3.5 Years Out - Not Wanting to Take Vitamins

Along that theme, my wife buries some of her inconvenient supplements (like the calcium that you need to take apart from others, and itself,) in a smoothie that she makes and freezes to hide the large amount of potassium that she needs (not normally a DS thing, just her). It lets her have her "ice cream" to look forward to and it's easy to split into two servings so that all of her calcium can go into it and is still spaced out appropriately.

What specifically bothers you about taking the vitamins?

If you feel like you're going to gag when you take large pills, or taking large gulps of water is unpleasant for you, you might try taking multiple smaller pills, or buying vitamin patches.

Do you have to take multiple vitamins? Maybe you can spread some of them out over the day. Do you find all of them unpleasant? If it's only certain ones, you might try other brands or other forms.

If it's the hassle of going to the kitchen cabinet, opening multiple bottles, getting a glass of water, etc., you could streamline the process by getting a pill container that you populate once a week. But also consider the possibility that you're depressed. When depression hits, even little tasks can seem like an overwhelming burden.

Do you find the taste objectionable? There are a lot of different brands, I'm sure you can find something that tastes better.

I have severe osteoporosis at age 53 mainly due to getting acute myloid leukemia months after my ds but also because i went about a year where i did not take my calcium because it caused severe, wake me up at night, cramps in my legs feet and sometimes stomach.

My pth and calcium stayed normal which lulled me into thinking i was o****il i fractured my wrist is 2 places after a very gentle tumble in soft sugar sand.

I get a great sense of accomplishments like when i exercise from taking my vits.

I have a pill assembly line that i do every 2 months where i load 8 pill organizers so it's less of a daily habit and says me a ton.

Also, im convinced that my high normal d3, k1 k2 and k3 along with my high dose of curcumin have helped keep my leukemia in remission that is backed up by several studies conducted by MD Anderson.

Please take them

Blessings

Julie

Hey, so while some therapy might help here is my 2 cents.

Not interested just shows the wrong approach. The other comments are harsh because there have been people that died, it isn't some bogey man made up to make people take their supplements. It isn't just your teeth at risk but that is your business. People do all kinds of things they know will kill them, lured by the fact that it only happens in small increments.

Lets just talk about your approach. Is it necessary for you to get up every day or do you just do it? Is it necessary to get dressed or do you just do it. DO you eat every day even though you may not have to?

Vitamins are just that. Something you just do. I'm 6 years out, I have my vitamin schedule, I modify it as events in my day change but I never don't fini**** I put together two months of vitamins at a time. One vitamin sleeve per day. After the morning vitamins it goes in my pocket and I get reminders through the day of when my perfect dose time is, that gets changed through the day as often as not. if the first dose is an hour late than I know everything else gets pushed back an hour.

There are a lot of things you do even though you aren't interested ( taxes, work, laundry, cooking). Vitamins are just another task in your day not something you have to "look forward to" or "not be interested in". At least that works for me.

I do get a certain sense of satisfaction when my blood tests come back OK but it's not a day to day motivator, at least for me. I just built the task into my day. I did do it because I was unhealthy pre-op and I don't want to be that way again, to be dependent on other people to help me live. Not until I'm drooling uncontrollably on my death bed. :)

Not really sure this helps but something to consider.

Pete

Trying to stay positive so I won't tell you about the DS friend of mine who wound up in intensive care because of over a decade of no vitamins (that is correct, almost a decade). Permanent health problems because of it.

Sorry about that - it just came out.

Get yourself some weekly pill containers (I have three so I pull together three weeks worth of vitamins). I have small containers that I dump my pills in when I go to work - I take vitamins three times a day - before breakfast, lunch and dinner. I don't have to think about anything except taking them. It takes me about 15-20 minutes to sort all my vitamins for three weeks. I order most of my vitamins through Amazon (best place to get all the dry vitamins).

You never said anything about labs. Are you at least getting your labs checked? How have they been trending (you should get labs drawn at least once a year)?

Pete also had some good suggestions.

For me it's mostly the inconvenience of it. But I also think the lack of vitamins, and a few other parts of my life have lead me into a bit of a depression, so there's that too. Not that it's an excuse.

I might try the pill containers, that sounds like a good idea since I would really only need to "do anything" with them once-ish a month.

Someone asked about my labs, but they have been good up to this point, however the major portion of me not taking my vitamins has been since my 3 year visit in July of 2018. So it's been a while, and my anticipated result is that they are low now that we're in Feb of 2019. In fact if memory serves, some of the levels were a little low in that last run, but not enough to completely alarm my doctors.

