Question:
Is it necessary to take a chewable vitamin as well as chewable calcium?
The dietician I saw pre-op said that vitamins and calcium need to be chewable. I am sick of chewing those Flintstone Vitimins. Does everyone take the chewable variety forever? I am 9 months post-op and have lost 101 pounds! — Carol M. (posted on February 4, 2006)
February 3, 2006
I am 15 months post op and i still take my viatmins.
I dont look at them as a pain, i look at it as improving my life.
— JAR
February 3, 2006
I am 6 weeks post-op and still not allowed to take pills...I've been using
a product called Vitamist. It's a spray vitamin and much better than
chewing...or at least I think so. I still do my chewable calcium and
iron...but my vitamin is one less thing to chew up. I generally get it off
of eBay...much cheaper than the actual vitamist web page.
— mmcphee1
February 4, 2006
I used chewables for a while before surgery and now have switched to liquid
form of vitamin and calcium. I use Source of Life and Blue Bonnet liquid
calcium. Both come in flavors and can be mixed in another liquid such as
oj or just taken straight. Both are 2 tablespoons for full dose, once or
twice a day. Occassionally I will use flax/borage oil combination for
regularity. You can find the items at a well stocked health or natural
food store. They have other liquid items for use also and different brands
for vitamins and calcium. These are the first two I tried and my labs have
come back fine. Be prepared for the Source of Life due to the fact it is a
dark green color due to the phyto vit/minerals it contains. Neither of
these leave a bad taste in your mouth or taste like cough syrup. Both can
also be used in recipes. I haven't checked with GNC. I tried the Centrum
liquid from Wal-Mart and could not stand the taste or the after taste it
left in my mouth. You may have to try a few before you find something you
like. Good Luck!
— 1968 Loser
February 4, 2006
I used chewables for the first couple of months, then switched to regular
pills. I figured that if the doc sent me home from the hospital taking
Lortab pills that I could take the regular vitamins after two months. :P
My doc has me on these monster Iron pills right now...I haven't had an
issue.
— RebeccaP
February 4, 2006
Hi I'm almost seven months post op and I just stopped taking the chewable
multi vitamins about two or three months ago. Now I just take a regular
multi vitamin twice a day and a vitamin C twice a day but they are chewable
but that is my own preferance. You can take the regular pills now. Just
try one and see how you feel taking it. The doctors only recommend the
chewable ones for the first couple months because your pouch is so small
and it is so much harder to swallow big pills. I also take slow Fe iron
twice a day and Biotin once a day for hair health. I take liquid calcium
citrate because it is much easier to take. It's cheaper and your body
absorbs liquid calcium better then the pills. I hope I've helped. You
take care and if you need anymore help let me know. Jeannie
— jjeanniespets1
February 4, 2006
I haven't taken chewables for awhile. I do take 2 multi vitamins, 4
calcium, 1 vitamin E, 1 biotin, and 1 b 12 every day. I was 6 weeks out
when I started the regular vitamins. I am almost 6 months out.
— Rocquetta T.
February 4, 2006
Hi I am 8 weeks post op and my doctor said I could take it any way I wanted
as long as I took it. Pill form was fine if I could tolerate it.
— ree
February 4, 2006
The POINT in promoting chewable (or liquid) vitamins and calcium is
ABSORPTION. With a shortened gut, highly compressed vitamin tablets
dissolve slowly and poorly, and with diarrhea or shortened transit time in
the part of the gut that vitamin-mineral absorption occurs, you could
easily end up pooping out most of what you take in
==============================================
Centrum now makes a Centrum Silver Chewable (no iron) that you don't have
to chew -- you can let it dissolve in your mouth. B-12 is best taken as
Sub-Lingual tiny tablets. I dissolve 2 under my tongue daily, straight
into the blood stream, avoiding a gut that no longer will absorb it much at
all.
==============================================
Whatever you can crush, dissolve or take in liquid form, the more you can
expect to get out of it. Speak to your pharmacist about how you might take
this or that. Compare any multi-vitamin you decide upon with Centrum.
Don't accept anything less. Since Iron is constipating, it is a good
idea to use generic COLACE, a stool softener. I take two tiny capsules a
day. It is NOT a laxative and cannot bind you up like fiber can.
==============================================
You should NEVER EVER stop taking a Centrum-type vitamin-mineral
supplement. You SHOULD take two a day, just like doctors advise cancer
patients to take. And eat as much good quality protein and dark green
vegetables as possible. ----- Theresa
— SouthTX LapBand
February 4, 2006
At 3 months out, my dietician changed me from the chewable vitamins &
calcium to the regular ones (that you swallow). She said if I wanted to
continue with the chewable form, I could; but that I didn't need to... I'm
7 1/2 months out
— mzb2u
February 4, 2006
I had surgery three years ago and I still take chewable vitiamns. I tried
taking the other but they came out whole. My doctor said I will be on the
chewable the rest of my life.
— Lana Rush
February 5, 2006
After your initial surgery and your clear to shallow pills NO its not
necessary to use chewables.
— star .
February 5, 2006
I had stomach stapling 16 yrs. ago and about all I got out of the surgery
was alot of pain and malabsorption. Even though my doctor told me to chew
flinstone vitamins eventually as the pouch stretched I began taking
vitamins in pill form. Now 16 yrs. later I find that calcium is being
leached from my bones causing bone spurs. It's crippling pain. If you
don't have plenty of calcium being absorbed then this will happen and your
teeth will lose their calcium as well. I remember when I really noticed
was when I went on the Atkin's diet. I began having popping &
crunching in my lower back and still didn't realize what it was. I even
had xrays and my doctors could see degeneration yet I didn't have it
figured out. OF course after a few months I failed on that diet and
stopped. To make a long story short....as I picked up the Atkin's diet a
couple of times after that and I began having hip & knee pain the
doctors took cat scans and more xrays and found bone spurs which is calcium
being leached from the bones. Now I take chewable calcium 4 times a day
and eat vegetables with high calcium and the pain has stopped. Your
vitamins are extremely important because you might not know that you're
deficient until it's too late or until you have irreversable problems.
Suuz
— Suuz51
February 5, 2006
The vitamin daily is your life line. I have found the Centrum chewable is
wonderful and you can suck on it like a candy. I also found that both
Walgreens and CVS's childrens chewables are not bad either.
— jstplainwyrd1956
February 5, 2006
Remember you need to supplement for life, to remain healthy and is that not
the reason for wls in the first place. I enjoy the Viactiv multi-vits and
calcium chews, also I have tryed Centrum vit chewables and Caltrate calcium
chewables. You have done so well! Stay healthy! Rebecca
— nube41
February 6, 2006
Wow! m Congratulations, you are doing great!
You have to take vitamins and supplements for the rest of your life,
because we no longer absorb as much fromour food. However, you can find
liquid vitamins made just for gastric bypass folks if you want. I know
there is a link to some at www.wls.com I believe that liqud vitamins are
more expensive, though. Some people claim tha they actually absorb better
than the chewables.
— Novashannon
February 6, 2006
I believe the poster above was referring to the following web page:
http://www.wlssuccess.com/
— mmcphee1
February 6, 2006
I used chewables for only 30 days. Hace been swallowing regular pills for
11.5 yrs now. I rather like the Bariatric Advantage cinnamon chews, but
those are in addition to my capsules.
— vitalady
February 8, 2006
I cut pills for 30 days only. I h ave been swallowing my vites for 11+
years. Let caps sit in your mouth for 10 seconds or so til you feel them
get sticky or soft. Pills dissolve in SALIVA, not always water
— vitalady
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