Question:
What vitamins? Vista Vitamins seem expensive!

I'm going to have the surgery on the 17 and have been researching vitamins to take. After all this research, I'm overwhelmed! Help! What vitamins should I take? Do I really need as much as the Vista Vitamins have in them (they are far stronger than prenatal vitamins)? What percentage of vitamins and minerals are really needed? Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.    — Melinda M. (posted on November 5, 2004)

November 4, 2004
I get the Adult chewable vitamins from Costco (orange flavor) and the chewable iron from the Vitamin shop and take 2 multi's a day and 4 irons. I also do my own B-12 shot once a month. I was very nervous about this at first but it's really nothing. Doesn't even hurt. I am 18 months post-op and all my blood test results come back perfect! Good luck to you!
   — SMG I.

November 4, 2004
Check with your surgeon or dietitian for expert advice, but here's what I was told, and do. I take a store-brand multivitamin twice a day (the formulation of the vitamin mimics Centrum, as suggested by my dietitian). I take a sublingual B12 once a week (a bottle of 250 will last me five years!), iron and Vitamin C (the C helps absorption of iron) twice a day (it took a while to figure out how much extra iron I need, but the two a day seems to be working for me) and a B complex once a day. I take a potassium supplement every other day. I also take chewable calcium citrate two or three times a day. I'm more than a year and a half out and this regimine works fine for me, and isn't terribly costly (the chewable calcium citrate I use is a little pricey, but I know that I'll take it, whereas I won't always swallow the big pills because it's not convenient, so the extra cost is worth it).
   — Vespa R.

November 4, 2004
HI i AGREE TO CHECK WITH YOUR SERGEON. i TAKE EITHER TWO VITA BALLS OR THREE VITA JELLY BEANS A DAY. I TAKE A SUBLINGUAL B-12 EVERY DAY AND I TAKE TWO VIACTIVE CALCIUM CHEWS. YOU HAVE TO SEE WHAT WORKS FOR YOU. IN THE BEG I COULD NOT CHEW THOSE CHEWABLE VITAMINS AND I STILL CAN'T. THE VISTA VITAMINS MAKE ME SICK i AM VERY SENSITIVE TO THE TUMMY. I AM 10 MONTHS OUT AND IT IS A STRUGGLE EVERYDAY BUT I DO NOT GIVE UP. THANKS TRACY
   — T. Rosario

November 4, 2004
The only thing I take are Vista Vitamins and Calcium Citrate, per my surgeon. Remember, vitamins are for life!
   — Jazzy

November 5, 2004
VistaVitamins are expensive!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I feel TERRIFIC taking them. 100% better than the Flinstones 3x a day that my surgeon recommended. Honestly, spending thr extra money for the best vitamins you can buy is a small price to pay for feeling wonderful. Besides, what are you doing with all the money you used to spend for the junk food???? I take 2,000 mgs of calcium a day also.
   — SpyderS

November 5, 2004
my doctor has me taking 1 flintstones or store brand chewable vitamin and 2 tums and 1 pepcid ac a day
   — sparklemoon

November 6, 2004
I just had to comment about the calcium form that some people are taking. After the gastric bypass surgery we are not able to absorb calcium carbonate, we need to take calcium citrate. So taking tums or viactiv will not give you the calcium your bones need, because we no longer have the stomach acids to break it down and absorb it. please research. I take 1 daily one caps by twinlab (without iron), in the am along with my prilosec otc, then through out the day I take 4 calcium citrate chewables also by twinlab (they taste like sweet tarts) and that equals 1000mgs, then at night I take 1 iron capsule along with oj or chewable vit c...the iron capsule is 28mg and is iron fumerate, iron amino acid chelate, and iron citrate. do research and talk to your surgeons office...you have to take the right supplements to avoid problems. I also get a b12 shot once a month. I hope I dont come off as offensive, I just worry about people. I'm a year out and my blood work has come back fine, and my bone density isn't critical, I should take more calcium citrate. Be safe and I will pray for you on your surgery day. Lisa postop lap/rny 10-23-03 340/184/??? -156lbs
   — Lisa H.

November 8, 2004
I take 2 Bugs bunny vit (sugar free) a day and 2 calcium calcrate a day. One costs 4.69 and the other about 5.+.
   — Linda R.