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Is there anyone who takes their vitamins any way other than taking the chewables? Like I just can’t stomach the chews and they are awful to me but I’m trying to try different things even if I would need to take multiple pills I do not care I just do not want to take the chewable ones. Anyone have any routine with vitamins that meets the needs we need as bariatric patients?

@BlueParis As I mentioned before my bariatric docotor and dietician both said exhaustion is a thing up to 4 or 5 months before your body starts getting back to normal. Low Iron and other problems could contribute. From my blood test results that's not the case. Exhaustion is part of the process. The dietician wanted me to stay close to 100 grams of protein a day. My average is around 135 grams. I log everything through the baritastic app that she can access. Seems weird to me that I should stay close to 100, but they've done this many times before. So I'll follow the guidelines to see what happens. @NickelChip i weighed myself the night before my DR. Appointment. I was 241 lbs. The next day on the doctors scale i was 245 lbs. I think my scale is 1 or 2 lbs off. Either way, I gained overnight and that is frustrating. But, the part I took away is all the inches i had lost. The Doctor and nurse both have had bariatric surgery. They kept reassuring that the process is working, but it can be slow.

Anyone here from London and want to share their experience with me? Just got sleeve 2 weeks ago no one to talk to about bariatric stuff!

I’m wondering if it really has anything to do with the surgery at all. My primary dr told me that immediately post surgery if I had issues that I would call the bariatric dr and ask if I should see them or go to my family dr. Maybe try giving them a call and see if it sounds like something of concern.

I had Petersens hernias 2 years out - the membrane that holds in your guts is pulled apart by the weight loss and the intestines slide in and out and loops can get trapped. It never shows on X-rays and not always on ct as it moves about. General emergency docs in uk missed diagnosis and it was finally seen by bariatric department and repaired- more than half my gut out of place when they sewed it back up! thing is because it moves around the scans don’t always catch it. I spent ages trying to figure out what foods caused it. If I got on hands and knees and rolled hips/back I could often soothe it which we realise now may well have helped move things back. it needs exploratory surgery to be entirely sure/ rule it out. Make a fuss. Make sure you see bariatric surgeon, use name Petersens xx

I spoke to my doctor yesterday about this, after my magnesium was checked and an EKG she said she thinks its not more blood needing to be used for digestion, otherwise you would have always felt the increase in heart beats especially so with a larger stomach having needed more blood and it beginning with onset after surgery. She's recommending a week long heart monitor, but thinks its directly related to bariatric surgery. She stated it could be due to the change in digestive tract possibly changing the stomachs location relative to the vagus nerves location coming into direct contact, but she's not positive hence the heart monitor. Let and me know if you're interested in the results and final DX. She did say she's never heard of a faster heart rate after eating unless a food sensitivity/allergy has started up after bariatric surgery.

Yes, its fairly common! Try taking smaller sips and space it out a bit more. If it continues I'd contact your bariatric surgeons office and see what they have to say. Also, before WLS did water do this? Water always made me a bit nauseated, so I add flavor which helps. Good luck, I hope you this is your only bump on your journey!

Thank you I just knew that, no matter how many surgeries I had to have, this is a once in a lifetime shot to fix what was broken and undo the damage I did for decades. Ironically, having 10 surgeries in 2 years actually forced me to slow down, think about everything I eat and drink, don't overdo it but still make sure I move my body. I worked with both my nutritionist and a bariatric therapist for a long time (still working on my body dysmorphia, but that takes a lot longer to work through) to finally get here.

At 53, the age I was at my surgery, I had spent my entire life hating my body and being on some type of diet. I researched and educated myself on the types of bariatric surgeries. I scheduled the sleeve surgery and canceled telling myself I will try one more diet only to schedule the SIPS/SADI 3 months later. It is a scary step

I had an abnormal heart ultrasound preop and feared the same for myself. My bariatric surgeon told me they wouldn't cancel my surgery, just postpone it if I needed heart surgery. Fortunately, I didn't need it, so my WLS went forward. I'm not sure at what point a doctor would refuse to do WLS due to medical risk but have heard one say he had to with a few of his patients. I'm hoping the best for you!!!

