Article about Bariatric vitamins.

Greeting everyone. I read the article a doctor wrote about the quality of Bariatric vitamins that are sold. It was on the main page on this site. I've stopped taking the Flintstones Complete and now am taking Celebrate Vitamins. They are local and their company is about an hour or so away from me. I initially purchased their $3.00 sample box. In the box was a sample of all their vitamins including portions of their shakes. I am pleased with the taste and ease of use of their products. 

I know there are several brands of Bariatric vitamins being sold. I need simple chewable vitamins to take. Once I start back to work I need to get into a quick routine. 

I called them up and spoke to a CS rep there. She advised me on what products that are made for RNY patients. I'm starting off with the multivitamin and the Iron 18 with Vit C. I already purchased the Calcium Plus 500 at my doctors office. Before RNY    I was taking Vitamin D 50,000 once per week. I soon will restart the D. 

So how do you all determine which vitamin company to try? 

 

Having had surgery in 2001 my surgeon originally told me to take Flintstones and I would be fine, but we know now, that is not the case.   After years of buying and trying different brands.  Finding that some just tasted horrible and I dreaded taking them daily.  I decided to give the Vitamin Patches a try and absolutely love them.  I am extremely happy with them, as I developed a vit def in 2013 and now my labs are going back up, steadily.   

The patches are also great for convenience.  You do not to have to worry about Calcium interfering with your Iron.  Nor, do you have to worry about Iron pills causing constipation (something I dreaded for years)   I put my Iron, B12 and Glucosamine on in the morning and my Multi and Calcium D3 at night before bed and I doubt I will ever go back to pills, again.    I 

For each person this is a very important decision and one that many do with much research and review before purchasing, but for me it has been my second best decision with having RNY as the first. 

Much luck to you. 

Nik

 

For me price has a lot of influence. Bariatric vitamins are usually more expensive then if you buy regular and take an appropriate dose for your surgery. I get most of my vitamins on amazon. I tried the patches, but they didn't work for me. 

I do worry about price. I'm not wealthy. I want to see how I do on Celebrate before I make any changes. I'll see after my first round of blood tests. I am curious about the patches, though. 

I went with Bariatric Advantage as they had the mg amounts that my doctor recommended.  I looked at Celebrate since they are an Ohio company but I would have had to buy an additional vitamin from them that I was able to eliminate with the other.  

I am ready for post surgery and I hope that I like them after.

 

 

I was told to buy "bariatric" vitamins...at my 6 month labs...I was trending down in EVERYTHING! Bariatric vits are a waste of money. They just don't have enough nutrients for people that have malabsorbtion. At least not for DSers.

At that time I met Vitalady, she directed me to take her regime...she did not tell me I had to buy my vits from her...you can get dry ADEK from biotech...but hers are cheaper. I buy my A, D, E, Ks, and Iron from her and everything else I get at walmart (Calcium, B complex, B-12, Melatonin, protein shakes)) ....except multi which i get at The Vitamin Shoppe ( I found that a good quality multi makes a difference) and K2 which I get on Amazon. It sounds like a lot but it's so much cheaper this way and you get so much more for your money!

I've had good labs for 10 years.

I hesitate to talk about brands of vitamins -- because I never want to seem like I am doing product placement or something.

I will say that I have used Celebrate brand vitamins almost exclusively since surgery -- and my numbers are exceptional.  When I say they are good -- it isn't that I get labs and the doctor says, "looks fine" and I go on my way --- I mean that I have charted and kept track of all my actual numbers over the last two years and my they are way above average.  My B12 and D are optimal (which is higher than most lab scales) and my DEXA scan shows NO bone loss --- even after a 200+ lbs weight loss.

The only exception is my iron levels -- which fell dramatically and were unable to be maintained by supplement after massive hernia repairs with a lot of blood loss.  Coupled with continuing menstrual cycles, my body couldn't recover.  I had to have an infusion to get that back on track.  However, I have maintained my levels since then using a patch and their chewable iron (65).  

I have nothing but positive experience with Celebrate vitamins.

 

I wanted to go the celebrate route, but there's something in them that makes me sneeze! It took me a week to make the connection haha. I've only had that reaction to one other brand of multi. I'm assuming it's a binding ingredient, or preservative. But it was both hilarious and disappointing. Glad they work for you!

I didn't like the taste of the tart cherry. I like the chewy vitamin squares. Some are sugar free. I think my pratice's protocal is blood test at six months. I'll need to check. I am wondering if 18mg per day for a post-menopausal woman is enough. 

You can only be sure by following labs, closely, over a long period of time. But I know people who take ten times as much, and it's still not enough.