• American Bariatrics is a free online Bariatric Support Group. Register for your free account and get access to all of our great features!

Biotin how much

S

Sandie

Member
People have advised me to take Biotin for hair before I get the surgery so I have it on board before I have the surgery that can cause hair loss due to the shock your body receives from the surgery. FOR those who take Biotin, how many milligrams(mg) do you take and how often a day and where do you buy it? Vit shoppe, GNC, CVS pharmacy etc. I think I saw some at Walmart but not sure. Also, which vitamins do you take and need to have chewable, was told Flintstone chewable with iron, does that sound right? How about chewable Calcium Citrate do you find palatable and economical?
Are there foods that people find they cannot tolerate any longer after their surgery? When did you start to eat solid foods? I want to do this right and not have lots of nausea and vomiting, YUK!
December 3rd here I come ready and able to change my life!
 
Sandie, I was wondering some of the same things. Also,...if you are supposed to take meds/vitamins with a meal, how are you supposed to swallow them without drinking anything?
 
Biotin is a B vitamin, B7. It is water soluble, so whatever your body cannot utilize, it will excrete through your urine. It would be exceedingly difficult to overdose on any water soluble vitamin, that is, most any vitamin but A D E and K.

I have started taking Biotin for the same reason. To prepare my body and get the biotin "on board" in hopes of avoiding the worst of the hair loss after surgery. I take 10mg or 10,000mcg daily. I got mine from Amazon. It was inexpensive, around $6 as I recall. Biotin is readily available in many strengths at WalMart and other retailers who sell vitamin supplements.

Check with your medicos. See what they have to say. Unless they forbid it, do your research and take whatever amount seems right to you. Then let your medicos know so they can add it to your chart. They need to know what you're putting into your body.
 
SANDIE-I am answering your questions based on my own experience. Your requirements may differ based on direction from your surgeon and nutritionist.

People have advised me to take Biotin for hair before I get the surgery so I have it on board before I have the surgery that can cause hair loss due to the shock your body receives from the surgery. FOR those who take Biotin, how many milligrams(mg) do you take and how often a day and where do you buy it?
I WAS TOLD BY THE NUTRITIONIST TO TAKE A SUPPLEMENT CALLED HAIR, SKIN AND NAILS. IT CONTAINS BIOTIN, ZINC AND OTHER NUTRIENTS. SHE SAID THERE WERE NO GUARANTEES BUT IT WORKED FOR ME AS WELL AS FOR OTHER PEOPLE ON THIS FORUM. MY HAIR STARTED THINNING AT WEEK 5 POST SURGERY. WITHIN 3 WEEKS OF TAKING IT THE THINNING SLOWED DOWN AND STARTED TO FILL IN WITHIN 3 MORE WEEKS. I FOUND IT AT COSTCO BUT HAVE ALSO SEEN IT AT WALMART AND SAM'S CLUB. I FOLLOW THE PACKAGE DIRECTIONS AND TAKE 3 PILLS A DAY.
Also, which vitamins do you take and need to have chewable, was told Flintstone chewable with iron, does that sound right?
I TAKE FLINTSTONE'S COMPLETE WHICH CONTAINS IRON. YOU WILL ALSO BE ADVISED TO TAKE ADDITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS BASED ON YOUR BLOOD WORK RESULTS.
How about chewable Calcium Citrate do you find palatable and economical?
THE CALCIUM CITRATE CHEWS ARE VERY PALATABLE BUT NOT ECONIMICAL. IF YOU DECIDE TI USE THEM MAKE SURE YOU GET A BRAND THAT IS MADE WITHOUT SUGAR (LOW CARB). THEY ARE AVAILABLE FROM THE STORE ON THIS FORUM.
Are there foods that people find they cannot tolerate any longer after their surgery?
SOME PEOPLE EXPERIENCE A CHANGE OF TASTE AFTER SURGERY AND FIND THEY NO LONGER LIKE CERTAIN THINGS AND ALSO FIND OUT THEY LIKE THINGS THEY DIDN'T BEFORE SURGERY. RESEARCH INDICATES ZINC DEFICIENCY CAN CAUSE A LOSS OF TASTE AND DISLIKE FOR FOOD IN GENERAL.
When did you start to eat solid foods?
USUALLY YOU CAN START TO REINTRODUCE SOLID FOOD FROM 6 TO 8 WEEKS AFTER SURGERY BUT IT CAN TAKE A LOT LONGER. YOU SHOULD BE GIVEN SPECIFIC WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE NUTRITIONIST SHOWING THE 4 PHASE MEAL PLANS THAT WORK YOU UP TO BEING ABLE TO TOLERATE SOLID FOODS. IT WILL BE VERY DETAILED ON WHICH FOODS TO EAT AND HOW MUCH TO EAT DURING EACH PHASE. IT WILL ALSO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW LONG YOU SHOULD WAIT BEFORE YOU TRY CERTAIN SOLID FOODS AND WHICH ONES TO AVOID BECAUSE THEY MAY CAUSE DISCOMFORT, NAUSEA AND VOMITING. IF YOU FOLLOW THE 4 MEAL PLAN PHASES YOU WILL HAVE MINIMAL NAUSEA AND YOUR POUCH WILL HEAL THAT MUCH BETTER AND FASTER.
 
