Vitamins

[Pat99]

my nutritionist has informed me that the surgeon only wants us taking specific bariatric vitamins. As for the B-12, they gave me a prescription for Nascobal which is a nasal spray you use once a week. I'm still looking cause I am worried about finances, as things aren't cheap. Any suggestions?

My bariatric nutritionist recommends Flintstones with iron pediatric chewables, 2 daily, one in the morning and one in the evening. These run around $6 at WalMart for 60 pills (30 day supply). She said we could also take a comparable brand from Costco, WalMart, Meijer, etc. Since you are only using your B12 once weekly I'm thinking you would probably spend more if you switched to something else. I have to take B complex 2 caps daily which cost about $25 for a 60 day supply. It's a capsule with a finely ground powder inside for bariatric patients that can be swollowed whole or sprinkled on food. It tastes so bad that I swollow the caps. You can not use just any type of vitamins / minerals as they may not digest properly and therefore not provide the necessary nutrients or may cause irritation so please stick with what is recommended.

 

[Pat99]

Letrell-The nutritionist I am referring to is from my surgeon's staff. Since he is a bariatric surgeon, general and trauma surgeon and he shares a suite and staff with other surgeon's and MD's who also supervise non-surgical weight loss bariatric patients I have to say the nutritionist is both a gastric bypass and bariatric nutritionist. The source of information regarding the Flintstone's vitamins is in the Patient Education Packet that is given to all bariatric surgery patients who are having their surgeries at St. John Providence Health System Weight Loss Center of Excellence. The publication states to take a chewable, (not gummy) liquid or powder for the first 12 weeks. Although Flintstone's is the most recommended (and least expensive), other choices are Centrum Adult chewable or liquid, Bariatric Advantage multi vitamin with iron, Celebrate bariatric supplements multivitamin chewable and Meijer brand complete chewable (with iron). Most but not all other supplements recommended in the publication are the Bariatric Advantage brand available at the network hospital pharmacies or the Internet. I take vitamin D3 which is not from Bariatric Advantage which I buy at WalMart. The hospital pharmacies will ship the supplements to their patients at their cost with no shipping charges and the price of the supplements themselves are the same as you would pay on the Internet. The pharmacies actually take a loss due to the shipping expense they cover.

 

[NanaG67]

Mine works for my bariatric surgeon, so she is only telling me what he said. I didn't hear it from him, and she mentioned that not everyone can take the vitamins he wants us on. She has done research to make sure the ones on her list had the same things that the bariatric brands have. I haven't had the surgery yet, but I am having the switch, so I have to have more of somethings then other patients.

 

[TwoMas]

Hi all. Both my nutitionists and doctor have told me to stay away from coated and time released pills and to stck with the high quality vitamins made for bariatric patients or if taking a high qualty vitamin not made spacificaly for bariatric patientsto make sure they are gel-tabs for quicker absorbtion for reasons that Letrell was taliking about. They also gave me a list of several spacific brands that were prefered and not all were made just for bariatric patients. I have a very good group of doctors thet are really good at keeping their patients informed, my daughter has had the surgery at a different place and they never told her about not mixing calcium and iron due to them binding together and passing without absorbtion, so all doctors are different so everyone that is getting surgery should not only ask questions but ask why we need to do or not do certain things so you have a good understanding of what is going on with the body. Great topic I learn stuff every time I read through these. Thanks Guys and Gals. Tom

 

[NanaG67]

Looks like I learn something new everyday too. I knew not to take them together but never knew why. I am currently looking at all the supplements on the market that were made especially for us. My issue is financial, and am trying to find out if my flexible health care card will pay for my supplements since they will be medically necessary. Does anyone know about this?? When I go to the website, it is a little confusing to figure out what it will pay for and what they require.

 

[icututo]

be careful with the prenatal vitamins. After RNY - they don't have B1. Been there did it. Want do again

 

[Pat99]

Looks like I learn something new everyday too. I knew not to take them together but never knew why. I am currently looking at all the supplements on the market that were made especially for us. My issue is financial, and am trying to find out if my flexible health care card will pay for my supplements since they will be medically necessary. Does anyone know about this?? When I go to the website, it is a little confusing to figure out what it will pay for and what they require.

