Vit Question

Ehbeagle
on 4/19/14 12:54 am - Virginia beach, VA

I am currently taking Bariatric Fusion.  I am also taking a calcium citrate supplement (Caltrate).  So here's my question:  the Caltrate directions say not to take with iron supplement (2 hours apart); does that mean an iron supplement or does that include multi-vitamins such as Bariatric Fusion?

karenp8
on 4/19/14 1:34 am - Brighton, IL

If you look at the label on the Caltrate,it is calcium carbonate not calcium citrate. We don't absorb calcium carbonate well after surgery. The only reason I know this is because my husband bought it one time when I had surgery by mistake. What you want is Citracal or the generic equivalent. If you Bariatric Fusion vitamin contains iron it shouldn't be taken at the same time as your calcium but spaced two hours away.

   

       

selhard
on 4/19/14 1:38 am - MN
RNY on 11/26/12

PoetKelly will be one to trust as a good response, but my guess is 2 hours away from either.  (I have never found a Caltrate brand calcium citrate)  Sidenote:  today is the last day to take advantage of some Walgreens stores that are selling their store brand 200-count bottles of calcium citrate at Buy One Get One Free. I paid $10.99 for 400 pills. (2 at a time equals 500 mg calcium.  I take six total per day for a total of 1500).

poet_kelly
on 4/19/14 3:38 am - OH

There is no Caltrate brand calcium citrate.

I get generic calcium citrate at Kroger, which is often on sale buy one get one free.  Then I get two bottles of 220 tablets each (315 mg per tablet) for about $9.99.

View more of my photos at ObesityHelp.com          Kelly

Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR.  If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor.  Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me.  If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her.    Check out my blog.

 

poet_kelly
on 4/19/14 3:37 am - OH

Caltrate is NOT calcium citrate, it is calcium carbonate, which we cannot absorb.  You need to take calcium citrate.

If you take calcium citrate with your Bariatric Fusion, you will not absorb the iron in the Bariatric Fusion. 

By the way, you also may not absorb the iron in the Bariatric Fusion if you take more than one tablet at a time.  I'm not sure how much calcium citrate is in one tablet - Bariatric Fusion contains some calcium citrate and some calcium carbonate.  There is a total of 300 mg calcium in one tablet, but I have no idea how much of that is citrate so I don't know how much of it you'll absorb.  But more than about 200 mg calcium citrate blocks the absorption of iron, so if one tablet of Bariatric Fusion has more than 100 mg calcium citrate, you won't absorb the iron in them if you take two at one time.  Make sense?

View more of my photos at ObesityHelp.com          Kelly

Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR.  If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor.  Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me.  If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her.    Check out my blog.

 

CerealKiller Kat71
on 4/19/14 4:37 am
RNY on 12/31/13

Kelly -- sorry to thread jack, but can I ask you a question about vitamins?  

I am currently taking Celebrate chewable multis (2), Celebrate calcium citrate 500 chewable (3 a day morning, noon, mid afternoon), b12 sublingual 1000mcg (every 2 days), biotin (5mg 2x a day) and Celebrate chewable iron +C at night (30 mg).  I tested low on Magnesium that caused leg cramps pre-op.  I've recently started to have a recurrence of leg cramps.  I take chelated magnesium (elemental 200 mg) -- 4x per day -- is that bad to take with the iron or calcium?  Does it need separated?  

"What you eat in private, you wear in public." --- Kat

poet_kelly
on 4/19/14 4:38 am - OH

I don't think it needs to be separated.  I don't take magnesium currently but did for a while and I took it with my iron, mostly because I didn't take a lot of other pills at that time.

View more of my photos at ObesityHelp.com          Kelly

Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR.  If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor.  Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me.  If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her.    Check out my blog.

 

CerealKiller Kat71
on 4/19/14 5:07 am
RNY on 12/31/13

Thank you.

I like to take the Mag at night because it helps me sleep as well as your reasoning.

 

 

"What you eat in private, you wear in public." --- Kat

Ehbeagle
on 4/19/14 6:12 am - Virginia beach, VA

Thanks for your advice.  I only take one Fusion (4xs a day).  My iron level was good, but vit D was low hence the need for calcium citrate.

poet_kelly
on 4/19/14 6:34 am - OH

If your vitamin D was low, then you need to take D3.  But you need additional calcium citrate, as well, because the ASMBS says we need 1500 to 2000 mg a day and Bariatric Fusion has less than 1200 mg of it.

View more of my photos at ObesityHelp.com          Kelly

Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR.  If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor.  Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me.  If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her.    Check out my blog.

 

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