VITAMIN HELP! Please!!!

Hello everyone,

  Im very confused about what vitamins i need! I would love suggestions on what people use!! Also, do you need to bring them to hospital with you and start them right away? 

Thanks for your help, katherine

I went home on a Thursday & started taking them on Friday. I use the life brand chewable multi, sublingual b12 from Costco, chewable vitamin d, & calcium citrate from Costco. Until I could swallow pills, I used liquid calcium

I haven't had the surgery yet but have been taking the vitamins to get me in the habit.  I started with the life brand Cheewables but didn't like the taste - so I ordered the Opurity online but honestly they taste about the same.  The only difference is that post surgery they tell you to take two multivitamins or 1 Opurity.  I also like the sublingual b-12 from Costco and use liquid D drops which you can get everywhere and Webber's liquid calcium citrate also available pretty much everywhere.

 

The guidebook for ottawa says you start the day after surgery, which means you could still be in the hospital.  I was told the team nutritionist will check with you in hospital and will want to see what you are planning to take so they recommend bringing the vitamins with you.  I suppose they'd be okay if you had the names you brought.  I also bought sublingual Biotin which is supposed to help minimize hair loss post surgery.  I'm not sure it will work but for $10 I'm willing to try anything.

I struggled with vitamins for the first little bit post op, but just make sure you set a schedule for the first bit to keep yourself on track. After surgery I took chewable vitamins by Jamieson. I also tried chewable calcium but the taste was less than desirable for me. Just go to your local drug or grocery store and they will have what you need. Liquid calcium I bought the large bottle from costco that was citrus flavoured - it was actually pretty tasty I thought, but stopped taking the liquid version.

Don't worry about bringing them to the hospital with you, just have them for when you get home.

Now I take Prenatal Vitamins from Cost****irkland brand) - sometimes if Centrum or Jamieson Prenatal is on sale I will buy that to keep at work. You should be taking 2 multi-vitamins a day - they say prenatal are the best (even for men) because they have the highest amount of iron in them.

I bought calcium chews from Shoppers drug mart - no sugar added chocolate flavoured in a resealable bag. They are expensive for only 2 weeks worth of calcium but they are quite tasty - like a dessert. Otherwise I have the caramel flavour calcium chew from Bariatric Advantage that I love. You should be taking 3 doses of 500mg a day. You separate the doses by 2 hours because your body cannot absorb more than 500mg at a time, so don't try to take 1500mg at the same time because it's pointless really.

B12 - I used to use the sublingual (melt on the tongue) kind but I didn't enjoy it, so now I have the chewable B12 version that works well. Also Jamieson brand. I take one almost every day, but they say 1000mg a week or a couple times a week is fine.

Vitamin D - also chewable - chocolate flavoured by Jamieson brand

Other stuff I take:
Iron - I have to take an additional iron supplement as directed by my doctor and the bariatric team at TWH. It's just one a day - ferrous sulfate, but that is only under their direction and not something you should start unless directed otherwise. They will let you know based on your blood work results.

Vitamin C - When taking Iron, they tell you to take it with vitamin C as it helps the iron absorb - this is my favourite chewable because it tastes like oranges lol!

Stool Softener - Senokot S - the blue label kind with the stool softener - amazing when it just won't come out... lol (hey! We all know it happens)... I only take it occasionally.

I think that covers everything. The biggest thing I was worried about when I got home was timing it all because you have to take everything 2 hours apart. I was finding it difficult until I went to my first post-op session and found out that I could take both multi-vitamin pills at the same time and didn't have to wait 2 hours between them. That made a huge difference!

Hope that helps but let me know if you want to chat more!

Thanks! This is very helpful info! I truly appreciate it😃