Question for those 8 months post op or longer

[juliarh 35]

I still take everything, including B12. My labs are good, but I was reading on the FB Gastric sleeve support group today, one person stopped taking her Vitamins (she's 9ish months out) and she became very deficient. So, I took that as a big warning

[sleeve 4 me 910]

I still take everything, including B12. My labs are good, but I was reading on the FB Gastric sleeve support group today, one person stopped taking her Vitamins (she's 9ish months out) and she became very deficient. So, I took that as a big warning

Yikes! I don't want that! I totally keep forgetting to take them since I stopped taking them daily...I just put them (multi Vitamin and calcium/D) on the kitchen table so I will remember to take them. Thanks!!!

[sleeve 4 me 910]

OK I have another questions for you my friends...do you think taking the Vitamins has anything to do with losing weight??? Come to think of it, when I stopped taking my vitamins, my weight loss slowed down big time..coincidence??? hmmmm interesting. What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks!

[LilMissDiva Irene 3,281]

You know it very well could... I think I simply just don't feel good at all if I'm not taking my supplements. I think it slows me down in many ways. It keeps me from giving my all or even doing my workouts, eating properly, sleeping well, and just overall good health. The big ones for me with the energy are the B-12 sublinguals and the Vitamin D. Those are huge for the energy.

[Tiffykins 672]

OK I have another questions for you my friends...do you think taking the Vitamins has anything to do with losing weight??? Come to think of it, when I stopped taking my Vitamins, my weight loss slowed down big time..coincidence??? hmmmm interesting. What are your thoughts on this?

Thanks!

This is just my non-medical, lay opinion on vitamins, and weight loss; our bodies thrive on all of the micro and macro nutrients and vitamins, certain bacterias, food preservatives and other toxins kill off what we put in our bodies so in my opinion taking the minimum recommended daily value of the essential vitamins/nutrients are essential to a healthy body. It really hit home when I got pregnant, and started reading on prenatal nutrition. I'm growing another human, why do I need extra stuff??? Because my body can't make enough, or take in enough of those vital nutrients via food alone.

So, in my little mind, I think of my daily intake (apart from the pregnancy stuff) just what is necessary to survive, to be healthy, have a good energy level, and to feed my body everything it needs, I must supplement what I can not get from food.

[sleeve 4 me 910]

I emailed Kaiser and here's the response:

Yes you need to continue your Vitamins for a life time. Your labs were normal though we did not measure some of the Vitamin levels as you were not taking the supplements regularly. They will be measured at your next appointment.You may stop B1 or thiamine at this time. So your recommended Vitamins are similar to what every woman should be taking.

A Multivitamin daily with ironVitamin D 1000, units daily

Calcium 1500 mg daily in 3 divided doses

B 12 monthly.

I totally need to get back on track and just make taking vitamins a part of my life for the rest of my life. It's good for me, so it's all good.

Thanks everyone!

[TwoStepsBack 15]

Hey! Look at you!!! So pleased for you, you reached goal. CONGRATULATIONS! :D

[juliarh 35]

I emailed Kaiser and here's the response:

Yes you need to continue your Vitamins for a life time. Your labs were normal though we did not measure some of the Vitamin levels as you were not taking the supplements regularly. They will be measured at your next appointment.You may stop B1 or thiamine at this time. So your recommended Vitamins are similar to what every woman should be taking.

A Multivitamin daily with ironVitamin D 1000, units daily

Calcium 1500 mg daily in 3 divided doses

B 12 monthly.

I totally need to get back on track and just make taking vitamins a part of my life for the rest of my life. It's good for me, so it's all good.

Thanks everyone!

This is really good info to know -- guess we should all be vigilant with our vitamins!

[Yorkie Fan 16]

I never could remember my Vitamins when I first started on my WLS Journey. So, I set a reminder in my cell phone for them. Now, I can't make the excuse that I forgot them. The crazy phone goes off and I know exatly what it is for. It might help get you back in a routine.

[TwoStepsBack 15]

All my blood tests have been perfect so far. I asked my surgeon at my 6 month follow-up whether I could stop taking the Vitamins and try and get the nutrients through my diet. I use a lot of ground up seeds etc to help with getting enough Protein and amino acids and they have tons of nutrients in...

But he said it is better to take them and be safe than sorry. He also put huge emphasis on the Calcium / vit D chewables that I take and said that those are the most important to help prevent osteoporosis.

[sleeve 4 me 910]

IRON 94 37 - 145mcg/dL TOTAL

IRON BINDING CAPACITY 338 250 - 420mcg/dL

IRON SAT 28 20 - 50%

OK IF MY Iron CAME BACK NORMAL WHAT THE HECK IS THIS? LOL THE PA SAID THIS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH IRON, BUT I DON'T GET IT...I JUST EMAILED HER, but in the meantime does anyone know? I'm at a 12, but should be 12-150 Ferritin...

FERRITIN 12 013 - 150ng/mL

And I just got word tonight my Vitamin D is low I feel so stupid for taking this so lightly, and not taking my Vitamins for months...I know it's not to late to TURN IT AROUND. My goal was to be thin, but A HEALTHY THIN PERSON...I MUST DO THIS!!!

Thanks for listening and letting me vent...

