Please give me some vitamin and calcium info

I am having surgery on March 9th and I need to get vitamins and calcium.  Would you all please give me some suggestions?  Is Oscal OK?  Why do we need calcium citrate when we don't have malabsorption?  Thanks for  your help.

Well, we need calcium b/c we're not taking in enough in the amount of food we eat. I'm not sure if you have to be liquid for 2 weeks after your surgery, but I found a wonderful multivitamin (liquid) that has EVERYTHING (calcium, minerals, anti-ox) called "Balanced Essentials". It's a liquid, is fruit punch flavored, and really doesn't taste bad. Found it at a Vitamin World store, they're a chain so they could be where you are. This weekend, I'll go back to the chewables that I got from my surgeon's office Celebrate Bariatric Vitamins.

I take Trader Joes Chewable multivitamin. $5.95, walmart brand chocolate chewable calcium $4.44, Sublingual Vitamin B(can't remember how much I paid) My nutritionist feels that this is adequate.

I didn't have a problem taking these even when I was on the post op liquid diet.

I also stocked up on both chewable tylenol and benadryl as I was allergic to the pain medication they prescribed me.

 
We all need calcium citrate because nobody, absolutely nobody absorbs calcium carbonate well. You are throwing dollars out the window each time you buy calcium carbonate.  Might as well not take it at all.  That kinda thinking.

You want to take it in 500mg doses.  Your body cannot absorb more than that at any given time so keep about 3-4 hours between doses. 

Usually 500mg twice daily is adequate if your diet is quality.  But... if you are on a PPI you need double the calcium because PPIs inhibit the absorption of calcium.

Don't take it within two hours of taking iron so if your multivitamin contains iron don't take it with your calcium.

I'm not big into B12, most of the population isn't short in B12.  I don't supplement at all with any B vitamins and my labs show 1200, up to 800 is therapeutic.

And finally, take a quality multi.  NOT CHILDREN'S chewables.  I don't care if you take a bottle a day you aren't going to get everything you need.  If you want an adult chewable you can take Centrum Adult Chewables, lots don't like them.  I think they are fine.  You don't need the fancy and expensive bariatric vitamins, they taste like ass anyway. ;o)  Just a quality adult vitamin preferably two times daily for all WLS folks.

I haven't answered this one in awhile so I hope I'm not missing anything.  Oh, other than no... Oscal is not okay.

Oh oh oh.. you do need Vit D.  5000 IUs daily.  Take it whenever you want.  Probably 95% of the US population is severely low in Vit D and very likely 100% of obese folks are very low.  Being low in Vit D causes SUGAR cravings.

Calcium Citrate is the way to go.  I like the chewables by Bariatric Advantage, but there are many varieties out there.. as long at it is citrate you're good to go.  I think Citrical makes a mini if you don't want to do chewables.

I went to chewables as after banding the big pills didn't like me.. even cutting them up and putting in yogurt or applesauce, they still hurt.  When I went to chewables the pain went away.  yahoo!!

BA also makes "chewy bites" of calcium that some people like.  Celebrate is another reputable bariatric vitamin company.  My doc just likes BA and I prefer their calcium.  YMMV.  And depending on your age, your calcium needs may be more than 1000mg.   My docs want me to take 1500.

The chewable centrum is tolerable.  Not the best in the world.. but I'm not taking it for taste.. lol.   At least I don't burp it back up.  The Centrum Silver chewable is better tasting, but it lacks iron and costs more.