Sorry Double Oh I am going to steal your post for a second and piggyback on it. Because Middle Man did a similar post on the Main board I think it was and it stirred up some controversy.

Lets talk vitamins people. A lot of people have differing opinions about taking Flinstones COMPLETE vitamins. Yeah I buy them for my child and thought as well that they were just for kids. Until I read the nutritional information on the back. I stood in Target texting Hershey Dream what is the deal with vitamins. I looked at the Flinstones COMPLETE and they had the same nutritional information as the Centrums, The Woman's one a day etc.. and in some instances a higher nutritional value. So why shouldn't I pop a Flinstones chewable if its just as good for me.

Here is what I found on a bariatric website. http://www.bariatricsurgerypittsburgh.com/process/vitamin_li st.html

Vitamin List It is important that you take vitamin supplements every day for the rest of your life after having a gastric bypass. The key vitamins that are necessary include vitamin B12, iron, and calcium. We recommend that you take a multivitamin, plus extra calcium, iron, and B12 supplements. This is because most multivitamins do not have sufficient calcium, iron, or B12, and because you will have decreased absorption of these substances after a gastric bypass. Start all vitamins within the first few weeks after surgery.

Multivitamin/mineral supplement, twice daily with food.  Chewable supplements are necessary for the first two to three months after surgery because you cannot swallow large pills (bigger than an aspirin) and they are easier to digest and absorb.  Choose one of the following:

• Flintstone’s Complete
• Centrum Chewables
  A few months after surgery, or when you feel you are able to swallow large pills (bigger than an aspirin), you may switch to non-chewable supplements if you would like to.  Choose one of the following:
• • One-A-Day Maximum
  • One-A-Day Today
  • Centrum Performance
  • Centrum with lycopene
  • Centrum Carb Assist

Any thoughts BAF???

My doc told me two multis a day.  I take B complex and Omega

and have been adding Calcium citrate later on the day...... ~cuts eyes at KimB, Cookie AND QT~

My blood work has never been off - so I don't feel as though I need to take anything else.

good topic!

I say instead of taking everything under the kitchen sink, take what your surgeon reccomends then tweak when you get your labs back. You might have to add things most others with the same surgery don't. It's too individual to have a blanket list of what HAS to be taken.

The Flintstones (if you choose to use them instead of the bariatric vitamins your dr suggests) are for the first few months after surgery; so that your pouch can heal.  They do not contain all of the vitamins we need for malabsorption.  You will need a multivitamin, b12, calcium citrate; maybe an iron.  But again; it's up to you and your pocket book and what you can afford if you choose to not use the bariatric vitamin. 

BTW, your dr will give you a listing of vitamins you can take; if you want my list I have it; but it may have been updated since I had it almost 3 years ago. 

ETA:  You will have to take 2-4 Flintstones per day.

Remember we talked about Vitamins a couple months ago?  You laughed when I told you I was taking those Flinstone joints.  I was told by my PCP to take them and I'm sure I will get the vitamin rundown during my consult next week.

My only concern with Flintstone vitamins and actually any vitamin that is made for a "normal" person is  geared towards a regular weight person meaning that the required vitamins to fuel a 150 pound person is different than a 250 pound person and this is a person that hasn't had WLS. 

Once you have WLS the playing field is completely changed and it doesn't matter if you have a malabsorptive surgery or otherwise.  I developed anemia and many bandsters swore it wasn't possible because my intestines weren't cut and re-routed.  I was eating considerably less and still struggle with getting veggies/fruit in after eating my required protien.  I now have to supplement iron and am thankful I didn't have to do infusions which were a likely possibility at one point.

Just my 2 cents. 

Good mornin!!

I am a Vitamin Shoppe ***** I love that store. I was happy to find one when I went to Las Vegas and was running low on protein items. Mines are Vitamin Shoppe Brand. I love my children's sour gummy worm multi vitamins Anyhoo, this what I take on a daily basis.

1 Sour Gummy Worm Multi Vitamins(childrens-I luv these)
1 dropper of liquid raspberry b-12
1 b-1 capsule
1 potassium capsule (vital bcuz of my exercise routine)
2 caramel chewable calcium squares
1 gentle iron capsule (2 x per week)
1 biotin capsule
1 glucosamine capsule (for my joints-I'm a runner, so I really need it)
1 dropper of liquid CoQ10 (2-3 x per wk, I 4get sometimes 2 take it)

"2 caramel chewable calcium squares"

Hey Lady!

I love Vitamin Shoppe also. But I made a HUGE mistake when I went in and wanted to change to a better tasting calcium. I purchased the caramel squares that taste just like tootsie rolls. Well, I found out about a month later that they are the WRONG ones. We should be taking citrate...the squares are actually carbonate. If you have the citrates, please let me know the item number. I had to go back to chewing on my yucky ones.

Hey yourself Fellow Vitamin Shoppe Sistah

I feel you on those yucky Citates you're stomaching. I been there and done that. I have done so much research on trying to find a calicium citrate chewable that's like jelly beans or starburst candy. I think I might have, but I need to double check to make sure b4 I post it and get peeps hopes up. In the meantime, I have/had been adding a 3rd chewable calcium caramel square (1500mg). I think I will add a 2nd childrens gummy worms multi, but I'll be dayuuum if I give up my tasty lil treats. lol! Will keep ya updated.

Hugs!

~Catt~

I would advise anyone against taking children's vitamins. Many take them initially after surgery because of the size of their pouch and the fact that it is healing up. Keep in mind that they are formulated for children and likely do not contain the same amounts of vitamins and minerals. I take a women's multivit twice a day in addition to my other supplementation. There are also people I have read about on OH *****lied on those for way longer than they should have and came up on serious deficiencies because of it. Run far far away from the Flinstones. LOL