Hey 50 & over gang We have a new spot

[hollyberry8 0]

Welcome Lcubed:

My Moms birth place was Long Island New York. My Bucket list is to tour there and many other places.

Holly

Banded 1/29/09

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[Great2BThin 5]

Soooo....am I supposed to be taking a Calcium supplement? I didn't know that! What else? The only thing I am taking (vitamin wise, that is) is Vitamin B12 that melts on my tongue. I am on meds for BP. cholesterol (both of which I hope to stop or reduce soon) and an anti depressant. I guess I feel like I take enuff but if it is necessary...what does everyone else take?

I was told to take calcium citrate as well (the kind in Citracal) as it is best absorbed for the WLS patient. I got the petites which I can swallow with the band. They are a little more expensive than the carbonate which is what I think all the chocolate chews are. Also be sure it has Vitamin D in it. My surgeon does a Vitamin panel test and I was low on some of my B's so had to take B1 and a B12 for awhile. Though because banders absorb their food more than a bypass, generally speaking, B12 isn't necessary for a bander unless told otherwise. I take a chewable Centrum Silver vitamin every day but am intrigued by the lapband specific ones.

Joann, did you say GNC carries one specifically for lapbanders? What's it called? I also took Biotin for a bit as I heard it helped with thinning hair which happened to me about 4 to 6 mos post op, it is getting better so have stopped that.

[Charlene K 1]

Lcubed...........Hello!....Welcome!..........Jump on!.....we are all on this bandwagon together!

[pj_txlady 0]

Long...does the Centrim Silver chewables have fruit flavored?

I take the Viactiv chewable Calcium, is that ok for banders to take?

[Great2BThin 5]

Long...does the Centrim Silver chewables have fruit flavored?

I take the Viactiv chewable Calcium, is that ok for banders to take?

Yes the Centrum Silver chewables are fruit flavored. I get them at Walmart. As for the Viactive. I am not going to say they are not okay for bandsters to take, but I was told that those were calcium carbonate and that it was better to take calcium citrate. Just like our pre and post op diets all differed from different docs I have a feeling so do the Vitamin and supplement recommendations. But I do the citrate with Vitamin D.

[hollyberry8 0]

Long, I take Centrum silver chewables, also. They have Calcium carbonate in them. So what is the brand name of calcium citrate with Vitamin D you take? Is that called citracal?

Thanks, Holly

Banded 1/29/09

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[Great2BThin 5]

Long, I take Centrum silver chewables, also. They have Calcium carbonate in them. So what is the brand name of calcium citrate with Vitamin D you take? Is that called citracal?

Thanks, Holly

Banded 1/29/09

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The ones I take are called Citracal Petites. You swallow them but they are smaller than normal calcium pills. Still not super small. Only once after a pretty tight fill I had to cut them in half for about a week, but the rest of the time have been able to swallow them. They have Vitamin D as well.

[JoannMarie 0]

I am taking the Kirkland brand - and it is Calcium carbonate. My doctor did not recommend citrate over carbonate - I'll ask next time I'm in to see her and make sure. The Kirkland also has Vitamin D-3. The recommended dosage is 3 "chews" a day - 1500 mg. total, as is recommended for women ages 50 and over. I also take Preservision for my macular degeneration. My ophthamologist recommends it for everyone over 50, as there have been clinical trials that show substantial benefits for the eyes (called the ARED (sp?) study). Lots of good Vitamins in that, too. We have reached the point where we have to check everything to make sure we are not getting too much of something!

Long, my multi Vitamin from GNC is their brand and is called Solotron chewable. I don't know if it is specifically for LB - may have been recommended for any weight loss surgery. It compares pretty well with Centrum Silver. I've not found those in the chewable form - just liquid. ugh. I'm taking liquid glucosamine, too - and it's not much better.

Gosh, I sound like a walking pharmacy. I'm really not - just vitamin conscious. I think we have to be concerned about overall nutrient consumption since we are eating substantially less food.

[phyllser 3]

Hi Everyone! I would love to join your group here if that's okay with you guys. I was banded on 11/10/08 on Long Island, New York. I know I have a lot to read to catch up...but I thought I would at least say hello!

WELCOME!! I grew up in a suburb of Buffalo.

