Hello BOTTs - I'm getting back on track

I'm seriously getting back on track. I joined Weigh****cher's online a few weeks ago. I also had my annual physical and my labs showed I'm anemic. I was looking for a list of vitamins & minerals we post-ops are to take. I've have been giving myself B-12 shots faithfully for 10 years but now need to get back to taking vits & mins that I'm supposed to take.  Let me know if all of you are taking your vitamins & minerals daily. I had a gastric bypass rouen-y in January 2001.  I now eat breakfast every day, and lunch & dinner.  For a long time I just grazed because I do not like to cook for just one person - that HAS to change.  Oh, and I'd rather have a root canal than step on the scales; I used my clothes as a check for gaining/losing weight, but now I must weigh weekly.

breakfast: Pure Protein w/banana in blender w/ice (yum)

lunch: steamed fresh green beans & new potatoes 

snack: Flamous Falafel chips

Betty Todd

 

 

I take a multivitamin every morning...never miss it.  I also take a hair and nail supplement.  I don't know what is in it.  Labs were normal for the first 5 or so years so they don't draw them anymore.  I feel fine.  take care, Tri

say what?   "Labs were normal for the first 5 or so years so they don't draw them anymore.  I feel fine."

I honestly don't know what to say .... A lot of times real deficiencies start long term post op. 

Plus - things like low D, low calcium and high PTH; low A, low B12, low B1... by the time you noticed or feel bad - may be too late to reverse permanent damage...   I have to tweek my vitamins from year to year..

also some vitamins if they are too high (like B6) will also cause permanent damage to the nerves.. 

I have a roomy pouch, large stoma and very little bypassed intestine.  I eat a lot (too much) of healthy food.  My  levels of vitamins were so high that they reran some tests to make sure there weren't lab errors.  My ophthalmologist didn't recommend too much B vitamins because that could cause eye damage.  Perhaps next year I will ask to have them checked.  Also our insurance is useless.  We have to pay for the first $4000.  Labs are expensive.  Take care,  Tri 

WOW!  That's great!  I hope you continue feeling great.

I love to cook. Even just for me. Cooking relaxes me. I cook for me and BF during the weekends. then I have a bunch of "leftovers" for my dinners and lunches.  

I learn to cook larger amounts, then put in 1-2 servings containers and freeze it.  A one day of a weekend of cooking gives me 3-4 dishes, (multiple servings).    Packed and labeled, frozen. For longer term saved freezing I vacuum packs. 

Plus I buy semi ready to eat foods: sirloin burgers from Costco, individually frozen fish portioned, Hormel style meats only. When I want dinner- I get veggies (seam - fresh or frozen) and add some meat or fish, and my dinner is good in 15 min... or less... 

as for vitamins and minerals - I take a bunch.  I take multi, plus I take Vit D, B12, B1, B2, K, K2, some A, plus some herbs.  I take calcium and magnesium. and extra C. 

I used to take B -complex instead of the individual B's - but my B6 went off the charts (really really high) and it took me 2 years to bring it down (it is still bit too high)

I need B12 weekly shots. i don't tolerate oral iron (yes-I tried them all with very little effect on my blood iron but with severe pain if I take any) so now - I get iron infusions if I need extra. I had iron infusions last year and this year it is holding nicely.

 This year i was not very good with taking calcium (it constipate me terribly) and my blood work showed that. My calcium was good, but my PTH went up. Itsi still in "normal" range... but for someone who is over 50.. keeping PTH as low as possible is really good idea. 

PTH - is hormone that the body release to get calcium from the bones...  If doc testing blood calcium without testing PTH - it is really not telling you how well you supplement the calcium. The body will maintain steady calcium in the blood - and not taking or absorbing calcium - and magnesium - may cause bone demineralization - osteopenia and osteoporosis = weak bones. As we got older - it worse it may be.

My current bone density scan was very, very good...and i plan to maintain that...  

The bones need Vit D, calcium and magnesium. Plus other small amount of minerals. Plus Vit K2, plus...

I take D3 dry. I chose the 50,000IU dry D3 that I take 2-3 times a week.  that allows me to maintain my D blood work at optimum 60-90.  

For calcium- It is recommended we use calcium citrate. Currently - I use calcium patch... that really helps  with my IBS-C. But since that is rather nicely under control, I plan to add an additional 500mg of calcium citrate to my daily vitamins.  

With IBS-C under control, my iron is really good (the whole iron panel, with ferritin at 165..). if I am lucky - I may not need iron infusions until 2-3 years from now..(unless I would need surgery)

 

What and how much you need - may be determined by you blood work - what is it now - how is it, then either continue as you are doing (were doing) or increase - decrease if needed. 

When was your latest blood work? and what did they test?  

I have to tell my doc what tests to run...knowing what vitamins minerals are critical and also knowing how well I am able to maintain my levels... but even with vitamins minerals that I know i ma doing OK - I still ask my doc to test me at least every 2 years. (i.e. my B1 was always very good, but my latest blood work show low normal B1 - so  i need to increase my dosage. )

I don;t take my vitamins at least 2-3 days before the blood draw.  or in case of B12 - or A, or D - I wait at least one week, or the time I typically have between dosages.

some vitamins could be toxic if taken too much.   

