I do a combination of carbonyl iron (vitalady Tender Iron) which I chew with a Vitamin C and polysaccharide iron (also from Vitalady) which is a capsule.

I ended up with anemia twice from blood loss related to other surgeries so I even had to take in more iron then I was taking as a pre-op and on this combo I got my levels back up nicely within a few weeks.

Kathy

I'd get some probiotics which contain heathy bacteria for the digestive tract.  It helped me quite a bit though I used it for bloating and pain.  But it helped with constipation too.  Also, magnesium supplements can help.  Specifically magnesium oxide.

Anyway there are many brands of probiotics.  I bought mine online when I ordered other vits.  I just looked for one that had alot of different bacteria in it figuring that more were better.

Good luck, Kathy

Hey, Anita! I'm doing pretty well.  My surgery went better than I expected except for the blood loss.  Low blood makes your head spin and it harder to breathe.  What a couple of units of blood will fix!!! I start back at work part time tomorrow.  Hope it goes okay.  Lots of nerve pain down my leg but my back itself feels better. Hugs back at ya, Kathy

I've taken percoset, vicodin, and morephine sulfate.  I had disc issues.  Just had a spinal fusion a few weeks ago. Flexeril is a muscle relaxant and that is fine too. Kathy

Most prescription Ds are in oil.  You'd do better with a Dry D capsule. Selenium is a mineral.  I tested low for it at some point.  My multi-vitamin didn't have any selenium in it.  It helps build/support cartilage among other things.  Be sure your multi has the minerals in it like zinc, copper, selenium, etc.  If not, you might want to switch.

My doc put me on a separate selenium.  Eventually we switched multis and the new ones had it and then I tested slightly high on the selenium.  I've since stopped the separate supplement.  Apparently my multi has enough in it.

Good luck, K

Jenn, I do my vits daily.  I take a 5000 mcg B12 sublingually daily and have a B12 level of 1400 or so.  It is just above normal range but my doc "likes it high".  I built up to that dose.  I started at 500 mcg/day after surgery. I do two B 100 complex orally via capsules.  I do not do a separate B1 since the B 100 complex has 100 mg of B1 in each. Kathy

I was put on B12 sublinguals AND a B complex from day 1 post-op by the nutritionist/surgeons at our hospital center. A B1 deficiency can be very dangerous (malnutrition, heart attack, strokes, etc).  I know a few who've gone through that all because they weren't put on a B complex. So, it is a good idea but of course... check with your doctor/nut. Kathy

Dave, Was the prescription D, an oil based capsule?  I've managed to bring my Vitamin D levels up with Dry D. Keep up the great work! Kathy

The board basic intention is for folks 1 year post-op or more no matter what surgery.  Sometimes pre-ops or folks under 1 year post-op post questions too. Feel free to join in. Kathy

Most likely you do have secondary hyperparathyroidism from the malaborption of vitamins and perhaps not getting in enough calcium.  But I also wanted to add - that just because a parathyroid scan shows NOTHING does not mean 100% that you do not have a parathyroid tumor.  I had a ultrasound when my levels were off which showed nothing.  A year or two later, they did a sestamibi scan (nuclear) test which again did not show a tumor.  My PTH was high, my calcium was high (I was pre-op WLS) and was pouring out calcium in my urine and losing bone density.  A few months later I went to a different endo and he did an ultrasound and lo and behold... tumor the size of the tip of my pinky finger.  Thee tumors can be very, very hard to find.  Sometimes the glands are not up in the neck and are more by your lower neck/chest.  I've read about that.

You are most definitely fabulous!  And never forget that! Good luck on your surgery.  You have a great attitude.  Make the most of those early post-ops days.  Get into really good habits so that you aren't in a dieting mindset but in a new lifestyle mindset. Best wishes, Kathy

We buy alot of vitamins from vitacost.  I'm really enjoying the NSI brand for B100s, Probiotics, Vitamin D, Calcium Citrate, Magnesium, Milk Thistle.  Price definitely matters.  I'm not sure if the NSI is vitacosts own brand or not.  They seem to carry alot of it.   I haven't ventured into their multis - for that we';ve been doing the Twinlabs Daily One w/o iron.  Any vitamin I can get in capsule form is a good thing!  I'm the one that was hospitalized for 3 days with chest pains from a vitamin I added.  Had the pain for 30 days before I figured out it was esophageal spasms from the dang pills.  Doh! All it took was taking my vitamins with hot tea to realize... hey, no pain.  Doh again! Hope you get your pipes all fixed up! Kathy

Hey, Melissa! I get my Probiots from vitacost.  I don't really know alot about the different varieties but I picked one that had lots of stuff in it figuring that more was better (???) and it has definitely helped.  The one I'm using is Friendly Fiber made by NSI.  Serving size is 6 so I do 2 with each meal. I think what also seems to help is making sure that things "move" along.  :-)  I added magnesium to help counter the bindingness of the calcium.  So I take 1/2 the mgs of magnesium a day that I take in calcium.  So basically a 2:1 ratio between calcium:magnesium.  I also do 2 stool softeners a day. The probiotics and magnesium have helped clear out my digestive tract and I think that ends up helping the bloating and pain. I've heard that its good to mix your probiotics.  Take one type for a period of time and then switch it up to another.  I did well for one month to 5-6 weeks with the Friendly Fiber and then have minor issues again.  I saw my doctor and she took me off the probiotics for a test. which didn't show anything  Then I went back on probiotics but one I got from Vitamin Shoppe.  That did nothing for me.  So, I reordered the one from vitacost that I was on earlier and I've been on that for a while now.  I'm starting to get minor issues again so I'm wondering if I need to find another to switch too but I need to make sure it is something strong!  (Reminds me of old, old Saturday Night Live - Colon Blow Cereal. LOL!) I also heard that the bad bacteria tend to snack off carbohydrates.  Imagine that?  :-)  They like sugars!!  Bad, bad bacteria.  So technically I think adjusting my diet might help too.  My gastro said to avoid gaseous vegies (especially raw ones).  Go****ried cauliflower one day (cooked) and OMG bad gas.... Good luck! Kathy