6 Week Labs - Deficient in EVERYTHING..pls help!

I only have myself to blame and the crummy absorption of my intestines that is...I have never been good at swallowing pills.  Since surgery it's been even worse.  I am not allowed to drink soda and that use to be the only way to get pills down.  Now I dread the multiple times a day I'm supposed to take my vitamins.  Well, I've been completely slacking because denial is so much easier than facing the facts.  I had blood work done last week at my 6 week post op visit and received a phone call today about my deficiencies. 

I am deficient in:
Potassium
Calcium
D
B1
B12
Iron

They want me to take most of these twice a day along with my twice a day multi vitamins. 

What I need are reccomendations.  My multivitamin is easy because it's flinstone chewable gummies.  The rest...not so easy.  I need dissolvable or liquid or chewable preferrably, with a decent taste (and affordable) in order to be faitful to my vitamin regimen.

BTW:  I was deficient before surgery and now I'm getting worse due to my lack of food consumption. 

Check vitacost.com and read the reviews before purchasing. They do offer a money back guarantee on their products. Plus, they offer flat rate shipping regardless of how much you order so if you order protein powders they carry some of the super popular brands.

Did they tell you the Gummy was an actual decent choice because most of your deficiencies might be improved if you were on a quality adult multi. I realize they are easy, but if you get on a high quality and complete adult multi with iron some of these deficiencies could improve without having to take multi pills/chewables per day.

I take the Celebrate Multi complete (which contains Iron). I've been on them for over a year now, and stayed on them through my pregnancy and my labs remained stellar.

Sublingual B12 is super cheap at most retail pharmacies, 2500mcg is what I take daily. I pick mine up at Walgreens or WalMart.

Calcium Citrate 500 Plus by Celebrate as well. I only have to take 2 per day.

If you haven't already, you can get  a completely free sample by emailing celebrate vitamins at [email protected]

My surgeons office told me to take flinstone chewables...I didn't see a difference on the lable between chewables and gummies.  I take 2 twice a day.  How does the quality differ if the label is the same as an "adult" multi vitamin that I have to swallow?  Were you deficient at all before surgery?  I'm just curious because I think that's most of my problem.  My labs have always sucked and now they super suck with the adding of B1 and Potassium and all my numbers dropping.  I will look into your other suggestions, thanks so much for your reply as usual. 

This is just my personal opinion based on what I've witnessed over the years here, and listening to some vetted RNY patients over the years. We're adults, and we need adult vitamins. The formulation of children's vitamins are different. When I saw my band surgeon, and asked about vitamins he recommended Flintstones, I asked "why would you recommend a children's vitamin for an adult who has limited food capacity, and is a weight loss surgery patient?" He said and I quote "because they taste good and people don't complain about taking them if they taste good, they're better than nothing." I have never been deficient in anything before or after surgery. I would think if you were deficient before your program would require a better quality vitamin. But, that's just my opinion, and something that I would consider before taking any supplement.

Flintstones Gummy Label

Gummy

Supplement Facts                              See Ingredient Fact Sheets

Supplement Facts Serving Size: 2 gummies Servings Per Container: 75 Ingredients Amt Per Serving Units %Daily Value** Calories Total 10     Total Carbohydrate 3 g 1% Sugars 3 g   Vitamin A 2000 IU 40% Vitamin C 30 mg 50% Vitamin D 200 IU 50% Vitamin E 20 IU 67% Vitamin B6 1 mg 50% Folate,Folic Acid,Folacin 200 mcg 50% Vitamin B12 5 mcg 83% Biotin 75 mcg 25% Pantothenic acid 5 mg 50% Iodine 40 mcg 27% Zinc 2.5 mg 17% Choline 38 mg * Inositol 20 mcg * * Daily Value not established. ** Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Other Ingredients

Glucose Syrup, Sucrose, Gelatin, Water, Choline Bitartrate, Citric Acid, Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin E Acetate, Maltodextrin, Modified Starch, D Calcium Pantothenate, Zinc Sulfate, Vegetable Oil (coconut or palm), Artificial Flavors, Corn Starch, Acacia Gum, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Acetate, Silicon Dioxide, Caranuba Wax, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), Beeswax, FD&C Red 40, D Alpha Tocopherol, D Biotin, Potassium Iodide, FD&C Yellow 6, Inositol, Vitamin B12, FD&C Blue

You can see the major difference in what you are taking vs. what I take. The Flintstone is missing a ton of mineral and vitamins and even with 2 per day, you are not getting 100% of anything in those at all.


Here's the label for the Centrum Multi: It wouldn't paste into the post.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_53Sf90Awjr0/TFJeeySEiGI/AAAAAAAAACo/aK5P6JhvVL0/s400/centrum-type-multivitamins-label.gif

It has more than the Flintstone as well.

Thanks.  I see what you mean.  I guess I fell prey to believing what my surgeons office said and not looking into it farther.  I am taking 4 of them a day so I;m getting a decent amount, but my tummy may not even be breaking them down correctly as they are gummies.  I am going to talk to my PCP about my deficiencies and see what he says.  Thanks again.

I purchase my vitamin from local store because it gets expense online.  I use the following:

WAL-MART
1. Multi-Vitamin - Centrum Chewables with 18mg IRON
2. B12 - sublingual Dots
3. D 3 - gummie

THE VITAMIN SHOPPE
1. B - Complex - Liquid
2. Calcium - Magnessium Citrate

You can probably find liquid Potassium at the Vitamin Shoppe as well.

Thanks for your reply.  I will look into your suggestions as well.  I think I am getting a script for the potassium as that is a major concern since they pumped me full of it just a mere 6 weeks ago for an entire week!  Thanks again.

You're welcome. 

I understand how it is taking whole pills...that's why I use all chewables or liquids

Did your surgeon say it was okay to take kid vitamins? Mine said that I'm an adult and I need adult vitamins, including multi-vitamins. I take Centrum (adult) chewable once a day. You can buy it anywhere.

I take a chewable b12 (1000 mg 2 times a week) that I get at the Vitamin Shoppe. I take an adult gummy b complex that I get at Target. I take 2000 mg (1 chewable adult tablet twice/day) of Calcium Citrate made by Twin Labs. I buy it at Vitamin Shoppe.

I don't take iron because I get more than enough from my multi-vitamin (labs done 2 weeks ago).

IMO, you would take care of a lot of your problems with a good "Adult" mutli-vitamin.

You might want to ask your doc what his office recommends.

As far as taste is concerned, I think they all taste like crap. But, I take them anyway. It's just something I have to do for the rest of my life, like taxes and bills.

Edited to say: I've noticed in all my scrounging around for vitamins that the gummies don't usually have iron. Ik don't know why, but I've never seen one with it. I don't know about potassium.

Thank you for your reply.  Yes my surgeon's office told me to take flinstones.  Maybe it's as Airforcewife said...It tastes good, so I won't complain and will take it?!?!  I don't know.  I'm super upset about my labs and have to figure something out.  I don't mind if they aren't the best tasting things in the world, I just honestly can't handle ralfing anything up.  I will definately check out the liquids and chewables that have been listed and go from there.  I will also try the "adult" vitamins and see how those fair.  I'm actually going to talk to my PCP about my deficincies and see where he stands.  He is a straight shooter and unaware they put me on flinstones.  So you may all be very right that even with the 4 a day I'm taking, it's just not doing any good.  Thanks again.