Every program is different, so you need to reach out to your surgeon's office for their rules. I was allowed tomato soup and I added unflavored Syntrax Nectar Medical protein powder. I also enjoyed the Bariatric Fusion chicken soup flavored "shake". Celebrate makes one, too, and Unjury has a really nice beef one. A warning, though. I didn't like them at all a few days post-surgery as they tasted like chemicals to me. But pre-op, they were a godsend.

I agree with NickelChip, your PCP not knowing about the surgery is not a big deal IMO. What is most important is that YOU understand your surgery and whatever anatomy you end up with, and that you are able to communicate that to emergency responders and ER doctors in an emergency. Everyone close to me knows what surgery I've had done, knows the technical term for it, and it is in my phone's health info that emergency responders can access. A lot of SADI and DS patients carry a card illustration of their surgery in their wallets or on their phones. When I was considering the SADI and two surgeons recommended I do the DS instead I had reservations. I live in North Carolina and we have some really stellar bariatric surgeons here in Raleigh. But I plan on moving back to New Zealand in the next few years and DS surgery is really rare there, there are only 2 surgeons I know of in the country who can perform it and they are both in Auckland. My surgeon here told me as long as I planned on having the first few years locally here in Raleigh, and as long as there was one surgeon that could be consulted about my care in the area I move to, I should be fine with the DS... The same applies to the SADI. What we tend to forget is that people have surgery on their small intestines for a variety of reasons besides bariatric surgery. Cancer, Crohn's, etc... Many people have designer insides and while not every gastro doc is trained to do a DS or SADI, they have the technical skill to find a surgeon to consult with about your surgery should they need it. In terms of your PCP what she most needs to know is that it is vital to order a FULL panel of bariatric labs for you at least once a year, as well as at any point if you start having symptoms of a vitamin deficiency or protein deficiency. She'll also need to watch your iron levels. These are things a PCP can do. She also needs to be in good communication with your surgeon if she has any questions. Doctors act like they can't talk to each other, but they can. I have an autoimmune GI condition that causes ulcerations sometimes (like Crohn's) and my bariatric surgeon actually called and consulted with my GI doctor to ensure they were on the same page about the surgery and to ensure it was a safe surgical option for me. That made me feel SO well cared for! My PCP has a sister who had the sleeve done so she's familiar with the bariatric surgery options. She is well read, researches what she needs to, knows how to consult when she needs more info, and trusts me to tell her what I need when I need it. For me, that's the perfect PCP. I don't need her to understand the complexities of my surgery. I just need her to know when she's out of her depth and needs to refer out to a GI doctor, my bariatric surgeon, or the ER.

I did the 4 wk liver shrinking, it wasn’t a problem for me. I couldn’t eat anything just my protein drinks 800 cal. Some Bariatric Drs don’t do 4 wks just 1 to 2 wks I did 4 weeks befor and 2 wks after

Hello ShoppGirl, Yes, I have spoken with my Dr about my bloating and pain in my pouch from my bloating. My aim in my post was to find out from a typically helpful and supportive community if anyone else experienced the same results. The purpose of this community is to share experiences and to help each other. What you gave was ridicule which is in no way informative or helpful. If, you can't be polite, informative, supportive of those who simply wanted information from their extended bariatric family.....be silent. Your silence in these situations is more valuable than your opinion.

Rose are you actually having, or have you had, bariatric surgery?? I see that you post a lot of questions but never actually give any details about yourself, your journey etc even when specifically asked by some of us previously. We are all open here and share thoughts and feelings etc yet, and sorry if you feel I am being rude, but you just ask question after question like someone trying to get information for a report or article and without you answering back it does not come across as honest.

