Calcium

Hi Friends,

I wanted to check with you if you were prescribed calcium suppliments along with vitamins or not. My surgeon did not prescribe them at all (anyways am not to happy with my surgeons followup which has been 0). 

So is Calium as important as Vitamin suppliments or not is my question.

Please advice.

I was told to take 1500 mg daily of calcium w/ D and see how that did for me.  I don't know that I've encountered anyone who wasn't told to take it.  

(Calcium Citrate is the calcium that our bodies can absorb and use.)

hi sleeve mate! We were sleeved on the same day 12/16/13!

My doctor does recommend calcium 1500 - 2000 mg of Calcium Citrate a day. Calcium Citrate is not the kind you can get in TUMS or other antacids. The reasons they recommend citrate vs carbonate is because carbonate needs the stomach acid to be broken down and absorbed and if you are taking a PPI (prilosec or something like that) you wont have the stomach acid needed. ( I read this somewhere and that may be a very simplified version of the explanation)

Hi Buddy,

Your weightless has been amazing and mine has been quiet dismal. I am down just 46 Lbs as of now. congrats to you and i hope to follow your success.

Absolutely, just as important IMHO.  My NUT also believes in adding magnesium as well.  And like the previous posters said, make sure it's calcium citrate, which doesn't need food in your stomach to be absorbed properly.

I'm on calcium citrate 1500mg (actually 500, 3x a day for absorption), and yes it's very important.  It's easier to break down bone and muscle than fat I'm told, and your body will take it if it can.  I was warned that osteoporosis is a very real risk for us.  

You can do calcuim carbonate, but you have to do ALOT more because it isn't as readily absorbed. 

As far as what to take, I like calcet bites, but they are so expensive both financially and calrorically that I skip them. I take caramel chewy bites from bariatric advantage.  They taste amazing and are cheaper than calcet.  Still expensive though.  Hate the liquid, and most chewable "lozenges" taste like flavored drywall.  your mileage may vary of course. 

Oh- and check your vitamins- you shouldn't take calcuim within 2 hours of taking iron. 

Yes, absolutely have to take calcium, especially as we get older.  I do take a generic Rite Aid brand of the caramel or chocolate chewables with D and it's like a treat.  They do have a little sugar and 20 calories, but I like them and I don't have to take D because it is included in this chewable.  The Name Brand is too expensive. 

Rosie, I'm afraid that the Rite Aid brand contains calcium carbonate, not calcium citrate which is what you need after WLS.  Google away, but here's a blurb that explains why:

"In addition, experts recommend that individuals who have had bariatric surgery take calcium supplements to get enough of this important mineral. The recommended daily dose of calcium for bariatric patients is 1,200-2,000 mg a day, according to the guidelines published by the American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery, The Obesity Society, and The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists.

Due to the changes that have been made to their digestive systems, bariatric surgery patients are at particular risk for challenges with specific absorption, including calcium and vitamin D. Bariatric surgeries may also increase bone turnover and loss of bone mass in patients, part of which is due to massive weight loss alone (which always results in the loss of some lean mass - including bone). Therefore, it is critical that bariatric patients regularly get adequate calcium to reduce the risk of deficiencies, bone loss, and to long-term health.

However, many types of commercially available calcium supplements may not be optimized for bariatric patients. Biologically, calcium from foods and some types of dietary supplements must become ionized in an acid medium in order to be absorbed in the small intestine. In bariatric patients, certain forms of calcium such as calcium carbonate (found in many over-the-counter vitamins) are not likely to be well-absorbed after surgery because they require interaction with hydrochloric acid which is limited after common procedures. After bariatric surgery, there is less contact of food with stomach acid, making it difficult to absorb calcium carbonate. For this reason, calcium citrate is generally recommended after bariatric surgery to support absorption."

Are you kidding; OMG.  I thought I read that lable correctly.  So I wasted money on that plus a chocolate one that I can't have because of caffiene issues.  Thank you for telling me.   ARggggghhhh.  You are right, that's what they did tell me.  Do you know if any of the chewables are calcium citrate?