B vitamins

Yup, I'm right there with ya'.

Since you're the vitamin GURU, can you confirm for me that I've got it all covered here?

* Multi with at least 200% RDA (exceptions to the 200% value: Vit K, Iodine, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Manganese, Chromium, Molybdenum)
* Iron (I'm taking between 50 and 70 mg per day as I'm already deficient, Bariatric Advantage brand)
* Calcium citrate (1750 mg per day)
* Adding in B12 sublingual per this discussion

Other stuff I'm taking:

* Prilosec 2x/day per dr's instructions, for first 6 months
* Actigall 2x/day per dr's instructions, for first 6 months
* Probiotic 2x/day
* Vitamin D 2000 IU (deficient prior to surgery)
* Protein >60 g per day

Looks good.  The only thing you might need is more vitamin D, depending on how deficient you are.  I know the RDA for vitamin D is just 200 IU per day if you're under 50, 400 IU per day if you're over 50, but there is a lot of evidence now that it should really be more like 1000 - 2000 IU per day, and that's for folks that have not had WLS.  What that means is that you should probably be taking that much if your level is good.  If it's low, you might need more.  But if you're gonna be having labs done soon, I'd probably just wait and see what they say before making any changes.

Kelly

If you are vitamin D deficient you need to take atleast 50,000 units a week of Dry D3 from vitalady.com to bring up your vitamin D level.  Taking 2000 units a day will do nothing.  Many people need to take 50000 units 2 times per week depending on how low the level is.

I started taking the D a few months prior to my surgery, so hopefully I got it up a bit before the malabsorption started.  I will definitely do a close comparison when I see my next labs.  Maybe I'll start 4000 IU/day until then.  A few other things I take have D in them as wel.  Thanks for the input.

If they didn't tell you, it's because they don't know. If they did, they wouldn't withhold it.

I take 10,000 mcg sublingual PLUS weekly B12 shots. My doc taught us how to shoot each other and writes the rx for it. He read the recent studies! YAY!

The iron in your multi is the same as no iron at all, right? Everything else in there cancels it.

vit D. You want this one, Kelly?

No, I'm with you there.  I'm sure they just don't know.  I will be sure to tell them when I go back for my next appt.

That's a LOT of B12 you take!  Is there some reason you need so much?

And yes, I've been taking that "healthy blood" (which has 29 mg of iron) along with my calcium, so it's been useless.  I do also take the 50-70 mg of iron at night, apart from the calcium, so I've been getting it all in.  But the stupid "healthy blood" has been a waste -- AND it's difficult to swallow and upsets my stomach.  I have 4 pills left.  I think they're going in the trash tomorrow.

I take the B12 like I do because I'm up on the latest studies. I want OPTIMAL levels, not just "fine". And it's my choice to be OPTIMAL vs just crawling along. My PCP agrees, tho he doesn't know about the daily 10k. Be interesting to see if it moves my numbers at all.

Which iron are you taking at night? with vit C? not with caffeine, dairy, egg, whole grain, any other vites miinerals or meds, right?

I'm taking iron with C, one pill 30 mg at bedtime (Celebrate brand) and 2 pills 18 mg each in the am (Bariatric Advantage brand).  Sometimes I take 1 18 mg at night and 2 in the am.  The Celebrate ones are new, so I just started this new routine.  I suspect some days I might take 1 of those in the eve and 1 in the morning, just to spice it up a bit ;-)

I don't take any caffeine.  I'm lactose-intolerant, so my dairy is limited.

I do take them with Colace -- might that be an issue?  Sometimes also close to my Prilosec and Actigall (generic).  Issue there either?  I can change the timing up if need be.  I could also take all of the iron in the AM instead of some at night.  I've heard the max we can absorb is 60 mg - correct?  And then I'd have to wait at least an hour before eating anything else or taking any other pills?

Thanks for all your help.

I take 300mg elemental iron + vit C + copper about an hour after bfast.

I avoid milk, have for 16 yrs now. My calcium's in a pill. OK, many pills. LOL

I wouldn't take colace or prilosec with iron. You can take iron with fruit, or veggie. it wants a bit of acid, so prilosec would counter that.

Thanks.  I'll shift my prilosec earlier in the day and take the iron alone.  I guess I'll do the colace earlier in the day as well.