OptiSource vitamins

I have been in Fl taking care of my mom since Jan 10. She had surgery and a nurse at the hosp. and I were talking about our bariatric surgeries...mine being the DS and hers, Roux en y.,

She takes OptiSource vitamins...they are large, tart tasting chewables, 4 times a day. That is it!
My question is this...it has the calcium in it. Now, I have been told that the vites and calcium should be taken a couple of hours apart since the calcium would be preferentially taken up, leaving the vitamins unused.

Any comments on this? I am taking a multi, 3000iu vit D, magnesium w/zinc (3 tabs at a clip...forgot the strength) and  fish oil TWICE A DAY. Also, calcium carb (2 tabs per dose...I think about 630 each, with vit d added) also twice a day. And still, osteoporosis. I did strontium for a while, but further research found that it doesnt really make new bone, just fuses bone to the strontium which causes brittleness to the point of causing fractures by merely walking down stairs. What to do??


So..anyone heard of or use the OptiSource??

Soapy

My doctor recommends the Optisource. Labs have been great.They were very tart at first but I've gotten used to them.  Much easier than taking so many other pills. They can be ordered on-line and/or Walgreens carries them. Often times you can get a $5 off coupon on-line.

Not enough for us. I'd still go with Vitalady's plans especially if you've already got osteoporosis.

--gina

www.gblcreations.com/Resources/Gina/ProgramDRNY_ERNY_BPDDS3- 2010.pdf

Thanks for this list!  I went and looked and it wouldn't be much more than I'm taking now(I take all types of suplaments to help lose weight)....I thought it would be so vitamins.  I could do this!

Well, first of all you are taking the WRONG Calcium!  You need to be taking Calcium Citrate.  We don't absorb the calcium carbonate at all.  Second, you are not taking enough vit D.  You need to be taking dry D3.  How have your labs been?  You say that you have osteoporosis, so what are your calcium, PTH and vit D numbers?  That will help us understand and answer your question better.  I take 2000mg calcium citrate per day and 100,000 iu of dry D3 per day....along with countless other things.  

I have RNY and my surgeon only recommended Optisource for the first month and still had us add extra calcium, extra iron, and B12. When RNYers continued to turn up anemic he quit recommending it altogether. Since you absorb even less than us, I don't think they are worth the money to you.

Hey lady how are you??

First of all, how in the name of God are you taking Calcium carbonate?

You need to be taking Citrate, and a LOT of it....I'm currently taking about 3,000 mg per day and I still struggle with my PTH being high.  I take 150,000mg of Dry D as well!!!!!!

When did you have labs last?  What did they look like.

Get thee to vitalady's site, and quickly.  Don't know anything about Optisource, but based on what you are saying - you aren't taking nearly enough or the right supplements for a DSer.  Fish oil will be going straight through you anyway.

Good luck with your mom. 

Sharon (formerly happycatbert)

Hi Ladies...MY BAD, I DO take citrate, not carbonate. And I do use a dry D3...but not nearly enough I suppose. I am taking 3000iu twice a day.
 

@Sharon....(hello, Honey!! HOw are you?) All Dr Peters told me was "multi-vit and calcium twice a day for the rest of your life". I didnt find out til 3 years later that you should not take them together.

So, to make sure I got enough, and absorbed better, I started taking the magnesium with chelated zinc AND the Dry D3 along with the multi, and the calcium about 2 hours later. Labs will be done in another 2 weeks. The fish oil is something I started taking, knowing it prolly is a waste, only because my mom and 2 of her sister have had strokes lately and my father died from one. If that doesnt make you wonder about your own future, esp. after smoking for 30 years, nothing will. BTW, I did quit 16 years ago. I figured, if I absorbed any of it, it will be helpful.

Anyway....looks like I need to get more D3 into me...are you taking K2, by any chance. Is that something we need? I heard that kicked around here a long while back.

I appreciate everone's feedback. I did pick up some optiSource when the nurse told me about them, but not being sure about them for DS, I have just popped one, midday to add to my regimen.

Thanks,

Soapy (Teri)

Soaplady-

I've been a caregiver for my Mom for a while, too so I understand what you must be going through.

First off, you're wasting your money taking fish oil for omega 3.  DSer's only absorb about 20% of all dietary fat, which means the oil caplets just slide right through to the toilet!  You absorb -zip- from them! 

All fat-soluble nutrients for DSer's must be in DRY, water soluble form.  Check out Vitalady, Lucky Vitamin, and Pro Health websites as sources for dry ADEK's and Omega 3's.

Second, Calcium citrate is the ONLY kind of calcium DSer's can absorb.  Even though I take over and above the recommended doses, I just had a parathyroid tumor scare, because my PTH was too high, and a DEXA scan showed signs of osteopenia - the first step toward osteoporosis.  Hopefully, Reclast will help the situation, along with my taking 3000 mg of Cal/Mag/D  in addition to 50,000 Dry D