Hi. So my post op instructions from my doctor are to not start vitamins until 4 weeks post op. I’m following doctor’s orders, but curious if anyone was told to wait this long as well and if they know the reason for waiting.

I started them on my first day home - day 4 but a lot of surgeons have different plans.

Some people struggle with swallowing anything more than liquids to begin so waiting until they are a 2, 4 or 6 weeks post surgery may mean they can swallow the vitamins more easily. Some surgeons recommend vitamin patches, or gummies or liquid vitamins for the same reason. Some of us feel nauseous taking vitamins (I always do) so waiting until you are eating more solid foods & therefore have more in your tummy before you take the vitamin may help avoid this side effect.

If you are concerned give your medical team a call. They may even say it’s ok to start earlier if you want to try.

Good luck.

I started taking them right away, but what you were told isn't that unusual - I've heard it before. It does take quite awhile for your body's vitamin stores to deplete, so waiting four weeks shouldn't cause problems.

Probably not a bad idea when you think about it. Some vitamins pills/capsules can be quite large - we have difficulty swallowing them in the first few weeks, so avoiding them initially isn't a bad thing. Plus for some of those who can manage to get them down they (or even the taste of them) can cause nausea while in recovery mode.

On 5/17/2021 at 3:04 PM, catwoman7 said:

I started taking them right away, but what you were told isn't that unusual - I've heard it before. It does take quite awhile for your body's Vitamin stores to deplete, so waiting four weeks shouldn't cause problems.

I was agree

Edited September 8, 20215 yr by FrankSC

I started taking them during pre op diet but have heard all different things. What you were told is not uncommon.

I started taking the vitamins from my first appointment with the surgeon six months prior to surgery. I started with chewables from the very beginning because I hate swallowing big pills. I stopped a couple days before surgery when I had to start the liquid diet.

I resumed the bariatric multivitamin chewable about 4-5 days after surgery. I was instructed to not take the calcium citrate chewables until I could eat pureed foods. Around that time I also started the d3, b12, b3 and biotin too.

My vitamin levels 3 months post surgery were higher than my values before surgery.

They were asking me in the hospital to take the vitamins, good thing I packed them ;)

On 9/9/2021 at 11:34 PM, jenny8791 said:

I started taking the Vitamins from my first appointment with the surgeon six months prior to surgery. I started with chewables from the very beginning because I hate swallowing big pills. I stopped a couple days before surgery when I had to start the liquid diet.

I resumed the bariatric Multivitamin chewable about 4-5 days after surgery. I was instructed to not take the calcium citrate chewables until I could eat pureed foods. Around that time I also started the d3, B12, b3 and Biotin too.

My Vitamin levels 3 months post surgery were higher than my values before surgery.

if you do not like to swallow tablets, switch to a liquіd form of a vitamіn like sells at Wellabs-store for example. It's really very comfortably. a couple of drоps in wаter or juіce and that's it, you don't need to swallow anything. I read that they are even better absоrbed then any another form of supplеments

Edited September 13, 20214 yr by FrankSC