Nana-Try calling the customer service number. A rep should be able to answer your questions. I know the websites can be confusing.

 

[Bigtallsis]

hi diannadz

i just read your post and saw that you are still having to take metformin, i too am a diabetic but i haven't had my surgery, i have to take 12 units of insulin plus the metformin and glipizide.
I've read where most people are taken off most med. Especially diabetic med. Right after surgery.
Are you type 1 diabetic? I am a type 2 just curious, for i know the metformin's are so big a pill do you crush yours or did you get it in liquid form?? When you have time please let me know..
Also congratulations on your gret weight loss
can't wait to have mine done, hopefully next month.
Donna

 

[Pat99]

Are your nutritionists specialty as in "gastric bypass" or "bariatric" nutritionists.

Reading both posts here...only taking specific types and we can't ingest them???? That just bothers me. As long as you are taking quality vitamins, it really should not matter which brands, etc.

Regarding absorbing them...if the pill comes out when you go to the bathroom, you did not ingest it. Ya gotta try another route...if no pill comes out...your body has digested and ingested it. That's a medical fact. After surgery (RNY anyway), it takes 10 minutes for something to move through the intestines to absorb and/or ingest the vitamins/minerals. If it does not come out the other end, your body took it. I can't think of any reason why you are being told otherwise...it baffles me. Did your nutritionists explain anything else or just say don't do it?

I had a problem with potassium...I wasn't absorbing it. We went from pill to pill to liquid...the pills kept coming out the other end. Very frustrating. Had I not been absorbing the liquid, I would have been on a daily IV. Not a good thing. My body absorbs liquid potassium quickly. It is a vile, nasty thing to take, but...I consider the alternative..I take it!!!

I was also told to take "my" vitamins with pure orange juice..not concentrated...the real stuff. It speeds up absorption of the vitamins. It has worked beautifully for me.

As soon as I could swallow the larger pills I was handed them and told...take this now. Guess what? Worked just fine.

So..I guess what I'm getting at is... are there any explanations of why you are told the kid vitamins, etc? I'm really going nuts here sincerely wanting to know what supports what you are being told.

Help me understand?

Thanks...

Letrell

p.s. Pat...you go girl! Pat's been keeping me up on how you are doing. I am sooo proud of you. I hope you are proud of yourself. You are doing so dang well.

Had a follow up visit with the surgeon today to review my 6 month total blood work (1 month late). Most everything was in the normal range, some were high and 1 was low. Ferritin (iron related) was extrememly high and vitamin D was slightly low. I'm still taking Flintstone's Complete chewables, 1 pill twice a day. The surgeon wants to see in which direction I trend in 6 months before making any vitamin adjustments. Even though I take 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily he may need to switch me to a prescription strength that is taken only once a week. Will know more in 6 months.

 

[Qaterra]

Hey, Pat99,

Glad to see you're doing well.

FYI the current trend for D3 seems to be 5,000 IU daily. Was generally thought that 1,000 IU was sufficient not so long ago. I'd ask surgeon about OTC (over the counter) 5,000 IU before subjecting yourself (and your pocketbook!) to another prescription offering.

Was your pre-op D3 low?

 

[Pat99]

Qaterra-My pre-op D3 was slightly low, close to where it is now. Other non-nutritional things were not "normal" but those are due to health issues. I did ask the surgeon if I could increase the D3 from the 1,000 IU I am taking now. Both he, the nutritionist and my PCP said no. Reason being is due to an autoimmune disease I have and if it improves my D3 level should also increase or if the condition worsens the tell will be a drop in D3. If my D3 dose is increased now it will make it more difficult to determine if my condition is improving or not. The surgeon said the prescription D3 is absorbed diffferently than the OTC D3 and is more suitable for someone with my health concerns. Besides that, my D3 is only slightly low, no wories at this point.