I had VSG in 2017 and found myself pregnant with my first! I have not taken vitamins as I was supposed to post op. But I have been taking prenatal vitamins since finding out. I lost a total of 150lbs since surgery, and this last year another 20 due to stress. I’m concerned the weight loss will continue (I know I’m just stressing more, it’s kind of my thing) For you bariatric mommies, were you able to hold enough food for you and the baby?

I take this one and it's fantastic. I need the iron because I've always been a bit anemic, but they also have them without iron. https://store.bariatricpal.com/products/bariatricpal-multivitamin-one-day-bariatric-capsule-45mg-iron?variant=13156335845453

OMG! I'm so thrilled for you!! I remember this!! You are looking so great in your pics!! AWESOME JOB!! I noticed your highest weight was 421. My highest was 400. When I joined here, I only entered 390 as that was the weight I was at when I started trying to lose some more 'on my own' as I was going through the insurance process (SO LONG) to get approved for bariatric surgery. 5 years later and I'm wondering if I should have changed my weight to the highest I ever was or if that is confusing to anyone. Again, I'm just so very happy for you!

If you don't already have it, the Baritastic app is pretty handy. So far, I'm only tracking food (well, liquids) and my weight, but there's more fun stuff, too. The bariatric nurse at the hospital recommended it during my pre-op appointment.

Safe travels. Hope you see those numbers when you get back. I had my 3 month post op appointment with the dietician and bariatric doctor. They took my measurements and compared to the first visit. Ive lost 4 inches in my neck 10 inches in my waist. Officially lost 41 lbs since surgery. My issue has been exhaustion. I was told that is part of bariatric surgery process. That it happens and should start getting better in the next month or so. Had a lot of blood tests as well. The results have been very good. B-12 is off the chart high. So I will be taking only one multivitamin and one B-complex a day instead of two. The Doctor was very impressed with how much visceral fat I have lost. They have a machine that measures body fat and muscle. Visceral fat went from 40+ when I started back in October. Down to 18 now. The goal is to have that number at 12. She explained it usually takes a full year to get there. Being 6 points away 3 months post op is very good. All the blood tests haven't been finished yet, but so far so good. I was hoping there would be something to help with the exhaustion, apparently that happens matter what you do.

As far as getting ready: I've got a binder my doctor gave to me. It has basically all the information that I should need going forward. I do look at it periodically to refresh my memory about what is expected of me. For the dietary changes and stages, I write everything I need to stop/start on a calendar. For example: I need to stop drinking coffee and need to taper off to avoid headaches. I am also weaning myself off carbonated water and need reminders. I'm struggling with a few things such as taking small bites, so I like to put reminders in my calendar so i have to see them every day. I'm also changing my vitamins over to different brands and also needed reminders for that as well. (I'm forgetful!) I've made a list of the things I need to buy such as different kinds of protein powder, unjury protein, chewable vitamins, calcium chews, small utensils, small plates, a drink blender, etc. I've made a list of things to pack for the hospital (thanks to several threads here on this website, I have a list going). As I purchase them, I mark them off. Along those lines, I have fairly good ideas of the types of things I will be eating in each dietary stage so that I can plan ahead for grocery shopping when I get to that point. I purchased several books off amazon that were used, and very inexpensive. Things like bariatric cookbooks and bariatric mindset success books. I do try to read a little bit each day and then journal about what I read. I drive a lot for work so I have plenty of time to listen to podcasts. There are several that I enjoy that I feel are science-based, supportive and informative. I've learned many things from these podcasts about bariatrics. They're free and it's easy to just put one on a few times a week. Besides bariatricpal, I am trying to avoid other websites that deal with bariatrics at this point. It felt overwhelming and felt like I kept going down a rabbit hole of horror stories and it was not helping with my anxiety. There is one person on youtube that I enjoy watching because she's many years out and is very inspiring. Now that I have a date for surgery, this all feels very real and scary. I am trying to not give into the fear too much and remember why I am here at this decision. I need to take charge of my health. I have ONE precious life. I want to live the rest of my life in the best health that I can. I've tried desperately since I was about 20 (in my late 40's now) to lose the weight and keep it off. I've had high blood pressure for 15 years and no matter what I do, It continues to be an issue for me. I've been warned that I am pre-diabetic and likely someday soon that will catch up to me and I'll officially be diabetic. I cannot do this on my own and maintain it. It's that simple. This is my second chance and I will not turn back. This is honestly a story about saving my own life by asking for help. I hope this helps.