[RebaC 0]

I am due to have my sleeve June 22. My surgeon and nut told me that I will have to take Vitamins the rest of my life. I am fair skinned and wear sunscreen and my Vitamin D was extremely low. Most of us get enough vitamin D through 15 minutes a day of sun exposure. I had a lot of aches and pains that disappeared once I got my vitamin D level up to normal. So whether or not you have or have not had surgery, you should take your vitamins. Also get your levels checked periodically. Not everyone eats an ideal diet either. So vitamins are a must for me now, it will not change once I have my surgery.

[klus263 9]

I just had my 6 months lab drawn and will see my doctor this friday. Per the results they called, my labs were all good except for I was low in Vitamin A so they suggested just a supplement from the store. I have just switched from the bariatric chewables to Centrum Women's silver (2x per day)and chewable viactin(2x per day). I started taking my Vitamin A and still take my vitamin B lingual weekly. We will see in 6 months at my yearly how it is going. I take out all my pills in the morning and put them on top of one of the caps so everytime I walk into the kitchen I take one so that by supper time I only have my 2nd multivitamin for the day. Along time ago I belong to a gym and did their weight loss program and we took extra vitamin B complex which helps in losing weight. I will take my Vitamins as it keeping me healthy and that is the main reason of having the surgery is being healthy.

[AutumnLily 77]

Iron 94 37 - 145mcg/dL TOTAL

Normal amount of Iron in your system

IRON BINDING CAPACITY 338 250 - 420mcg/dL

Due to the normal amount of iron your IBC is within the normal range. More iron less capacity to be able to bind and visa versa low iron will show a higher capacity to bind.

IRON SAT 28 20 - 50%

OK IF MY IRON CAME BACK NORMAL WHAT THE HECK IS THIS? LOL THE PA SAID THIS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH IRON, BUT I DON'T GET IT...I JUST EMAILED HER, but in the meantime does anyone know? I'm at a 12, but should be 12-150 Ferritin...

FERRITIN 12 013 - 150ng/mL

Ferritin is the Water soluble and temporary storage form. This is the newly absorbed iron from your diet and not from the longer term storage (our body recylces iron with very little lost daily) form hemosiderin (water insoluble storage).

So a decreased absortion of iron is seen in total or partial gastrectomy patients and it can lead to a iron deficiency anemia if you are constantly depleted in your newly formed iron. You will see an effect on iron stores going to zero and serum iron and transferrin saturation decreased with a increased total iron binding capacity.

That all being said iron is mainly absorbed by the mucosal cells in the duodenum and depends on the serum iron (low serum iron increased absorption from intestine if available), amount in your diet and the pH in your gut (acid pH will enhance absortion).

Vitamin C will enhance absorption

phytates (in whole grains) and oxalates (in spinach) will chelate iron and decrease its absorption.

Alcohol will enhance absortion by stimulating HCl secretion by gastric (stomach) cells.

And I just got word tonight my Vitamin D is low Just so you know many people are vitamin D deficient.

I feel so stupid for taking this so lightly, and not taking my Vitamins for months...I know it's not to late to TURN IT AROUND. My goal was to be thin, but A HEALTHY THIN PERSON...I MUST DO THIS!!!

Thanks for listening and letting me vent...

I hope I made sense of the whole thing. Basically you have normal iron stores but you are low in your new iron coming in. So this will eventually deplete your iron stores in your body. Small increases in your food will help to bring the ferritin levels back up. Have a steak with a beer or a glass of wine. Vitamin C is also very good at helping to absorb iron.

[Disney 20]

I just had my 6 months lab drawn and will see my doctor this friday. Per the results they called, my labs were all good except for I was low in Vitamin A so they suggested just a supplement from the store. I have just switched from the bariatric chewables to Centrum Women's silver (2x per day)and chewable viactin(2x per day). I started taking my Vitamin A and still take my vitamin B lingual weekly. We will see in 6 months at my yearly how it is going. I take out all my pills in the morning and put them on top of one of the caps so everytime I walk into the kitchen I take one so that by supper time I only have my 2nd multivitamin for the day. Along time ago I belong to a gym and did their weight loss program and we took extra vitamin B complex which helps in losing weight. I will take my Vitamins as it keeping me healthy and that is the main reason of having the surgery is being healthy.

Sounds like your labs were ok, but be careful about the viactiv Calcium (if that's what you are taking) as it is calcium carbonate not citrate.

Here is Tiff's post about the difference:

"Calcium carbonate is only absorbable if taken with food and needs an acidic environment, and the calorie/carb/sugar count on those lovely little chocolate/caramel chewables are kind of high.

But apart from needing food to be absorbed, it's the cheapest, and lowest form of calcium available. You can take the carbonate, but my PCM won't even recommend it for his patients with normal anatomy because he thinks it's just junk.

Blood levels that check calcium will not detect bone issues. That is a blood plasma level for calcium and the concern with us needing Calcium citrate is for most of us, we're on a PPI which neutralizes acid, and calciumcarbonate needs an acidic environment and/or food to be absorbed. Well, when we're on a PPI, it impedes the calcium absorption. So, if we're in that lovely age to boost calcium intake to prevent osteoporosis, it's vital to take citrate.

With some Vitamins, it's a "some if better than none" but it usually isn't the case with calcium."

There are some other posts about acid and carbonate, but Tiff's got right down to it. I was sad to learn this as I used to look forward to my little "dessert" calcium.Maybe you won't have any issues with it, especially if you're not on a PPI. But it might take a while for a deficiency to show up.