but other than that needs to be separate from everything else to help ensure absorption as it competes with many other vitamins. Calcium is best combined with vitamin D and magnesium for best absorption. Vit B-12 is best absorbed either through a monthly injection or sublingually. The list can go on and on. But I think you understand what I am trying to say. I am not trying to force my views on vitamins on you, I only want what is best for you, and since I feel this is best, I felt I had to share it with you. Vitamin deficiency is one of our biggest concerns for long term post op good health. And as I said, I only want what is best for you ... for all of us actually. So please take this post as intended, with love. Many times, more and more, I am finding that I hesitate to post, as I hate to come across as being pushy with my views, especially because I could be completely wrong and I would feel horrible if I led someone down the wrong path. So I say all of that to say, this is what I have found that I am personally comfortable with, obviously I can not tell you what is best for you or anyone else. Hugs, Tammy

Hiya Tammy, You are right,and I will take all this good info in I liked everything you said about the Vitamins,and girl I know your not trying to force any bad info on me (Smiling) All I know is that people like you and everyone else are Blessings. Hugs, ~ Vernette M ~

Vernette, I use Tropical Oasis liquid calcium citrate. Susan Maria has it on special right now for $14.95 a bottle. I paid $25.00 the last time I ordered it. You take 1/2 tbs in the morning and in the evening. I also take 2 centrum chewables and additional B-12 (liquid). I have yet to find one pill for everything. I'm with you though, it would be so much easier. I also take additional biotin because I'm paranoid about my hair. Best wishes, Deb ps. the picture is terrific