Hi all DS folks out there.  Anyone here that has had a reversal or revision?  My general practitioner is recommending that I go that route now.  My anemia, calcium issues, and so forth are driving her and I both completely nuts!  I appreciate any suggestions or vitamin recommendations/diet suggestions.  If you can share something like your daily regimen for vitamins (type and dosages) that you use and what works for you that'd help me a lot!!  I am already on the Vitalady regimen. 
My next resort is an iron infusion.  They are not jumping for that due to my rare blood type and issues with surgery/bleeding in the past. 

Anything you post would be GREATLY appreciated in terms of what works for you other DSers that seem to roll on like it's nothing!

The gas, pains, and dizziness are misery to me.

What's the problem with iron infusions and rare blood type/bleeding etc.? I don't know a great deal about iron stuff (yet) since I've had scarcely any issues to motivate me to learn, but it seems to me that infused iron would be helpful for all of that. I don't get it.

You belong not with a GP at this point, but with highly skilled specialists in hematology and endocrinology. 

Oh, and if you're buying from Vitalady, take up a correspondence with her. Send her EVERYTHING you have about your labs and your medical stuff and get inside her head. She's saved a lot of people.

I agree with Elizabeth about seeking Vitalady out and sending her your labs. Also, if you're in town, get an appointment with Dr Elariny and he can refer you to endos and hematologists in the area than treat DS patients. Emily, his dietitian, is on board with Vitalady's recommendations and helping DSrs tweak their labs. A lot has changed in his office in the past 6 years.

Good to see you!

--gina

If there were more doctors,,PCP's, not surgeons...that would take the time to learn about ALL WLS and how to follow patients post-op, I don't think DSer's would be running into problems like this. 

Has your doctor tried Creon or Viokase with you?  It's a digestive enzyme, and what it amounts to is a pharmaceutical revision/reversal.  It replaces the enzymes that now flow through your biliopancratic limb and mixes with the food in your stomach.  More digestion, better absorption.  I even take a capsule with my vites.

The enzymes do cause some people to gain weight, but I didn't.  You might suggest that to your doctor.  I take Creon 24000.

Funny you should mention Creon. That is what Dr E said he would always try first if a patient is having trouble absorbing vitamins.

--gina

 Some of us just don't absorb oral iron sufficiently. I am one of them. Infusions are a piece of cake and it's so nice to just get tanked up for 6 months or so and then do another one. The types of infusions vary a bit but they are really no big deal and it's just less pills you have to swallow daily.

As far as the gas, pains and dizziness, I just wanted to ask,  you state in your signature that you've not always been compliant. How is that going for you now? Are you compliant with your vitamins or are you hit or miss? Gas and pain and bloating can almost always be connected to too many carbs or lactose or gluten intolerances. Have you done an elimination diet to rule out the culprits?

I mentioned Creon to my doctor today.  She said that she wants another set of labs and do to a CT scan since she felt a part of my tummy is ice cold and the rest is a different temperature.  It's really strange, I never noticed it myself at all though, so I'm glad I saw her.  I have to wait a week and then I'll update you for results and such.  She has referred me to a hemotologist already, I did see one and he said he thought I was responding well to the iron supplements with 300mg/ day so he wanted me to follow up with him in a month.  I'm hoping my new labs come back better that the last set!  My company is all so negative about this surgery too so that makes it hard for me.   I did get health insurance again now so I'm thankful for that.   

I tried Devrom for the gas/pain and I don't really drink milk, never have liked it.  I do love cheese though.  I also had labs last year and found out I am allergic to EVERYTHING except ****roaches.   YUCK!   I wish I had had these things evaluated before having this surgery.

I am taking tons of vitamins, drinking protein like a mad woman and constantly sipping water.  I'm on zithromax right now for strep throat and it's actualyl made me feel better somewhat today.  I also did a lot of walking today.  I'm not missing any vitamins, never have, I was short or protein for a while after I had my son but for the past 8 months I have been on track.  I need to update my signature for sure. 

Ice Cold?  Sounds like something internal is going on.  Hope the CT comes out OK.  They won't be able to see anythng without contrast, so I hope your doc ordered that.  I had some idiot do a CT on my gut without it  way before I thought seriously about WLS.  Had to repeat because I was not given contrast.

Devrom is an internal deodorant.  It takes the stink out of flatulence (commonly known as farts), but really doesn't offer much in the way of relief from  bloating.

