Hey 50 & over gang We have a new spot

[Frisky1 0]

Hello All! It has been a L O N G time since I've been here. I've been having a great deal of trouble with sticking to the "Lapband Diet". It seems everything gets stuck and ends up coming back up. My Vitamin D and Calcium levels are way down. I eat lots of Soups, ice cream. Things that go down easy. I have trouble with my calcium (EXTREME constipation) so I have a tendency not to take it. Sorry so blunt. Does anyone else have this problem? If so, what are you doing about it?

[mimi 22 0]

Hi Frisky 1---I can fully understand what you are going through. I have found that I eat too fast and don't chew my food throughly. I forget and eat like I did before my LB surgery. When I do eat more slowly, I find that I can feel when I have eaten enough. When was your last fill?

I too,have had major Constipation. I take a stool softener almost every day. If I do this, I do eventually have a BM. I am not talking about a laxative. I take the generic.

Remember not to drink right before, during, and after your meal. That one is a hard one for me. I am so used to drinking with my meals, but I find if I do that, I usually do lose what I have eaten.

I'm not sure if my input will help you. I would certainly contact my Dr. if I continued having these problems. You may need to have a little unfill.

I hope these suggestions will help. As always, what may work for me, may not work for you. Good Luck, and let us hear how you are doing.

MiMi

[Charlene K 1]

I too have problems with Calcium. I take Miralax everyday. My doctor recommended it. It cost about 21 bucks for a 30 day supply. I mix it with Water.< /span>

[dixiedoo 0]

Soooo....am I supposed to be taking a Calcium supplement? I didn't know that! What else? The only thing I am taking (vitamin wise, that is) is Vitamin B12 that melts on my tongue. I am on meds for BP. cholesterol (both of which I hope to stop or reduce soon) and an anti depressant. I guess I feel like I take enuff but if it is necessary...what does everyone else take?

[lynnt1215 1]

Soooo....am I supposed to be taking a Calcium supplement? I didn't know that! What else? The only thing I am taking (vitamin wise, that is) is Vitamin B12 that melts on my tongue. I am on meds for BP. cholesterol (both of which I hope to stop or reduce soon) and an anti depressant. I guess I feel like I take enuff but if it is necessary...what does everyone else take?

I take Bariatric Advantage by Vitaband. I get it right from my doctor, but you can get it on line. It is a full coverage vitamin. I take it twice a day. It is chewable and come in watermelon or lemon flavor.

I have good restriction and if I make the right choices have no issues. Have to remember to chew and eat slowly.. sometimes an issue. I have always been a "speed" eater. Hard habit to break.

[JoannMarie 0]

Most doctors recommend a Multi-Vitamin supplement and additional Calcium supplementation. It is recommended for women in our age group to have at least 1200 mg of calcium/day, preferred 1500mg calcium. Your calcium supplement should include Vitamin D, as the calcium will not work without enough vitamin D in your system. With the use of sunscreens these days many people do not get enough vitamin D through the usual method - the SUN! There is an alarming deficiency of vitamin D in the population today according to some recent studies. I also take Omega 3 - the ones that are for kids and are chewable (these are the good things that come from eating fish!).

With regard to the calcium, remember that post menopausal women are at extreme risk of osteoporosis - thinning of the bones. My mother had it - and it was awful. As she aged she had a many fractures and was in constant pain. She lost about 5-6 inches in height. A cough or sneeze could cause a fracture in her spine or ribs. We should have a baseline bone density test - absolutely painless and covered by most insurances - as we approach menopause and every 2-3 years following, esp if any other symptoms occur (I have lost about 2 1/2 inches in height since my late 40's - that is a symptom!) When you see the doctor for your annual exam and they check your weight - have them check your height at the same time. There are medications you can take for osteoporosis - but a lot of prevention is possible if you take calcium with vitamin D. Milk, cottage cheese, and yogurt are also good sources of calcium, and milk is generally fortified with vitamin D.

Ask your primary care physician what supplements you should be taking and coordinate those recommendations with your surgeon. LB patients do not have absorption issues, so the recommendations are not the same as they would be for bypass patients. There are precautions about calcium if you have a tendency toward gallstones, kidney stones, etc., and may be other reasons for caution. I have found all my supplements in liquid or chewable form, but it took a little searching. My multi-vitamin (chewable and for LB patients from GNC) has extra vitamin B(s) because that is the only vitamin it is hard to find in chewable or liquid form and they are usually BIG pills. Check out the on-line distributors, GNC, and costco. I take the Kirkland calcium from Costco - chewable, chocolate flavored, and sugar-free. They are yummy - I take 3 a day and they are my favorite treats!

