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Vitamins

mergatroid

Member
Any recommendations on which brand to take. There are some out there that claim they contain all a wls patient needs. I find that hard to believe, but am open to suggestions.
 
I like centrum chewables in the orange flavor. A bit expensive but worth it in my opinion. I found some liquids too but they don't have iron like the centrum does. I was told not to use the gummy ones but no one ever told me why and I tend not to ask why. If I really want to know I can go look it up. Most of the bariatric stores sell vitamins, and calcium. I use any brand of B12 that I can put under my tongue and have been increased to twice a week now since I was still a tad low the last time I had blood work done. They are very inexpensive. They also have a nasal spray of B12.
 
I was told not to use the gummy ones but no one ever told me why and I tend not to ask why.

WLS patients don't want to take or eat any kind of "gummy" vitamins or candy because of their wax content.

Wax can block the stoma. Wax can cause similar issues with lapbanders. Not a good thing!
 
The substance that make gummy bears gummy, DOES NOT DIGEST and so irritates the bowel and goes through undigested.
I was told to buy Flintstone Complete CHEWABLE(not gummy) vits and they have all the vits you need and to take Calcium 2 hrs after taking Iron. Calcium Citrate(not cabonate) 3 times a day so you get 1500mg a day. From what I can tell Flintstones 2 times a day and Calcium (500 mg) 3 times a day and 2 hrs apart from the Iron so you will be taking pills/chewables all day long. ALSO lots of people take Biotin, or Hair Skin Nails for their hair to prevent hair from falling out or help it grow back!! We are going to jingle when we walk but we will look good walking :) Calcium Chews are available in Calcium Citrate but I had to send for them because could not find chews in vitamin shoppe or GNC here. They had the chews in Calcium Carbonate but we do not digest that well. NOT sure why if we are chewing them but....
 
Calcium Chews are available in Calcium Citrate but I had to send for them because could not find chews in vitamin shoppe or GNC here. They had the chews in Calcium Carbonate but we do not digest that well. NOT sure why if we are chewing them but....
I've always heard that generally (not as a bariatric patient) to take Calcium citrate over calcium carbonate.
 
Any recommendations on which brand to take. There are some out there that claim they contain all a wls patient needs. I find that hard to believe, but am open to suggestions.
Give a look at this website: www.newlifebariatricsupplements.com
Their vitamins were formulated by a bariatric surgeon who has done this type of surgery for 20 years. You do get everything you need in one supplement, but you have to take 3 tablets daily preop and 6 tablets daily postop. They also have a powder if you can't choke down big pills.
 
Generally, Calcium Gluconate and Calcium Carbonate are fine to take IF you have normal digestion but because do/will not have the normal acids in our stomaches the Calcium Citrate digest best for us and we NEED Calcium for our bones and teeth!
 
Looks like I'll be "digesting" all this information for awhile. Thanks for your input ya'll, very much appreciated.
 
My pleasure, fkrebs,

This is the same issue that makes enteric coated anything not good for wls patients. The vitamin or supplement itself may be the very best but the enteric coating (that's often spelled w-a-x) makes it inappropriate.
 
The bariatric center that I had my surgery through recommends Flintstone's Complete or Flintstone's with iron. Take 2 per day, one in the AM and one in the PM. I have been taking these since my surgery and my blood work has come back OK except my vitamin D is starting to trend towards the low side. Compared to other vitamins these are reasonably priced and are available almost anywhere.
 
Calcium Citrate + D chews are available in Walmart stores. I picked up my vitamins on Unjury-Opurity Optimized for Bypass and Sleeve chewables.
I'll be picking up the sublingual B-12's.

Carol
 
Calcium Citrate + D chews are available in Walmart stores. I picked up my vitamins on Unjury-Opurity Optimized for Bypass and Sleeve chewables.
I'll be picking up the sublingual B-12's.

Carol
Make sure the first ingredient on the chewables is not sugar. I was warned not to take those.
 
Thanks peeps! More info to "chew" on. Oh, and Pat, Flintstone chewables, really? You really are a kid at heart! Lol
 
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