B vitamins

I'm not taking any B supplements.  I was taking something called "Healthy Blood" that has B6 and B12 in it, but I'm out of them.  Should I buy some B vitamins and, if so, which ones?

You must take a B12 supplement.  Was the one you were taking a sublingual or was it one you swallow?  After RNY, you cannot absorb B12 that you swallow.  You need a sublingual, the patch, the nasal spray, or injections.

The ASMBS says a B complex is optional.  Whether or not you take one should probably depend on your labs.  Are you taking a multi that gives you 200% of the RDA of all the B vitamins?  You need to.  How was your folate and your thiamin last time you had labs done?

Kelly

My dr never prescribed B12, so I assumed it was in the "Healthy Blood" pill that I was taking.  It was a pill I swallowed.  I just called to ask if I should take B12 and they said it depends on the blood draw (taking in a week, seeing the dr in 3 weeks).  But that makes me nervous; I really don't want to have to play catch-up.

I am taking a 200% multi.  My folate and thiamin were fine last time, but that was pre-surgery.  My D and iron were low, so I'm bulking up on those already.

I will hit the vitamin store and get some sublingual B12.  Thanks for your help (as always).

The thing with B12 is, we store a lot of it in our body for a long time.  So you could go for months without taking any before you labs would show a problem. But eventually they would show a problem.  After RNY we no longer produce this stuff called intrinsic factor.  You have to have instrinsic factor in order to absorb B12 that you swallow.  So eventually, your labs will end up low.  It just might take several months or even longer.

You really, really don't want your B12 to drop too low, though.  Lower than 400 and you can start to develop neurological symptoms of deficiency.  And the scary thing is, once you get nerver damage due to low B12, it's permanent.  Even if you start taking B12 and get your level up nice and high, that nerve damage will never go away.  So get B12.

As far as the B complex, it won't hurt you to take it even if you don't need it.  If we take more B vitamins than we need, we just pee them out.  But I don't like to take any more pills than I absolutely have to.  I started taking a B complex right after my surgery, but at six months my thiamin was actually higher than normal.  It wasn't high enough to be a problem, but I decided that meant I didn't need the B complex.  But I'm watching my labs and if it starts dropping too much, I'll start taking it again.

Kelly

I take the B12 dot under my tongue twice a day and then I take a Vitamin B50 complex once per day.

I also take a multivitamin with iron twice a day and calcium supplements too.

Oh - how much B12 do I need?  I'll hit Vitamin Shoppe today: http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/search/en/query.jsp?x=0&y=0&q=b12&intsource2=main&tab_selection=vitamins

The ASMBS recommends 350 - 500 mcg per day if you use a sublingual.  But I doubt you'll find any that are just 350 mcg.  You might find 500 mcg or you might find 1000 mcg.  If you use 1000 mcg, you can just take it every other day.  That's unless your labs say you need more.  Some people need more.

Kelly

yes....B   is very  important!!!   :)  Lisa

Kelly, you are a gem.  Thank you for the info.  I'm a little irked at my dr's office for not telling me all of this.

I get SO irked at docs.  Mine told me to take Caltrate, which is calcium carbonate, which we cannot absorb.  And he only told me to take 1000 mg per day when we need 1500 - 2000 mg.  I can't imagine why they don't give people the right advice about vitamins.  It's not like this info is that hard to find.  The ASMBS has issued very specific guidelines.  Now, some people need something different than what the ASMBS recommends, based on their labs.  But so many docs don't even give the right basic info to get you started.  You really have to do your homework and advocate for yourself.  'Cause if you don't take B12, you're the one that will end up with permanent nerve damage, not your doctor.  If I take Caltrate, I'm the one that will end up with osteoporosis, not my doctor.

Kelly