How many meds/vitamins do you take daily?

[maslman 65]

This is what I'm currently taking:

- B complex once a day

- Bariatric Multivitamin twice a day

- Vitamin C three times a day

- Calcium + D3 once a day

- Ursodiol (Rx) twice a day

- Prilosec 24 once a day (per surgeon's instructions) to reduce stomach acid

- Lovenox (Rx) once a day to prevent blood clots

- Iron once a day, I was already mildly anemic before surgery

I've taken some advice from this forum and got myself a weekly 3 times a day pill holder that I put everything into, except for the B complex which is liquid and the Lovenox which is an injection, and then I just grab the day's container and go.

[BigSue 1,434]

48 minutes ago, MsMocie said:

Calsium and Iron should be taken 3-4 hours apart. And milk products apart from iron at least 2 hour but ideally 3-4. It complicates things. But I found out that you can take 2 chew with calsium at once without the effect being comprimised.

I try to fit my calsium at midday/morning and my iron at night time since I can better control whatever milk products that might be digested.

A suggestion is to get calsium with vit D so you don't need the extra vit D. Also get a B12 shot so no need for pills.

My doctor says 2 hours between Calcium and iron is fine, and there are only 24 hours in a day, so I go with 2 hours apart. My doctor also says the body can't absorb more than 600 mg of calcium at a time and to split it up in 3 doses. My Vitamin D is 5000 iu, and I haven't seen any calcium + D supplements with enough Vitamin D, plus I love my French vanilla caramel calcium soft chews. Just a personal preference on the B-12 -- I'd rather take a pill than get a shot (and I don't mind the B12; it's a tiny sublingual cherry-flavored pill).

[catwoman7 11,285]

25 minutes ago, BigSue said:

My doctor says 2 hours between Calcium and Iron is fine, and there are only 24 hours in a day, so I go with 2 hours apart. My doctor also says the body can't absorb more than 600 mg of Calcium at a time and to split it up in 3 doses. My Vitamin D is 5000 iu, and I haven't seen any calcium + D supplements with enough Vitamin D, plus I love my French vanilla caramel calcium soft chews. Just a personal preference on the B-12 -- I'd rather take a pill than get a shot (and I don't mind the B12; it's a tiny sublingual cherry-flavored pill).

same here with all of this. I started taking a megadose of B12 every couple of weeks instead of every day. I've been doing this for probably three years. I also take a big dose of Vitamin D every three days (enough for three days, anyway) instead of every day. It's helped cut down on the number of pills I take. Although the OP should probably clear this with their nutritionist before they do this. Some supplements you can't do this with though (like calcium, for example). You have to do those every day.

[LAJ23 70]

Since my OP on 9/13, my dietician has now told me that Flintstones Multivitamins (which I had been told was the ONLY multivitamin I could take) are now a no-no...after I purchased a huge 2-pack on Amazon. 🤦‍♀️ I was told I had to switch to Centrum Women's multivitamin and add a separate Iron pill. She also changed my B12 from sublingual to extra strength oral. I've lost track of how many pills I take daily (I'd have to recount), but it's A LOT, and as others have said, it's an "accomplishment" at the end of the day when you finally get them all down. I was also instructed to take pretty much everything in the morning, except the additional calcium chews which I have to take three of daily - morning, noon & night. My stomach has a really hard time getting all this crap down, but I was told I'll eventually get used to it. So, for now, I'm taking them all over the course of an hour or so each morning. Such a pain...but I realize it's necessary.

[Arabesque 7,624]

I feel like I’m the odd one out here. After surgery I was taking:

1 Nexium (20mg)

1 HRT

2 Bioceuticals women’s multivitamins (one in the AM & one in the PM)

1 Bioceuticals Vit D3

Briefly took a low blood pressure med - didn’t help.

Now all I take is 1 Nexium in the AM & my HRT in the PM. I have Meniere’s so have to take Serc when I have vertigo attacks. Also have glaucoma - thank goodness that just means eye drops every night.

Been off the multivitamins & D3 for about 8 months. (No more nausea & vomiting - yay!) Blood work is all good. I know I’m very fortunate.

[Numbheart 108]

wow, good to know that you are feeling better. Sending lots of get well hugs.