We are supposed to take calcium citrate not Calcium carbonate

I've heard that, too, because it absorbs more effectively. However, it's really hard to find, especially in chewable form. There was one that was very similar to the costco chewables that I was taking for a while... I could only get it at RiteAid or Albertson's and I don't think either one is carrying it anymore. I gave up and started buying the costco Kirkland brand JoannMarie is talking about. I just can't swallow those big pills, esp. calcium... they always seem to have rough edges.

Charlene - I bought my Omega 3 chewables at Costco!! duh. It is their brand of kids' chewables, and they were very reasonable. DD gives these to her 2 year old, calls them "brain candy" (while she keeps them in a place inaccessible to little hands). DGS and I can share when I'm visiting them next month!

Coromega makes an Omega-3 that comes in little individual squeeze packets.. I bought mine at Costco, orange flavored, and I squeeze a packet out on to my Jello 70 cal rice pudding each day. You can just squeeze it onto a spoon, or right in to your mouth, but I like it better on the pudding. BTW, Riteaid has all their Pharmasure brand on 2 for 1 sale this week... they do that about once a month, so that's when I stock up on my Papaya tablets.

[Katydid 0]

JoanneMarie & Oregondaisy,

You are both so lovely. Thank you. I had the last 17 staples out today (made a total of 30). Oh boy, did those little buggers hurt!!! They pounded away for an hour or two afterwards as well, so it took me a while to drive home.

I hope you are both doing really well and for all the complications that I have had, I still know that I wouldn't have lost the weight if it wasn't for the band. But then again, I guess it really does depend on the quality of surgeon you get because look at all the people on this site who are doing so well.

Best wishes to everyone.

[phyllser 3]

JoanneMarie & Oregondaisy,

You are both so lovely. Thank you. I had the last 17 staples out today (made a total of 30). Oh boy, did those little buggers hurt!!! They pounded away for an hour or two afterwards as well, so it took me a while to drive home.

I hope you are both doing really well and for all the complications that I have had, I still know that I wouldn't have lost the weight if it wasn't for the band. But then again, I guess it really does depend on the quality of surgeon you get because look at all the people on this site who are doing so well. Best wishes to everyone.

So glad you are on the mend!

[lynnt1215 1]

Phyll - I grew up in Rochester, NY

Nice to see everyone is on the med..

[Elayne 0]

Good discussion about Constipation.< /span>

I've had it most of my life with it worsening these last 2 years.

I had a colonoscopy - everything's ok in that department.

A nutritionist recommended Miralax last year and it's been my "plumber's helper" ever since.

I add 1/2 cap to a half gallon of Water (with a small splash of juice for flavor) each morning when I sort my daily meds allotment.

My liquid diet starts Monday - but right now I'm constantly tired and feeling a bit dragged out.

I hope it's just the stress of my separation and the anxiety of the upcoming surgery.

My husband (what-oh-what should I call him at this stage??)

is a remarkably level-headed gentleman in regard to the surgery and the emotional aspect of it all and has been the "friend" that I wish he would have been in the past - so that's a mixed blessing.

Meanwhile I just want to do this right and eventually get some of my health back (physical AND mental)

So - is it normal to be tired at this stage?

Is there a miracle herb/mineral/drink/supplement?

[Elayne 0]

I started taking Biotin last week.

A beautician who had a bypass addressed our latest LB/bypass support group meeting and made some recommendations.

Mediceuticals makes a line of hair and scalp care products.

She recommended "Strength" - a treatment used between Shampoo and conditioning (like we need yet another step!).

Studies have shown that it lessens breakage.

Pricey - but it looks promising.

I believe chemo patients also use these products.

The nutritionist from the surgical group stated that our scalp - just like other body parts - has fat cells as well.

So - as we lose weight - our scalp is affected to some degree also.

'my a fat head?

[househuntress 1]

:w00t:Well it's going to be swim suit time again...and I hate it.

I haven't lost anymore weight in almost 18months...there ...I finally admitted it.

I've still lost about 70 from my highest weight but I've just settled in at this weight. I pb with hard protein...then am hungry and eat the wrong thing...I STILL haven't learned to slow down and CHEW CHEW. I guess I'm afraid if I chew things that small I can pack more in.

My problem is my saggy baggy arms!!! I can hide some of my backside with the skirts on my bathing suit but nothing will hide this...YUK:cursing:

Does anyone have a solution in exercise for these bat wings?

The 50 thing and having been fat all my life is the main factor in my skin not shrinking from the previous weight.

I hope everyone is doing much better than I am at this point.

Ok...I got my whining in today..thanks for listening.