Vitamin Question

Do you take a multi & if so, does it have calcium carbonate in it? I just noticed mine does & I know that after surgery we are only to have calcium citrate (RNY & DS, not sure about LapBand) so I was just wondering if you've found a multi that doesn't have carbonate in it? TIA!

My understaning is that we are told to take citrate because we absorb it better than the carbonate.  So, technically it's just wasted, not harmful. Check that out though.  I could be wrong.

Yup--that's the same thing I was told.

I don't think that the amount of calcium (carbonate or not) in a multivitamin is enough for us.  So I don't even count it if it's there or not.  I think mine may have it, but I take a separate calcium citrate supplement so if it's there - it doesn't matter to me.  I'm 5 years out and I take 500 mg of citrate twice a day.  Some programs might want more than that - but too much calcium can plug you up and I already deal with that - so I backed off on my amount.

Hey Amy!  I do take a multi-vitamin Centrum Chewable which has Calcium Carbonate & Calcium Pantothenate in it.  I take two per day, but don't worry about the Calcium in it as I take two calcium citrate as well each day. The calcium carbonate just isn't absorbed as well as the calcium citrate.  It won't hurt us unless we aren't taking more than just what's in the multi-vitamin.  You will become deficient if that's the case. I would certainly check with your surgeon though and make sure you get what they prefer.

My nut. has me take a multi everyday and then a TUMS three times a day.  You can only absorb 500mg of calcium at 1 time.  So if you take 1000mg 1 x, your body will only absorb 500 mg of it.