Surgery Date and a Vitamin Question!

That's a good point, I hadn't really considered that. 

Best decision of my life. I wish I would have done it sooner. Good luck and stick to OH. The information is priceless.

Robin

Thanks!

From what I have heard, it used to be common practice to recommend flinstones and tums, but we know better now. Some surgeons, however, have not updated their recommendations! Without proper supplementation, deficiencies are inevitable, and a quick internet search will turn up many stories of people who suffered horrible deficiencies due to improper supplementation. I hope your mother is getting her labs drawn once a year to make sure she has not developed any deficiencies. Here is what I take:

Morning: Synthroid and 1,000 mcg sublingual b-12

Early Afternoon: 500 mg calcium, b-complex, and 5,000 IU vitamin D3

Dinner: 500 mg calcium

Bedtime: 2 adult multivitamins that include iron

Thanks for the reply! She has been getting everything checked and thus far everything's normal. Hopefully it all stays that way. 

I hope so too. But I would check to make sure she is getting her parathyroid level tested just to be sure. If we don't take in enough calcium, our bodies will leach it from our bones, and our calcium level will continue to test normal. Checking parathyroid levels is so important because high levels indicate that our body is leaching calcium from our bones. There have been other people on here that were refused this test and subsequently developed osteoporosis, so I just wanted to make sure that you know about it. Look it up on Webmd if you want more info.

Thanks for the suggestion! I'll check into it. She has hypothyroidism, so I think she gets her PTH tested regularly, but I'll be sure to talk with her about it. 

I am very concerned that your Mother is only taking a Flinstone vitamin and a B12 shot.   Has she had routine labs?   Are any of her levels low?   Vitamin deficiencies can take years to manifest.  If she isn't getting her labs done  yearly, she really needs to.  I was taking my vitamins religiously up until a couple of years ago and while I had labs and was told they were within normal limits, two years ago I experienced a life changing event.  Needless to say, I forgot to take care of myself and I know have a major deficiency.   

Please do talk to your surgeon, find out what his recommendations are.   I am sure they will be the same as most other members here.  Calcium, Vitamin D, Iron, B12 and Multivitamin.  Don't take any chances with taking less vitamins that recommended for RNY patients as you will eventually experience problems like I did.  

My current vitamin regime is PatchMD.  

Two Multivitamin Patches a day (this is only for one month, then I go back to one a day) 

One Vitamin D with Calcium  ( I do take three additional 3000 IU of Vitamin D3 orally)

One B12

Congrats on your surgery date, ClaraLynn!!!!

Nik

Thanks Nik! She does have her panels done and everything's been fine so far; nothing has ever been low on any of her panels. Since her vitamin regimen has been much less strict than what I was reading about I just worry for her. I hope all goes well for you after dealing with vitamin deficiencies!  

Needs change too over time.  I started out with just a Centrum chewable (orange flavor was less disgusting than most), D3 and B12.  A few years later I had to add B1, iron, magnesium (citrate) and potassium... and my levels with the mag and potassium still barely hit normal much of the time.  

As added info, after rupturing my appendix and peritonitis a few weeks ago, I have been anemic and super low on mag and potassium yet again.  Health issues can change our needs too.

Oddly enough, never needed calcium.  Maybe it's because I have lived off cheese and cottage cheese for much of the time :)

Audrey