I used to take a huge dose of Gas-X when I had this problem early out, but now, my gut is more motile, and if I get a gas attack, I just let 'em fly.. usually in open air, or if I'm at home with plenty of odor neutralizing room spray (Found a great one at Walmart next to the candles...fragrance is Garden Rain) Febreeze has a dual scented plug in oil fragrancer that works well in keeping your home from smelling like an outhouse.  I use Devrom as insurance that I don't offend at public functions if one of those mustard gas farts "slips".

I was also told it's not good to take them everyday. I order the capsules straight from the manufacturer.  Once I found them and tried them, they seemed to work way better for me than the chewables!

The antibiotic is likely killing off bacterial overgrowth in your gut, which can happen even to normies.  That's why some people get diarrhea with antibiotics, because it kills off both good and bad bacteria in the gut.  That's why eating yogurt after a course of antibiotics is usually a good idea.  It puts back the good bacteria that the antibiotic killed off.

That's one reason Flagyl works for DSer's with bowel issues.  It's an antibiotic, and it brings the intestinal flora back to normal by killing off bacterial overgrowth, if there is any.

Rose, a couple of things are jumping out at me here. First, nothing against your GP, but as a general rule the people on here can be a much better guide. Most often we generally end up educating our family doctors to some extent. You'll want to post your labs, vites with amounts and times, typical daily menu, and other pertinent info. When you said that you have a lot of food allergies, that caught my attention. I recently experimented with giving up eggs (I hated to do it). It made a huge difference in my nightly bloating and pain.

Also, what probiotic do you take and how often?

Lactose is in a lot of stuff other that milk. Read labels. Try only using cheddar cheese for a while. Hard cheese is sometimes the only kind that is tolerated.

I was really hesitant about starting infusions. Ha! Now I love it. It's easy peasy and makes a big difference in how I feel. I just get regular ole cheap iron dextran. You need to get hooked up with a hemo that understands and has worked with WLS patients who malabsorb iron.

I'll be interested in hearing the results of your CT.

-Jenny

 I have had really tough calcium absorption issues too.    You need to be seeing an excellent hematologist and endocrinologist.   The problem with the D and calcium is that there are OTHER micronutrient deficiencies (zinc, K, copper, etc.) that can be contributing to your D or calcium deficiency.   You can  be taking 1 million iu's a day of D, and if you are not taking the right amount of calcium, it's pointless. How are you taking your D?   How much calcium?  How much zinc?  How much copper?   How about K?    How long have you been on Vitalady's regimen.    

Are you tanning?

Iron infusions are no big deal.    You should be seeing a hemo doc who has post-bariatric experience.

In regard to the gas pains....what kind of carbs are you eating?

Rose - A couple of things in your posts jump out at me. First, I would find another hematologist. Don't ask them -- tell them you need to start infusions. Obviously you have some malabsorption issues so oral iron will probably do nothing for you. Also, I'm not a doctor (nor do I play one on TV) but I don't think Infusions and blood type have anything to do with each other. You're not looking for a transfusion but an infusion.

Exactly how much calcium are you taking? Devrom will do nothing for gas/pain. It is strictly an internal deoderant to help with the smell. Do you take a probiotic? How's your carb intake? I also follow Vitalady's regime but certain things I take alot more of because some my numbers are too low (D & calcium are two in particular). I also tweak them as needed -- for example my K was a little low the last round of labs so I've upped the amount and will reevaluate next time (due for new labs in November).

I am so glad, I started the antibiotics and now I am feeling MUCH better. That's the only thing I have added to what I was doing currently. 

Vitamins I take: 

300mg Tender Iron and 2000mg Vitamin C on empty stomach 1st thing in the AM around 6am

1 Vita-min Multi -all around 10am
1 zinc gluconate 50mg Chelated
1 Potassium Citrate
2 Vitamin D 100K
2 Vitamin A 50K
2 B12 10000mg hydroxocobalamin

at nooni****ake 1000mg Calcium Citrate and 1 magnesium citrate

around 3pm
1 Vita-min Multi -all around 10am
1 zinc gluconate 50mg Chelated
1 Potassium Citrate 
1 Vitamin D 50K
1 Vitamin A 25K
2 B12 10000mg hydroxocobalamin

and then at night I take  1000mg Calcium Citrate and 1 magnesium citrate

I'm not tanning, I don't take any probiotics don't even know what that is, and I listed what I take above.  I also drink Protowhey protein mixed into plain coffee or water all day long and I sip water.  In terms of carbs I am eating almost none and my sugar is always around 80.