1 month checkup...confused

So today I had my 1 month check up, and a visit with my nutritionist. My vitamin A and D are down(d has been down since before surgery) everything else was fine. However, NUT and SURGEON said centrum chewables is not acceptable which is why my vitamin A is down. The nutritionist said she also just seen a 2 year post op that has been on centrum that's not been admitted into the hospital to get infusions. Blah. I know so many people on here take centrum, how are your labs and how far out are you? Any issues? My surgeon said to get bariatric vitamins, my NUT said to do that or to ask my surgeon or PCP about prescription multivitamin called PROBARIMIM QT. Is anyone on that? She said it's hard to find a doctor to write a script for that or a pharmacist to fill it because it's a small company based out of florida and most places don't carry this prescription multi. I was also told the iron carbonyl from vitalady with C that i'm taking is the WRONG iron?? they said it needs to be Iron Ferrous Fumarate. I've read everyone on here saying iron carbonyl is best absorbed. I bought 400 iron carbonyl wafers so now I don't know what to do.

Wow - they are all so dif.  My surgeon does not even draw labs until 6 months - she said the early out labs are not a good indicator of how your body will store, use, etc. vitamins and minerals.  Of course that is just her opinion - but she is my surgeon, I love her to death and trust her completely.  So - I'd say if you have that same kind of relationship and trsut with yours you need to go with them.

I hated the BA vitamins.  My surgeon told me to take Flintstones.  And guess what -t hey have iron in them wher ethe BA do not.  Sure there are other differences, but that struck me as funny.

So FWIT - that's the info I was given.  Good luck,

Flinstones - yea.... not so good... really not enough...

Flintstones are missing a lot of stuff we need.  Like selenium.  And the vitamin A in them is beta carotene, which we can't absorb.  I'm glad you love your surgeon, but no matter how much you love her, you still need selenium and vitamin A.

I take Celebrate bariatric vitamins which are pricey, but it was really stressed to me by my doctor and nutritionist that these vitamins are especially formulated to take the guesswork out.  They are designed to be exactly what we need, in the right amounts.  And they do not have iron in them, you have to get that from a separate iron pill.  It's my understanding that the reason for that is that we are instructed to take calcium twice a day, with our vitamins, but iron must be taken separately from calcium.  I think one blocks the absorption of the other or something.   Poet-kelly could tell you for sure.

Actually, the Celebrate are not really all that much closer to what the ASMBS says we need than the Centrums (and I trust them more than I trust ANYONE'S surgeon, including my own) ....  

Lora

Calcium blocks iron.

We need calcium three or four times a day, though - 1500-2000 mg, according to the ASMBS and can absorb about 500  mg at a time.

If you compare the Celebrate to Centrum, you'll see they aren't that different.  I use ENS from Celebrate, because I like it, not because it's much better than Centrum.

I was taking centrum until i read there was hardly any iron in them now I take one a day for women over 50 even though im not quiet 50 yes lol and they have 18mg of iron in them.....

Uh oh you said flinstone vitamins... 

lol... I know...  that's my surgeon's opinion.  They are part of UPMC Pittsburgh and a center of Excellence.  She is awesome and I trust her.  I hope everyone has that kind of relationship with their doc!