Nascobol (B-12)

Does anyone take B-12? I was advised to take it weekly (I use Nascobol spray) after my surgery and have been using it ever since. I rarely hear it mentioned on this site. Just curious. Thanks!

it's really common for RNY'ers to take it. Not sure about VSG'ers, but at my clinic, they have all the patients on the same vitamin regimen regardless of surgery, so they do take B12. Not sure how widespread that is among VSG'ers, though.

I don't take B-12. My medical team told me to just take a multivitamin to start with, and if my labs indicated I needed anything else, we would make adjustments. Since I'm vegan, I fully expected to need B-12 at some point, but my last lab results showed that my B-12 was high! I believe that's because I occasionally add nutritional yeast to my food. My doctor told me that excess B vitamins aren't a problem, we simply excrete any excess.

The real test for this is what your labs say, either pre-op or after a few months post-op. The VSG itself doesn't induce the need for it as the bypass does, but some people will be naturally low in it (or other vitamins or minerals irrespective. Likewise, for those who do need to supplement it, the bypass doesn't absorb it well in the stomach, so other forms are used (sublingual, sprays, injections, etc.) while the VSG usually handle a pill just fine. As catwoman indicates, many practices put everyone on the same regimen to start, and then let things shake out as they may later on; other practices will have different starting regimens appropriate for each procedure.

Yes I have a monthly injection to keep my labs up.

Thank you everybody for responding! The labs really tell the story don't they? (I have been spending too much for the spray, so I think I will try another less expensive method).

If your labs say that you need it, you can try the pills as they are cheap - either B12 on its own or a B complex if that is appropriate. I was using a B complex for other things before surgery and was continuing it after and my B12 was always through the roof; I don't take it anymore and my B12 remains in the high end of the range.

I asked our RN about this once, given how many people here are on different B12 forms and she looked at me kinda funny and just said that of course you don't need it - you have a stomach!

LOL!!! I think I will try the pill form. (So much cheaper!)