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Has anyone else had trouble finding Vitamins with the exact specifications your surgeon tells you to take?

I'm supposed to take a chewable or liquid Multivitamin that has 400mcg Folic Acid, 15mg Zinc, and 18mg Iron. And then I'm supposed to take a double dose.

All of the chewables I'm finding have already doubled up on the Folic Acid, but the Zinc and Iron are too low! Should I just supplement the iron?

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Not sure why you need that. You don't need any special Vitamins with the gastric sleeve as it does not produce malabsorption like other bariatric surgeries do.

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Not sure why you need that. You don't need any special Vitamins with the gastric sleeve as it does not produce malabsorption like other bariatric surgeries do.

You still likely need to take Vitamins because the amount of food you can eat is restricted and since you are putting Protein first, you aren't likely getting as many nutrients from fruits and vegetables. I personally eat pretty much ZERO fruits and vegetables, so I am religious about taking my bariatric multi-Vitamin twice a day! Fortunately, my surgeon never required me to do a liquid or chewable. I have been taking capsules since 7 days post-op.

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Has anyone else had trouble finding Vitamins with the exact specifications your surgeon tells you to take?

I'm supposed to take a chewable or liquid Multivitamin that has 400mcg Folic Acid, 15mg Zinc, and 18mg Iron. And then I'm supposed to take a double dose.

All of the chewables I'm finding have already doubled up on the Folic Acid, but the Zinc and Iron are too low! Should I just supplement the iron?

I was prescribed folic acid (I think) and I got the rest of my Vitamins through drugstore.com.

Try taking your list to your local

Pharmacy and ask your pharmacist to help you find the vitamins that meet your requirements.

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Not sure why you need that. You don't need any special Vitamins with the gastric sleeve as it does not produce malabsorption like other bariatric surgeries do.

Yes it does to some extent. We can no longer absorb oral B12 because the portion of the stomach that produces the intrinsic factor required for absorption is removed. We have to take sublingual or injectable B12. And studies on gastrectomy patients show that up to 90% will develop deficiencies within 5-10 years without appropriate supplementation.. The most common deficiencies seen are Iron, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, Calcium, folate and zinc.

But it is not a one size fits all. Our individual metabolisms, activity types, and diets are all different so bloodwork every 6-12 months to monitor levels is recommended. For example, my ferritin always comes back high so I haven't taken Iron supplements for 2 years.

As for Vitamins, I don't take any special bariatric brand....

Vitamin code for women 50+ (because it does not contain iron) multivitamin daily

Vitamin Code Raw D3 5,000IU 4x week

My Kind Organic Plant Calcium 3x day (we can only absorb just so much calcium at a time so taking the full daily dose all at once would be a waste)

Source Naturals Methylcobalamin B12 1mg 3x week.

But again, vitamin regimens are very individual and should be adjusted based on your bloodwork.

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I've had trouble finding multivitamins with Iron in the store, so I'm stuck with Flinstones

You can always get a separate iron supplement. It may be best to do that anyways, cause you want to take iron separate from any Calcium because they interfere with absorption.

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Should I just supplement the Iron?

Yes. And like I just mentioned, take it separate from any Calcium. And monitor your levels at least annual (forever) so you can make any necessary adjustments.

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Has anyone else had trouble finding Vitamins with the exact specifications your surgeon tells you to take?

I'm supposed to take a chewable or liquid multivitamin that has 400mcg Folic Acid, 15mg Zinc, and 18mg Iron. And then I'm supposed to take a double dose.

All of the chewables I'm finding have already doubled up on the Folic Acid, but the Zinc and Iron are too low! Should I just supplement the iron?

Try bariatric fusion this is a Vitamin and mineral I use with all my required nutrients in it

Sent from my SM-N910P using the BariatricPal App

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Thanks for the suggestion, but it doesn't have what my doctor told me I needed (no folic acid, not enough zinc/iron). I found Celebrate Vitamins, which I think will do the trick. They're just a bit on the expensive side.

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my nutritionist recommended Centrum adult chewable complete (not the gummi version). I couldn't find it in local drugstores/walmart (only the adult gummies and regular big tablets) so I ordered on Amazon. I found it to be reasonably priced. I had also looked at the Celebrate Vitamins as well and ended up ordering the chewable calcium/vit d supplement of that brand.

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I was told to take twice a day one under 50 Centrum (or generic) for a Multivitamin once I was about 14 days out. I break the generic ones in half and take it in the morning with BP med and Biotin.

3-4 hrs later I take a generic Citracal Calcium citrate w/D3 (petites, which are still huge). I take a second one about another 3-4 hrs later.

Before I go to bed I take another generic multivitamin and I just recently started add B1 because my BW showed it was a little low (that was my idea and doctor was ok with doing that until we get next round of BW in about 3 months).

The extra Iron caused bathroom problems :blink:

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@@Kindle I take mine several hours apart, that is one thing the nut stressed. It's weird because my mom had WLS at a diff program and they never mentioned that to her, which might explain why she was Iron deficient a year after

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delete dup post, sorry.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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      1. LeighaTR

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

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        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

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        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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