I am preparing for WLS. I hear over and over again ...supplements for the rest of your life.
I understnad why you have to take them. I am just wondering how much you have to take. I mean is it a multi vitamine once a day? With each meal? Six times a day? It just seems there is so much emphasis on this. I am unsure if people are emphasising the importance or if it is somewhat of a hassle because you have to take SO many or take them SO often.
people will have their own little routines, and surgeons will make different recommendations. with the RNY, just about everyone takes a good multivitamin and a calcium/vit D supplement every day.
depending on your blood work, though, you might get different instructions. I do better with TWO multivitamins, plus occasional extra B6, plus daily calcium/vit D. Jilly has a different routine.
depending on what else might be going on, you might also have to take an iron supplement or additional B12.
some people take fish oil/omega 3, and all sorts of other stuff.
My RNY is considered a distal (more malabsorption than a typical RNY procedure) and my regime is based on my lab results. Already at 11 months I am seeing deficiencies in iron and protein. However, for most RNY patients, the ASMBS recommends the following daily: 2 multivitamins, 1500-2000mg Calcium Citrate (broken up in 500-600mg doses), 18-27mg iron for menstruating women, and 500mg B12 at least once a week. Calcium and iron can not be taken within 2 hours of each other and vitamins should be "dry," not suspended in oil.
I am already Vit D deficient. This is my third course of the "Super Supplement" (50,000 3 x a week for 3 months). Last labs it was up to 15, it was originally 7. Plus I already do fish oil and a probiotic.
I envisioned needing a wheel barrow to roll out my Vitamin purchase from Walgreens they way ssome have made it sound.
Although I realize that the importance was what was being stressed not the quanity.
My doctors are pushy about taking pre-natal vitamins! Since they have a bigger boost of vitamins, and such.
But http://www.celebratevitamins.com has really good multi's specifically for WLS peeps! My surgeon said those would be equally as good as pre-natals for me. If you tend to feel sick after taking vitamins (I do), take them just before bed and you'll sleep through it
I also take Wellesse liquid Calcium Citrate/D. It's orange cream...but post op it's REALLY strong (flavor-wise) to me lol!
I also take a spoonfull of fiber in my shake...don't start this until you are having 2L of water daily! Or you'll be bound up like mad.
What else? I always fit in Greek yogurt daily, for the good gut bacteria, and other goodies
I see a lot of posts that mention liquid vitamins. I have never seen these in the store, though I have never actually looked. Do most Walgreens, Target etc. carry them?
The iron in the pre nats made me sick when I was preggo. Fortunately I have never been low on iron (except for a short time after lung surgery). Although I know that may very well change with surgery.
I LOVE greek yogurt! I try to eat that daily already!
I'm in Canada, but I hear Costco has them....that's who carries them up here (Costco, and a few grocery stores). Walmart should have some, and Rite-Aid apparently does too!
Greek yogurt tasted so good post op! NOM! It's good to make sure things are moving down there. Some people (like me lol) can get really bound up after being in the hospital.
For me pain meds tend to turn "things" to cement if you know what I mean. So I always get a little anxious about having surgery. MOST of the time the hospital is good about letting me leave before I "go". I also seem to need the home seat advantage.
I have started taking a daily probiotic which seems to help with some of that. I also eat greek yogurt nearly everyday...but that is because I like it!!
I feel like I'm missing something in that list...I sometimes also add a "hair, nails & skin" supplement 3-4 times a day, but that's more of a personal preference, obviously not a requirement.
I also got these giant vitamin sorters so I only have to sort out my daily vitamins once every other month.
I compared some prenatals while I was pregnant because I considered using them to replace my regular multis. I found most prenatals just have extra folic acid, calcium, and iron. Since I already take calcium and iron separately, and my folate is always unmeasurably high on my lab results, I stuck with my regular multi. I also never bothered with "bariatric" vitamins because, well, they're more expensive, and I would still have to add the other extra stuff anyway.
And a note on following your surgeons guidelines...I don't. I have never returned to my surgeon's office after my one-month post-op checkup. I do all my follow-up care with my PCP, and I research and adjust my own supplements as needed based on my lab results. If I'd followed my surgeon's guidelines, I would be deficient in vitamin D and iron, at a minimum, and possibly so high in vitamin B6 as to cause such side effects as neuropathy. Surgeons are surgeons - they cut and remove and fix and sew up. Most of them have little to no actual nutritional education/training. Most nutritionists and registered dieticians, even those working in bariatric practices, do not really understand what a post-WLS patient needs that is different from a "normal" person. Now, there are SOME good surgeons and nutritionists out there for bariatric nutrition, but, sadly, they are by far the minority.
I'm not telling you to ignore your surgeon or nutritionist, but do NOT be afraid to ask lots of questions and also do your own research.
Last edited by jillybean720; 07-09-2012 at 05:38 PM.
I have started taking a daily probiotic which seems to help with some of that. I also eat greek yogurt nearly everyday...but that is because I like it!!
High-5 on the probiotic! I started a probiotic prior to my surgery, too, and I credit it with my not having any liquid bowel movements post-op. I can't say my pain meds helped any because they messed up my prescription, so I didn't have ANY pain meds (other than OTC Tylenol) once I left the hospital. Even when I was on the liquid diet, I did not have liquid stools. And I was SO prepared for early post-op poop issues because I'd heard so many horror stories of people going as far as installing bidets in their homes! I ended up throwing out lots of unused Tucks pads and moist wipes...
I take a calcium citrate twice a day plus an extra vit D twice a day. I take a prenatal multi at bedtime and iron twice a day and B12 at bedtime. I take stool softeners when needed because the iron is not good to me! It's really not a big deal.
Question about supplements after WLS
