Calcium and Multivitamins HELP ME PLEASE

I need to get on a schedule of taking my vitamins and calcium. I do monthly B-12 injections. I have women's multivitamins and calcium citrate. What I would really like to know is when you take what, how many times a day, what you take with food, what you shouldn't take with food and what can and can't be combined. This has been a real downfall of mine since I had surgery over a year and a half ago. I have been real sporatic about taking them and I know I have to get on a schedule before I do damage that can't be fixed!
Thanks for any info you can pass along!
Shanon

Shannon,  it's good that you're asking now!  Deficiencies can creep up on us so fast!  Have you had your labs done recently?  You need to tailor the amount you take depending on your lab results.  This is one reason why you'll see many different regimens, that and personal preferences and/or hang-ups.

First thing in the AM I take 2 Tender Iron (www.vitalady.com) with a C.  Iron should not be taken within 2 hours of caffeine, dairy, eggs, other vitamins (particularly calcium) and meds.

Then mid morning I take a Multi, A, B Complex, E and 2 Calcium Citrate.  I was low on D at one point, so I take 50,000 IU every other day.  I also take sub-lingual B12 every other day.

Mid afternoon (when I remember) I take 2 more CC.

Then at bedtime I take 2 more Tender Iron.

I get all mine from Vitalady for a lot of reasons, her prices are good, she gives great advice and I like her!  but mostly because everything she carries is the correct form for us, I don't have to worry about getting the wrong thing!

Michele

Thanks Michele,
I am going to check out that site! I have needed to get on track with this for a long time now, thanks for the help.
Shanon

Shanon,
At breakfast a sublinguil B-12 2500 mcg from wally world every day  and 2 Wally world Multi vitamins ,,,At lunch 2 Citralcal with D calcium and then at bedtime 2 more Citracal calciums ....
My labs have been 100 every time and I am 5 years out in Nov.  My Dr also said Cittrcal D is the only calcium that works for bariatric patients and it was my gyn Dr that said that not just the bariatric DR ..
Hugs
Shirley      BE sure you space then vits out as i outlined as that is how i was told to do it ...

I get my vitamins from Bariatric Advantage, the chewable orange citrus kind, once in the morning and once at night. I get my calcium citrate from Vitalady. It has Vitamin D and magnesium in it too. I also take those morning and night. And I get my sublingual B-12 from Vitalady, and do that every morning. I haven't had to take anything else (yet).

Send Vitalady (Michelle) a PM or an email and ask her personally - she's a great help and resource to all of us.

Iron should be taken with vitamin C and on an empty stomach.  Don't eat or drink anything with calcium in it for 2 hours before or after.  I always take mine at bedtime, since I have to eat breakfast first thing in the morning.

You should probably be taking in the range of 1200-1500 mg of calcium citrate a day, spaced out over 2-3 doses.  A good adult multivitamin, which you're already taking, is also recommended.  Have you had your labs drawn recently?  They will tell you what you should be taking, if anything, in addition to calcium, b12, and a multi.

I take my vitamins 4x a day (but I had the DS, so I generally take more vitamins than RNYers, anyway).  Here's what I take:

Breakfast: 2 calcium citrate, 1 multi, 1 vitamin A (3x a week), 1 zinc (I tend to be low on zinc)
Lunch:  2 calcium citrate, 1 vitamin D, 1 vitamin K, 1 zinc
Dinner:  2 calcium citrate, 1 zinc
Bedtime: 1 iron, 1 potassium (I'm low)

I like taking my vitamins with meals, because it's a natural reminder - if I'm eating, then I need my vitamins!

Shanon, I am also a fan of vitalady's vitamins and her plan, it has helped me tremendously when I see my labs dropping (in range and no concern of my doctor).  Michelle will gladly help you find out what you need based on your labs.  Please send her an email [email protected]

A.M.  Multi-vitamin, Super B Complex, 2500 mg B-12, Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, potassium, 2 calcium citrate w/D and magnesium

Mid-Day  Multi-vitamin, Super B Complex, Vitamin E, 2 calcium citrate w/D and magnesium

Bedtime:  8 Tender Iron, Copper and Chewable Vitamin C

You really do need to start keeping track of your labs and getting them done yearly (unles you develop defs and need to have them more often)  Vitalady has a great suggestion of labs to get done. I use her list every six months since I became malnourished at my 4 year labs...I'm almost at my 5 year mark now and doing better thanks to research, Vitalady and many of the people here at this site who gave me great advice and lead me in the right direction!  I was like you...slacking on vits, not really knowing thinking I needed them since I felt fine...I had many "excuses" for not aking them or going to the doc for labs...Well I sure had an eye opener!

I am on an ever changing schedule because my labs must be adjusted to my levels. I start working on a def and six months later I am high and need to cut back...Or it is still low and I need to keep going...Or I have on and off again defs in magnesium or zinc often...Now it's selenium and my thyroid!  Frustrating! 

Morning I take 500 mg calcium citrate with 500 mg magnesium and 200 mg Vit D3 (I also take 50,000 iu Vit D once a week...(I was low and was taking an extra 50,000 a day for 6 months until my D hit a little high...so now I've cut back to see where it falls in 6 months! (This is what I mean by keeping up with labs...)

2 hours later I take my multi vits and my supps and additional personal preference of vits...I take a Centrum chewable, Dry Vit A, Dry Vit E, Zinc, selenium, (Omega 3 caps, Co-Q 10 ...I take these since I had anemia and blood/heart problems which are well now...but it's preventative maintanence now) , 2500 mcg B-12 daily since mine dropped in half on 1000mcg daily  dose in recent labs.  I am usually low of those fat soluble vits (A,D, E and K) and zinc... So I take extra supps...

After lunch...I take 10 Tender Iron from Vitalady with Vit C and 2 mg copper capsules.  I used to take 13 for anemia...but since I am high on iron after 6 months I cut back to 10 as my ferritin is still low but my blood iron is high!  I think it was a false reading...that happens often when people are taking iron supps...SO... I am not stopping Iron, just lower the dose and see how I do in 6 months.  Don't take iron and calcium near eachother...Take CC and Iron completely seperate from food and eachother for best results...After dinner (before bed I take another of the CC with mag and Vit D)  and depending on labs I was taking it three times a day...But it's good for now so twice a day is where I am for 1000 mg of CC...when I think about it, I occassionally take an extra 500 mg of CC away from meals or other vits.

I also take a B-100 complex once a week on sundays. 

I keep my pills in a weekly organizer and fill it on sundays...That's how I remember to take my weekly pills too...

Good luck!