Do Vitamins Cause Dry Mouth?

I been waking up during the night with an awful case of dry mouth on a pretty regular basis. I did some research and think there may be a link to having too much calcium each day. I had the DS SADi last November and generally I only take 2 calcium pills, which I think I need so I'm not sure that it would be a good idea to stop. My blood work at 6 months was fine so I'm not sure if there is a valid connection.

Has anyone else experienced this issue?

With only 2 calciums a day, it's probably not that. We do get dehydrated more quickly than the average bear since our stomachs and innards are reduced and rerouted. Take care.

--gina

Thanks, I didn't realize WLS would include higher levels of dehydration. I figured with the 64 oz of water, there wouldn't be an issue but apparently not so.

You do have to see what the correct level of hydration is for you. Sometimes 64 oz works well and it is a great goal immediately post-op but over time you may benefit from a higher level. I don't think it's a DS requirement to go higher for a normal day. Just like anyone else heat and exercise wil increase our need for water. 

At 2+ years I shoot for between 80 and 100 oz but I haven't ever felt dehydrated when my schedul keeps me around 64. 

At only 6 months out, you are still using your pre-op store of vitamins.

And you need to look at three values. Your calcium, your vitamin D, AND your PTH. IF your D is low normal or even mid normal and your PTH is high, your body is protecting itself.

http://www.parathyroid.com/hyperparathyroidism-diagnosis.htm

"High Parathyroid Hormone Levels in Patients with Intestinal Absorption Problems, Such as:
Gastric Bypass Surgery, and Celiac Sprue, and Crohn's Disease.
There is a growing group of patients who have dramatic life-long problems absorbing calcium in their diet. These patients are now illustrated on our graph in the purple area. These patients have a problem with their intestines that prevent them from absorbing calcium well. Since they don't (can't) absorb calcium from their diet, their NORMAL parathyroid glands will do what they are supposed to do... maintain a proper calcium level in the blood. There is only one thing these normal parathyroid glands can do... all four glands enlarge and produce lots of PTH which removes calcium from the bones--its the only place to get the calcium. The blood calcium is therefore maintained appropriately in the normal range (usually low normal between 8.2 and 9.2, but can be as low as 7.0) at the expense of taking calcium out of the bones. Thus these patients have very significant osteoporosis, high PTH levels, low normal calcium and high alkaline-phosphatase (shows increased bone destruction). These patients do NOT need their parathyroid glands removed. They have developed a total-body calcium deficit due to a longstanding inability to absorb calcium through their intestines.

The most common people in this purple group are 1) those who have had gastric bypass surgery for weight loss, 2) those with Celiac Sprue, 3) those with Crohn's disease, and 4) those who have had a significant part of their intestines surgically removed. Patients who have had gastric bypass surgery will eat food which then is routed around most of their stomach and the first part of their intestines (thus the term 'bypass'). Virtually 100% of these patients will have malabsorption of calcium. Thus, all patients who undergo gastric bypass for weight loss must be taking calcium and vitamin D every day or they will develop a total body calcium deficit which leads to overproduction of PTH by normal parathyroid glands leading to severe osteoporosis and the problems described here. Do NOT remove these NORMAL functioning parathyroid glands even though they are making lots of PTH... they are doing so appropriately. The treatment for these patients is to fix their calcium deficit by giving them daily calcium and Vit D pills..."

Now, it says gastric bypass but THIS applies to DS and the SADI/LoopDS/SIPS as well.

As far as dry mouth...it can be caused by any number of things... http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/dental-health-dry-mou th

Thanks, I had never heard of PTH before.

Your calcium needs with SADI would be the same as for the DS, which means that 2 pills/day are not nearly enough. I'm glad someone else already posted the stuff about PTH so I don't have to, but this level should be checked along with your calcium level. It's very easy to think you are supplementing enough calcium when in fact your body is stealing calcium from your bones to keep your serum calcium level in the safe range.

    I hope you are taking calcium citrate and not calcium carbonate, which is not as well absorbed. Also, check the dose on those pills. Calcium citrate is a large molecule so the pills are BIG but often only contain 250 mg each, and a dose is 500 mg. So you may be short changing yourself even more than is apparent. Most of us need to take 2000 mg calcium/day to keep that PTH level normal. It should be taken in divided doses of at most 500 mg at a time as more won't be absorbed.

Also, how is your vitamin D level? You might not have as much trouble with D levels as someone with a DS, but you won't know unless you have it checked routinely, esp since many people with no bariatric surgery are deficient in D and don't even know it. Without enough D on board you won't absorb calcium well and again will steal it from your bones.

I doubt that any of this has anything to do with your dry mouth. I don't know of any vitamin deficiencies that your surgery would cause that  would do this. I suspect just not quite enough fluids on board. Simple things are simple.

Thanks, you're probably right about the fluids needing to be increased.

The calcium citrate I take is 2 pills for 630 mg each day which is what the Dr recommended after surgery. I had blood work at 6 months without any issues or deficiency showing up. I will being getting it done again soon but I feel good, other than the dry mouth at night.

I would be blaming dehydration before calcium.  I've known of many who wake up in the night just to get a drink and keep hydrated to prevent morning nausea.