Vitamins

Are Flintstones chewable vitamins alright to take? I keep seeing that they are.

They're formulated for kids and are missing a few things adults need. I take 2 One A Day 55+ because it doesn't have iron and supplement iron separately. You don't need chewable vitamins--if they're too big at first, cut them in half. I get the giant size bottle at Costco when they're on sale.

Jen

• Thanks for responding but my surgeon's office doesn't recommend us taking swalloble/pill vitamins for at least 4 weeks after surgery and I'm only Pre-Op right now. Surgery is tommorow. I already have the chewable bariatric calcium with vitamin D3 included and I take a chewable iron supplements because of menstruation. Honestly I prefer chewables because they taste better and I'll look forward to taking them during the day than a hard pill which I'm usually hesitant about taking.

Sounds like your mind is made up so any feedback/guidance from veterans (or other members) is not going to matter.

Most bariatric programs I'm aware of do NOT recommend children's vitamins post-op.

MarinaGirl - you ROCK, love your response!!

If you're on restriction, then do the chewables for short term, but don't rely on them long-term. I don't find the One A Days burdensome--they just go right down--but I was doing a magnesium that was awful, so I get you on that.

Re: the chewable calcium--make sure it has magnesium with it. If it doesn't then you'll want to supplement magnesium separately. I took the yummy Bariatric Advantage calcium candy chewables and started getting leg cramps about 3 years later because I wan't getting enough magnesium (the softener) to balance the calcium (the hardener). Let me tell you, leg cramps are no laughing matter, especially when your leg cramps up when you're driving down a mountainside and you can't lower your driving foot. I started taking Magnesium Glycinate and I feel like it's helping, but it's early yet, so we'll see. I do know that bedtime leg cramps have reduced.

It's definitely important to find vitamins you like so you'll keep taking them. A lot of times vitamin deficiencies don't show up until it's almost too late. Compare the Flintstones chewables with adult vitamins and I bet you'll see several things missing. I think most of us take some variety of Centrum or One A Day. Look into liquid vitamins as well, but also be aware that some vitamins, like B12, are of no benefit to WLS patients because we no longer have the Intrinsic Factor to process that vitamin through the gut, so we need to do sublingual or a shot.

Good luck!

Jen

Centrum makes a chewable. Bonus: it's made for adults.

I took Centrum 50+ chewable (or the generic equivalent) for the first few months and then switched over to regular tablets (also Centrum or generic equivalent). They have more of what we need than flintstones. Some surgeons still recommend flintstones, but I don't think they've kept up with current research. The ASBMS does not recommend children's vitamins.

You need more vitamins that Flintstones can give. I see them too but wouldn't recommend. I take Solaray twice daily high energy vitamins which have similar amounts of vitamins as typical bariatric vitamins. Not sure where you are from surgery so you might need chewables. Whichever ones you take, you will have to take a bunch to equal what you'd get in a bariatric vitamin formulated for bariatric patients. In the end, you may not spend any less than if you just got bariatric vitamins. Whichever vitamin you pick, should be without iron which needs to be taken separately from calcium. Calcium will prevent iron absorption or vice versa. You should also be sure that your iron has vitamin C included or take vitamin c with the iron. Vitamin C helps the iron absorption and iron is often malabsorbed in RNY patients. And then B12 should be taken also. Personally, if you are less than a year out, I'd stick with bariatric vitamins specifically formulated for bariatric patients. I didn't switch over to solaray until then and it has the equivalent amounts of vitamins as celebrate vitamins.

Im 4 years out and I still take Flintstones..my surgeon said they were good. I also take Ferrous Sulfate (prescribed) and then on my own, a Magnesium, Vitamin C and every other day a Potassium pill. Maybe I could get them in one pill as others state, but Im so used to it now and my labs are always spot on, I will stick with it.

...and of course my B12 and Calcium Citrate.