Vitamins and Post-Op Diet

[PreOpSleeve 0]

Do you have to take Vitamins for the rest of your life b/c of the sleeve gastrectomy? If so, how many different pills do you have to take and how frequently do you take them?

I am pre-op now, and in looking through what is requried for the post-op diet at least for the first couple of months, it looks really rough and tough. Is it as tough as it seems? How tough would you rate it on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the hardest thing you've ever done in your life. How have you managed to get through it?

Thanks

[suedot55 35]

You don't have to unless you want to be healthy and keep your teeth

[Tkrk0325 15]

I won't lie...after surgery the head hunger is tough....but that's what it is...HEAD hunger. I'm almost 2 months out and so so so glad I did this for myself. I can actually say that REAL hunger hasn't happened like before surgery. I actually don't fell real hunger the same. I'm still trying to figure that out. It's so empowering to not have real hunger and watch other people shove food in their faces...I guess cuz that's what I used to do. I've gone out to eat and to leave a restaurant feeling great while others are moaning in fullness is a great feeling....not that I want others to be miserable (I'm not that mean)... but to think I FEEL GOOD and to see how stuffed and miserable I used to be...makes me nauseated to think. Okay...sorry for the tangent. Lol. I take a Flintstone chewable Vitamin, Vit D, Vit B (once a week that dissolves under tongue) Calcium Carmel chew, and Biotin ( to try and help with hair loss).

It's hard to rate 1-10. Each day is different. But I can say this is THE BEST GIFT I'VE EVER BEEN GIVEN.

Edited July 18, 2015 by Tkrk0325

[Kindle 8,667]

On a scale of 1-10, I'd say postop life was a 3 for the 1st 4 months.....WAY easier than some of the crazy diets I've been on and with much better results. Really the only hard part was having to eat and drink when I wasn't hungry.... It was such a chore. I also developed a bad C. diff infection causing severe diarrhea for 2 months, but that wasn't related to my surgery.....got it from a dental procedure. But After 4 months everything was back to normal and Life has been easy.

As for Vitamins, it's not a one size fits all. You need to do regular bloodwork and adjust accordingly. For example, I was taking a Multivitamin, Calcium, Iron, Vitamin D3 and B12 sublingual immediately postop. My 6 month labs showed that my calcium and Iron were high so I stopped taking those. 12 month labs were all good. I will recheck again when I am two years out and make any necessary adjustments.

Studies on gastrectomy patients revealed that 90% developed deficiencies within 10 years. (iron, D and B12 were the most common, but folate, zinc and calcium show up, too). So yes, bloodwork and supplementation are important to prevent serious health issues. And taking daily Vitamins Is really no big deal.

[ShrinkingPeach 1,291]

On a scale of 1-10, I would rate this a 4. The change of eating habits is not too bad and the 14 day pre-op diet I did of liquids was not bad either. The head hunger is real and something I will probably have to deal with every day but doable.

I will gladly take Vitamins instead of medicines any day. I take 2 Multivitamins a day, 2 calcium citrate chews a day and 1 sublingual B-12 twice a week.

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

I'd give it a 1½ - 2. I had a really easy time of it. My surgical course was uneventful, and I had no pain or infections. I am a vegetarian with severe food allergies. Pre-op I was already taking a multi-Vitamin and Biotin daily. Because of my food issues I was already using a food diary and I was used to watching what I eat. Post-op my Vitamins and supplements increased, but over time that has decreased as I returned back to a regular diet based on bloodwork results. At 10 mths I take a Multivitamin 1x a day, Vitamin D, and Calcium. I was already drinking Water and thankfully have no issues drinking Water post op. I workout 5 - 6 days a week and yes that is hard, but it's of my own choosing. Pre-op I worked out 3 - 4 days a week as long as I wasn't suffering from an allergy attack. Thankfully I have not been to the ER due to allergies in nearly a year!

It may take some adjusting but this wasn't even close to tough.