Thoughts on vitamin patches?

I've tried numerous chewable, powder, and regular vitamins and all make me sick. I'm told no gummies however can we use vitamin patches? I plan to email my nutrioninst but figured I'd also ask here.

Some people have GREAT success with the patches, some don't. But the same can be said for any vitamin option really.

I used them for a while then decided to stop because I have adhesive sensitivities and got tired of finding different places to put them every day.

I use the patches....have been using them almost a year. I alternate - left side, right side, under my bra, under my panties.......that way they stay in place. Every now and then one will come off unexpectedly, but for the most part it's fine. I don't have the same issues that Gwen has....the adhesive doesn't cause me a problem. Also, I've learned to make sure I take them off before taking my shower because the water seems to make them stick like they're crazy glued on. Usually I put them on in the morning, but if I know I'm going to the gym in the afternoon, I wait til after my workout / shower and put them on at that time.

My surgeon, nutritionist and primary doc all approved of them. They're a bit pricey, but if you go with the auto-ship every 60 days, you get 40% discount and save on the shipping. I'm terrible with pills, so this is a great option for me.

The patches have been ideal for me. Prior to using them, I was always low in iron and d3 despite taking supplements for them. Once using them my levels all quickly (4 weeks) were up in the normal range. I use the multi with iron and the calcium patch.

Hi Missy. I'm on both sides of the camp.

I had surgery 5/26/16 and started using them about 2 months post op maybe? My blood work came back perfect for all my post op appointments so far. I took the multi and vitamin D. I'd put on shoulders every night.

About a month ago, I found myself incredibly tired... Like, out of no where and all the time. I hadnt made any diet changes, activity level changes, etc. In my head it immediately went to the vitamin patches.

I still use them, because I had them on autoship to save money, but am finishing my last package up. I've switched back to my bariatric advantage chewables, b50 complex capsules and calcium chews. Within about a week or so I felt back to my old self.

I dont have any lab work to compare against for before going back to "normal" vitamins, just the fact that I do feel better.

People have said it takes time for our body to deplete our stored nutrients and show bad on blood work tests. I cannot comment, I dont know. They've also suggested that while our lab works might be "Good" they do not flag themselves as declining. So, while the doctors/nurses see levels are fine, they may not be AS good as they once were. People here state we need to be advocates of our own health. Its a great statement. I honestly dont track/log my blood work. I alwyas assumed my doctors were competent enough. I have my 1 year follow up next month, so I'm going to ask for a copy of all my labs, and then get them in the future as well, and just keep a google doc spreadsheet of them and track them

Hope that helps :)

Some people report good results with patches. Other people report that their levels have plummeted. It seems that there's a lot of variation, and not a lot of solid research/evidence to suggest how well they work overall.

If you're going to try them, I'd sugges****ching your lab results very closely and tracking trends over time. Even if your levels are still "normal" after switching, any decrease over time would be cause for concern and maybe a reason not to use the patches.

I've used them since like month 3. Blood tests are fine but they were fine before them to be honest. If you can't take chewable, powder or regular vitamins due to feeling ill, I'd say give these a shot. That's one of the reasons I switched to the patch for now as well. Good luck!

The patches work great for me. I apply them right after my morning shower in my midriff area. I recently added an iron patch. I was thinking about having plastic surgery and wanted to increase my iron levels before surgery. I became constipated after taking the iron patch. I now take a multi every day and the iron patch every other day. I take calcium and magnesium by pill in the morning and a b vit under my tongue. I also take a 50,000 vitamin D once a week. I had a dexa scan and my bones look great, but I am almost 60 years old, and bone loss is supposed to be a factor at age 65 so I want to be proactive.

I don't mind taking pills once a day, but I don't want to be taking them 4-6 times a day, it is too much trouble.