Vitamins

O.K. I KNOW you guys will have some advice for me. Do you know of a chewable vitamin that doesn't taste so vitaminy? I have tried both flavors of Viactiv, and they both leave a coating on the roof of my mouth. The children's chewables are a bit more tolerable, but they too are really hard for the take. What about the children's gummy vitamins? Do Optisource have a really bad vitamin flavor? I know i have to take my vitamins and the other supplements, but this is really hard. Also, I need some advice on B12 and Iron supplements. I guess I should have figured all of this out prior to surgery. Also, things just taste differently now. Thank you for any advice you might have. We have some sublingual B12 tablets, but I can't get them to dissolve for some reason. I hate that I'm wasting this money, but I have to find something that I can tolerate a bit better. Luckily, Derrick will pretty much take anything. So, he is taking the stuff I don't like. Thanks, guys!

Hello Stephanie, Wow, you are one week post op and already working on your vitamin intake - this is great! I had planned to start this tonight. I was taking the juice plus vitamins before surgery and they come in gummy bears too but I have not tried them in gummy's but looks like I might have to swtich to them now that I am post op, I do not think the insides of these capsules are going to be easy to hide in any food. I figure I can dissolve the calcium and iron and disquise it in my protien drink. The B12 I would just rather get the shots - I am going to ck with my PCP to see if I can just get the shot every two weeks or so. I wish I could get them all in a shot. I hear thier are spray vitamins at GNC, can't imagine how these must tastes. Did I see you in the hopsital when you had your surgery. I was the one talking looney from the anesthesia when we went down for our leak test. How are you feeling? I went back to work Monday working 6 hours a day - gettng stronger each day - now my back is bothering me I think it is muscle soreness from sleeping in the "big butt chair" since I have been home from surgery. je

Hi, Judy...yeah, I remember you...I was the one leaking out of my belly-button and having horrible gas pressure! Thanks for the advice. From what I understand, spray vitamins are no good. Derrick, my husband, got some when he saw the nutritionist, and it really is like just spraying a vitamin in your mouth...all the lovely flavors. The B12 shots are covered by out insurance. So, we were trying to find an alternate. What kind of iron are you going to use? I don't mind chewing up the calcium...it doesn't taste too bad. I can't believe you are back at work!!! I'm not going bac****il my follow-up. So, I should be going back next week. When is your follow-up appointment? Maybe I'll see you there. My energy level is pretty good until I go to do something. My stamina is way down. I get winded easily, and have to take lots of breaks. I'm glad you are doing well. Thanks for responding.

Hey, not to interrupt, but it is my understanding that calcium and iron must not be taken together, as it is the same something or other they compete for to be taken to the cells. I've been told they should be taken at least 2 hours apart. I haven't actually begun trying to tackle vitamins yet, though. :D Gretchen

did you get an answer to your question? I am not sure the about this, the only thing I was told was not to mix these two together ( I read this somewhere in all my paperwork from Dr. Duncan's office). Of course, I did mix all my vitamins together before I read this and I assume it was the iron that turned everything black, I had crushed all the pills and mixed them in my protien drink, well it all turned a charcoal black and tasted awful so I did not drink it anyway. Now have gone to the chewable and liquid forms of vitamins. je

I use the Flintstones (or generic store brand) vitamins with iron. They aren't too bad. Centrum has a chewable that is orange flavored. Since iron and calcium compete for absorption, I try to take a vitamin that has only iron in it, not the other minerals too (like the viactiv vitamins). I take the viactiv calcium - 2 a day and the sublingual B12 2-3 times a week. Good luck!! Ann in Duluth

Stephanie, I was just fixing to post the same question My surgery is September 19 and now I am taking the juice plus. They are way expensive though I was going to try the gummies which are a little cheaper but after talking to the folks at juice plus they say that with the gummies that is a childs dose so for an adult you would have to double the dose which means you would be buying double the amount. It is also the same with their chewables. So it would equal to about the same price but a little more. I too am looking for something that I will be able to tolerate after surgery. Any ideas from anyone would be wonderful I don't like the vitaminy taste either. Nalani

Hey Lady, It is so good to see you posting! How's the fluid intake going? Thats really important at your stage! I bought the Centrum Silver Chewables. They are not the best thing I have ever put in my mouth but definately doable. They are too big so I break them in half. I've been taking Rexall sublingual B-12. (wally world) They disolve fine with saliva, and the directions say you only have to leave it under the tongue for 30 seconds then swallow. And my doc reccomended a B complex over just the 12. At my 3 month check up all my levels were fine so this has worked for me. AND I'm cleared for swallowable vitamins now.. yipee! I still waste money on foods I can't eat and drinks that taste way too sweet for me. I don't like it but I have learned to accept it Let me know if you need anything. Barb