[WishMeSmaller 1,274]

On 9/29/2020 at 9:46 PM, Neller said:

For those of you with diabetes (type2), high blood pressure or high cholesterol, how soon did you get to stop taking meds, and how soon did you discontinue CPAP?

Sent from my SM-T710 using BariatricPal mobile app

When I started my pre-op diet I stopped my metformin (PCP approved). Post-op I stopped one of my blood pressure meds (surgeon instructions). About one month post-op I stopped my nexium (surgeon instructions). I had GERD for years, so had bypass rather than sleeve. I am going to discuss stopping cholesterol medication at this point as my labs look great, and a recheck in a few months will show if I still need it. I figure I will always be on one blood pressure med, as I started it almost 20 years ago when I was 165 pounds and fit. I have a follow up today with surgeon’s office to review my first post-op labs. I have already reviewed them so I know I am no longer diabetic, and my cholesterol is perfect. We will see if I need any adjustments to my Vitamins or diet. I have some “anomaly’s” in my Iron and Protein panels. Not sure how the surgeon’s office will interpret them. 🤷‍♀️

[Blueslily 94]

I'm resurrecting an older thread as I am curious to see what current responses to this question will be as I prepare for surgery. For people who are taking multiple supplements, did you have a bypass or a sleeve? In the pre-op meeting last week, we were only advised to purchase a multivitamin. There were 6 options that they recommend for the multivitamin. Most of us selected the option that only required one pill versus a separate one for Iron and Calcium. We need to take 4 of that one multivitamin a day. Two in the morning and two in the evening. I am taking a couple things now, before surgery, like BP med, hair, skin, nails pill, and a weekly Vitamin D. Will see what happens with those 2 post surgery.

Reading here that some people are taking 8 - 12/14 pills a day is concerning. Maybe those are mainly for folks with a bypass. I'm getting the sleeve surgery. How many pills are folks with a sleeve taking?

Edited March 28, 2021 by Blueslily

[blackcatsandbaddecisions 854]

I had a sleeve, 4 months post op, I take daily
Bariatric multi with Iron
B complex
Vitamin d

I don’t have any prescriptions, and I did great with my blood work checkup last month. I eat a pretty varied diet- I have fruit and vegetables as well as Protein. So far so good.

[ShoppGirl 5,076]

On 9/13/2020 at 9:12 AM, catwoman7 said:

yep as far as numbers go.

It doesn't take me an hour to get them down, though. I take a small handful in the morning - then three in the late afternoon. Iron and Vitamin C before I go to bed. I load up my pill container thingie on Saturday night (for the week) and then I'm pretty much on auto-pilot for the rest of the week.

I thought it was the Iron in the multivitamin that we had to separate from Vitamin C by a couple hours because it prevents the Vitamin c from absorbing as well. You don’t take them together do you? If so and you notice vitamin c levels are low keep that in mind as possible reason.

[BigSue 1,434]

7 minutes ago, ShoppGirl said:

I thought it was the Iron in the Multivitamin that we had to separate from Vitamin C by a couple hours because it prevents the Vitamin c from absorbing as well. You don’t take them together do you? If so and you notice Vitamin C levels are low keep that in mind as possible reason.

No, it's the opposite -- you should take Iron and Vitamin C together because vitamin C make the iron easier to absorb.

You shouldn't take iron and Calcium together because they interfere with each other. My doctor says to take them at least 2 hours apart but that advice can vary.

[catwoman7 11,285]

4 minutes ago, BigSue said:

No, it's the opposite -- you should take Iron and Vitamin C together because Vitamin C make the Iron easier to absorb.

You shouldn't take iron and Calcium together because they interfere with each other. My doctor says to take them at least 2 hours apart but that advice can vary.

yes - I've always heard this as well - in both cases (take iron and vit C together - and separate iron and Calcium by at least two hours)

Edited March 29, 2021 by catwoman7

[ShoppGirl 5,076]

3 minutes ago, BigSue said:

No, it's the opposite -- you should take Iron and Vitamin C together because Vitamin C make the Iron easier to absorb.

You shouldn't take iron and Calcium together because they interfere with each other. My doctor says to take them at least 2 hours apart but that advice can vary.

Sorry. Brain fart. I was thinking Calcium but reading and saying Vitamin C (thinking same thing). Sorry.