 

Very interesting.  Now I have several questions if/when you have time to respond.

i gave WLS to myself for my 54th birthday. I am now 68.  About 12 years ago I had zero energy. I went to my doc in Houston, TX for annual physical.  The blood draw showed that I was depleted of B-12 and iron.  I give myself 1cc of B-12 every 2 weeks.  HOW MUCH B-12 DO YOU INJECT WEEKLY?  I was told the body needs only 2cc/month, but they aren't familiar with the needs of a WLS patient.  I was taking prescription iron that is for pregnant women and was on it for several years. I think that is what caused blisters on my liver. My current PCP in Seattle, WA told me to stop taking iron.  Now, 5 years later I am anemic.  WHAT IS AN IRON INFUSION & DID YOU FEEL MORE ENERGY AFTER GETTING IT?  

WHAT HERBS DO YOU TAKE?  I take milk thistle for liver and a probiotic.

 

Yea the zero energy ... Been there in the past. 

I take B12 shots, 1000mcg every week. But, most people, WLS or not, don't need more that 1cc or 1000mcg every month. How do I know I need weekly? Because my blood work shows low normal B12 a week after injection. I've had it tested over and over. So my doc does not agrgue but gives me script for weekly B12 shots. 

Now what is normal B12? Most labs list 250-900.  But I feel my best with my B12 higher than 800. And levels up to 2000 should not cause problem for most people.  There are studies that show that levels below 550 can cause PERMANENT damage to the nerves. Brain - heart, movement. Same a low B1, or high B6. Lab work is critical.  At the same time - some people need 2xweek B12 shots. Some -don't need any, and once a week subligual B12 is fine for them. 

Now - iron... - I have hematologist.  Long story - after my plastic surgery, I had a very hard time with recovery. I was tired, exosted all the time. Blood work based on my doc was "fine".  But I was not fine. Finally long term WLS vet who herselfed suffered from "your labs are fine", and educated herself on what is really fine and what it is not, offered to look at my labs. She pointed out to me that not only very few critical markers were tested, but the one that were tested were borderline- low normal.  She convinced me to go back to the doc and ask for detailed lab work. 

My proteins, B12, iron, ferritin, D, etc - were barely normal. I was borderline anemic. Taking iron - any iron oraly caused a lot of pain.   My surgeon agreed to send me to hematologist.  With borderline (ferritin was 9-10), borderline low count of red blood cells, he agreed to give me iron infusions. 2 months later, while in Colorado I had no problem hiking in the mountains. From being depressed, with RLS like symptoms (due to low iron) to a normal person. But it was combination of increased proteins, D3, B12, iron, B1. And avoiding B6. My B6 was toxic...4x max what top of the chart should be. 3 years later my B6 is borderline high... Just a smidgen..

Herbs- wow...I take bunch, for my thyrods and adrenals, and my back - inflamation. (i have disks herniated causing full time sciatica pain and inflamation.) 

I also have adrenal insufficiency(AI)  my body does not make enough steroids - so I Rx for that. (it took me long time to get diagnosed). I am 55 so we aren't sure why it is happening. Or if I had that even before RNY ????

I deal with a lot of "challenges" including food allergies, IBS-C, severe RH, etc.  The AI may be a cause or result of all of this.  The docs and scentists are divided what is a cause- what what is effect...(like ith an egg and a chicken - what was first?)

I educate myself, I do a lot of research and just changing my diet - and removing gluten, soy, grains and dairy changed my IBS and even my blood work.  First time in like ever - my iron is high, just from eating red meat and veggies. 

There is a condition called SIBO - that I most likely have, as RNY - and I took long term PPI, etc... Most likely have that because of RNY. (Google SiBO)

SIBO can be responsible for all of my issues - food allergies, skin problem, inflammation in the body (hip pain, swelling) , leaky gut, low energy, low B12, low iron, even...adrenal issues.... etc etc etc... 

Latest study show that gut flora can be responsible for a lot of things - including depression, fibromyalgia, diabetes, etc etc etc... 

Unfortunately -SIBO is very difficult to erradicate, specially with RNY, and most food allergies are not reversible. But as long as I don't develop new ones- I am ok. 

(sorry for any typos- my tablet outocorrects sometimes). 

Vitamins I did good for a good while & then fell off that band wagon too! with multi vit. occasionally I was always horrible with the calcium, that may be why I have such severe chronic pain and aching joints!! the EXERCISE is helping thank goodness.
NOW & months ago,
I started a regiment of B12, a chewy calcium supplement & a multivitamin supplement. & I want to get back on my daily 1-2 a day protein supplement as well.
I need to have some labs! done asap.

I had pain in legs for a while and took lots of Aleve - my PCP told me to take Tylenol instead, but that is still bad. 

I wish you well.