Need help with vitamins

I am very confused about my vitamins. Someone (sorry I don't remember who) told me last week that the Optisource vitamins my dietician recommended did not have the proper calcium. Does that mean I just need to add some calcium to my optisource regimen? I have Celebrate's calcium plus chewables.

My book from my surgeon says I should be taking:
one multivitamin
600 mg of calcium citrate with vitamin d twice a day and there's a note I don't understand: 1200mg ca# 600/u/day vit d
1000mcg b12 sublingually
50-66mg of iron - I do not have to take this as I do not menstruate so both my dietician and my PCP said there is no need.

Would anyone like to share their regimen or make a recommendation for me? I appreciate any info you are willing to share.

Thanks!

Even if you aren't menstruating, you should take iron, because your body needs SOME, and if it's getting NONE you'll get anemic.

You should take TWO multivitamins, not together though.

You should probably take 1500 mg of calcium citrate, in three 500 mg doses, and if you get the type of pill with 600 mg doses, take THAT three times a day

If you aren't menstruating, then you're MORE prone to osteoporosis, not less, and you need MORE calcium, not less

You should likely take vitamin D3, see if you can get it tested, but I take 5,000 iu a day right now, waiting for new test results tomorrow before I re-order, if mine isn't above 70, I'll step it up to 10,000 per day. This is regardless of the amount in your calcium or multivitamin.

Definately need the sublingual B12... do not swallow, let those melt.

I also highly recommend a single B-complex every day (thiamine deficiency can lead to permanent neural damage)

I currently take

2 calcium citrate (citracal ... check the label, don't get the gummy or the bone health type, make sure it's all citrate)
1 multivitamin (NOT gummy, NOT flintstones) 
1 B-complex
1 vitamin A
5,000 iu vitamin D3 (has to be DRY, D3, NOT in oil)
Sublingual B12 (2500 mcg as that is what they had at Costco, and it's tasty, dissolves well, and I don't worry about having an overdose)

Later in teh day another 2 calcium citrate and multivitamin (this calcium is usually upcal D a powder I add to beverages.

later in the day another two calcium citrate... this oen is usually a chewable bariatric advantage one that someone gave me .... I won't buy it, but I'll use it up.

at least two hours later, usually at bedtime, I take Iron with chewable vitamin C (or I plan to, but this is one of those areas I need to improve on, and I *am* menstruating) ... I'm goign to order Vitalady's Tender Iron on Monday along with my new order of vitamin D and a few other vitamins.

every person is different. what I take is chewable calcium+D 600  mg 3 times a day, multi vitiman/mineral  twice a day. iron 324mg twice a day, vitamin B12  500 mcg once a day.  It all depends on the testing results that you had to determin the amount of most of the vitamins you have to take. I started out with my iron 3 times a day and they dropped me to twice a day. Things are so far looking good for me and I am entering my 6th week post op. My doctor gave me times when to take my vitamins since its not good to take them all at the same time. After I get done the bottle of chewable calcium I will be on the ones to swallow its just at that time when i bought them they had a sale buy one bottle get the other one free. Good luck.......Roxanne

The calcium has to be CITRATE, so if you are using Caltrate, it is NOT. Calcium citrate doesn't come in 600 per pill. It's always 2 pills = appx 600. Read the serving size first.

1500 is not enough, IMHO, being a victim of the 1500-thinking.

I don't think this list even touches what you will need, but most clinics wait til the deficiencies show up before treating. I prefer to prevent.

If you choose not to take the iron (I had a hysterectomy a number of years ago so I was not "required" to take it, either), be SURE to track your levels in your labs because you will almost certainly find that, as time passes, your iron level will drop simply because we cannot absorb it (and your body DOES use it).  Every woman I know personally who did not start out taking iron had to add it in later (and usually added it after the levels dropped so much that it was difficult to get it back up).  As soon as I confirmed a small drop in mine for three consecutive lab draws, I added in a weekly iron supplement and that has kept my levels  stable.

As Lithia pointed out, you actually probably need MORE calcium because of the greater threat of osteoporosis among women who no longer menstruate.  The 1200 recommended by your doctor is not enough, anyway (the ASMBS says 1500-2000)... but you would want to be close to 2000 daily.

Lora

Unless your vitamin has twice the RDA levels, you'll need to take two daily.  Calcium citrate is usually dosed at 600-650mg and most surgeons recommend about 1800mg per day. That means you'll need 3 of these daily.  See if there is mag citrate in them too, as that helps with your bones.  Many also have vitamin D, but it's best for D3.  600iu of just regular D will not do very much to elevate low D levels. Below normal D levels are very common.  You should be taking a dry D3.  Commonly available 1000 to 5000 IU are usually not enought to make any difference. Do NOT let your PCP talk you into those srcipt D, the blue/green softgels. These are D2 in oil. I took one of these 50K IU softels per week for 26 weeks.  I began with an 8 for D levels (normal starts at 30), and the best of 3 tests had a 14 for my D levels.  I took 4 of the 50K IU dry D3 per week for 2 years, and those labs showed a 65. A lot of research data indicates that D levels of 80+ are ideal to diminish your chances by 50% of coming down with MS, colorectal cancer, cervical cancer, prostrate cancer, neuroligical disorders, etc.  So I now take a 50K IU per day (7 per week) in my effort to get to the 80+ numbers.  Each pateint is somewhat different. 50K IU dosages of dry D3 are not sold at your local pharmacy either.  I get mine from vitalady.com . I also use the calcium citrate she sells too, as they are in capsules, and are far easier to swallow than those very large calcium citrate pills. DAVE