Question:
DOES EVERYONE NEED TO TAKE B-12 SHOTS AND FOR HOW LONG?

   — deb44m (posted on April 18, 2002)

April 18, 2002
Eventually, pretty much. You can use sublinguals for a a few years. Or some do, let me say. How long would be as long as your surgery remains intact. The food will never pass through your old stomach again, so the B12 cannot bind with intrinsic factor to be delivered for absorption.
   — vitalady

April 18, 2002
This varies from patient to patient, and depends also on just which WLS procedure you select. My daughter and I are 28 and 26 months post-op proximal RNY respectively. We take a multivitamin daily, plus an additional 500 mcg B12 tablet daily, and our serum B12 levels have remained on the high side of normal ever since surgery. It's important to maintain regular re-checks of lab work post-op, particularly serum B12, serum iron, and calcium levels. Good luck!
   — Diana T.

April 18, 2002
B12 defficiency is not a problem for people who have had the DS it seems. You didn't specify which surgery so I just thought I'd mention it.
   — [Deactivated Member]

April 19, 2002
I had a distal about 1.5 years ago and my surgeon told me we deplete our B12 supply in about 2 years time without the injections. For me, I started taking the B12's about 2 months out of surgery. I had rather of started then because I did not want to play catch up a few yrs down the road by waiting to take them. Plus they are a life time commitment just like your multivites and calcium.
   — Jan M.