Help Folks.. I can't find the chewable vitamins...

Hi everyone, I went out tonight to purchase all my stuff I needed for post op (YAY!! Didn't think I would EVER get here!!) and I tried to find the chewable calcium citrate and the B-12...but couldn't find it at Walmart... Am I correct? Am I supposed to have all of these in chewable form? Also, what multivitamin are you all using? Thanks for your help! -Tami

Heya Tami....I didn't get chewables, I just took the pills, had to cut them up to take them but I did okay with them. Not sure what your doc recommends though! As for the B-12, I do shots, but others do the sublingual (dissolves under your tongue), don't waste any money on b-12 pills, you can't absorb them...Personally, I like the shots, then I KNOW what I'm getting...some say we don't absorb all the sublinguals..so who knows Congrats on your big day...it'll be here SOON! Hugs, Terri

Hi Tami, My surgeon has me use chewable Tums for calcium (2 a day) and I use the sf variety in orange cream. I use Flinstone complete with extra iron for vitamins (2 a day). I'm not sure of the brand b-12 sublingual that I use but it is cherry flavored and dissolves very easily under the tongue (1 a week). I got those at Nutrition Depot (on Peachtree Ind Blvd & Pleasant Hill behind the Wendy's/Taco Bell). I have found the vitamins and tums at Walmart for the best prices but you could probably also get those at the nutrition depot. There is a huge debate between calcium citrate or carbonate and b12 shots or sublinguals. At 7 months out I have no problems with either. Hope this helps! Marie post op 12/02/03 Lap rny, Dr Hart -106 lbs

Tami, I bought liquid B-12 from Wal-mart. That's the best kind to buy(liquid) It was almost 6.00 I believe. I couldn't find a chewable calcium except for the Viacitiv chews but it isn't the calcium citrate. I plan to buy the pills and cut them into quarters until I can find a chewable citrate. Tonya

I bought most of my vitamins and supplements from WalMart. Equate Children's Chewable Vitamins w/Iron - $3.57 for 60 Cheaper than Flintstones and are the same thing. I know a lot of people prefer the gummy vitamins. B12 500mcg - Rexall Sublingual - $3.96 for 200 I only got these to start because my PCP wants me to have the shots. But my first appointment with her is 4 weeks after my surgery, so I wanted to have something until then. She is going to start me on the shots at her office, then later I would be giving them to myself. B Complex/B1 50 mg - Spring Valley Super B Complex - $3.96 for 200 I got the Super B Complex because it had 50 mg more of B1 than the regular B Complex, so I killed 2 birds with one stone. These are tablets, but I bought a combination pill splitter/crusher for about $5. I will have to crush my other meds, so I can crush this one, too. They didn't have a chewable or liquid, but I found UpCal Powder at VitaLady - $22.99 for a 3 month supply. Or wlssuccess has a liquid for $8.00. Bariatric Advantage has a chewable, but it works out of $7.95 for a 12-day supply to get the needed 1200mg. Otherwise I will have to cough up the extra and get the Citracal tablets and crush them. Just remember, it needs to be calcium citrate so it is absorbed better. I don't have to take the 65 mg of iron (must be gluconate or fumarate, NO sulfate), but found a chewable at Bariatric Advantage that is only 18mg so works out to $9.95 for a 10 day supply! VitaLady has Tender Iron Tablets that would be $11.99 for about a 6 month supply. I have ordered sample or trial sized (some free) protein drinks galore and even got some samples from other folks to try after my surgery. I don't want to spend a lot of money and find out that I can't tolerate them like some people have. So I will try these after my surgery, find out what I can handle, then go to Discount Nutrition. I found Discount Nutrition near the Mall of Georgia and their prices are wonderful. Plus they give an extra 10% discount to bariatric patients. They also carry a lot of the supplements and vitamins there. I frequent WalMart, so thought it would be easier to get everything from one place. Good luck in your search. Patti