Now that we've gotten rid of Yoda....

[Leila 0]

Loriely, I love all my vitamins! They are the closest thing to candy I'm eating these days. LOL! I take Jamieson brand chewable VitaVim - It's wildberry flavour, you're supposed to take two a day - sugar free. I take Caltrate Plus chewables (with Vitamin D Plus Minerals). I take extra Vitamin C, chewables. I take Jamieson Vitamin B12 strips, that dissolve in your mouth and go directly to the bloodstream.

[Yoda 0]

Mmmmmmmmmmmm those were the same Vitamins I took (the wildberry ones). They were yummy!! I'm okay to swallow real ones now though!

[CLOE 0]

Loriely, good question about Vitamins, I find some of them gross too.

Leila - I also take caltrate, there really good, like candy. But I don't like the wildberry chewable, I find them too sweet or sour or something. Why do you take B12 if you don't mind me asking?

Yoda - What Vitamins do you swallow? I was afraid to try. And I really don't like the wildberry chewables.< /p>

[Yoda 0]

Cloe....I used to take about a dozen different Vitamins but I've cut down for now! LOL.

So right now, I take a Calcium ( and a Multivitamin (I cut both in half and take 1/2 in am and 1/2 in pm). I also take a 81 mg aspirin every day (they are teeny anyways) and I take 4 other medecine type pills....all small enough to swallow whole.

I've been told that if a pill is dime size or smaller....you should have no trouble swallowing it. I'll try my multi and Calcium soon without cutting it in half.

[Leila 0]

B12 is supposed to help with metabolizing fat, it also helps with energy levels and mood. I tend to take extra/higher doses of the Water soluble Vitamins, like B's and C, because if you end up with too much, it won't harm you, the body just flushes it out. That way I know for sure I'm getting enough. Fat soluble vitamins in mega doses can be dangerous, because they are stored in the body longer, but with the water solubles it's not a worry.

[CanadaSunshine 0]

I take Jamieson Vitamin B12 strips, that dissolve in your mouth and go directly to the bloodstream.

Leila,

Where do you get those? They sound like exactly what I need right now!

As a result of my pre-op testing, my Dr. discovered I am very low on B12...and I was wondering how the heck I am supposed to eat a crushed B12 tablet :phanvan BLECH!

...this would be great to find these magic "strips" you speak of... *wringing hands and smacking her lips*

Do tell Girlfirend! Do tell!!!!

[CLOE 0]

I would also like to know where to get them, Leila.

Hey Sunshine how you feeling today?

[Leila 0]

I picked mine up in the pharmacy section of a large grocery store somewhere (I'm travelling around Canada right now, I'm not even sure what province I was in when I bought them). Any form of sublingual Vitamin B12 will do, just ask at a pharmacy or health food store if they carry sublingual vitamin b12, they will know if they carry it or not, I'd even call ahead to save yourself the trip if they don't.

[CanadaSunshine 0]

Hey Sunshine how you feeling today?

Hi Cloe!

Well, After yet another glycerine suppository I had one glorious day without Constipation. YAY!!!

...but that is gone now:mad: as I had the golfball feeling for an hour or so last night...and today I have explosive diarhea. (TMI, I know LOL)

I'm not complaining though...at this point I am just kinda sadistically amused by how sick I am. I know it will pass...and BOY will I ever appreciate it then!!!

I can't wait.

And Thanks for the info Leila!

[CLOE 0]

Well Sunshine, keep on truck'n.

I found those B12 melts this afternoon at Zellers.

[argon 3]

Hi Cloe!

...and today I have explosive diarhea.

You know about PB's.... now, I imagine you know about PF's? LOL

(I'm not makin' fun, I got it too!)

btw, I saw sublingual b12's at ExtraFoods (Superstore) as well. Bet Walmart would have 'em too.

