The Vitamin Adventure

I take 2 One A Day Women's 50+ Healthy Advantage vitamins each day because it contains no iron and is a great daily multi for WLS patients. You can find it on Amazon for $10 for a 100 count bottle.

In looking at those though, they aren't close to a lot of what is recommended for bariatric patients - even if you double the dose. Just for example (not limited to this though):

Recommended: B12 300-500 mcg, Vit D 3000 IU VitK 90-120mcg

Womens 50+ Healthy Advantage: B12 25 mcg, Vit D 1000 IU VitK 20 mcg

These are pretty huge gaps. Is your bloodwork still coming back good? I just keep reading that vitamins are one of the most important things we do as bariatric patients and I want to be sure that I don't have health issues related to vitamin deficiencies and malnutrition. I know a lot of people that are years out that are having these issues.

Yes, my blood work is great but like many WLS folks I also take more than just a multi. Post-gastric bypass patients don't absorb B12 in pill format well so sublingual or injection ones are better. My other supplements are heme iron, calcium citrate, magnesium glycinate, dry vitamin D, and B complex injection (every 3-4 weeks).

I stay away from bariatric marketed/branded vitamins as they are often more expensive and are not better quality (or contain the most absorbable ingredients) than regular vitamins.

I also took more than just a multi pre-WLS so having to do so now is no big deal.

Note that some medications and vitamins affect the absorption of each other so you will need to stagger when you take them to ensure you're getting the right dosages. The ones I take separately (2-4 hours apart) are thyroid prescriptions, PPIs, iron, calcium, and magnesium.

Thank you SO MUCH! This thread has been such an invaluable help to me! Your advice made me think a different way and that's a GOOD thing! I know this is a process, but I'm also a planner - so, I want to get my ducks in a row BEFORE this goes down so when I have to really concentrate on water and protein, I know I'm getting my vitamins in ok.

Thank you again!

B12 in pills - is practically useless for us -RNY. We need sublingual, or injections, or other form. Costco has great B12 sublingual - look for methycobalmin form.

Vit D3 - I take close to 10,000 per day in DRY form D3. That allow me to stay in 50-75 range. (My lab normal 30-80).

Dry form D3 - I use Biotech brand - 50,000 iu, and I take that 1 or 2 x a week. I can get a bottle of 100 caps for app $20 on Amazon. One bottle lasts me a year, or longer.

That keeps my D3 in a safe range.

I did get the sublingual B12 and some Calcium Citrate chews at GNC. The Vitamin D I have a prescription for... mine was literally 12 on my last bloodwork! And it's supposed to be like between 80-100, right?! Gah! So, I'm on the prescription dose for 6 weeks and then I'll go into maintenance mode taking the 10,000 per day like you. I'll look into the Biotech brand! I'm still using the Metagenics stuff and I learned yesterday that I'm spending too much! :-)

Thanks SO MUCH for all your input. This group is just invaluable!

Most of the Rx D is D2. And in oil base (that most of us post op don't absorb that well) And they want you to take 1 x 50,000 iu once a week.

Depends on units that labs works with - my goal is my D to be 50-75. (For normal levels 30-80) Unlees there is cancer history in your life or your family, I don't believe very high D (80-100) is needed or even healthy. But that's me. Some people disagree with me.

D helps us absorb calcium, but if our bones are good, and we don't take enough of other minerals or K2 to put calcium in bones - we may end up with too much absorbed calcium. If we absorb too much calcium than our body can't process into bones - we may end up with calcium deposits in our joins, tissues, organs or arteries.

Balance. We need balance things.

Read on K2 and bone health. Very important.

Fyi: I am not a doc nor do I have medical degree of any kind. My opinion is my own based on extensive research, reading, and trying to figure out what works best for me.

Heart problems are my family curse (among other things like obesity and diabetes! ) and there's been a lot of research and studies that say vitamin d deficiencies are a precursor to all things heart problem related. So, I just want to be sure i'm no longer DEFICIENT... 12 is baaaaaad.

I will absolutely read up on the K2 and bone health. I'm getting of that age where I need to start thinking of such things! You are awesome - thank you so much!