Please help me, I have a friend of mine that I work with that has not followed hardly any Vitamins regimen. She is probably 15 months out and she told me today that she maybe has taken 30 days worth of her vitamins off and on over the last year. She does eat quite a bit more that I can, so I am wondering if she is getting the proper nutrients just from food. I know there have been other patients that have passed away from not taken the right care of their bodies. I also am aware that if you don't take your Calcium the right way, that your body starts to take the needed nutrients from your bones. She is really worrying me because she so non-compliant. I need to know how to help her understand the importance.

Thanks,

Concerned friend

You probably are thinking of DS not VSG. I was never told to take vitamins thought some doctors do. We still absorb all the food we eat so we aren't malnourished like some other surgeries. (BTW no vsg patients have passed away from not taking their vitamins)

At about 6 or 7 months I stopped taking my Vitamins since I felt good and thought I didn't need them anymore.Bad idea.

Now at nearly 16 months out, I am still having ferritin (storage of iron) issues. I can't my levels back up. I feel terrible once my period comes, because I get very weak. This is the first month that I actually feel OK so I'm praying my levels are finally back to normal (I'm planning on testing in the next 2 weeks).

I would gently suggest to your friend that maybe having her blood tested would provide her with answers--either she's worrying for no reason, or she might need to supplement, and it's a pretty easy fix. I had blood work done at 6 months and discovered low thiamine levels, which evidently occur when one isn't consuming products with thiamine-enriched flour (I don't eat Pasta or bread or much of anything with flour in it any more!). I had no idea I was deficient--not just low, but deficient--until I had the blood work. This could have turned into a longer-term, more serious condition, and, again, I had no idea.

So a simple blood Vitamin panel would provide your friend information and either reassurance or recommendations for how to solve the problem. There are delicious chewables out now for practically every vitamin/mineral requirement, so taking them is kind of a treat. I take my B supplement in a geltab form.

Best wishes!

I'm super non-compliant when it comes to taking meds. I know better, I just hate taking pills and stuff.

This is my wake up call. I'm also losing my hair, so I know I gotta kick my self in the booty and get these Vitamins into my everyday routine. Thanks for the reminder.

*deep sigh*

I agree with meg,,,,have her take a blood test to be really accurate. Even though we didnt have the Bypass we still dont get enough vitamins due to the limited food we can eat and entail the limited amount of vitamins/proteins that come in that little bit of food that we do consume... I take mulitvitamin and calcium everyday and get blood work up regular and so far my levels have held. Every thing in our body will pay for lack of levels and then unfortunately its like a tumble weed effect through our system. If you arent getting your protein like right after our surgery when we drank alot of protein shakes then for sure your hair and nails and skin will show on the outside, but inside its doing the same thing....We knew there would be little sacrifices that we would have to make in order to shed the fat coat........good luck to you and I hope your friend will take the time to take her vitamins

No matter what anyone tells you, we have decreased absorption of Vitamins, not as much as bypass patients, but 80-85% of our most important absorption organ has been removed. A great deal of absorption takes place in the stomach and some in the small intestine. The large intestine removes the Water from the waste so we don't have perpetual diarrhea. If you don't take supplements, you may not feel the effects for months, even a couple of years, but you will be at high risk for deficiency.

I take a Multivitamin, B-complex, D3 sublingual, calcium + D twice a day, Biotin twice a day and fish oil daily. Yes, it is a lot of pills ( some of them are HUGE), but I just suck it up and do it. I take them with 16 oz of water while I get ready for work in the morning. It really is not that bad. I did this so I can see my great-grandson grow up, so I will give myself every opportunity to make it that long.

I know sometimes I may sound mean, but it's only because I want us all to be the very best and healthiest we can be. We all deserve it and most of us have waited a long time. Love you all, Kathe

My dr tested my blood last week and I am now on Vitamin B12 that is fast absorbing 1000mg a day plus folic acid 5mg a day. She want's to test my blood again in 6 weeks. My levels were very very low. She wants to try this for the 6 weeks and if they aren't up to where she thinks they should be we will be doing Vitamin B injections. Plus I'm taking 3 gummie adult multi vitamins a day. If I had been taking what she told me to take today I likely wouldn't have gobs of hair falling out of my head everyday. I used to have beautiful hair...

You know I was the same way as your friend- but I have been so sick- I feel weak and my hair is falling out horrible and I just hurt all over like I have the flu non-stop, nausea etc. the past few months- they checked my vitamin levels- I have virtually no vit. d- they started me on 50,000 IU pill prescription strength that I now have to take every week for at least the next 3 months- it can be serious is what they tell me- it effected my liver function, cholesterol and how calcium is absorbed- just because this isn't one of the more severe surgeries for weight loss- doesn't mean it is just a walk in the park - you still have to take your vitamins and trust me- she doesn't want to learn the hard way like I have!

If you don't take calcium, your bones will suffer.

If you don't take B12, you can have all sorts of serious problems, including "brain fog" and memory issues.

If you don't take Iron, some people (me included) get badly anemic. Since I take iron I take C along with it to improve the absorbtion of the iron.

I had a nutritionist tell me that if you eat 20-30 different foods in your weekly diet (difent colors of food - good healthy foods - can't count junk calories) you might not need a multi Vitamin. But I tend to eat the same foods repeatedly, so I probably miss some key nutrients. So I take multiple Vitamins.

I don't drink milk (that is fortified with vitamin D) and I don't get in the sun much, I take Vitamin D supplements.

Since I don't use a lot of salt, I take something to give me the necessary iodine (for a healthy thyroid).

And I didn't realize about thyamine being in bread flour - makes me glad I take a multi vitamin that covers it. I had a family member die of thiamin shortage. A deficiency there is for-real serious.

My doctor didn't give me any vitamins at all, except one injection of b12 every month, which hurts like hell, but my energy is completely normal and even higher and i feel amazing, so i guess its not a problem

The second I forgot to take my vitamins, I get anemic. You need to take your calcium because it can cause issues down the road with your bones and teeth.

I'm out going onto 3 years now and haven't taken a vitamin in about 2 years! Nothing has happened to me. I didn't grow a funny beard or and extra eye (lol). If your eating properly, I don't think there is a problem. It depends on which surgery you had I guess. If she had the roux-y then yes she needs vitamins or could have a problem with malabsorption. Good luck and i hope "she'll" be ok. .

I need to second the statement that removal of most of your stomach DOES decrease your absorption of certain Vitamins. If you reseach gastectomy that is done for stomach cancer, you will find that those patients need B12, Vit D and Calcium supplements too. I know this because of a relative who had this procedure. Iron I am less sure of - I thought we needed that because of the volume of meat reduces so much.

Anyway, you will find plenty of people who feel fine and notice no ill effects without vitamins, at least in the near term, but I for one don't want to take the chances with my health over the long term. I don't want to have brittle bones 10 years from now.

I HATE taking the vitamins. I am finding this to be the hardest part of the lifestyle change so far, but I do think it is really important.

I think that all the advice you've been given here is great, but here's another thought:

Your body, your problem. Her body, her problem. If she is making the conscious choice not to do her Vitamins, that's HER choice. I imagine her surgeon has most likely warned her of the risks of not doing so, and if she is making the choice to not take them anyway, it's HER PROBLEM. She's a grown up, she can do an internet search to find information about it if she wants to. If she doesn't want to.... guess what? That's between her and her physician. Not you.