Taking the vitamins

[jfergirl 1]

I am 14 days post-op. But the bariatric Vitamins they have me on are so hard to get down. They are huge, and have to dissolve in your mouth. I have to take them 3 times per day. I can barely get them down. They are chalky and dry. I gag just waiting for them to dissolve.

My sister had bypass about 10 yrs ago, and all she had to take was 3 chewable childrens Flintstones.

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[JamieLogical 8,702]

Ask your surgeon if you can take something else or if they have any recommendation for how to get them down more easily.

[jane13 2,256]

Does your sister f/u on her blood work?

Call your doctors office and see what other options you have. I did some liquids and generic chewables for the first couple of weeks post-op. After a certain point I was allowed to take other forms of Vitamins. Just DONT stop taking the Vitamins or doing follow up blood work.

Post WLS, as sleevers, we don't get what we need especially in the first few weeks because we cant eat a lot and the vitamins really help.

The bypass folks have less chance to absorb vital nutrients because of the re-routed stomach/intestines and that is something they have to monitor, and possibly supplement, for the rest of their life.

[AvaFern 3,516]

Ready for advice everyone is going to say is awful? You don't need those Vitamins. As a disclaimer, "you should tell your doctor the Vitamins aren't working out well and see what he says" and "I am not giving you medical advice".

That being said, your body is only short on nutrition for a few weeks and those disgusting bariatric vitamins are not making a big enough difference to matter. Take the B12 sublingual you get from the store, because your new stomach needs it so you don't end up anemic, but otherwise, you're fine without them.

I base this on the fact that I was a cash pay patient and no one told me I needed to take special vitamins (and to be fair, vitamins make me nauseous so I just didn't take them). I took no vitamins the first year, except sometimes B12 when I remembered, no vitamins the second year, except again B12 sometimes, and in the last 4 months or so I've tried some vitamins and ultimately I pretty much take Iron, B12, and Biotin because that combination works for me. Multivitamins and Calcium make me sick, although the latter of the two as long as you're taking the Calcium + Vit D version is generally good for women to take.

My blood values were all right in the middle of normal ranges at every blood test I have had (1 year post-op and 2 year post-op). Your body has a great way of compensating for what you do to it and this surgery isn't really any different. Taking three of those vitamins a day is good medical advice, but in reality, it's not going to hurt you to only take one or two, or in my case none. You'll be back to normal food quickly enough that your body is not going to suffer any major long term consequence if you skip the gross vitamins. I would probably at least take one, purely because it's good for you, but if you weigh the misery of taking them with the value you're actually getting from them, eh, three of them isn't worth the difference to me.

Past the bariatric vitamins though, some supplementation is good for you. When your stomach is healed, play around with Multivitamins and calcium, to see what works. B12 should always be included after the sleeve surgery. I take Iron (the stomach friendly kind) because I started feeling tired, although I had a blood test around the time I was tired and my iron levels were fine, so it might just be in my head. A Multivitamin is a good idea. I don't take it because I have tried them all and they all make me barf, no matter when I take them, but in general, multis are good to take. So, I'm not saying don't take vitamins at all, because you totally should, but if the bariatric ones are horrible, and you'd be missing out on some vitamins for a few weeks, it's not going to cause any damage to cut your dose down to one a day until you can take normal vitamins again.

[JamieLogical 8,702]

As @@AvaFern predicted. I'm going to disagree with her. At least partially. It really depends on what you are eating post-op. I personally make sure to take my bariatric Vitamins every single day because I definitely DO NOT get a lot of key nutrients from real food. I don't eat fruits or vegetables basically AT ALL. I put Protein first and my restriction is still so tight that it doesn't leave room for more than a bite or two of vegetables, so I usually just don't even bother. I rely on my Vitamins to give me the nutrients I know I am missing from real foods. That being said, I really think you need to discuss your concerns about vitamins with your surgeon and come up with the best plan for YOU. This is YOUR journey and ultimately, everyone needs to figure out what will work for them long term. All of our experiences are unique to our own lives and bodies.

[jfergirl 1]

Thank you everyone. I did discuss with my doctor already, and the only other choice. is a different brand that you take 1 tablet 4 times a day. It's not any better than the 3 I'm taking twice a day, and the Iron 3 times a day. But thanks again ya'll ☺

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[heidikat72 935]

ask your doctor about the patch Multivitamin.< /p>

[JamieLogical 8,702]

Well, if it's any consolation at all, it will likely get easier as time passes. Your stomach is still healing and still being rather picky about things at this point. Once you are healed up, it will be less of an issue. And once you start getting some blood work done and get an idea of your levels, you might be able to cut your dosage or even change brands. I'm coming off of my extra Calcium now. I had gone down to only once a day and now my doctor wants me to come off of it entirely.

[jfergirl 1]

Well, if it's any consolation at all, it will likely get easier as time passes. Your stomach is still healing and still being rather picky about things at this point. Once you are healed up, it will be less of an issue. And once you start getting some blood work done and get an idea of your levels, you might be able to cut your dosage or even change brands. I'm coming off of my extra Calcium now. I had gone down to only once a day and now my doctor wants me to come off of it entirely.

That's great. Hopefully thst will be the same case for me.

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