calcium/multivits

At nearly three weeks out I'm wondering when and what I'll be able to take for lifelong maintainance. Currently I'm taking Tums and Flintstones. The Flintstones are my third chewables I've tried and even they're getting too too tangy sweet for me. I take them because I have to. Thankfully I have kids so the ones I don't take aren't wasted! Also the tums are calcium carbonate and I know we need calcium citrate. What kind do you take? Does anyone take citracal capsules? I go tomorrow for my two week check(surgeon couldn't see me last week). So I'll be aasking him the same questions. I respect him thoroughly as a surgeon but he is not a bariatric doctor, and does not have a bariatric program. IN fact the majority of my follow up and post op care will end up being with my pcp. So I appreciate any knowledge I gain from those under good programs or that just know! Thanks for al lyour help! I appreciate this board and all the good people on it so much! Kirsten

Hey, Kirsten! We take Centrum Silver Chewables. Many markets have them, WalMart, etc... but Big Lots had a great price of $7.00 for 120. We each go through 2 a day so that works out great for us. They aren't too sweet. Much milder than the childrens types. We used Twinlabs Calcium Citrate Wafers early on. They were a bit tart and chalky but Rich and I both liked 'em. Now we use Citracal D Petites. They are pills but are smaller than the usual calcium horsepills. 2 have 400 mg of calcium. So I have to take 'em 4 times a day - right now I'm taking 1600 mg a day per my doc. Rich also tried some capsules (not caplets) - I think one brand was Twinlabs. He found that they tended to get stuck and he only did well if he took them with something warm to drink. A number of folks are now using the Citracal Chews that are like the Viactivs but are calcium citrate not carbonate. Personally, I choose not to use 'em because I'd rather not have the extra 100 cals or so a day or have the extra 15 grams of sugar. Plus I'd rather not get a taste for something sweet like that. (I have tried them and they are pretty pleasant tasting.) I don't want any cravings for something sweet. Not sure if it would happen but just don't want to go there. Not sure if I have helped or not. Best wishes, Kathy

HI Kathy, I saw the petite Citracal at Walmart the other day, and was wondering if they were actually petite enough for us to take....so you've definitely helped! I can swallow down two Tylenol caplets, how big are they in relation to the Tylenol caplets? I'm with ya on the chews! In fact right now I can't even stomach the thought of them! I tried some wafers from Bariatric Advantage, that turned out ot be suck ons rather then chewables. They had a nice chocolate flavor to begin with, but got sickiening after a little while. (They're about the size of 2-3 dimes stacked on top of each other....bleck!) Thanks for your help! Kirsten

They are much bigger than a Tylenol - at least double the size. I didn't start pills this size until a couple of months ago. Did chewables for a long time. Kathy

Hi Kristen! JUST my experience. I have been taking the vit. pills since about 3 weeks out. I really do not like the chewable vitamins and started back on Centrum Silver tabs as soon as I thought I could swallow one whole, and that was about 3 weeks out. I did use up all the chewable Cal Citrate and buy a second bottle. So I went back to Cal Citrate tabs after about a month and a half. This is NOT medical advice, just my experience. I also have to take B12 (TEENY), Colace, Ranitidine and Actigall. I still need to find out if the last two are for life. I will be relieved when the Colace and Fleets are things of the past! . Good luck! Lois

HI Lois, Thanks for telling me your vitamins. I can't wait to stop these children's chewables! Kirsten

Kirsten- Hi there! I'm taking the Centrum Chewables (2 daily). They aren't too bad - orange flavored. Plus, I'm taking the Cal Citrate Petites. Just bought the chewable calcium to try. I got the chocolate mint, and I'm really ont he fence over them. They are sweet tasting (almost too sweet) and kind funny in texture for me. I'll finish this box but won't buy them again. Plus, to take 2 daily, they are $6.00 for about a 2 week supply. No thanks. Jill 263/188/145

Jill! Thank you! The Centrum's are sounding like a good choice! I can do orange. The chocolate calcium citrate things I got are huge, and you have to suck on them them! They were $13 or so for the bottle. I"m willing to give them away just so they're not wasted! That's the tough part of ordering or buying stuff that you've never had! Kirsten

Hi Kirsten, I use the centrum orange adult chewables (walmart) cheap. The calcium citrate I use is one I purchased from bariatriceating.com, which is the large bottle calcium citrate with magnesium, it is good, yogurt citrus flavored. You take one Tablespoon daily, split 2 x's morning and night. Take care, Donna

Donna, I'll be heading out to Walmart soon! I dont' know about the liquid though...is that what the calcium citrate stuff is? I'll have to check it out. Thanks for the tip! Kirsten