Between post-surgical lifetime vitamins and supplements, and prescription medication, I take 14-16 pills per day (depends on how many pain pills I have to take, and whether or not I need a sleeping pill). I realized very soon after surgery that it's just a fact of life, and I budgeted it in my finances because it's a forever thing. My labs are always good, so I'm never sorry for the expense as the alternatives I've read here for people who stop taking their vitamins and supplements is unthinkable.

I, too, got so tired of the daily/weekly pill container filling, so I opted for this system. I just have to sit down once a month and it's sooooo much better!

MedCenter 31 Day Pill Organizer

The 4 sections are big enough to hold large pills in addition to my calcium chews. It's a bit pricy but well worth it for a one--time spend.

I don't know how much you spend on vitamins, but after trying to be frugal and going through a lot of options, I ended up going back to my original that was recommended by my surgeon. They end up costing just about $16 per month, and I think well worth it.

Bariatric Once-A-Day Multivitamin 90 Ct Capsule-45mg Iron Made for Gastric Bypass Sleeve WLS Surgery

If you don't need additional supplements like I do (magnesium, probiotic, and maca powder for post-menopause issues), then it's very cost effective, in my opinion.

Hope you find this info helps. The amount of effort required to take the supplements is well worth peace of mind knowing you'll never suffer debilitating issues due to vitamin deficiencies.

Although you are still personally not in recovery, AA has made life much better for many people who do follow the 12 steps. They are still alcoholics. Alcoholism is not curable, just controllable.

Everyone in AA will die as an alcoholic. If they stay away from consuming alcohol, their lives will be much happier.

I really hesitate to post this .

I may get literally kicked off the site by a very judgmental clearly ninety year old censor who?s a close relative of the retired owner and founder of ObesityHelp, Eric .

I feel there is this huge prejudice here concerning alcohol and drugs .

As a result of preaching Nancy - Reagan like ... just say no ... don?t do it lol ... we?re basically turning off and turning away every young person coming here for help .

ObesityHelp isn?t a quilting bee . It isn?t a place to talk about your grandkids or your aging issues ... it?s for EVERYONE struggling with their weight .

MOST of ( the younger I guess though I know plenty of cocaine cowboys from the seventies and eighties and nineties ) us have tried to control our weight with coke and meth and maybe prescribed Adderall and antidepressants .

I feel we can?t talk about struggles freely here from this cult - like censorship.

I subjected myself to AA and OA for thirty years ... since I was under fifteen . I don?t believe in it . It?s a cult .

Bill W died an alcoholic because he plagiarized the writings of a thirteenth century Jewish physician to the Ottoman ( Arab) emperor (Maimonides ) who actually wrote the ? twelve steps? .

This twentieth century Harvard educated alcoholic assohole just copied them .... and justified and got away with it because of virulent anti Semitism .

When he was subsequently lionized for achievements that were clearly not his own years later he got and stayed drunk lol. Typical piece of **** alcoholic .

Please stop preaching that cultish nonsense here - especially pretending there?s no reasonable alternative.

You grandmas probably don?t like this but realistic facts are all people are doing much more drugs than EVER.

It?s a realistic part of happy overweight recovery that we can post HONESTLY without idiots getting on our case ( who are probably drinking and using THEMSELVES... maybe pain pills maybe prescribed but it?s all the same .

Please stop judging and start THINKING and HELPING (((())))) hugs

What you say White Dove is EXACTLY why I was terrified to get this lifesaving WLS.

I read ( here) that RNY ( and VSG ) patients have to diet for a lifetime..... not that I wasn't dieting ALREADY but why risk my life and longevity to basically get the same issues back a few years post op?

For me this nine year journey has been AMAZING.

I've attempted and succeeded at so many dreams that as a struggling-with- their weight and health person I just couldn't BEGIN to do .

i just wish I could bring the peace I feel around eating now to others ... the incredible joy of sharing healthy homemade meals with my family and friends ... the wonder of working with homegrown produce and eating in and enjoying that beautiful garden .

I think my WLS NORMALIZED me . I still have excess fat cells and aging issues .... I just had a well deserved reset . I'm SO happy I did it and SO GRATEFUL every single day :)

You say you take 12 medications a day. I assume they're not all vitamins?!! After my VSG I was advised to take a multivitamin, and they check my bloods yearly to see if I have any deficiencies. I'm 3 years out, and the multivitamin is still the only supplement I need -- and I'm vegan. I also took a PPI (these medications usually end in -zole) for the first two years.

I am not suggesting that you stop taking any of your vitamins, but you might discuss with your medical team if you really still need everything you're taking. If those 12 medications are all (or even mostly) vitamin or mineral supplements, and you don't have any malabsorption issues, that might be more than you need.