What Vitamins do you take?

Hi, Everybody! Please share with me what type of vitamins you take.  I am over a year out from lab rny.  I have been on OptiSource chewable post bariatric vitamins since my surgery.  I am trying to find something that I can swallow and only take one or two a day.  I went to Manna Nutrition today and he sold me on the store brand of the One-Daily Multi Caps.  Unforunately, I didn't have a lable from the ones I was taking to compare these to.  I have since come home and pulled it up.  I've now got to go down and compare.  I do know the new ones I bought today DO NOT HAVE IRON.  I know IRON is a BIG DEAL.  I haven't opened these so I am thinking I will be taking these back soon.  I pulled up the Bariatric Advantage Chewables and I don't see that they contain Iron either.  If your multi-vitamins don't have iron do you take an iron supplement? Traci...thank you so much for answering my questions about what vitamins you take.  I know you take the BA ones, do you take an iron supplement?  Did I miss that on the you sent? Once again, any information would be helpful.  I am also trying to save a little $$.  These I bought today are for 120 for 24.99.  They say I only need 1 a day.  Not sure about that.  Will have to try and compare apples to apples when I'm not so tired. Everyone have a great day and be careful out there! Debbie D.

I'm doing the centrum chewable right now...for later when I can swallow pills again I will switch back to my prenatals which i did before surgery...both have iron...You may want to check out www.puritan.com  it is a website that sells vitamins and supplements of all shapes and sizes and they are having a buy 2 get 3 free sale right now.  I get all my family's vits from there and save a fortune!!!!!

I take Puritans pride on all my  vits and my labs are great. They are reasonable and you can order them on line . My daughter who is a nurse also but also has several years of studing vits and mineral and herbs says they are the best she has found and the pureist . I see Nancy also uses them. I dont see any reason we need to buy vits that cost thirty and forty dollars for a months supply . I did use the barietric chewables for the first month and then went to centrum chewables and from there to puritians pride. I dont take any extra iron  so far my labs are ok. 

Jan: Which ones of the Purtian Prides do you take?  I see there are many to choose from.  I'm going to take the ones I bought back to the store sometime within the next week.  It irriates me because I have so far to drive to take them back!  Next time I will read the labels more carefully! Thanks for yours and the rest *****sponded.  Our vitamins are very, very important. Debbie D.

I went to the puritan's website but there's so MANY! What one's do you take? I will be having surgery in 11 days and wouldlike to have somethin lined up for when I can take real stuff again. I just can't hack these chewables.

Jan, there are so many choices!  Which ones do youtake?  I am also looking for the best bang for my buck! Meg

meg... shaynarn (sp?) gave me your name and said you possibly knew where to get the nectar samples at the cheapest price?  Would surely appreciate that web site if you have it... i am wanting to give them a try... Jan, I am also interested in the vitamins, which ones do you get?  The sale sounds like a good one, I need to check it out.  I am trying to make a journal page of all these good things I am hearing from you wonderful ladies!  I'm soooo soooo thankful for all of the wisdom!  Even though I'm pre-op hopefully I'll already be a jump ahead on some things when the time gets here that I need to use all this valuable information... Thanks to all....bec

I found them on vitalady.com. Click on proetein at the top of the page and then find the name.  I believe it is undern Syntrax.  Click on that and then on Nectar.  I hope this helps! Meg Oh yeah, you have to register first.

You do not want iron in your multi-vitamin!!!  Well, you don't want iron AND calcium both in your multi-vitamin.  Calcium prevents iron absorption:  they do not 'play nice' together.  Also, as far as calcium goes, almost every regular non-bariatric specific vitamin that has calcium in it has calcium carbonate.  That's not the form of calcium we need:  you want calcium citrate.   And honestly, because we have so many issues with absorption, and in particular issues with calcium and iron, this is why a separate iron and calcium is needed, because  you just need more of it:  lots more of it, than what you're going to get in a multi-vitamin. Brands and types:  bariatric specific ones are expensive, and some of them I'm not sure are worth it, quite honestly.  Others I think are good.   For us, quality is key, however.  If you can find a vitamin that's good quality and you get it at Walmart, Walgreens or whatever, then great!  Good quality vitamins are generally those that will dissolve in liquid within a few minutes.  So what I did was test my vitamins and put them in a glass of water to see how long it took them to dissolve.  If it took less than 5 minutes, I figured that was good enough for me.  Those that sat there, and sat there and sat there - I figured were not going to get dissolved in my digestive track and actually absorbed any at all, so I pitched those.   In addition to how quickly it dissolves, makes sure it's the type of vitamin you need:  calcium citrate, for example, not carbonate.  Carbonyl iron is a better form of iron, than ferrous fumerate (which is commonly used on multi-vitamins). Quantity:  bariatric specific vitamins may seem more expensive on the outset, but when you look at the quantity of each vitamin and mineral, you are usually getting much higher amounts and better quality for the money.  Again, you have to shop around, as some of these specific bariatric ones I don't know are all that great, but many are.  You would have to take 3-4 times as many of most regular vitamins to get the same amount of nutrients in some bariatric specific vitamins.  Regular vitamins aren't cheap either!  It's $8-10 per bottle, at least, for the least expensive of anything, and that's not necessarily getting you the best or what we necessarily even need. I've said it before and I'll say it again:  if you are a pre-op, and you can't afford to buy the post-op vitamins and protein, you may want to seriously consider whether RNY is for you.  I mean that.  You need these supplements to keep you healthy.  It's not an option.  What you are going to save on food for you (by eating less) you will spend on vitamins. 

Hi Traci....I wanted to ask you what you thought of the Tropical Oasis liquid calcium and liquid B complex.  I am using that right now...I may just stick with it depending on what you tell me...it's already "melted" so I would think absorption would be greater??