I did not get a very detailed plan, and my program advances quickly so that in theory you can have no restrictions at 4 weeks. For me, that has been way too fast. I have found the Bariatric Diet Guide and Cookbook by Dr. Matthew Weiner very helpful. Now that my own program says I can have anything, I'm appreciating his stages (which vary from the typical phases you see in most programs).

I went with the Spire group in the UK. My package lasted 2 years so I had all the help I needed. I paid about £12,000 as well. I had excellent care. I know of people who have gone to Turkey for the surgery and have no after care. I have heard on here that others have had aftercare. If you are going that route its a question you may need to ask. As this surgery affects us all differently its impossible to help others when specifics are needed. Only a bariatric dietician can help. Turkey is advertising the surgery for £2000, I don't know if I would risk it though.

Congratulations! I'm almost 4 months post-op from gastric bypass and my advice is to watch every video from Dr. Matthew Weiner (Pound of Cure Weight Loss) and Dr. John Pilcher on YouTube. These were by far the best resources I found, and I go back and watch many of them (especially Dr. Weiner's, and also his new podcast) all the time even now. Especially the ones on how to build lifelong behaviors to keep the weight off. One thing I did early on, right after my first bariatric appointment where I weighed in at my highest weight ever (yikes!) was order Dr. Weiner's books. There's The Pound of Cure, which gives a detailed, step by step way to make healthy changes to your diet, plus a second book explaining how bariatric surgery really works and then his bariatric cookbook (I also really like Bariatric Meal Prep Made Easy by Kristin Willard). I made several of the changes recommended by the Pound of Cure (I didn't start with the 2-week diet, just started implementing changes I thought I could manage) and over time I lost about 12 pounds, plus just felt healthier and more in control of what I was eating. One other piece of advice: don't over-buy protein supplements. So many people on this board will tell you this, and I did not heed the advice. Now my cupboard is full of protein supplements I stopped liking after surgery and will never use. I've barely needed supplements after the first month or so, honestly. I feel guilty at how much money I spent on them, but I will likely end up throwing them all away (most are opened so can't be donated). If you want to stock up on anything, an unflavored protein powder is much more likely to be useful to you in the long run than the flavored shakes. But if you're buying flavored ones, consider trying a soup flavored one because the sweet ones get old really fast, even pre-surgery. Oh, and take "before" photos! I know taking photos can be so uncomfortable, but you will want them. Choose something very form fitting to start. I went with a pair of exercise leggings and a tank top that was so tight it was like skin. I took photos about a week after my first appointment, so around my highest weight, and then on the day before surgery and at each month-marker thereafter. So far, I've worn the same clothing each time, although I may need to change that as it becomes too baggy to show the progress clearly. Take your measurements the same day you take your photos. You may struggle to see (or refuse to believe) the changes in yourself, but the photos and measurements don't lie. Even if it's painful to see the photos now, you will be so grateful to have them later. I was in shock and wanted to cry when I truly looked at my highest weight photos, but I'm so glad I took them.

So, I am graduating this May with my bachelor's and applying to law schools for this coming school year (2024-2025). One thing I had considered is going to a law school in another country (and staying there after for work), but I will be having my bypass surgery this April and I am unsure what bariatric care is like in the various countries (in Europe). The majority of information I keep finding is about where to go for the surgery, but I am curious about if I have any post-op complications (since I will be less than a year out when I would go to school) and the choices for bariatric vitamins and meal replacements. What experiences have any of you had while abroad with dietary and medical needs being a bariatric patient? I am also considering applying for the dual degree programs with the American law schools I am applying at and law schools in UK/France/Italy/Spain that I would apply for while in my first year, so either way I would like to know.