question about vitamins and supplements

My surgery is Tuesday...YAY!!! I'm curious as to what you all used after surgery for vitamins and supplements...the chewable kind.  I need to get some for when I get home from the hospital and I'm confused on what to get.  Some say you can use chewable children's vitamins, but is that really enough?  Calcium...I know about Viactiv.  Don't have a whole lot of money to use, so I could really use some suggestions.  Optisource vitamins for 1 month supply are $27.  I know there are cheaper ones out there that are just as good.  I'm doing okay with food, just worried about my vitamins.  Any help is greatly appreciated. Laura

I am only 3 days out, so I am no expert, but my nut told me to get Scooby-doo Complete chewables. Kroger had them 2 for 1 so that's what I got. Good Luck to you on your journey.  I didn't know about Viactiv so thanks for the tip. Bobbi

I use Flinstones Complete....I buy it at Kmart for 13.99 for 150 tablets....so over 2 months supply.

Hi laura, I used Flintstones Complete Chewable vitamins for the first three months post-op. My surgeon changed my vitamins to Centrum complete. I couldn't find them in any store. So different friends brought them from Canadafor me. Now I find out that in the U. S. they are called Centrum Silver. What does your nutritionist or surgeon tell you to use? Everyone is different. Please take the kind your Dr. tells you to take. God bless, Annette

I found centrum complete, chewable at WalMart...just FYI

I thought Viactiv was Calcium Carbonate.  We aren't supposed to take Calcium Carbonate because of absorption issues, are we? Color me confused, which is nothing new. Jenn

Jenn, Here is what I know in a nutshell (and I didn't write this, I'm not that well versed!)

Unlike deficiencies of vitamin B12, iron, and folate, for which periodic blood testing is a sensitive indicator of status, calcium deficiency is more difficult to detect. Only 1% of the body’s calcium is in the blood stream, the rest being in bones, teeth and marrow. When blood stream calcium is low, the body regularly borrows calcium from bones and marrow. Consequently, blood stream calcium is seldom low even when the body intake is insufficient. The blood stream calcium may be adequate, but the bone calcium level has been depleted. Hence, a blood test for calcium will not register a bone calcium deficiency. A bone density scan is required to do this.   Once ingested, calcium normally is absorbed in the duodenum and proximal jejunum by an active saturable process that is assisted by vitamin D. The surgical exclusion of these intestinal segments from digestive system acts to diminish net calcium absorption.

A second factor affecting calcium absorption is the form of the calcium. Calcium is most commonly available as calcium carbonate and calcium citrate. Calcium carbonate, table chalk, has a higher concentration of calcium and is less expensive. However, calcium carbonate is not absorbed well in a non-acidic environment. Calcium citrate has a much higher bioavailability rate than calcium carbonate(7), particularly for gastric bypass patients who have little if any stomach acid available to assist in absorption.  Sorry this is so long, but it explains a lot.  I believe most NUTs that know what they are talking about will suggest calcuim citrate, which is not what is in most of those chews. Hope this answers your question, and of course there are docs and nuts that people have that will just say any suppliment is fine.

Thanks so much for clearing that up!  That is exactly how my PA explained calcium levels and why the problems don't show up until it's too late. I've been checking for calcium citrate in chew form but haven't found anything.  Maybe all us WLS patients should band together and demand a better way to take calcium.  Jenn

Hi, I take Bariatric Advantage Calcium citrate. It comes in about three different flavors and you can get it on line. Hope this helps. Joni

HI LAURA...FIRST I WANT TO WISH YOU THE BEST FOR YOUR WLS TOMORROW!!!

AFTER MY SURGERY I WAS TOLD TO TAKE FLINTSTONES WITH IRON AND THEY WERE CHEWABLES FRUIT FLAVORS. I AM NOW USING PRENATAL VITAMINS WHICH ARE PRESCRIPTION. I AM ALSO TAKING CITRACAL CALCIUM CITRATE PETITES WITH VITAMIN D. THE ONLY OTHER MEDICINE I AM NOW TAKING IS MY ANTI DEPRESSANT.

HUGS