Thank you for the ideas, stories, and support. Still working on being better at taking them.

First of all, it's very courageous to make a thread accepting one has erred. I am speaking as a pre-op, but one who has to live a very regimented life due to diabetes and other autoimmune issues. Depression isn't an excuse, but it also shouldn't be brushed off like it is, if that makes sense? As members said above, I think you should discuss this with a therapist and make the most of all resources at your disposal..even if they may be few..to handle the depression part. It's a very valid problem is well known to be a deterrent to self care, even with necessary stuff needed for survival. And the lack of vitamins definitely makes it worse.

Secondly, the kinds of burnout I understand well have to do with dietary restrictions such that stakes are very high for letting things slip. Similar to vitamins, the decline isn't immediate so people can get complacent. But when the decline begins, often when people think they're doing well despite not following treatment plans/dietary restrictions etc., it hits hard and fast. And it can be deadly. So that's how I see the vitamin intake thing as well.

I think a keen awareness of the consequences of not taking vites is a great motivator. But I also think the depression needs to be dealt with. I love the suggestions on how to organize vitamins and supplements, as it'd make the process less overwhelming. Another thing that motivates me with living the kind of strict lifestyle I have is focusing on the positives too, how nourishing it is for my body now that it isn't being ravaged by high BG levels, how much better we feel when we're doing the small things (which don't take more than a few minutes at a time) our bodies need from us, the energy and vitality we have to do things we want to do. Taking vitamins is a very small price to pay is how I frame issues like this. The daily inconveniences of my chronic conditions may be a PITA, but that's my body asking for the bare minimum from me, while it's keeping me alive and well...I can do that much for it. I try to see my body as a very dear friend and seek to reciprocate with commitment and kindness. This type of thinking may or may not help you, but it helps me have more patience with the daily inconvenience of managing chronic illnesses, which may translate to your inconvenience of taking vitamins.

Wishing you all the luck with getting back on track :). You can do it!

Pill organizers are critical. I know Amazon sells tons of them. I got my first ones at Target (and then added to them from Amazon). I take a lot of vitamins so I needed each individual container to be a little bigger. I take vitamins 3 times a day so finding organizers to accommodate everything took a while until I found what I liked.

I have a list of all the vitamins I take, how many I take, and when I take it. Then i set up an assembly line, filling the containers by vitamin until they're all done. After all these years I don't have to look at the list anymore. It's become habit, which is what it needs to become for you.

Hello mirobi10,

I won't beat you up, asking for help says to me you know how you are messing up. It took guts to post. I did a search for complications from not taking vitamins. Here is the link:

https://www.obesityhelp.com/search/?q=complications%20from%2 0not%20taking%20vitamins

ObesityHelp Community Tips: Vitamins After Weight Loss Surgery

Read what everyone has to say, even if they come across harsh. This is your life! Take it from someone that is 15 years out! I have seen posts after posts of members reporting horrific suffering from the results of not takin their vitamins. Did I mention death? I have seen members DIE from not taking their vitamins!

If you are like me, I hate swallowing so many pills. Try different things. Crush them if it won't compromise the absorption, see if liquid is an option or the patches. Talk to your surgeon and PCP and be honest that you are having a hard time being compliant and find a solution! Use what ever tools that will work for you. Apps, iPhone, alarms, pill organizers.... Your kids if you have them. Look at those faces and ask yourself if not wanting to take your pills is worth them living without their Mommy....

Please do what ever it takes to get back on track with your vitamins. WE are here to help

Take care,

Kathy

I can tell you from experience that you can screw yourself up. I had an rny about 15yrs ago. After a few years, I felt so robustly healthy that I stopped my calcium. It took me a while but my legs hurt, I wasn't able to walk comfortably. No one knew what it was and I didn't make the connection to my surgery. Dumb, dumb, dumb. I read a person on a forum who ended up with a walker and wheelchair.

I was shocked!!! You can bet I take my calcium and all my supplements religiously. I had the DS to get healthier and more active, not to cause terrible complications. In the 3 yrs since I converted from rny to DS I have not missed any doses.

Having said all the above, I don't want to pour my supplements in a pill dispenser for 2 wks at a time. I don't want to carry any of this stuff or have to take it when I'm out and about but believe me the pain, weakness and danger are very real and very quick. I'll will never do that sort of abuse to my body again.