Vitamins

Yea, I can still have my black and blue burgers!!!

Thanks Pam.

Hair Loss at 5 months is 100% normal and expected.  Hair loss is the direct result of the trauma of the surgery, the drastic reduction in calorie intake, the trauma of the emotional connection with food being cut and the major rerouting of your intestines -- your body is in shock and thinks it's dying.  So during a time of extreme stress and trauma, the body focuses all its attention to vitial survival and hair happens to not be essential to life.  (Hair loss is not unique to WLS - it can happen during any major life event like job loss, death of a loved one, prolonged stress, pregnancy, etc.)

Typically you'll start seeing your hair shed around the 3 month mark... it'll last for about 3-4 months, then slow down and stop.  Then about 3-4 months later (around 9 months post-op) you'll start to see new hair growth in the form of little 1" spikes of hair all over your head. 

Here's some information about hair loss after WLS.  And here.

As for vitamins.  Here's the base vitamins you should be taking according to the ASMBS (see chart on page 7).

2 adult multi-vitamins
Calcium +D - 1500-2000mg calcium citrate per day in addition to what you get from food
B12 - sublingual or injection
Iron - 18-27mg elemental
B-50 Complex

You just make me smile when I read your posts.  They're always so informative.  I don't take a separate C vitamin and I usually take my multi with my iron cuz the multi has C.  Do you think I need another pill?  a C?

Well... it depends on your multi-vitamin.  Check the label.  If it has 300mg of calcium or more (no matter the type) then avoid taking iron with it.  300mg is the threshold for when the interfrance begins.  So less than 300mg and you'll be fine.  However....

The issues actually lies is how the body likes to receive it's vitamins....

As a general rule of thumb, it's best to take all our vitamins and minerals WITH food.  You have a better chance of absorption when you take your vitamins with food because the nutrient attaches it self to the food molecule and is more easily transported to the cells that need it.  The only exception is iron which likes and empty tummy and no food.  So I try to schedule my vitamins and calcium doses around meal or snack times and keep iron by itself so it's got an empty stomach to work with. 

So... taking an extra 100mg chewable Vitamin C with your iron does won't hurt anything.  Yes, there's Vit C in your multi, but C is one of those vitamins we malabsorb, so taking an extra chewable dose with your iron is fine and will help the iron absorb better anyway.

HTH
Pam