Need to take vitamins rest of life?

[Nancy Rivers 24]

The Dietician that I met with today for the initial consult said that I would have to take Vitamins for the rest of my life after having the sleeve done. Was anyone else told that?

[mommyofLDS 52]

Yes, every dietician will tell you the same thing. They seem to vary a bit on how much of what they want you taking, but in general you will need to take a multi-Vitamin, 1000mg of Calcium citrate, and a sub-lingual b-12. Your surgeon or dietician may tweek this a bit, depending on your specific needs. I also have to take an extra Iron supplement, which I do every 3 days.

[Foxbins 625]

Yes, I was told I needed to take a multi, Calcium, B-1, B12, and D for the rest of my life. A fair trade, I thought, for statins, hypertension, and diabetes meds.

[twoboysandagirl 109]

I was told that I would have to take a multi, B12 (weekly), B1, and 3 Calciums a day for the first 6 months. They watch my levels and if I need Iron they will add it later. I just saw my surgeon and he said I am doing great and that if I can balance my diet a bit more (get more veggies and fruits in ) I dont have take my multi anymore.

[Nancy Rivers 24]

Ok, thanks. I can understand it in the beginning, but I would have thought after getting to the point of eating "normally", the Vitamins wouldn't be a requirement. Oh well... Thanks everyone.

[Rootman 1,101]

There is SOME truth to this. A "normal" modern diet is so chocked full of Vitamins that there is little real need for them, we often pass most of the extra Vitamins taken right out in the urine, however being sleeved we eat so little it MAY result in shortfalls in some vitamins especially during the weight loss period.

Vitamins are cheap insurance, by the time you show symptoms of a Vitamin related illness you are usually well past the time that just simply starting to take take them again can reverse it and further and more invasive treatment may be necessary.

So YES take the vitamins others have listed above. You should get a full blood panel done at least every 6 months for the first coupe of years. By that time your weight should be stabilized and you should be able to eat sufficient quantities of food so that vitamins are just insurance against shortfall. B12 is one possible exception, it is adsorbed principally in the stomach and since we had 85% of it removed, well you can figure it out.

[BMI Guy 0]

The Dietician that I met with today for the initial consult said that I would have to take Vitamins for the rest of my life after having the sleeve done. Was anyone else told that?

[BMI Guy 0]

Yes the rest of your life but think about this. Your going to be weighing much less and becoming healthier. A multi Vitamin is something we should have been taking even if we had not had the surgery. One Flintstones chewable complete has what is needed. My doctor does not see a need for B1 but does want me to take B12. He also does not insist on calcium citrate but any Calcium but I have stayed with citrate. Most doctors will have little difference on what they want. Many of the things I have found are based on their patients who had the By Pass so they (and the hospitals ) tend to lump both procedures together. HOwever, with the sleeve we have a stomach that can absorb nutrients from the food we eat. My doctor told me it will absorb about 90% while the By Pass will absorb about 40-50 which is why By pass need so many more suppliments.

[GreenEyedMamma 5]

I was told just to take a multi-Vitamin (like any healthy person should take) and Calcium. I don't have to take B12 because I don't have a deficiency. You will have (or should have) a Vitamin panel done to see if you are lacking any vitamin. If you are, then your doctor will recommend you take what you are lacking. I take two chewable Flintstone complete Vitamins and a calcium chew every day. If you think about it, everyone should take a Multi-Vitamin every day.

Like others have said though, if you are eating the right foods, you will get a majority of your Vitamins from food. My Fitness Pal keeps track of the vitamins if your food if you track your daily intake. It's simple and FREE.

[ToDream 18]

The average diet means that surgery or not, most people need a daily Vitamin (at least) anyway. Frankly, most people aren't getting the foods their body needs because of the over-processed nature of the foods we consume these days.

[Rainydayz 27]

I was told that I needed a sublingual B12 because the part of my stomach that makes intrinsic factor is gone, and if I don't take B12 it could lead eventually to pernicious anemia. I figure that a bottle of sublingual B12 that costs about $5 and lasts for 4 months is well worth it.

[Oregondaisy 2,021]

It's really not possible with the small amounts of food that we are able to eat to get all the nutrients we need.

There were a lot of people who posted on the OH maintenance forum who are now anemic. I have to take Iron every day and I am still anemic.

We get Iron from red meat and I certainly can't eat red meat at every meal.

I've seen a lot of news/talk shows lately on the importance of taking Vitamin D 3. Doctors are now telling people who aren't even sleeved to take it. Being deficient in Vit D 3 causes food/sweet cravings so who needs that!

[Nancy Rivers 24]

I'm having to take a Multi-Vitamin and a Calcium tablet - both twice a day. No B12. It had just surprised me that I would need to take these at the time. The only Vitamin that I was deficient in before surgery was D - everything else was in the normal range.

[Tippy2us 11]

Yep! Small price to pay!

[Indymom 132]

I've already been taking Calcium and a Multi-Vitamin daily for years, so it will just be a matter of adding the B-1 and B-12 sublingual in for me. I will have to up my calcium (I was at 1200 mg daily, will up to 1500) and a little additional mulit-vite. I agree with others though, SO worth it!