Yoda, since you seem like a Vitamin guru... I'm sure I remember being told that I shouldn't take my Vitamins and birthcontrol and thyroid pill all at once... but is taking my Calcium and Multivitamin at the same time ok?? You guys have got me thinking I need to get back on taking my Vitamins, and the fact that I think I have to take them all at separate times is what makes me not take them. I'm lucky that I remember to take 'the pill' every morning. :straight

[Leila 0]

Yoda may have something to add or different info, but here's what I know about taking Calcium, hope it's helpful!

It's good to take at night because while you are sleeping or laying down, your body isn't weight bearing, when your bones aren't weight bearing for a period of time they are more likely to lose minerals.

Calcium is an ion, and so it can block the absorption of certain things in the digestive tract, it can block the absorption of Iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and a lot of medications, oh, and also Protein. So try to avoid taking at the same time as any medications, Iron supplements, or something like a Protein supplement/shake, or meal where you need to get those protein grams in. So basically, yeah, it's better to take your calcium at a different time than you take your Multivitamin.< /p>

My belief, best to take calcium along with a late night snack, preferably something acidic, like fruit, and where you don't need to count on the protein grams, or even with a glass of milk, or a cup of tea. Most supplements are made with calcium carbonate, so having something slightly acidic with it is good, tea has some natural acids in it that work well.

There are different forms of calcium, most don't require an acid environment to get absorbed, but one type, calcium carbonate, does. If the type of supplement you are taking is calcium carbonate, you don't want to take it with an antacid, or as part of an antacid, you won't get the calcium out of it, and ideally take it with acidic food or juice, like orange juice. By the way, tums and rolaids antacids are made with calcium carbonate, if you take them in order to get the calcium, you probably aren't, the antacid property makes the calcium hard to absorb. Also calcium carbonate can cause gas/bloating and/or Constipation.

To absorb calcium you also need to have Vitamin D in adequate levels, a lot of Calcium supplements come with Vitamin D added now because of that.

Your body can't absorb more than 500mg of calcium at a time, so don't bother taking a higher dose than that, if you want more than that, take it two times a day instead.

XO

Leila

[CanadaSunshine 0]

You know about PB's.... now, I imagine you know about PF's? LOL

(I'm not makin' fun, I got it too!)

WHAT????!!!!!!

Oh Lord, this is a regular thing?! :faint:

Excuse me while I go make camp over the toilet for the night...

*sigh* I never knew I would ever grow to be so excited about the ability to fart...

...only to have that joy snatched away again.:think

Hahahaha- Oh wait...can't laugh. Too dangerous.:speechles

[Yoda 0]

Re. the calcium......the one thing I do know about it (as Leila said) is that it is true your body can't handle more than a particular amount at a time...so taking more does nothing (& you end up spending more $$ than you have to) unless you split it up am and pm...in which case it can then utilize all you give to it. I may be mistaken, but I believe this amount is 600-700 (not 500 mg).

Your body should also have about 1200-1400 mg of Calcium a day...sometimes this is difficult to get by food (in my case anyways). So, I take one 650 mg tablet in the am and another in the pm. Also, I always buy my calcium tablets to include the Vitamin D.

Other than that, I'm not familiar with the other things Leila discussed.

[argon 3]

Leila: Ok... so I'll try to be good and take my Calcium at night before bed. BUT... then, would you say also, that I should be taking the multivitamin at a separate time from my other medications too? Especially since I'm sure my multivit. also has some calcium in it (its that VitaVim chewable berry stuff).

Ugg... I hate having to think about taking things at 3 separate times during the day. Maybe I'll take my reg. pills in the morning, put my Multivitamins in my pocket, and take them sometime during the day when I reach in there, and remember I have to take them!

Sunshine: Not regular like as in it's going to happen forever! I just had the PF's for maybe 4 days. I think once the lovely Constipation is gone, and the diahrea starts, accompanied by gas-expulsion..... PF's! Just be careful. If you think it's a fart, think again! (and get to the bathroom, just in case!) LOL I added Benefiber to my Water and stuff, in hopes of 'bulking'... but ya know, since Benefiber doesn't 'bulk', I don't know if it actually would help with that. It was a good excuse to take it, and I told myself it worked anyways.

Mandi