[Charlene K 1]

Most doctors recommend a eemulti-vitamin supplement and additional Calcium supplementation. It is recommended for women in our age group to have at least 1200 mg of calcium/day, preferred 1500mg calcium. Your calcium supplement should include Vitamin D, as the calcium will not work without enough vitamin D in your system. With the use of sunscreens these days many people do not get enough vitamin D through the usual method - the SUN! There is an alarming deficiency of vitamin D in the population today according to some recent studies. I also take Omega 3 - the ones that are for kids and are chewable (these are the good things that come from eating fish!).

With regard to the calcium, remember that post menopausal women are at extreme risk of osteoporosis - thinning of the bones. My mother had it - and it was awful. As she aged she had a many fractures and was in constant pain. She lost about 5-6 inches in height. A cough or sneeze could cause a fracture in her spine or ribs. We should have a baseline bone density test - absolutely painless and covered by most insurances - as we approach menopause and every 2-3 years following, esp if any other symptoms occur (I have lost about 2 1/2 inches in height since my late 40's - that is a symptom!) When you see the doctor for your annual exam and they check your weight - have them check your height at the same time. There are medications you can take for osteoporosis - but a lot of prevention is possible if you take calcium with vitamin D. Milk, cottage cheese, and yogurt are also good sources of calcium, and milk is generally fortified with vitamin D.

Ask your primary care physician what supplements you should be taking and coordinate those recommendations with your surgeon. LB patients do not have absorption issues, so the recommendations are not the same as they would be for bypass patients. There are precautions about calcium if you have a tendency toward gallstones, kidney stones, etc., and may be other reasons for caution. I have found all my supplements in liquid or chewable form, but it took a little searching. My Multi-Vitamin (chewable and for LB patients from GNC) has extra vitamin B(s) because that is the only vitamin it is hard to find in chewable or liquid form and they are usually BIG pills. Check out the on-line distributors, GNC, and costco. I take the Kirkland calcium from Costco - chewable, chocolate flavored, and sugar-free. They are yummy - I take 3 a day and they are my favorite treats!

JoannM.......you are a wealth of information. I did not know about the chewable Omega 3. I will buy some. I bought the 1200 Omega 3 and when I opened them they were......HUGE!. I just finished 6mos. of vitaminD for a deficiency. It really sneaks up on you. It causes insommnia and anxiety......so my doctor says. I couldn't tell the difference. I still can't sleep at night. Thanks for the 411!

[JoannMarie 0]

JoannM.......you are a wealth of information. I did not know about the chewable Omega 3. I will buy some. I bought the 1200 Omega 3 and when I opened them they were......HUGE!. I just finished 6mos. of vitaminD for a deficiency. It really sneaks up on you. It causes insommnia and anxiety......so my doctor says. I couldn't tell the difference. I still can't sleep at night. Thanks for the 411!

I worked in the pharmaceutical industry/clinical research/medical school environment for many years. It kinda rubs off after a while! Youngest DD was a sales rep and hospital/institutional rep with a major pharma company, so she was guided by clinical studies, etc. DS is a deputy fire chief and trains the trainers of EMTs and paramedics. We keep up on this stuff pretty regularly in this family! Bottom line - do your own research (even WEBMD is a good resource for most of us) - and clear with your doctors.

While we do not deal with absorption problems, we do have a very restricted diet after banding. It is critical to our health to make sure we are getting the Vitamins and minerals we need for optimal health. When you can only eat 1/2 - 1 cup of food at a meal you better be sure it is high quality food. It is necessary to supplement with those nutrients you can't get through your restricted diet.

Isn't it great that we have companies willing to invest in the products we need as WLS patients? People are always ready to see a good market and respond - it's the incentive of capitalism!

[JoannMarie 0]

Charlene - I bought my Omega 3 chewables at Costco!! duh. It is their brand of kids' chewables, and they were very reasonable. DD gives these to her 2 year old, calls them "brain candy" (while she keeps them in a place inaccessible to little hands). DGS and I can share when I'm visiting them next month!

[hollyberry8 0]

Thanks Joanne for the info I am getting kirklands Calcium tabs asap.

Is it the calcium that causes the Constipation or the Protein? The miralax works to good and benifiber doesn’t work good enough.

All this is such a work in process. I am 1951 model and am always playing catch up. Holly

March exercise 15/22

Banded 1/29/09

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[Oregondaisy 2,021]

We are supposed to take calcium citrate not Calcium carbonate

[Charlene K 1]

Hollyb8, Try cutting your miralax down. Sometimes I just take a half of a cap. I am a 1951 model too. This is the place to catch up on the banding journey.

[hollyberry8 0]

I am posting to see if my new avatar is going to work. I thought since I am always playing catch up this would be appropriate. Holly

[hollyberry8 0]

Thanks, Charlene I will. Holly

[Lcubed 0]

Hi Everyone! I would love to join your group here if that's okay with you guys. I was banded on 11/10/08 on Long Island, New York. I know I have a lot to read to catch up...but I thought I would at least say hello!