Vitamin Questions

 I have 1 week before my gastric bypass surgery.  I am having a brain cramp do I need to stop my vit. regimen 1 week before surgery.  I have it in my mind that my surgeons office told me to stop 7 days a head of time.  Is this correct?  

When should or can I start up my vit. regimen again and what should I be taking post op?

I wanted to pick up some stool softner today because since I have been on my liquid diet I am feeling a bit bloated.  Before I pick some up I want to make sure of what kind I can take after my surgery.  Also when can or should I start taking this after my surgery?

Thanks guys
Kim

We were given a list of which meds to stop when, including vitamins.  It was different for each one, some 3 days, some 10 days.  Maybe call your Dr on Monday if they didn't give it to you in writing.

We started vitamins back at 2 weeks.  I think I started my benefiber back at the same time.

My surgeon stopped vitamin use at 2 weeks before surgery.  I can start about 2 weeks post surgery.  Hope that helps.

Good luck!

The ASMBS says to start your multi and iron the day after you come home from the hospital.  They say you can wait up to one month to start calcium and up to three months to start B12 - not that you have to wait, just that you can if you want.

Here's what the ASMBS says you should start with:

A multi with 100% of the RDA of most nutrients.  Take two a day.  Stay away from kids' vitamins and gummy vitamins, because those will not have what you need.  They recommend a multi with iron.  If you take a multi with no iron, you’ll need additional iron at a separate time.

1500-2000 mg calcium citrate.  Make sure it's citrate, not carbonate.

18-27 mg iron for menstruating women, unless your labs show you need more.  (If you’re using a multi with no iron, that would mean you’d need at least 50 mg iron.)

B12.  You can use a sublingual, 350-500 mcg per day, a patch once a week, nasal spray once a week, or shots once a month.  Unless your labs show you need more.

They say a B complex is optional.

Many people also need D3 so you should get your vitamin D level to find out if you do.

For my bypass surgery, they had me start taking Centrum Chewables a week before surgery.  I took them up to the day before I went in.  I purchased a liquid Multi and a liquid Calcium Citrate from Costco to use after surgery.  My B-12 sublingual was Spring Valley brand from Walmart. 

Although I was told I could start the chewables back up after one week, when I started the pureed stage, I'm using up the liquid multi before I switch back to Centrum Chewables (w/Iron) next week.  I will continue to use the Wellesse liquid Calcium from Costco because it's $16 for a twinpack when purchased on line.  Costco also has the Calcium Citrate tablets in a big bottle but, for me, it's too much trouble to split them into fourths right now.  I'll wait until I know I can swallow them whole without issue.

You say your vitamin "regimen".  If you have more vitamins or herbs than those mentioned as being necessary, as I do, it was recommended to wait until after my 3 month post-op appt. and then start carefully adding items back in one at a time while diligently monitoring responses or reactions.

Hope it helps.  You're going to do great!   :-)

You know Wellesse is not all calcium citrate, right?  It's a combo of citrate and tricalcium phosphate, and we don't absorb tricalcium phosphate.  So you'll need to take extra to make sure you get enough calcium - 1500 mg of Wellesse won't give you 1500 mg of calcium citrate.

Kelly

Yes, I realized that but wanted to go with a liquid and one that was affordable on my budget.  Now, I'm having 2nd thoughts about all the liquids... only because the Acetaminophen makes me gag and the other ones are experiencing overflow mind games from it.  LOL   I'll use these up quickly and get onto pills.

Thanks Kelly.

I didn't have to stop anything except nothing but meds the morning of surgery.

I think this is another area where all the programs are different.