PATCHMD multivitamin patch now has no calcium!l

I have been successfully using the PatchMD multivitamin patches for over 7 years now, having started taking them several years after I had my Roux-en-Y (in 2007). I discovered yesterday that sometime in the last year or so ? I don?t know exactly when, as I have not yet received a response from them ? they removed the 1500 mg of calcium citrate (which was 115% of the USRDA) and replaced it with 3mg (yes, THREE measly milligrams, which is less than .25% (yes, less than one-quarter of one percent) of the US RDA)! Why bother?!? (Answer: so they can SAY it has calcium.)

There was no warning to existing customers that they were going to make this major change. The vitamin content on the back of the package is now so small that I had to get a magnifying glass out to read it? I know it sounds melodramatic, but as someone who already has spinal stenosis and some general bone loss, and was one of their early customers, it feels like a betrayal from a company whose original customer base was largely bariatric surgery patients. I fear what my DEXA scan will show after taking no calcium supplements for probably a full year!

Also, be aware that their Vit D3/Calcium patch (included in their ?bariatric? bundles) also has a very insignificant amount of calcium. You would still need to take several doses of calcium each day while using both this patch AND the multivitamin patch.

I have cancelled my recurring subscription with them (if I have to take 3-4 doses of calcium per day, I might as well also go back to taking a chewable multi), but I wanted to make sure other people are aware and don?t get caught as I did.

If you were unaware of this change, as I was, you might want to contact them and complain. Even if you are a new customer, you might want to complain that they are presenting their ?bariatric? bundles as complete supplementation without anything close to the calcium that gastric bypass or DS patients need.

Lora

p.s. I cannot remember how to add photos, but I do have a picture of the back of the package.

i don't think it ever had the calcium it claimed it had. If it did, the patches would have been much thicker and much heavier.

I think finally someone called them on the BS or filled a law suit. Just take the old patch - add in grams all what they claimed is in the patch and see what you would come up with. its a few grams worth of stuff. One patch shoudl be much heavier than that considering the fabric and adhesive.

The patch may have worked for some people, even with the very small real amount in the patch because of the delivery.

Thanks for the info.

It's great to see some vets on here.

I wondered about whether the original amount was accurate, especially after the "BS", completely nonsensical canned response the Chat person gave me when I asked why it had been changed. (I wish I had taken a screen shot of it.)

I had done very well with the patches, with good labs (iron being it's own separate issue), but haven't had a DEXA scan in three years (another casualty of COVID las year).

Back to the calcium chews, I guess...

I wonder if it is because calcium can inhibit iron absorption. But I didn't really look at the ingredients of that or their non-iron multi vitamin so I couldn't say for sure....

And the patch may have a different interaction anyway, something that doesn't allow the iron and calcium to compete for the same receptors.... but it was just a random thought.

Audrey