11 days to go until surgery and I am busy buying all my stuff now before I get to stressed. My Dr told me all the vitamins I need to take but then only gave me one resource for those vitamins when I went onto the website and loaded up the cart it was a bit over 200 for vitamins. Do any of you have brand suggestions or any other helpful hints. I know the 200 is actually spread out over a few months but I have to pay a pretty large payment to the hospital and any savings out of the gate would be so very helpful.

It sounds a little pricey to me. The directions I received after surgery was:

Three Flintstone complete chewable multivitamins daily.

Additional 65 milligrams elemental iron daily for menstruating women.

1500 to 1800 milligrams calcium citrate daily [this can be tricky because the dosage rate is per 2 capsules - therefore this can mean around 5-8 capsules per day depending on the size (petite or regular)].

500 to 1000 micrograms sublingual B12 daily or 1000 microgram injection once monthly.

100 milligrams Thiamine (vitamin B1) daily for the first year and then weekly thereafter.

After RNY surgery, you are required to take many vitamins for the rest of your life. This is because you body no longer synthesizes vitamins from food. That part of your stomach has been cut away, so this daily requirement is extremely important. Vitamin chemistry is important for absorption. Calcium supplements should be calcium citrate. There are also different chemistries of B12. I use the sublingual B12 and was told to use methylcobalamin. You cannot use a time-release version of B12. If you are taking iron supplements, it must be ferrous sulfate for the best absorption. Gummy vitamins are not absorbed properly and should be avoided.

Right after surgery, I lost my ability to swallow large pills and I had to crush them. It was like eating chalk. The only way I could down these was by mixing them with crystal light and drinking them down. Because they formed a paste at the bottom of the glass. I had to remix these and chug them down several times. Luckily my inability to swallow lasted only a couple months and then I was back to normal.

It is important to put a 2 hour separation between the vitamins that contain iron and those that contain calcium. So in my case I found that what works best for me is to take the iron supplements just before bedtime. I put my vitamins in a weekly pill container. I have one container for the morning and one for the night. And I use a very small glass bowl for my calcium supplements. I put my calciums in the bowl in the morning and take them throughout the day. If I am up and about I put my calciums in a ziplock bag and carry them with me.

Thanks for the reply they gave me a pamphlet from bariatric advantage with what I needed underlined it is a very pricey brand I think I will ask about other options when I see them

Don't know if you are still looking for info. But I order my vitamins from either bariatric pals or bariatric choice. I really like the celebrate 2 in 1 [it's a multi vitamin with the calcium citrate in it) then I just add iron and a sublingual b12. Hope that helps.

I take 2 maternity multi vitamins in the morning, b12 tab goes on tongue 3 x a week, calcium citrate with vitamin D, 1,200 slow release - take 1 two times a day. I buy everything at drug stores or Walmart. Right after surgery will have to use chewables I used Centrum and a calcium citrate chewable.

I use the vitamin patches. I pay $40/mo. PatchMD

I use the vitamin patches. I pay $40/mo. PatchMD

Can you let me know how you pay $40/mo for the PatchMD? I've looked at them and will probably buy but is more than $40. What are you buying and from what site. The PatchMD site has them at $16.95 each. Maybe I'm not looking at the right setup or deal they have. Would love your help.

Sent from my Moto G Play using BariatricPal mobile app

I didn’t realize we could use vitamin patches? It isn’t listed in my binder? It sure makes sense though! I have my bypass surgery on 11/15. Getting close! I want to also make sure all of my stuff is organized well [emoji2]

always look for coupons for patchmd....my coupon i used Oct 31 was for 40%off

This is probably too late, but I believe my doctor writes a script for the vitamins. (Not sure yet as I'm pre-op.) I know that before I leave the hospital the hospital pharmacist pays a visit, sends me home with my first supply of vitamins, and then I can either pick them up at the hospital pharmacy thereafter, or have them send the prescription to my regular pharmacy. Of course, I don't know what the co-pays are, and that would depend on insurance. But perhaps that's an option for you?

We were told by the dietician (Kaiser) absolutely no patch vitamins. I’m not sure why? It would be so convenient!

always look for coupons for patchmd....my coupon i used Oct 31 was for 40%off

Where did you find the coupon patched?



Aka_et

HW-220
Pre-op 194.3
RNY
SD June 16th 2017
CW-175
GW-140
HT 5' 3"

"You may see me struggle but you will never see me quit"

Amazon!!!

On ‎2017‎-‎11‎-‎12 at 2:56 PM, Cathy_Anne said:

We were told by the dietician (Kaiser) absolutely no patch Vitamins. I’m not sure why? It would be so convenient!

I've heard that the vitamin patches are only good if you weigh less than 185lbs.

On ‎11‎/‎12‎/‎2017 at 4:56 PM, Cathy_Anne said:

We were told by the dietician (Kaiser) absolutely no patch Vitamins. I’m not sure why? It would be so convenient!

My surgeon said there is very little literature on the efficacy of vitamin patches for bariatric patients and he does not recommend them based on the lack of research.

There is a website/blog out there where a person with a very precise scale measured a patch before and after use, and the weight difference was significantly less than the weight of the vitamins which were supposed to have been absorbed. So his conclusion was that there hadn’t been transfer of that volume of vitamins off the patch.

His analysis didn’t try to answer whether the weight that did leave the used patch was water evaporation or actual vitamins. He also didn’t answer if any vitamins were absorbed.

But his analysis showed that, best case, assuming all the weight difference was absorbed vitamins, significantly less is being absorbed than the patch claims.

My doc uses ProCare bariatric vitamins (1 capsule) $20/mo and then regular Citrical caplets (need to be crushed) which are avail at Costco for $10/mo. But I don’t like the idea of crushing pills, so I went with the Bariatric Advantage calcium citrate with D and it cost me $55 for 270 pills of 500 mg. It was $25 for 90 pills, but if you order from their website and get the 270 pills with auto refill, you also get free shipping.

It really tastes quite decent for a chewable. I even convinced my little ones to take them.