Question:
What is your vitamin regimen?

Can you please share with me details of your vitamin regimen? Specifically can you please share what vitamins, dosages, combinations and how many times daily or weekly you take the vitamins? I know we should take a good multivitamin, Iron carbonate (how many, what mg do you take), calcium citrate with vitamin D to aid absorbtion, and sublingual B-12. I have also heard others mention taking Dry Vitamin A, D and E, and also zinc, potassium and magnesium. I was recently admitted to the hospital as a precaution because I had stomach cramps. Turned out to be gas and nothing more, Thank God. I had all my labs done at that time and was told my labs came back fine. The doctor will give me a copy and go in to detail more on my next appointment in June which is my 1 year anniversary. I am down from 281 to 165 in less than 11 months. Even though the labs came back fine I know I should better about taking my vitamins. I was much better the first few months after surgery, but now I only get in the occasional multivitamin from time to time. So please share with me exactly what you do. Thanks    — ToriJ (posted on May 18, 2005)

May 18, 2005
Please do not quit your vitamin regimen. This is probably the most important thing you do for yourself after WLS. You can never quit and should not decrease what you are taking, in fact your vitamin needs may increase in the future. Here is what I'm taking now (20 months post-op): 1 multi (Centrum), 2 calcium citrate, 500 mg each (many post-ops take as much as 2000 mg per day), 2 carbonyl iron (Tender Iron from vitalady), 500 mg Vit c, 500 mcg B12 sublingual, and 2 b-complex. I'm glad your labs are good now, but please don't count on that continuing unless you get better with your vitamins. I've seen a number of posts on here and other boards from post-ops who are very sorry that they didn't follow doctor's orders about vitamins - b vitamin deficiencies, low iron, bone density problems - serious stuff. Please don't play around with your health.
   — Carlita

May 18, 2005
T.J. ~ Please-PLEASE make sure you DO NOT stop taking your vitamins or get "lazy" about taking them! I fell into that and suffered SEVERE consequences! My iron levels bottomed out and I had to have a blood transfusion AND had to end up taking Iron IV's! Not taking them and especially with a rapid weight loss program like gastric bypass is I also found I got hypothyroidism! All this by STOPPING taking my vitamins! I take a mulitvitamin with iron, b-complex once a day and calcium citrat 2x's a day. Every doctor is different though and you should check back at how your surgeon wanted you to take them. But just remember, if it is told to you to "ideally" take them for a certain period of time......that means FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE! Read my profile and that should or could give you some insight!
   — Carole M.

May 18, 2005
Hey T.J., no reflection on you and I'm truly not being judgmental but I'm always amazed when I see where someone is not taking their supplements. I seem to see a pattern that we are really diligent at first then as we get further out and we feel so good, we start getting a little slack.....sometimes a lot slack and stop altogether. There are some real horror stories on here occasionally of people who have not been diligent in their vitamin regimin. It will probably take a bit of adjustment to get it just right for you but DON'T skip them. Keep studying and researching and experimenting until you find the right mix for you, take them religiously, monitor your blood and HOW YOU FEEL constantly, and you will have to do that for the rest of your life. It is not really that difficult to get a habit established. I bought one of those little pill organizer things that has morning and evening sections and once a week, I sit down with all my medication and supplements and fill it up. When I get up in the morning, I take one dose the minute I get downstairs then I take the other dose in the evening just before I go upstairs to bed. It's a habit now and I've only forgotten about twice in the 20 months since surgery. It's not worth risking osteoporosis, brain damage, nerve damage, organ damage, etc. to NOT make it a habit. I have found for me: I need a good multi-vitamin (I use pre-natal) potassium, milk thistle because I'm having some liver problems, magnesium, calcium citrate with D, and biotin. I don't currently need iron or B12 but am monitoring those closely to see if they start trending down. I also take a fiber supplement twice a day and I use nectar protein three to four times a day.
   — scbabe

May 24, 2005
I use the Vista Vitamins. Mostly because I know that I absorb all of them because of the way they are made for us. The other reason is that a days supply comes in two packets so that I only have to remember to take them twice a day. Everything I need is in there including the iron which is formulated not to interfere with calcium absorption and my b12 is in there also. I started out with the indivitual vitamins and found myself having to open and remember to take them or package them ahead of time to take along with me. They are a little pricey, but when I went the cheaper way I so often forgot to take them or I'd not remember to take some along in my purse. Consequently, there were many dosages missed. What is cheaper if you forget to take them, or forget to not mix iron with calcium, or forget your b12. Too much hassle for me. I'm now a lot more consistent. Hope this info helps
   — eprise616