Bariatric advantage, bariatric choice, unjury,celebrate, liquid vitamins from Costco ?,

I amdo confused. I have surgery before christmas this year. Also having some worries and fear.

My NUT told me Flinestone COMPLETE was all i would need for the first few months. Its just whatever you prefer and what your stomach decides it likes. as long as it is complete. You just need a multi.

My surgeon, Dr. Northup, recommends we use a vitamin specifically for patients of WLS. We just use regular calcium suppliments, tho.

HD

Great question. Is there a chewable calcium citrate that isn't disgusting? Is there a liquid for it? I got a chewable from the Vitamin Shop and it is so gross, very sour.

My surgeon provides the vitamins (I don't pay extra) and I was given Multivitamin, Calcium, Iron, and Anti-oxidant. Also potassium (prescribed). Don't know when this will change. I am 2 weeks post-op. As you can see surgeons and nutritionists vary greatly. I suggest you ask your surgeon.

Great question. Is there a chewable calcium citrate that isn't disgusting? Is there a liquid for it? I got a chewable from the Vitamin Shop and it is so gross, very sour.

This is the brand my surgeon provides. I just found them online. Their calcium and all other chewables are good. My calcium is orange flavor. I think they have other flavors and gummies. I don't chew them though. I just let it dissolve in my mouth. They are big and as of right now 2 are needed in the morning and 2 in the afternoon so I might switch to gummies. Anyway....they taste good and have free samples.

http://www.bbvitamins.com/

my nutrition/dietician person offered two choices, optisource (can buy at walgreens) or Bariatric fusion. She told me a flintstones is not adequate, YMMV!

I was very interested in opurity, because you only have to take one a day versus 4, but my nut said I would have to take a lot of extra stuff.

For calcium, try the Calcet soft bites, I really like those. She gave me some other chewy sample one, but it wasn't as good, I can't remember what it was, either.

This is the brand my surgeon provides. I just found them online. Their calcium and all other chewables are good. My calcium is orange flavor. I think they have other flavors and gummies. I don't chew them though. I just let it dissolve in my mouth. They are big and as of right now 2 are needed in the morning and 2 in the afternoon so I might switch to gummies. Anyway....they taste good and have free samples.

http://www.bbvitamins.com/

Thank you for the link. I have put in my request to talk to someone and get some samples.

My doctors office offers Fusion. It has everything in it so I just take the 1 chewable 3 times a day. I think 1 bottle will last a little over a month and it costs about $20. I am taking the strawberry flavor and it tastes kinda like a sweet tart/smartee candy only not as strong. So if you want something to take away the "sweet" craving, this vitamin does it.

I take a flinstone complete in the am and before bed. I take B100 once a day, I take viactiv calcium plus D chew 3 times a day and a B12 sublinguil 1 time a week. I buy all my vitamins from the grocery store or Sams who ever is cheapest. My numbers have always been great.

I'm a little over 5 months out and this is what I take. It took me a while to build up to all of it but probably by 1.5-2 months out, I was taking most of this.

About 7 a.m.:

1x Spring Valley High-Potency D-3 Vitamin, 1000 IU (softgels found at Walmart)

2x Bariatric Advantage sugar-free Calcium Citrate Chewy Bites (Lemon Flavored) (They taste like Starburst.) (ordered online)

Note: Calcium should be taken with D vitamin to help it absorb.

About 3-4 hours later:

1x Centrum Multivitamin Chewables (orange flavored, found at Walmart)

1x Spring Valley Super Potency Biotin (5,000 mcg) (capsules) (found at Walmart)

1x Nature's Bounty sublingual B-12 (2,500 mcg) (natural cherry) (found at Costco)

1x Celebrate Bariatric supplements Iron + C (30 mg chewable) (grape) (ordered online)

1x Nature Made Super B-Complex with Vitamin C & Folic Acid (tablets) (can't remember if we got it at costco or Walmart)

1x Vitamin C chewable (I'm out right now so I can't give you the details on it. I will have it again tomorrow if anyone is interested in the details.)

