Vitamin questions...

Hey all! I am 7 weeks out and am STRUGGLING with my vitamins.  Do you guys take the Calcium Citrate Petites?  I bought the regular size one....yikes...they are huge!  The nut. also told me to take 45 mg. of Iron...all I could find at Target was the 65 mg. ones.  What happens if you take too much Iron?  And then, my multi-vitamins are just down right huge as well.  Any tips on those?  My friend takes Opti Source vitamins from Walgreens.  They are specifically made for post op bariatric patients.  I looked at nutrition facts on the label and of course they don't match up to what they require at Duke.  The folic acid and the zinc aren't enough.  Anyone take these?  I'm just a mess dealing with all these vitamins...and I still have all my other meds to take...seems to take me an hour to get 'em all in!  Thanks for all the help!  You guys rock! Kim  395/344/185 Day of surgery/current/goal

The iron that is usually identified as 65 mg is usually ferrous sulfate. Ferrous sulfate is poorly absorbed by those with gastric bypass because of the way it is absorbed I take the bulding blocks mutli-vitamin, calcium and iron. There iron is ferous fumarate. This iron comes in 15mg and 30mg. I perfer the chewables. The capsules feel like they get stuck. bbvitamins.com Ferrous carbonyl is highly recommended for better absorption. I have been looking into this kind of iron. and I am still gathering info. The complicated thing about iron is that different forms of iron have different amount of elemental iron. As always verify info with your surgeon and/or Nut. Good luck Belinda

Ask your Target phrmacy to order you some carbonyl iron.  I know they can do it because mine did. Perfect Iron by Sundown Naturals.  200 50mg tabs for 4.49. Any iron you find on a shelf is likely to be ferrous sulfate.  It will cause constiptation and isn't absorbed all that well.  I found a different kind at Vitamin World, but I take the carbonyl instead. You *can* OD on iron, but 65mg versus 45mg isn't enough to do so. You can up your folic acid.. it's hard to OD on it since it's a b-vite, and the supplementals are pretty small.  400mcg and 800mcg are the standards you will see on the shelves.

Perfect iron by Sundown Naturals is the kind of Iron I use too and it does not make you constipated as the other irons do.  Im glad I found someone who uses the same one.  I found mine at walmart on the shelf though. Rahsheeda

You are lucky. My wal-mart blows.  I don't go there unless I *really* have to.  They don't carry alot of things other wal-marts do, and it's always *WAY* crowded (even at obscene times like 3am).

For calcium I take the bariatric advantage chewables... I have found they are the easiest for me to take and not all too bad taste wise. You can order them thru their website or some surgeons office sell them. I dont take an additional iron but BA also sells chewable iron - I would assume its the 'proper' iron for post WLS patients and I believe it comes in different doses? For multi I take the flintstones chewables... they work well for me, I do know not all surgeons reccomend them but mine does and my bloodwork has been perfect for 2 years so I am sticking with them!

Hey Kim.  I take the Calcium Citrate Petites and I get them down pretty easy.  I am not a pill taker so I tried to find the smallest of everything.  I buy the Rite-Aid brand of multi vitamins.  They are about the size of a Tylenol tablet and have everything my doctor requires.  Hope this helps.  Good luck in finding some that work for you. Suzanne