chelated iron and vitimans

Hello, My doc gave me a list of stuff to get, and one thing was chelated iron.  I found it at a local grocery store, but it is small capsules.  Will I be able to swallow these after surgery..... or do any of you recommend a chewable iron for after surgery that is chelated?  And how about the calcium w/D 500 mg???  Is there a chewable or will I be able to swallow a pill?  And Tylenol... where do you get liquid and how far out before you could swallow the pill form?  Thanks  so much... I have surgery in 17 days and am just trying to get ready!!!

Kristy, I had a hard time finding the chelated iron & mentioned it to Dr Clarke in the hospital - he told me not to worry about it right then - if I needed it then we'd address it. He said that I would hopefully get enough from the the Flinstones chewable vitamins. Since you have it you should be ok with a little pill. The recommended Calcium from Dr Clarke was Citrical Creamy Bites - they are getting more difficult to find so maybe they've backed off that specific product. Whatever you get make sure it's calcium CITRATE not CARBONATE!!! There is a huge difference!!! We can't absorb the carbonate (or something like that.)!! BTW - I now order mine from Drugstore.com (free shipping if you order $25 or something like that) & have plenty on hand... I get the chocolate fudge & it's like my calcium truffle!!! I use Tylenol Rapid Release caplets & have no problem with them!!  I am able to swallow all of the pills I have to take. I make a little ritual of it in the morning. I get a big glass of water & use one of the med dosage cups they sent me home from the hospital with & put the pills into it. (The cups were so I could measure out 2 oz of water at a time to drink! My niece now has the extras for her dr kit!!) This is one way to make sure I get in 20z of water 1st thing in the morning!! By the time I finish the water all of the meds are gone!!! Then I take my 2nd actigall & vitamin when I first get home while I am making dinner. If you don't have issues taking pills now you should be fine - just make sure you drink a little before you take your first pill!!! Oh btw - they will give you Actigall to take at home after surgery & those capsules are huge but I have no problem taking them - they dissolve very quickly!!! I do take that one 1st so if by some chance it gets stuck & comes back up I don't lose all of the other pills... ya know what I mean? Good luck... you'll find a way to make it work!!

kleekelly Hello, welcome and wow 17 days how exciting! Chelated iron is probably one of the best forms for absorption and tolerability! Are you anemic now? Many do not supplement with iron until the labs indicate... I am not sure exact number/% of wlsers who become iron deficient. What I have in front of me reads 30-50% (for proximal and distal RNYers). Iron is usually absorbed in the duodenum & 1st part of jejunum so either surgery bypasses this (prox or distal) ...RESEARCH ON PARTIALSUBTOTAL GASTRECTOMIES OF OLD OVER 20 YRS AGO SHOWS SAME THING... 50% DEVELOP IRON DEFICIENCIES. I am only privy to the stats cited in the 2 books I have right now (Obesity Surgery ISBN 0-07-140640-9 Surgery for the Morbidly obese and update ISBN 0-9684426-1-7). Of course menstruating females will have a higher risk. Can you open the capsules? I was able to take pills day 2 postop one every 15 min with a sip.. Others say 1 mo to wait. I hated chewable multis so I took regular walmart brand centrum like ones!

 

 

Yes there are other chewable irons/liquid: Vitalady has chewable tender iron (carbonyl form) another good one for us! www.vitalady.com  There is also liquid iron called  ferrets IPS liquid http://www.pharmics.com/ferretts-ips.htm

 

 

 

IRON RULZ 101:

 

~take alone empty stomach if u can

 

~Take with Vitamin C to aid absorbtion 250-500mg

 

~never with calcium (it may/will not be absorbed as calcium wins out!)

 

~never with any other vits (except C)  *B12 is only exception

 

~never with any other meds..wait 1-2 hrs before taking other vits/supps

 

Never with:

 

dairy *this means NEVER with protein shakes sorry!

 

fiber

 

legumes

 

eggs

 

tea or coffee reg or decaf...they all hinder absorption (its the tannins)

 

IF you have to a dry saltine is best to buffer it! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current literature supports using Calcium Citrate as a more absorbable form for (anyone see: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/1999-11/UoTS-Cctc-221199.php Calcium citrate trumps calcium carbonate in osteoporosis studies) but especially for RNYers, that it is KNOWN that RNY can cause Calcium deficiencies and osteoporosis (metabolic bone disease), that there is no harm in taking Calcium Citrate, it is only a little more expensive, it is READILY available in a variety of formulations such as: powdered (UpcalD) liquid (Vitalady has or see my supplier below colonial med) and chewables (Citrical chews but they have calories and carbs and are quite expen$ive IMHO or bariatric Advantage has chewables) or regular tablets (Citrical or generic calcium citrate) AND there is a potential for not only NOT absorbing Calcium carbonate but it can also ADD to the risk of Kidney stones WHICH OBESE PATIENTS AND RNYers are at a higher risk for  http://bariatrictimes.com/2007/09/10/urinary-calculi-and-bariatric-surgery/  ; WHY WOULD ANYONE NOT TAKE CALCIUM CITRATE? IT is a win-win situation in my mind! *Why bariatric programs still say Tums or Viactiv or calcium carbon ate is beyond me! This is where I buy upcalD!http://www.colonialmedical.com/product.php?productid=20018&cat=526&page=2 $10.95 each + S&H lasts almost 4 months as I use 2 servings a day

 

 

 

As for Tylenol watch some liquids are all sugary so get sugar free, but I would think that the tabs would be okay to swallow or crush even! They do have rapid release gels as well. Look in children’s section for liquid forms and meltaways if you must but I bet u can swallow small tabs/caps!

 

Do not forget B12 sublingual Wal-Mart has Spring valley brand B12 complex cherry flavor 60 doses lasts 2 mo for $6!!!

 

 

 

Take Care, Jamie Ellis RN MS NPP 100cm proximal Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh Albany, NY 320(preop)/163(lowest/185(current)  5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery) Plastics 6/9/04 & 11/11/2005  Dr. King www.albanyplasticsurgeons.com http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/jamiecatlady5/ "Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!"

 

 

 

 

OMG guys thanks soooooo much.  I am fine with pills now.  My daughter is waiting for a liver transplant, she is 7, and takes the 300mg actigal capsuls twice a day... they are huge!  Will I need to take them if I dont have a gal bladder?  I know it is used to prevent gal stones... my daughter takes it to thin her bile, she has no gal bladder either.  Just wondering!!!  You guys are the best... thanks so much!

kleekelly Hi, you are so welcome....Most likely you will NOT need Actigall (Ursodiol) if no gall bladder unless they see stones in bile ducts or something! Ask Dr. Clarke and be well! Yes I took those honking actigall caps 2x a day w/o issue! I only had one calcium citrate (citrical) get stuck but it was mainly due to a stricture I had! If a pill gets stuck warm fluid such asbroth or ho****er or decaf tea helps dissolve it or make it come up! Just fyi! Jamie!