Vitamins.....oh all the vitamins

So I am officially one day away from 1 month out Post-op.....YAY!!!  It has been a journey to say the least.  However I am moving forward with baby steps.  My biggest issue was the LACK of education I got about all of this.  My Dr's office was really pitiful as far as educating me.  I also never got to see a nutritionist at all pre or post-op.  So....you guys have been heaven sent to me. 

Yesterday I got paid so I went and stocked up on vitamins.  I now have the following:  Flintstones with Iron, chewable Vit C, Chewable B12, Chewable Calciums, Chewable D, a chewable Reproductive Health Multivitamin, and Fiber Chewable. 

I officially feel like an old person with a box full of vitamins.  I am taking the Flintstones, Vit C, and B12 in the morning.  Afternoon I am taking Calcium and Vit D. Bedtime I am taking Reproductive Health Multivitamin and Fiber. 

How does all of that sound?

Alicia

How unfortunate that your surgeon didn't provide help for your postop care. Good for you for educating yourself! With that said, here would be my suggestions.

1. Ditch the Flintstones for an adult multivitamin. Flintstones do not have everything you need. Make sure you are taking two of them daily.

2. B12 should be sublingual. We no longer have the intrinsic factor in our stomachs to properly absorb B12. You may not need to take it daily. I only need to take it once a week to keep my levels up.

3. Is your calcium citrate? Make sure you take 1200-1500mg a day, in 500mg doses. This means you need to take it at least three times a day, two hours apart from iron.

4. Dry D3 is the best version of D to take.

The ASMBS has a great list of recommendations for post ops. 

edited to add link: ASMBS guidelines...look for table 6

Also make sure to get regular bloodwork done. Your results can help determine if you need to increase or decrease dosages.  

This is what my Doctor gave me for vitamins:

Mandatory

Multi-vitamin and mineral (chewable)       1-2 a day                    suggested in the AM

Vitamin B-12 (sublingual/chewable)         500mcg                      suggested in the AM

Iron                                                      27-28mcg                  suggested in the PM with Vitamin C

Vitamin C (chewable)                             500mg                       suggested in the PM with Iron

Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D                1200-1500mg             take with meals in divided doses

Optional

Stool Softner                                          As directed               suggested with iron

Zinc                                                      10-20 mg                  suggested to take in AM

I was told to take TUMS initailly for my calcium supplement until I can tolerate a regular diet.

This is what my doctor gave me. Let me know what you think.

Taking TUMS for calcium is a complete waste because we don't absorb the calcium in TUMS. You need to take calcium citrate. There are companies that sell calcium citrate in chewable form online. You can find it on Amazon. You also need to take vitamin D3 dry. I take 10,000 mg a day. Also a chewable vitamin B12 is not the same as sublingual. You need the kind that you put under your tongue while it dissolves. I have seen it labeled quick melt, but not chewable.

Hi @Maria27 I just had my 3-month followup and I was also taking 10,000 mcg of VitD3.  Turns out you can get vitamin D toxicity!  My Dr. told me to not take it anymore until my next followup because my levels were over what is safe.  Of course if you already had labs and they are fine, you don't need to worry but I for one was surprised that I could be taking too much D3, considering I live in a state where EVERYONE is deficient in it!  :) 

I just had my labs drawn, and I expect that I may be able to lower my dose. My surgeon starts everyone at 10,000 mcg, which does seem high to me, but I will find out soon.

Please make sure you get a copy of all your lab results from pre-op onwards.  You should know every value and whether you are trending up or down, for the rest of your life.

Please do not rely on your surgeon or PCP to care about you as much as you do.  

Ditto everything that Jen said.

Lora