So can you guys tell me about the vitamin patches?

Hi,

My surgeon signed me up with Nutrition direct. I am getting their Bariactiv vitamins. My insurance approved the B12 spray called Nascobal. Its a once a week spray up the nostril which they claim is absorbed better. Presently Bariativ send me all chewable vits including 3x a day iron with vit C, Calcium and Vit D 2x daily and a multi vitamin 2x daily.

I noticed that people talk about their daily patch. Is that for all your vits? Just curious because I know I am not supposed to take iron at the same time as the Calcium but then that means I have to stagger the iron and the Calcium. Any suggestions? Can't I just ask for the patch and nasal spray?

I love the patches and they have worked fine for me for over a year. I use the multi, b12, iron and calcium.

I extra supplement b12 sublingual daily cause I tend to run low on that if I don't add extra.

Hi ,

Are you buying the patches from Patch MD? Or somewhere else? Bariatric Pal?

patchmd

Because the vitamins are absorbed through the skin you can wear calcium and iron at the same time. I also order mine from PatchMD. They always have coupon codes.

Hi Babs,

I use the PatchMD vitamins patches.

I wear 4 at a time:

multivitamin

Iron

B12

Vitamin D & Calcium (this comes as one patch)

If you sign up for their newsletter you get their discount codes emailed to you. They have an auto renewal that if you sign up for monthly patches you get a decent discount.

Its so easy to put on 4 patches daily then take oral vitamins and space them out etc. I LOVE the patches! I shower daily, dry off and then put the patches on low under my belly button. I don't use moisturizer there and they stick all day long no problems at all. My Centre doesn't really want us using them but I don't care, its my body and my money and my labs are good so I am using Patches.

I have been using them for just shy of a year, and my lab work is great. I have had some Iron ferritin issues but that's a story for another day.

Best money I spend every month, I love them!

HI,

I agree. As long as they are working thats what counts. Luckily, my insurance is paying for the Nascobal B12 spray and the vitamins are free with the Nascobal because it is fairly expensive. However, after this year is up, there is no way I am paying for Nascobal spray so both the free vits go away and of course the real issue is taking them on a schedule . My iron is always low and so is my D. Therefore, I really need to be diligent in taking it .

Friendly suggestion to discuss with your medical team before making the decision to switch to PatchMD. I have asked mine about PatchMD and was told there is not enough medical data for them to advise. I don't mind waiting because what I take now is tolerable and cheaper than the patches. I really, really wouldn't mind waiting if insurance was picking up the tab for some supplements like yours is.

I'm 7 months post op and have been using the patches since 3 weeks post op. I had a hard time with the multi chewable and found I was spending so much time taking pills it was a pain in the a$$ lol. I decided to try them and all my labs have been grate. My clinic didn't say yay or nay they just said there are people using them with great results but there is not enough study behind them. I currently use three patches, Multi vit., calcium & Vit. D and Iron & Vit. C. I still take the B12 orally because it doesn't bother me to take one and I only take it every third day.

People have had mixed reviews on the patches. Personally I started using them less than a month out from surgery because I was having a terrible time remembering to take my vitamins and then struggled to swallow them (I had a stricture turns out). My dietician was wary of them, but I felt that it was better than being inconsistent with my oral supplements so I went for it.

I love them. I had a full blood work taken before surgery and again two weeks ago because of a complication. Turns out all my levels are better now than before surgery, especially my Iron. So that's good news from me. I do supplement with a sublingual b12 and iron the week of my period. I'm about to go into month 3 post op so I'm NOT far out at all. But I liked seeing the improvement in such a short time. So far so good!