Hi everyone,

My VSG surgery is scheduled for Nov. 11 and I'm so excited! I just finished my pre-op "classes" - I guess it really hit me that I'll be on multivitamins for the rest of my life. Perhaps I should have done a little more research on it, but I thought multivitamins were temporary for sleevers because there isn't the same malabsorption like the bypass.

My surgery center recommends a multivitamin with iron (2x/day), B12 (1x/day), Calcium (2x/day) and a vitamin D3 (1x/day). That's a lot! And I can't take them all at once because it affects the absorption. And I can't take them all at once because it affects the absorption.

Will I ever be able to pare it down to maybe a single multivitamin a day? I currently take a multi everyday, so that's not a big deal for me, but that's just so many pills to remember.

At a year out I was advised I could drop all the extra vitamins and to just take a multivitamin. Most modern adult human beings need a multivitamin whether or not we have sleeve surgery so to me it isn't a burden. I have always taken a multivitamin.

A friend who had VSG a couple years ago was able to drop down to just a multi-vitamin about a year or so after surgery. So it is possible to wean off some of them - by monitoring your blood work, you and your doctor will be able to make that determination together. It will depend on what you eat and your own personal body, some people just naturally absorb vitamins/minerals easier than others. I have friends who have never had weightloss surgery, eat healthy diets and still need to take a supplement in addition to a multivitamin simply because their body doesn't absorb enough from the food.

Perhaps I should have done a little more research on it, but I thought Multivitamins were temporary

My surgery center recommends a multivitamin with Iron (2x/day), B12 (1x/day), Calcium (2x/day) and a Vitamin D3 (1x/day). That's a lot! And I can't take them all at once because it affects the absorption.

that's just so many pills to remember.

You're implying that, had you researched the nutritional suppplements sooner, you may not have had surgery.

"That's a lot!" Yes, it is, just like all the cake, coookies and other junk, but so much smaller.

How much of a hardship is it to take suppplements at different times with different meals?

You don't have to "remember" jack. That's what seven-day pillboxes are for.

Thank you for holding up the mirror. Now I'll never whine about my supplements again.

Edited September 29, 20169 yr by WLSResources/ClothingExch

Having done this for about 14 months now its just a habit. I don't even think about it anymore.. Tablets when I get up, 3 CalciumD3 throughout the day and tablets in the evening. It is daunting at the beginning as you have so much to remember. Just keep to your teams guidelines

So, Vitamins are important and it does get easier once you find a system that works for you. Iron was the most difficult for me to work in because I shouldn't take it within two hours before or after any calcium. Well everything I eat has calcium, so it made it difficult.

It took a little while for me to figure out what works for me but now it is just habit. I do feel better when I get all my vitamins. Not as run down.

In the long term, if your blood work come back good and your doctor says you can do just one multivitamin, that works too.

This is what I do:

I get up take my iron with two crackers and walk the dog right away. By the time I work out after walking the dog that gives me plenty of time in before any calcium. I do the rest throughout the day. (I eat the crackers because the iron really upsets my stomach and two crackers are the least I can get away with.)

Best of luck!

It took a little while for me to figure out what works for me but now it is just habit.

Not a sleever here but know many.......The only way to know this regardless of being a sleever or a RNYer or any other....is to have your nutritional panel done consistently at the designated times. You will find that some Vitamins are reduced or eliminated and others may be added depending on how your panel comes out.

The most important thing is to make sure you have your panels done consistently. So many Bariatric patients do well and then simply stop that step and get sick over time. Not having the right nutrition can lead to irreparable damage to your neurological systems.

It definately is a struggle the first few weeks when you have to use chewables but then after that it is easy with a pill box that has the days of the week. I only take a multi Vitamin, D3, B1, B12 and calcium chews....that is not bad. All of them are fairly inexpensive with the exception of the calcium citrate but I wont cheap out on those. I use Bariatric Advantage and I usually order from Amazon or right here on bariatric pal. Whoever has my favorite in stock and least expensive gets my money.

I was taken off of anything with added B 6 or 12 except my multi at 6 months after my second round of bloodworked showed continued elevation of these two.

if they are still high at 9 months then I am to stop taking the multi as well.

I only take one calcium per day as my levels are excellent on this dose.

any other supplements I take are not due to WLS but general aging well supplements, which is a regimen I have been on since my mid 30s and salmon oil for my ADD. they go in a 7 day divided pill pack and I just take them daily a couple at a time until I am finished, usually at lunch except for my third dose of glucosamine and condroitin which I take at bedtime for my arthritis.

Multivitamin and calcium only. I'm 1.5 years post op.