Do not understand vitamin supplements
I don't take an antacid, so that's one less thing to worry about for me. I'll bear the real lemonade tip in mind, depending on how my next set of labs are (they're due very soon, so I'm not about to change much at this point until after them).
Lowish BMI? See Lightweights Board! Lightweight Creed For more on DS see www.DSfacts.com
If you don't have peace, it isn't because someone took it from you; you gave it away. You cannot always control what happens to you, but you can control what happens in you John C Maxwell 
Sleeve 2010 Dr López Corvala, Mexico. DS 2012 Dr Himpens, Belgium
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my DS 
We DO absorb food---just not all of it. Same thing with vitamins---we absorb a per centage of what we get in food, and a per centage of what we take as vitamins. Remember, your vitamins need to be spread out over several doses per day. So, if you absorb, let's say, 25% of a particular vitamin you take, and you take it four times a day---then you're getting 100% of what you need.
Your observation about vitamin pills coming out in stool is sometimes true particularly in the elderly and is seen often in nursing homes. People take the wrong vitamins all the time. And most of us don't need B shots. We still absorb B's just fine because we have a true stomach, not a pouch.
Want to know if your vitamins will dissolve in your stomach? The stomach is an acid environment, sulfuric to be exact. Most of us don't have sulfuric acid laying about so get some double strength acetic acid(vinegar). Pour out a glass and put a dose of your vitamins in it and let it sit for an hour. The pills should be dissolved or almost dissolved. There will be remains in the bottom of the glass and that's OK. The pill itself is gone. You can check your B absorbtion too by taking a large dose and checking to see if your urine is very bright yellow.
Our digestive systems are quite efficient. Does your food look the same coming out as it did going in? As long as it looks digested, it's probably safe to assume your vites are dissolving properly. There are medications, Cardizem for one, where they imbed the dose in a waxy mesh that is supposed to pass through your system undigested. People often notice the red remains of the pill and assume they are not absorbing the medication.
There's no doubt there are bad vitamins out there and the whole industry gets a bad rap from a few unscrupulous manufacturers peddling the super pill of the day. But supplements are needed by DSers. That is real. Most of us have heard about or seen the results of failing to supplement properly and it's not pretty.
You are lucky because you are male. For some reason men seldom wind up with severe deficiencies. I've been reading and learning about the DS for more than 10 years and it's very rare to find a man with problems. This is anecdotal and I have no scientific evidence to back it up but it sure seems true to me.
The DS is not a 'cheap' surgery. Really none of them are inexpensive. We need lots of protein and we don't eat lots of budget friendly foods like bread and pasta. Read up on Atkins induction diet. That's pretty much how we eat. Low carb, high fat and protein. Supplements are not cheap either. I buy in bulk when there is a good sale. I am a good shopper and I spend less than lots of others. It can be done if you work at it.
Change is hard and it's always easier to remain the same. I rationalized for years and found every reason in the book to stay fat. I was scared. But then the day came when I was more scared to stay fat than have the surgery. I finally figured out I wasn't going to live to see my old age if I didn't change something. That's when I was ready to have surgery. More than 10 years later, my only regret is that I didn't do it a lot sooner. Living with the DS is a cakewalk compared to going through life as a heavy person.
Best of luck to you!
Change is hard and it's always easier to remain the same. I rationalized for years and found every reason in the book to stay fat. I was scared. But then the day came when I was more scared to stay fat than have the surgery. I finally figured out I wasn't going to live to see my old age if I didn't change something. That's when I was ready to have surgery. More than 10 years later, my only regret is that I didn't do it a lot sooner. Living with the DS is a cakewalk compared to going through life as a heavy person.
Patty, so well said! That was me, too.
