Questions about vitamins

Hi everyone! I don't post very often but I am here everyday reading all your posts. I really enjoy reading them. Everyone is so knowledgeable and kind on this PA site. I'm six months out from an RNY and have finally lost 73 pounds. I'm kind of confused about the vitamin issue and thought I better really find out what I'm doing. How long are you supposed to wait after taking a multi-vitamin until you take the Calcium? Can you take Calcium after a protein drink or do you have to wait after that too? Also how much Calcium should I be taking? Right now I am taking 600 twice a day. Is that enough???
Thanks a bunch,
Kathy

Hi Kathy! As far as I know, we can take calcium with anything except iron supplements. They need to be taken at least 2 hours apart because they fight for absorption. My surgeon told me last month that the new guidelines say we should be taking at least 1500 mg of calcium. I take 4 daily; I forget how many mgs mine are. You could check with Dr Boe, but I think you need to increase your calcium. Glad to see you posting!! Stick around!!!

Hi Kathy - good to see you.

You should definitely check with the NUTs at Barix.  They have new calcium guidelines (as Julia mentioned) and also told me to try and space my calcium out a little more during the day instead of taking it all at once.  But they also said taking it all at once is better than forgetting to take it :-).

The only time restriction is to not take your iron within 6 hours of your calcium.  And to take your iron with C (find one that comes with C in it, ideally).  

My morning is my protein drink, followed by my vitamins except iron... at night I take my iron and stool softener.

Hope this helps!
karen

Hi Kathy,

     Happy New Year.  Hope that you and Jim had good holidays.  Congrats on the weight loss.  I am down 80 lbs. and saw Dr. Boe over the holidays.  Everything was good but I know that I will have to work a lot harder to lose the last 30 lbs that I want.

     Looking forward to seeing you and the "little" guy at the February Saturday Support Group at Barix.  Sorry for highjacking your post and not answering your question.  Just wanted to give a shout out to you and hubby.  Take care.

Donna

Kathy, we are just about at the same point in terms of time and weight loss (well...you're a bit ahead of me!)

I take 1200 mg. of calcium per day, taking one fairly early in the morning and spacing the other two out fairly randomly, depending on what my day holds. I don't take iron, so it sems that my flexible time frame works out pretty well.

Hope you are doing well...it looks like I will miss first Sat. at Barix in Feb. and March (so sad!) but will see you on the flip side!

Lynn

Hi Kathy,

Hope you and Jim had an enjoyable holiday and you guys were missed at the last meeting.  Also, good to see your post and since I am late to the party, I have nothing to add, other than my surgeon told me to up my calcium to 1600.  My vitamin regime starts in the a.m. with multi and b's as needed (I take them every other day (b's), also my surgeon's schedule), then 4 hours later I take first calcium supplement, 4 hours after I take 2nd dose of multi and last dose of calcium before bedtime, I am not on iron supplements though my multi has some which is why I wait 4 hours in between.

Hope to see you at the February 1st Saturday!

Laureen

Thanks everyone for all the good info on vitamins!

Julia----nice to meet you. Do you go to the Langhorne Barix meetings? Thanks for the info.
Donna-----great to hear from you.....looking forward to seeing you again soon
Karen----you always have a wealth of knowledge thank you.
Lynn-----sorry we won't see you for awhile but good luck to you in the meantime :)
Laureen----sorry we missed the meeting, my son was sick and we didn't want to leave him alone all day. We will be there next time. Things are going so much better for us :)