Ok, thanks to CowgirlJane, I'm starting a thread on long term supplementation.

I think I was going to go over Calcium and Vitamin D first. Then Iron supplementation and heme/non heme types. Vitamin K would be another one, as I bet people didn't know that some supplements don't have it.

Any other suggestions?

I have only begun to scratch the surface of all this research but, you have inspired me to do something about my Calcium intake. i was really pretty good for a very long time but the last few months I just cannot handle the pills. They make me queasy and if I eat them anytime near a meal - well, i can write that meal off as it will just kill my appetite. I am going to return to buying the chews.

One reason I don't like the chews is they are like candy. I feel almost like Protein bars sorta trigger bad ways of eating too... that I don't want to eat Vitamins like candy.

I am far enough along now maybe it is worth trying it... and learning how to have things in the house that ***might*** trigger a candy response in me since overall I don't have a problem with overeating.

Thanks for all the effort you have put into sharing all this!

I've got a bunch more resources I'll put up soon. I did a lot of looking into it when I saw people, like my former surgeon, recommend Flintstones and then get Vitamin K so low it doesn't register on the blood work exam. Meaning you look at Flintstones and it doesn't have it ... so why is a bariatric surgeon recommending something like that?

I have a premier protein daily and it claims to have 50 percent of calcium RDA. Add it to some calcium pills eating yogurts etc and could get to recommended level.

This is turning into a very well researched, but scary thread.

AMEN

I've got a bunch more resources I'll put up soon. I did a lot of looking into it when I saw people, like my former surgeon, recommend Flintstones and then get Vitamin K so low it doesn't register on the blood work exam. Meaning you look at Flintstones and it doesn't have it ... so why is a bariatric surgeon recommending something like that?

EXACTLY what my surgeon recommended!

Flinstones don't have any Vitamin K.

http://labeling.bayercare.com/omr/online/flintstones-complete.pdf

One pill is deficient of 100% of the following: Vitamin A, Niacin, Biotin, Calcium, Zinc. Also note that the calcium in here is calcium CARBONATE not CITRATE. One other big note: ferrous Fumarate is NON heme Iron, which is like a plant based type of iron that doesn't absorb as well as heme or animal based iron. Actually, heme is fish, meat, & poultry which contains both.

Btw, I used to use Flintstones. I went zinc deficient. I have calcium/Vitamin D issues.

Granulated Calcium Carbonate (Calcium Carbonate, Dextrose Monohydrate, Sugar, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Maltodextrin), Sorbitol, Sodium Ascorbate, Ferrous Fumarate,

I can't stomach the Calcium pills or the chews but I do fine with the liquid calcium. Wellesse or something like that - can get on Amazon and I also found it at Walgreens once. No nausea, no metallic taste. I'm suppose to do 5ml three times a day but usually only get it down twice. I've added extra D because I was on the low end of normal at 4 weeks post.

My surgeon recommended the children's chewables, too. I think because it was easy on the stomach. Then, after a few weeks, he switches you to a prenatal. I couldn't swallow those, so I started using a Vitafusion gummy, or lately I've been taking the hair, skin, and nails supplement. I think I was actually overdosing for a while by taking both, not realizing that they both contained 100% of many things. You really do have to read and research.

Overdosing can have its own issues. Look up hypervitaminosis. This is one of the reasons why I had such a problem with my surgeon who would only do the standard routine and not test for things outside of that.

@@swimbikerun I am well aware of hypervitaminosis. That's why I was shocked at myself that I was doing that! I know better. I wasn't doing it long - but one day when I was taking all those pills it hit me that I better double check what I was doing.

You are quite the research ninja, BTW!

That you realized what you were doing is great - and for reading and researching. Very smart! There are quite a few who think that more of a Vitamin is better for you.

My surgeon recommended the children's chewables, too. I think because it was easy on the stomach. Then, after a few weeks, he switches you to a prenatal. I couldn't swallow those, so I started using a Vitafusion gummy, or lately I've been taking the hair, skin, and nails supplement. I think I was actually overdosing for a while by taking both, not realizing that they both contained 100% of many things. You really do have to read and research.

I use the vita fusion tummies also. I liked the prenatal though, 'cause they are sour tummies.

Ok, my head is spinning, but the main thing I have gotten out of this is I am back on track with Calcium. I am only taking 500 mg of calcium citrate but i am doing some of the chews AND my premier Protein has 50% of the RDA of calcium - I assume also calcium carbonate but I figure that combo is better then nothing.

I am going to order some bariatric Vitamins because I have been doing the kiddo gummys, vit B complex sublingual drops and calcium/Vit D. I think I need to upgrade.

Can I ask a huge favor - as someone who really is fairly clueless but always has good bloodwork but gets ill from most vitamins (ie sick to tummy feeling) what should I order? I need a good bariatric multi that won't make me hurl and a better way of getting more calcium citrate since the pills kill my appetite for like 6 hours. I am post menopause and have good Iron stores (even after plastic surgery blood loss!) so don't need iron.

My main issue right now is my appetite is poor. I am feeling so excited to weigh 140, but these last 10# came off on their own not according to my plan... a little scary actually. I am okay getting down to 135 but absolutely do not want to get smaller so I need vitamins that don't kill my desire to eat even further.

Hmmm let me ask this - can you call up various ones and ask for samples or your surgeon for samples? I know one of the groups around here had a month where they let people sample stuff and they could choose what they like and what worked for them.

DUH, I am so dumb, CowgirlJane - have you tried calcitriol? That might help. I'm trying to find the one baby pills again, I had problems with the big calcium pills and could try to find that mini I used to do before I tried the chews and started to choke on them.

Btw, have you been checked for any swallowing disorder or gastroparesis?

"Calcitriol will work only if you get the right amount of calcium from the foods you eat. If you get too much calcium from foods, you may experience serious side effects of calcitriol, and if you do not get enough calcium from foods, calcitriol will not control your condition."