Dr. Jossart,

I am so confused as to what exactly we are supposed to be taking after surgery.

The only thing my doctor recommended was a bariatric multi-Vitamin. I have read that Calcium, Iron, B12, and Vitamin D are also needed. Can you please clear up some of this confusion:

1) Exactly what Vitamins do we need to be taking post-op?

2) Exactly how much of each vitamin is required/recommended?

3) How long do we need to be taking them?

4) Is there certain vitamins that we can/cannot take with others, or estimated time we need to wait in between?

I would really appreciate your help, and I know there are many others out there that will too!! Thanks in advance!!

Edited March 4, 201016 yr by angel96049

1) Exactly what Vitamins do we need to be taking post-op?

2) Exactly how much of each Vitamin is required/recommended?

3) How long do we need to be taking them?

4) Is there certain vitamins that we can/cannot take with others, or estimated time we need to wait in between?

Hey Angel!

1) I take a Multivitamin, Iron, calcium citrate + vit D, and B12. These were all recommended to me by my dietitian.

2) the calcium citrate is supposed to be 1200-1500mg per day but you have to take it in two separate doses because the body can only absorb so much at one time. I take 29mg of iron per day (I do the Bariatric Advantage lemon-lime chewables and don't have the constipation issue anymore). 500mcg B12 a day, and two flintstones complete Multivitamins a day.

3) I was told I'd be taking them forever. Though I think post-menopausal women do not need iron supplements, but I could be wrong on that.

4) Do not take iron with any dairy products. And do not take calcium & iron together. Doing either of these will cancel it out & you won't absorb the vitamins. I take my iron with Breakfast (taking it with Vitamin C helps it absorb), 1/2 of my calcium citrate and a multivit with lunch, then the other 1/2 of my calcium citrate, a multivit, and my B12 at dinner.

Hope that helps! :sad0:

There is no "exact" vitamin recommendation for any of the weight loss operations, but here is a general recommendation that most surgeons would agree on. Everyone should realize that vitamin deficiencies are quite rare and often take several years to develop(except Thiamine which can occur after just a few days of vomiting). The VSG has no malabsorption so you are at a slightly lower risk of having a vitamin deficiency. You are most restricted and losing weight rapidly in the first year, therefore it is relatively more important to take extra vitamins in the first year. A multivitamin and a calcium twice a day is a fairly standard recommendation. It is also reasonable to take a B-complex once a day. At the end of the first year, you should have your labs checked. If the vitamin levels are normal, you could cut back to just one per day. If something is abnormal, you will need to take more. The most important point to make is not the brand of vitamin that you are taking or how much you taking; it is that you must check your annual labs to see if your levels are normal or not!