Multi Vitamins?

I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice on multi-vitamins post-surgery. I am 2 years and 4 months out. I take 1 B-12 a day, 1 iron a day and 2 500mcg calcium chews. I also take 2 children's Rugrats complete chewables a day. I have been taking the chewables since surgery and am wondering if I should "graduate" to Centrum or something like that. I moved to WA from Ohio last Feb. and have yet to see a physician here. I need to get an annual physical soon. Thanks in advance for your input.

Hi Cathy, I've been taking the energy multi-vitamin packets that you get in the green boxes at costco. I showed my Dr before the surgery and he said that that was definately enough.

some of the over the counter multi vitamins like centrum have a hard coating for time release and will pass through the system before they can be assimilated. Chewables are better. For B-12, use the sub lingual under the tongue dissolving kind for the same reasons. Or they also have injectible B-12 that you give yourself a shot about once a month. General Nutrition Center has disolving fizzing vitamin c drink mix with 1,000 mg of vitamin C and sub lingual B-12. You can go to bbvitamins.com for quick dissolving multi vitamins for bariatric patients. Jer

Thanks folks! That helps a lot. I am not taking SUB-LINGUAL B-12. I think I will attempt to find it here on the island. God Bless!

If you have a GNC there, get their B-12 sublinguals~they even have sugar free ones. Out of all the sublinguals I've tried, theirs disolves the fastest, taste the best and don't leave an oily feel in your mouth like some other brands I've bought. ~Tanja

I bought some sub-lingual grape flavored B-12 at Helen's heath foods in the mall here in Kitsap county, wa. From what I understand, only the sub-lingual and the shots are useful in absorbing the B-12. That is a concern, the other day at Madigan Army hospital they had a fellow in the ICU with nerve damage from not taking B-12. Good luck, Tony p.s. I take centrum chewable with iron, orange flavored

I take the centrum chewables. that is what my Dr. recommended.

Thanks everyone! I think I will switch to Centrim chewables (will take care of my iron as well) and a sub-lingual or liquid B-12. Now the challenge is to find them. I live on San Juan Island and we have one drug store. There is also a nutrition store, but I'm not sure what they have. I'll check it out. Thanks for all your advice and support! God Bless!

Cathy I am a nutrition therapist who specializes in weight loss surgery. I work closely with Dr. Landerholm and Dr. Billing at Puget Sound Surgical Clinic. I am assuming you are a bypass patient in that you are taking B-12. You will need either a sublingual B-12 or injections as other forms will not be absorbed due to the area of intestine that was removed. You should also be taking adult chewable, liquid or powdered multivitamines as well as a separate iron supplement. It is advised that you take a higher dose of calcium as well. It is very important that you have your blood labs checked every 6 months. I hope this has been helpful. Melanie Machado RD, CD Pacific Nutrition Therapy Edmonds, WA

Hi Melanie, Thank you so much for your response. Yes, I had RNY on 10/16/03. My last appt. with my surgeon in Cleveland was 1/05; the month before we moved out here. At that time, my labs were fine (except for my iron) and I was taking 2 Flintstone completes, 500mcgs. liquid B-12, and 2 chocolate viactives. My iron was a little low, so they told me to take 50 mg of iron. I was not able to find the liquid B-12 here, so I started taking a B-12 tablet instead. I also take a slow release 50 mg. iron tablet (generic Slow FE). I did not realize that the tablets were not getting absorbed. My surgeon originally Rx'd a pre-natal chewable vitamin, but it caused me to have nausea. I am scheduling an appt. with my new physician and will have a full work-up and give her this information. Thanks again for your help.