nicoleco 11 Posted February 3, 2013 I was wondering how long after surgery can I start taking Vitamins in pill form? I was sleeved 1/9 so I am a little over 3 weeks out. I take all of my other medicine and they are pills! Why are Vitamins different? As I've mentioned before, I HATE chewables and liquids. I started swallowing pills when I was a small child because I hated these so much! I am still taking the opurity chewable multi-Vitamin (my surgeons office recommends them). Everyone had some great suggestions on my previous post, but I looked up the nutrition info on a large amount of the suggestions and they are nowhere near what this one Vitamin has, even if i take two! The chewable I'm taking now has something like 200% daily values for a bunch of the vitamins. Can our bodies even absorb all of the nutrients this multi vitamin has????? I posted the nutrition info and ingredients below. Any advice?!? I don't want to go out and spend a bunch of money on a different brand that still might now taste great and doesn't have the same nutritional value. As for the Calcium citrate chews - I purchased the chocolate chewables from Bariatric Advantage. They smell so strange, it grosses me out. They also taste like they smell. I am already struggling with the Multi-Vitamin, I don't think I can take another disgusting chewable in my day. Does anyone have any other suggestions for the chewable Calcium? WHEN WILL I BE ABLE TO TAKE MY CITRACAL PILL AGAIN!? I am so angry that I keep wasting money on things that I definitely will not continue to eat (don't even get me started on powders?utm_source=BariatricPal&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=CommentLink" target="_ad" data-id="1" >unjury shakes or cheese sauce). I know it is about trial and error but geez, I am not made of money! It seems like I spend more now even though I eat less! Processed foods were so much cheaper >:| ! As for the Biotin - that is a pill. I haven't started taking it yet because I'm not sure if I'm even allowed to take pills! I know people started it right away though. Why is this pill different? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nicoleco 11 Posted February 3, 2013 sorry about the pictures - i didn't know they were sideways! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
funinthesun00 157 Posted February 3, 2013 I would ask your doctor, but my doctor told me if the pill is the size of an m&m or smaller, it is okay to take. The Biotin I take is smaller and so is the ppi I take. My other Vitamins are chewable. I hope this helps. Oh, I am only 16 days out and was allowed to start my vitamins at 1 week post op. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
toylitpapr 50 Posted February 3, 2013 Sorry I don't have an answer for you but I can vent along with you concerning wasting money on products that I don't end up liking. Although, I have a feeling most of us have encountered this challenge throughout the process. I spent 140 bucks on the Bariatric Advantage Vitamin regemin pushed by my surgery center. The shakes did not work for me and I spent about 150 on those. Tried some egg Protein and hate it so wasted another 40. My plan is to ask my surgeon on Tuesday about when I will be ok to start swallowing pills. I know I won't be a big fan of the chewables as well. Good luck to you! <3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
long2bethin 5 Posted February 3, 2013 My doctor has me taking two of the tums ultra 1000 a day for Calcium. I have been swallowing my Biotin since day 1. If a pill is large I just break it in half assuming its something that can be broken of course. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TerryBelieves 352 Posted February 3, 2013 They had me swallowing pills the day after surgery. As long as they are small. I take them 1 at a time with a sip of whatever I am drinking. My loratab, the dr. said break it in half and take it that way so thats what I do. Hope that helps. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
nicoleco 11 Posted February 3, 2013 I will have to ask my doctor about breaking a multi Vitamin or Calcium pill in half. Maybe I will be able to do that! Anyone ever try that before? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
NancyDec20 212 Posted February 3, 2013 as my doc also stated.. nothing larger than a m&m. or an aspirin.. but then some of the Vitamins you can get sublingual or another thought which wasnt really tasty.. to crush those that are too big and mix them with something when you take them. but Im post op since dec 20 and I can now take the pills.. so in time.. but not many options other than chewables or under the tongue sorts.. and the liquid is just plain nasty.. ewwwwwwwww . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cataro 39 Posted February 3, 2013 My dr told me no pills for the first 4 months, but then cleared me for all of my pills after 6 weeks, including a huge antibiotic (I injured my foot). Go figure. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azquilter92 82 Posted February 3, 2013 Centrum chewables arent bad,caltrate makes a chewable, or now they (most vitamins) are in gummie form. Now they,are making a mini form for some Vitamins.< /p> Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aaron in Tulsa 147 Posted February 3, 2013 I got so sick of Calcium chewables and gummies after a few weeks. Just couldn't do it anymore. So I got the Citracal Petites pills and take two a day with no problems. I'm 3 months out. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DivineMissM 60 Posted February 3, 2013 I had to crush pills for 2 weeks. I hated it! but i got thru it! now I use one a day Gummy vitamins- delicious! Haha!! Hang in there! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
does not matter 39 Posted February 3, 2013 The night of surgery I was wide awake, they actually gave me some sort of sleeping pill, prior to even having the leak test the next morning... 2 days after I was discharged and sent home with pills to take Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
thepick4u 8 Posted February 3, 2013 Hi, I am a dec 19 sleever. I am 6 weeks out. This is what my surgeons instructions are. Crush all pills until 3mos out. If larger than an aspirin continue to crush after that point. I just started 2 chewable Flinstones per day. A Biotin supplement. I found one at Walmart that melts in your mouth so that was convenient. It is Natrol biotin 1000mcg fast dissolve. I also am supposed to take two Caltrate per day at three mos but right now I do the Wellesse brand at Walmart that is liquid Calcium plus Vitamin D. It's great but pricey. I may stick with it vs the big pill if it means crushing. Waiting to see on that. I also am supposed to take 100mg of b1 -thiamine per day but I haven't found one that is gluten free yet ( I have celiac disease also so I have to monitor that) they have a perfect one at Walmart but it has gluten in it. I got caught up in finding the right mg and forgot to check that when I got home. It's $.88 for 10. Then I take the B12 shot once a month. Maybe this will help give you some options that don't taste bad and some go down easier with out having to crush. There is also a liquid B complex available at Walmart but I don't think it as thiamine in it. It helped me until I could locate the b-12 shots here. They were on months of backorder around here. I figure the reimbursement is so low that outpatient pharmacies don't want to fool with them. I had to use my insurances mail order method to get them. Good luck to you and all fellow sleevers on this journey. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites