Vitamin choices?

Can everyone give me the best vitamins they have taken or are taking now? I was using the patch, but was looking to move onto regular or chewables. Would prefer something I would only have to take once a day. I have used the bariatric advantage as well, but was not a huge fan...

Thanks!

I am 3 weeks pre-surgery, but my mother had Gastric Bypass 2 years ago and uses Flinstones Complete. I take them also at the recommendation of my surgeon. The taste is as good as you can expect for a children's chewable... worth a shot. I think the "Complete" is a bit more expensive, about $13 a bottle at WalMart but worth it as you get a lot of them. We take 2 a day per doctor, but do what works for you! 

This is a small chewable I loved and you only needed one per day. The only reason I stopped was because the Doc said I could take less iron because I was post-menopausal. I used to buy on Amazon but it is coming up unavailable, but you can buy direct. They also make a capsule.

Bariatric Complete

I've used Centrum chewable and Centrum regular very consistently for 6 years. My labs are great and they are not expensive. 

There's a long standing debate on the use of Flintstones vitamins - the question of whether dosages are adequate for our needs, etc. 

My total list includes Centrum (2 a day), Citrical, B1, and B12 sublingual. I also take a probiotic and fish oil. 

The problem with taking something once a day is that your new stomach will only be able to absorb so much at once.  And iron competes with other vitamins so you have to take that separately no matter what.  Your calcium will only absorb a certain amount at a time so you have to take it 3x a day.  So you aren't really gonna find something complete that you can just take 1x a day, from what I have been told, that will definitely cover all your bases.  

French Vanilla flavored Multi from Bariatric Advantage -- this flavor was much better than the others I sampled from the same company.  

Both of my surgeons advised against children's vitamins and gummies since they do not have all of what we are looking for. Additionally, 2/day seems standard since we have the mal-absorption from the RNY.

In addition to the 2 multivitamins, here is what my surgeon recommends:

* 2x Adult Chewable Multivatmins. I use Centrum.  I personally have used Centrum Chewables as my standard. To me, it tastes the same as the Flinstones Vitamins did. Maybe a little less sweet.

* Calcium Citrate (5-600mg) 3x per day at least 2 hours apart. I haven't purchased mine yet!

* 29mg Iron (not within 2 hours of calcium and separate from Multivitamin). I haven't purchased mine yet!

* Vitamin D3 (Different than Vitamin D found in most Multi's). I take this as a tasteless sublingual drop.

* Vitamin B12. B12 has to be taken differently. My surgeon recommends sublingual tablet (dissolve under the tongue) or an injection every 3-4 weeks. Apparently they used to make a Nasal Spray but don't any longer too? Not sure on that one.  The B12 Sublingual that I have is a cherry flavor and not too bad either.

As it's been mentioned before, different surgeons seem to have different goals for vitamins for their patients. I think mine is on the heavy side of vitamin recommendations compared to some others.

Did your surgeon give you a post-op packet of your graduated food guide and recommendations for vitamin amounts?

My surgeon and dietitian recommended

2 x's a day centrum forte chewables for females over 50

1 dissolvable  B12

1 per week prescription of Vit D 50,000 units

2 chewable calcium per day

1 iron

Plus I take a tecta once per day

Have to schedule it all out...but works well for me.

I had week of Flinstones chewables w/iron, but couldn't hang with the taste and icky chalk left in my teeth and have now moved on to a Walgreen's multi with iron and it's been "great"!  it is the size of a very small aspirin which was big for me also as since surgery have had difficulties getting pills all the way down.

I am only 3 months post, but my labs came back good using my Dr recommended - Bariatric Fusion chewables, I take 4 a day, 2 in the am and 2 in the pm for proper absorbstion.  Few different flavors to choose from at bariatricfusion.com, but I get mine from my Dr's office  :-)