Question:
I've read about a lot of different vitamins at many different prices.

My question is "IF YOU SPEND MORE MONEY, DO YOU GET BETTER VITAMINS?" I always thought so but lately I've been changing my mind, after reading the posts on the MB. No vendor opinons please Thanks..MJ    — Mary Jane C. (posted on November 12, 2003)

November 11, 2003
MJ - I've done fine with the Centrum chewables and the Twinlab Calcium Citrate wafers. My wife (who is an RN) gives me (and herself, since she's also a WLS postie) B12 shots monthly. I do not think that you get better vitamins by spending outrageous prices for some of these "systems" out there...JR
   — John Rushton

November 12, 2003
I'm 17 months post-op and have been using Centrum Adult Chewables for my multivites, TwinLabs B-12 sublingual "dots," vitalady's generic calcium citrate capsules (w/Vit. D & magnesium), and generic Vit. C chewables, plus a prescription iron/intrinsic factor capsule called Trinsicon that my doc prescribes for all his posties. Even with the cost of the prescription capsule thrown in there, and with the vitalady shipping charge, my total cost for my vitamin regimen is about 1/3 the price of what I see charged for the vitamin products that are advertised as being designed specially for bariatric patients. My labs are just fine so far with the regular vites I've been using, so personally, I don't believe the pricier ones are necessary to get the job done.
   — Suzy C.

November 12, 2003
I am only 3 months post-op, and I take Centrum Chewable mulivitiam, it has the 100% daily iron, I take the Calcium Caltrate, and a B-12, B-6 and folic acid complex, sublingual daily, that I put under my tongue. My surgeon is happy with what I take, and my 3 month test results were fine. The Centrum and the Caltrate I can buy at Walmart or my food store, I get the B-12 sublinqual at a specialty store called Trader Joe's, but you can find them at GNC, and sometimes your food store. I know that the B-12 shot is the best, but that can get expensive, especially if you have to get it at the doctors, and the sublingual is the next best thing, besides, I do not know how you feel about shots, but I was on insulin for my diabetes, and gave myself two shots a day before surgery, now I am off of insulin, I do not even want a once a month B-12 shot.
   — cindy

November 12, 2003
I'm 2 1/2 years plus P/O. I Buy my Vitamins at WalMart. I take (Walmart Brand) 2 adult Multi vitamins, 3 iron tablets, 2 Vit/C and 4 Calcium Citrate w/Vit D. (Now I admit I'm a little weird, I "chew" non-chewable large vitamins and calcium, so have no trouble w/them disolving) All OK'd by my Doctors, and of course not all at once, spread out during the day. My labs have always been good, so far my Dr. doesn't want me on B12. Always check with your Dr about the type of supplements and the quantity you need. My PCP will tell me what I need to take, but leave the brand choice up to me. Good Luck!!!
   — bek4901

November 12, 2003
I buy most of mine at Vitamin World stores or vitaminworld.com, OR The Vitamin Shoppe or vitaminshoppe.com. I also do look for sales, but the quantities are never worth while.
   — Fixnmyself

November 12, 2003
OK, I'm gonna risk your anger here and answer anyway. Because I won't answer as you'd think. My answer would be that NO, more dollars does not make them right for US. We are more interested in the FORM of the vitamins than the cost or name brand. Dry form vits A, D and E are, by their nature, more expensive than oil types, but Brand A over Brand X of the same identical vitamin is not necessarily better. Just have to check the form. Vit D3 is better than vit D2, for example. d-alpha vit E is better than dl-alpha. See? Like that. Will you forgive me? Oh wait. Buy then anywhere you can find them! (does that help?)
   — vitalady

November 12, 2003
When I was in nursing school, our instructors taught us "the more expensive the vitamin, the more valuable the urine"...meaning, what you don't use, your body excretes, no matter how much you paid for it.
   — Linda S.

November 12, 2003
I do not believe so. A friend tried to get me to buy vistavitamins which I thought were too high priced. Then I shopped around. Sam's warehouse has complete Chewable multivitamins in bottles of 300 that are cheap and they have Ca citrate in big bottles too. I stock up and I do not spend an arm and a leg. Good luck. Natalie
   — NATALIE A.