Sandie said:
When did you start to eat solid foods?
Click to expand...

Those of us on this Forum know there's at least one wls program which strictly forbids supplementation with protein shakes. One of our Forum Members went through that bariatric center. Naturally, for participants in that or similar programs, "real food" will enter the picture much sooner than in most other programs.

You will want to follow the guidelines of your particular program. You're trusting them enough to allow them to perform major surgery on you. Trust them to offer you the best help they know in the follow through and follow up to that surgery.

There are few absolutes in the wls process. One of them is: If you overeat your pouch, eat more than your pouch can comfortably contain, you will get dumping syndrome. Dumping syndrome includes, but is not limited to, nausea and vomiting.
 
Gosh this is a great thread!

Pat, you only took the "hair" supplements when it began to fall out? I definitely need to get this. I have Hashimoto's thyroiditis. My hair falls out when my levels are off. My hair is very temperamental with my hormones. I am so glad I saw this!

To get this clear do I take it before it starts to fall out or when it falls out? Does it keep the hair from falling out or just helps it grow back?
 
Thanks everyone for all the wonderful info, Pat99, you are wonderful resource of information! Quaterra you too have added so much help here! I did see, now that you mention it, about Hair, Skin, Nails was great resource for Biotin. Will get it today and start now so when I go for surgery I have the B7 and Zinc on board going into surgery and have the best chance of not losing much hair. It has thinned out since Menopause so do not want it any thinner if possible. All I need is to finally lose weight and get into normal size clothes and be bald, then I will need hair transplants but no donor sites so that is not good LOL :) Thanks EVERYONE for all the information, this is a great forum!!!!
 
Penelope-Some people start taking the hair supplement before surgery or immediately afterwards. To be safe I would ask the surgeon or nutritionist if it would be OK to start taking it before surgery. I didn't know about the supplement until after my hair started thinning out otherwise I would have started taking it sooner. In your situation with having Hashimoto's thyroiditis I'm not certain if the Hair, Skin and Nails will work for you. Even though it's not 100% guaranteed to work for everyone I would feel bad if it doesn't work for you. Is there a medical professional you could ask what might help with your special circumstances?
 
Sandie-The Hair, Skin and Nails supplement also contains zinc. If you are planning on taking additional zinc with this supplement you need to use caution because zinc is toxic if taken in too large of a dose. It would be best to consult a nutritionist about this so you do not get too large of a dose. Just trying to keep you safe :)
 
Thanks Pat! I go for my pre-op appointments on Tuesday. I have a list. I'm gonna ask. I did read that if taking levoxyl or something for thyroid not to take it without a doctors blessing. I take armour thyroid which is natural. I'll find out on Tuesday.

Thanks again!
 
YES the Hair, Skin, and Nails has Vit A, D, and E along with many other vitamins and A, D, and E are NOT water soluable which means they collect in your body if taking too much and can be delitarious so will take it now before surgery and then start the Flintstones Complete when having surgery and will need to find chewable(?) Biotin for after surgery I guess. I have not opened the H, S and N but think it is NOT chewable, am I correct? So if that is so, how do people take it if they had bypass surgery? Are you able to swallow pills later in course of recovery like a few months in or no, always from now on it is liquid or chewable? Sorry for so many questions, you would think I would know this stuff as a medical provider but I do not and come here for the real information.
 
Hair Loss- I recently saw in a journal I get that Saw Palmetto extract can help with hair loss. It is a herb that men use for prostate but not sure about the Hair Loss thing and not sure if safe for women but not sure why it would not be safe for women just because men use it for Prostrate problems. Will try to research it.
 
Sandie-Thanks for clearing up vitamins A, D, and E not being water soluable. H S & N are not chewables but that doesn't mean one can't chew them anyway. I found the taste a bit offensive when chewed but it's not horrible. I was allowed to swallow pills immediately after discharge from the hospital as long as they aren't any larger than an M & M but depending how big the surgeon made your pouch opening will determine if you can swallow pills or not and how big the maximum size should be. If you can't swallow pills then the other options are to crush them or see if they come in a liquid form. Any meds that are time released or extended release can NOT be crushed or broken in half. Eventually everyone can swallow pills but there will be a size restriction. A word of caution, not all insurance's cover the cost of liquid prescription meds so make sure you find out up front if you are looking into going this route.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top