Hey guys,

I'm at the 10 month mark and just got my third round of blood tests for vitamins done. Consistently, I am low in vitamin D3, which I have a hard time understanding. After it came up low last time (about 3 months ago) they gave me a prescription for 50,000UI to take for 12 days, and ever since then I've been taking three 5,000ui caplets EVERY DAY.... according to the bottle, one 5k caplet is 1250% of daily requirements, so I'm taking 3750% of my daily requirement every day! Seems like overkill. But my blood test showed my D3 was LOWER than it was 3 months ago. NOTE: I live in San Diego, so even though it's winter, I get more sun than most.

I'm asking the question here because the bariatric department for my medical plan mostly deals with sleeve and bypass, and doesn't have much experience with DS, SADis or SIPS, so they can't really tell me if this is normal or weird or what. They're response is to have me do another round of the 50,000 ui prescription.

So, do any of you DS'ers have any knowledge around D3 deficiency? Is this a common thing? or is this just specific to me?

Bariatric Patients as a rule don't retain enough stomach acid to digest carbonate, usually you just pass it,out in your stool indigested, but perhaps it could affect your kidneys also. They along with the g.I. system get wastes disposed of.

13 hours ago, Faith2002 said:

@postop Saw where you had the DS several years back and wanted to ask you a few questions.

1. I saw somewhere that you commented about calcium citrate vs carbonate. So what’s the issue with carbonate? I have been taking carbonate and am having kidney stone issues again and wondering if it’s coming from the carbonate or rather it’s making them worse.
2. What Vitamin do you take daily? I found that Bariatric Advantage has a vitamin specific for BPDS patients and I only have to take two a day and then add an Iron supplement and Calcium. My blood work with the exception of Vitamin D is all normal. At that time wasn’t concerned with the D being a little in ten low end . I’m almost a year out this month.

@Faith2002 DSERS don't absorb carbonate. Plus, your hunch is correct, carbonate makes us more prone to kidney stones.

I take 40+ vits/minerals a day. Now, at about a year out you may see the malabsorption really kick in on your bloods. Bariatric Advantage doesn't have nearly enough in it for me unless I'd take it like Centrum (of which I take 2 daily).

If your bloods are good, then stay with what you're on. Definitely keep all of your records and compare each subsequent draw so you can watch for any trends. I also recommend having your preop blood work. It might help if you run into a difficult deficiency you can't solve (as time goes on) as it did with me.

Make sure you're taking your iron on an empty stomach (no food, pill, drinks [other than water]) for 60 minutes before and after.

Your Vitamin D should be at least 50 on your bloods. I don't know how low yours is but I'd start taking dry Vitamin D3 (cholicalciferol). Either 50,000iu/day or 100,000iu/day depending how low you are.

Edited March 6, 20197 yr by Postop

Good discussion! I am 13 years out and was taking two of the 50,000 units of D each week but stayed at 17until I started adding the Patch MD vitamin patches each day and am at 29 now. No movement at all for a year and a half until I started the patches!

My problem is that I have maintained my 120 pound weight loss but want to lose more and don’t know how to do it in a healthy manner. I am open to any good tips on how to take off weight. Will eat nothing but shakes if it will keep me healthy. Also want to continue working out. Any help please!!!

@MardellI'm glad your D is rising as it needs to be a lot higher. What does your PTH look like?

Edited April 19, 20197 yr by Postop

UPDATE: Just got my latest labs back and my D3 has moved from 17 to 53. Woot!

THanks @Postop for the recommendation and advice. In your opinion, should I continue to take 50,000 units every day, or should I back off from that now that I've got the D3 in the middle of the range?

Edited May 10, 20197 yr by disco stu

@disco stuThat is such great news. You really did it! I’d continue it. Generally, once you reach the level you need to be that’s where you stay dosewise. If your numbers go too high or too low then you adjust accordingly.

Edited May 10, 20197 yr by Postop

Well maybe some of us just don't assimilate things as well as others. I have been on prenatal vitamins with iron from the very beginning, take additional Ferrocite, long past menopause and still required an Iron INFUSION in March. WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT? One of the ways I can tell when I am getting low is I feel sluggish and complain that I AM COLD!

Thanks to all of you for this discussion. I had bypass, but am having some real issues with fat malabsorption and low D level which was 15.1. Doc prescribed 50,000 units twice a week of the green capsules, but it looks like maybe this is not what I should be doing. I'll check out the dry form.