5 months out, feeling great, but...vitamins???

[KDub]

Hi everyone! Hope you all are doing well! The 17th marked my 5 month post-op anniversary and I am feeling FANTASTIC!!! I am down almost 90 pounds!!! If anyone who is prepping for surgery are nervous or unsure and is browsing and reading posts (like I did) to gain more info or opinions/advice...DO IT!!! You owe it to yourself! I started the process then stopped and had to restart it a year later, big mistake! I went through a very hard "what did I do to myself" phase after surgery but that passed and now I can honestly say, having gastric bypass surgery is the BEST decision I've ever made for myself. You might regret it for a little while but that's all a mind game and trust me, that will pass and you will be feeling (and looking) even more fabulous!!! I'm trying to find pre-surgery pics so I can post some before and after pics but I wasn't a fan of pictures before the weight loss so they're hard to come by.

Also, vitamins! I believe I'm taking the right amount of vitamins but I want to be sure. Could you tell me how many mg of Zinc, B12 and Iron you take? I take the centrum silver multi vitamins (not the chewables) and also Zinc (melts), B12 (melts), Iron, Calcium (chewables) and Biotin. The dark circles under my eyes are pretty much gone and I really am feeling a ton better, not as tired anymore but this morning I had a small episode while driving to work where I got really light headed, dizzy and my sight blurred for a few seconds. I started to pull to the side of the road but it went away, now I just have a headache. This all could be hormones from Aunt Flo, however, my husband is nervous it could be a vitamin deficiency. I would rather be safe than sorry. I have my papers at home but I'm a little impatient and trying to get all this figured out as soon as possible because if I need to increase anything, I want to do it asap. I placed a call to my bariatric nurse, waiting for her to call back. Any info you can give me would be wonderful!

Thanks guys! Hope all is well! So excited Spring has finally sprung today!!! Looking forward to some nice weather!

 

[Bigtallsis]

HI Kdub have you had any blood work done pertaining to your vitamins? I had my surgery in sept 2012 and my dr did my blood work a few weeks ago, and I am thankful that my levels all came back good, and diabetic is gone. did you have any protein this morning before you had your lightheaded episode? were you a diabetic before? I am sure the nurse will call you back, it never hurts to ask ? you have a right to know what is going on in your body. CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS, YOU'RE DOING GREAT. I know what you mean about pic's before too, the camera has never been my friend, now I too am ready to show the difference the surgery has made in my life. this forum is a great place to find answers's comfort and to make new friends, love this site. hope you have a good day and are feeling better. let us know what the nurse tells you. Donna

 

[Missirenee]

Congrats on the weight loss! I am not sure of the exact numbers for vitamins, although I can look it up if needed (will look when I get home). I take the Bariatric Fusion vitamins. My surgeon recommended them. It's one tablet 4x a day. No need to add anything. It works good for me because I know I would be non-compliant if I had to take several different pills throughout the day.

 

[Leah]

First..., CONGRATS ON YOUR WEIGHT LOSS!!! You may want to try GNC Solotron chewables (2 wafers per day). They were recommended by my physician and dietician (and has all the other needed nutrients - iron, zinc, biotin) along with the sublingual B12 (once a day) and chewable calcium supplements (three throughout the day). The vitamins are pretty good in cherry flavor and the calcium supplements tast like lemon or chocolate cake! Not too bad! Good Luck!

 

[Javajoy]

Hi,

Congratulations on the weight loss. I loved your post. I was instructed to use all chewable vitamins and they wanted me to crush all my meds as well. However, I drew the line on certain things. My vitamins are chewable and must contain iron and I am supposed to take them twice a day. I found a brand optimized for my band that I only take once a day. I have to do B12 2500 mcg twice a week and my level was above 800 last time I had blood work done. I get them at Walmart and they are really cheap and they are sublingual. Taste real good. All my other pills and capsules are very small and my band seems to tolerate them quite well. I don't have to take zinc or any other supplements and I think that is because I have a band. The best thing to do is to have blood work done to find out if you are deficient in anything. They did mine at six months and I will have it done again soon then yearly after that. I am wondering if you had eaten breakfast the day you got light headed. Make sure you carry something with you to avoid that problem. Good luck! Joy

 

[Kim M]

If these are new symptoms, I would get bloodwork done for everything. I take 2 mulit vitamins a day, b12, calcium, magnesium and vitamin D. I was low in vitamin A and iron as wll as D. So I had to supplement. I am off the A and iron, but have to continue with the vit D. I get my multi and vit b12 from Bariatric Advantage. All the rest from local health food store. I do take a pill container with my vitamins to work as some cannot be taken with others. I also take some other supplements in an effort to reduce inflammation. They are really working well. Talk to your doctor ASAP.