Note: Iron should be taken with Vitamin C to help it absorb.

Note: Iron and calcium chews should NOT be taken at the same time. This will cause poor absorption of the calcium or the opposite...I can't remember which one.

About 3-4 hours later:

1x Centrum Multivitamin Chewables (orange flavored, found at Walmart)

Right before bed:

2x Bariatric Advantage Sugar-Free calcium citrate Chewy Bites (Lemon Flavored) (They taste like Starburst.) (ordered online)

1x generic brand of Pepsid AC Complete for stomach acid (found at Walmart and Sam's)

I had my 3 month post op blood work done and at the time I wasn't taking the iron supplement, D-3, Biotin, or the B-complex. I had perfect readings and the nurse practitioner told me to keep doing what I was doing. My surgeon told me to go ahead and add D-3 and iron anyways. So I did. I also added Biotin, B-complex, and Vitamin C because it helps with hair growth.

I hope this helps.

Are the "bariatric" brands formulated differently? For easy absorption or certain vitamins that you might need?

Penpen-Did your surgeon recommend all those different Vitamins? Mine just said a multivitamin every day. That's it.

I'm worried that with how little I am eating, not only am I missing out on Fiber, but a great deal of other nutrients also.

Thank you do much for all of your rely.

Penpen-Did your surgeon recommend all those different Vitamins? Mine just said a multivitamin every day. That's it.

I'm worried that with how little I am eating, not only am I missing out on fiber, but a great deal of other nutrients also.

Hi DebiC! Not everything. Down below is what is listed in the manual for my surgeon's patients and also, he actually told me to add Iron and Vitamin d to the already listed vitamins. All the other vitamins and supplements I took it upon myself to add....like for example, Biotin (helps with hair growth), Vitamin C (helps with hair growth and a number of other things), etc. The generic Pepcid AC Complete was recommended by him also. I hope this helps.

Oh, and FIBER! I worried about the same thing. So I use Benefiber in my coffee every day and normally I drink 2 cups of coffee so I add enough between the two to give me 6 grams of fiber. I also eat almonds, peanuts, cashews, etc. every day and this definitely helps to add in the fiber. I wanted to also say that the Benefiber unflavor is truly unflavored. And it's supposed to dissolve in most things. I've only tried it in coffee and tea. In coffee, it works wonderfully. You can't tell it's there. But in the ice cold tea, it wouldn't dissolve completely and I kept getting little chunks of it in my mouth. I couldn't taste it but the texture was too much.

From my bariatric manual:

It is important to supplement your vitamins and minerals after weight loss

surgery. Your diets are changing and the quantity is much less, therefore you

must take supplements. It is additionally important for gastric bypass and

sleeve patients to take sublingual vitamin B12 supplements since the new pouch

cannot use vitamin B12 from the diet.

We recommend:

• liquid or Chewable Adult Multivitamin

(Begin upon release from the hospital)

Two doses daily, may be taken together

• Iron (only if recommended by your physician)

Ferrous Fumerate 18-29 mg

Ferrous Gluconate/sulfate 300 mg

Ferrous Sulfate is most common, however it is NOT well absorbed after Gastric

Bypass or sleeve surgery.

• B-12 – 500 mcg sublingual daily or 2400 mcg sublingual every week

(Begin upon release from the hospital)

Sublingual (under the tongue) - This can be purchased over the counter at your

local health food store or pharmacy either in a spray or melt away tablet.

OR

IM (intramuscular shot) can be prescribed and administered by

yourself or your physician

Nasal Spray available by prescription

B-12 should not be taken in pill form, as there are not enough acids in your new

system for absorption.

• calcium citrate 1000 to 1500 mg Daily

(Begin with your soft diet)

Calcium Citrate products are best absorbed with Vitamin D and magnesium. Calcium

Citrate can be taken in liquid or chewable forms and should be taken in 500mg. doses

with at least one hour between doses. Do not take Calcium at the same time as iron.

Do not use calcium carbonate, as it is NOT well absorbed after bariatric surgery.

can tablets be crushed, or thrown in the blender when you are doing your protein shakes?