Vitamins/Supplements

I'm sure some of you have had this problem and can shed some light on it. My surgeon wants me taking 4 Optisource multivitamins a day. They're the orange flavored chewables. The things really make me gag and give me that "up to the top of the throat" feeling. Trying to get them down along with 40 -50 grams of protein from unjury and drink at least 48 oz of water/etc. plus other food stuffs like yogurt, an egg, etc.  Its getting overwhelming to say the least. My last day of pureed foods was yesterday. I go for my post op with the surgeon tomorrow. I'm beginning to wonder if he didn't make my pouch too small . Does it stretch? How do you get all the vitamins and protein in that you're supposed to? Thanks guys, Don

Don, It does get better.  Your body needs to adjust to your new intake levels.  Give it some time.  You do not want to stretch your pouch, then the weight can return.  I have to supplement my protein daily with over the counter products, such as New whey liquid protein.  That is a ton of vitamins to take daily.  I only take one vitamin because I had the VSG procedure.  Ask you Doc about childrens chewables.  They are not that bad. Good luck, Kent 357/281/189

Hi Don,  Hang in there it will get better. At less than two weeks you are most likely still swolen. The swelling will go down and it will stretch in time. When I was at the same stage you are at now I had a hard time getting it all in. Like I said before it will get easier. It sounds like you are at the oh so familiar "what the hell did I do" stage. The first few weeks are the toughest. What ever you I wouldn't pu**** right now. Some of it you have to work up to. Remember you are still healing. I take the Optisource as well. I eat  a bite or two  then take a vitamin and then finish eating. That way I don't have the after taste. I mainly notice an after taste when I drink something after taking the vitamin. When I do it the afore mentioned way it helps with that.  pan head

Don, I struggled with chewables too and got through having a stricture.at the 2 month mark (found and stretched with an endoscopy).   Walgreens (and I'm sure other brands too) make a very small multi-vitamin called,...(get this) Multiple Vitamins with Iron (sodium and lactose free), 18 mg iron. It is 3/8 of an inch, round, orange pill.   I take two in the morning and two in the afternoon because I have a problem with low iron.  I also have been recommended to take my iron with OJ because the vitamin C helps the iron to absorb into my blood easier.  These are a lot easier to take than the horsepill vitamins I was breaking in half or even cutting into thirds to try to swallow early on or the nasty taste of the Finstone chewables I tried next.   At your point I was having to take one and two pills per swallow of the 8 I had to take each morning or they'd get stuck and take an hour to go down sometimes.  At 7 months, I can take them all at one time,... with two swallows of liquid,..at the same time,....darn near a gulp of liquid.  Scary stuff isn't it??   You'll get thru this.  The chewable (and childrens) vitamins were a  nasty tasting option to me.  Hope I can help you avoid it.   Good luck.  Do whatever works for you. Joe

Oh, yeah you're eventually able to eat more. Right now, you're still swollen, unhealed and the pouch is not yet able to function as it should. Don't know what to tell you about the vitamins. I take Optisource and love them, (but I sometimes swallow powdered amino acids as a form of recreation!). They're probably some of the best tasting ones out there. If you're unable to drink protein supps on an empty stomach (liquids generally go straight through), you should call your doctor. They defintitely won't go down if you've had any solid food within the last hour or so. Have a protein shake right when you wake up, for sure...first thing. Then, eat. then, three hours later...another shake.

Or...you could follow the path of the cyborg and just have protein shakes breakfast and lunch and one again before dinner - THEN, eat some fruit, salad or whatever normal food you feel you need for dinner. That's how I went plateauless until goal.

This is a special time in your life. You'll never be here again, take advantage of that!

Good Luck,

Dave

So, that's what I am now...a cyborg! I knew it was something like that. I usually drink most of my meals each day. Usually it's breakfast or lunch that get the real-food treatment. Working well for me so far.

carrtje,

So you're one of the inhuman ones, too? I think CB did the same and I was one, too. I mean, you only get WLS once (usually), might as well raise some kick a$$ and take names!

Dave

Don, I’m just chiming in with the- "You’re still swollen!" replies. IT DOES GET MUCH EASIER!!! I started with chewable Vitamins then graduated to bigger, more complete Vits. I use "Fortify." Like Centrum Completes, not intended to be chewed, but I chomp them just the same. Hey, it’s just vitamins! I don’t take ‘em for the taste! J coming up on year 4 here, no mal-nutrition problems, at goal for right at three years. It gets Much Easier. Use the first 6 months to set your new eating habits, and the rest is a walk in the park. Best Wishes- Dx

Dx,

You chew non-chewable vitamins? I can't beat that. You've out-machoed me! Yuuuck!

Dave

Don, That sounds like a lot of vitamins.  My surgeon told me to use Flintstone complete chewables -- 2 a day and a sublingual liquid B12 complex supplement once a day.  I had to take iron for a few weeks but then he stopped that. I would ask about other chewables if the Optisource are making you gag. Rich