Question:
Worried about deficiency. Had a distal RNY eight years ago. Health always a concern.

Have had two pregnancies since. Healthy 2 and half year old and 11 month old twins. Breastfed all babies. Always tired, serious vitamin deficiency. Not absorbing vitamins. Low in iron, calcium, phosphorus, albumin, potassium, etc. Developing kidney stones. Dr. has switched from calcium oxylate to calcium citrate to prevent reoccurrence of kidney stones. Get B12 shots monthly. Are there any surgeons out there who have had patients with similar problems? Worried about all possible complications. Osteoporosis, kidney problems, anemia, etc. Any advice or suggestions? I am under doctor's care, but they don't seem to know too much about the complications of these surgeries.    — [Anonymous] (posted on August 3, 1999)

August 3, 1999
A few months ago, i lost a lot of blood from bleeding ulcers. I will not acceot blood transfusions, and my blood count kept going down. None of the doctors i was dealing with knew what to do. I finally called my surgeon. He told me the first 2 parts of my intestine which were bypassed were the parts that absorbed iron. To help me to absorb, he told me to take 500 mg. of vitiman C with 374 mg. if iron 3 times a day. It worked. Hope this helps a little....Kyle Cooke
   — Kyle C.

August 3, 1999
I'm surprised you have so few problems. The stress you put on your body with the twins and nursing them is tremendous especially since you can't eat enough to replace whats being lost. My physician suggested that I increase my protine by one extra meal for 6 weeks before I have total knee surgery. Since you are already down you will need to keep your protine supplements up to catch up. The vitamin I take are from vita4life.com They work well and and I absorb enough to keep my blood levels good. The protine supplemet I use is pro blend 55 and some friends use designer both are available from netrition.com. I've got to hand it too you for your ability to keep up with the twins. Good luck and I hope I've helped some.
   — Anna D.

August 3, 1999
My nutritionist did a formula where she came up with 55-65 grams of protein per day for me at my current weight and 'projected' weight (175 and 145). However, protein ingestion doesn't mean much if you can't absorb it. You no longer have food in your stomach as long as you used to. You need amino acids and enzymes to break down the protein, and protein in a digestible form. Go to your local health food store. They already have hair growth vitamins that contain amino acids and enzymes. You need L-Cysteine 500 mg(amino acid) and Super Enzyme Caps, a multiple digestive enzyme formula, both from Twin Labs. You can also get concentrated predigested protein amino acid pills from LLP/Twin Labs. They come in 1000 mg size (1 gram), and are rather large. You can cut them in half to swallow them. You don't need many of them (I take 3 a day), because they are easily absorbed. Also look into high potency soy-based protein powder from the health food store. What also worked for me is Atomidine. This is an ingestible form of iodine. It comes in a liquid. You put 3 to 5 drops in a quarter cup of water and drink it daily. In a week you'll see a difference. It boosts your thyroid function. I have a lot more energy. Atomidine is at the health food store, too. Find out what a 7-8 gram protein portion consists of (for example: 1/2 cup beans, 1 ounce chicken/fish/meat, 1 cup skim milk all are 7 or 8 grams of protein each). Then eight portions of these a day equals 56 grams, a good start. Try to take calcium in through food sources. Fortified milk and orange juice. Check your daily intake. I've read that too many calcium pills can lead to kidney stones. Don't take iron tablets when ingesting calcium foods or supplements. Calcium inhibits iron absorption. Take calcium pills in morning, iron before bed time. See a nutritionist/dietician. Most doctors don't know anything about nutrition. I have twins plus one too! Hang in there, Mom!
   — Victoria S.

September 26, 1999
How much protein are you taking? Ankles swollen? Family complained of bad breath? Please email me private so we can chat. I am distal also. We often work with distal who are in trouble nutritionally.
   — vitalady