Hi everyone. I'm new to the group. I've been in a Bariatric program for 2 years now and I have finally been given a surgery date of 9/20 (Roux-en-Y). I'm trying to prepare for things I'll need when I get home from the hospital and I'm overwhelmed with the different products out there. I'd appreciate some advice on supplements, vitamins, etc. Which have you found better and where have you found them at the least expensive price?

Im pre-op as well, my surgery is the 19th like you I was in a program forever a year and a half.  Good luck with your surgery.  I bought samples of protein powders, unjry has samples and cvs now sells single packets.

 Hi and good luck!  I take the Bariatric Advantage vitamins these are all chewable vitamins
thats what my surgeon has me on for life.

Steven

For initial supplies, Walmart may be a good place to start. You need a good multi (not in a soft gel) with 2x RDA levels of most vitamins. Sublingual B12, probably 1000mcg.  I'd suggest starting a dry D3. DO NOT get the soft gel form due to the oil causing malabsorption. Many post ops suffer low D levels post op.  You need higher D levels to properly absorb you calcium. Calcium citrate is THE ONLY FORM of calcium you should buy.  Some of these supplements are not the cheapest ones available. You may have to order from the Interent.  Calcium citrate tabs tend to be large sized. I tried cutting them in half and that made them more difficult to swallow. I much prefer the capsule form of calcium citrate I found at vitalady.com.  She also stocks the 50K IU dry D3 that I and many other post ops take. Standard vitamin D is D2, which isn't absorbed nearly as well as D3.  You may need additional supplement in coming months, based on your lab results.  Skimping on these items (buying poorly abosrbed types, wrong forms of calcium, dry d3 in a soft gel oil, etc.) will lead to issues like teeth issues ( a lot of cavities, teeth breaking, etc.), osteoperosis, and other issues.  Cheaper is not always the best.  Find the correct form of the supplement you need and then shop around for that specific form and strength you need.  I take vitamin K supplements, 4 per day, to prevent severe bruising.  I also take a 50K IU dry D3 daily, as 4 of these per week still left me about 20% below the target range of 80+ for D labs.  Find a support group NOW and try to attend a meeting prior to surgery. Attendance of these support groups will give you a lot of info about how to deal with challenges you may have making lifestyle changes post op.  Protein supplements are a subjective personal item. Not every post op likes the same brand or flavor protein. DAVE

All Dave says is right but you may also want Biotin to help minimize hair loss.  You can find it at Walmart.  You won't need anything but your multivitamin right after surgery.  It has to be chewable.  I'm 8 days out and what I needed was the following (I bought a lot I didn't need but may use later):
Magic Bullet Blender, about $50.  There are knockoffs around $30 but I can vouch for the Bullet.  Cans of broth and cream soup.  Sugar-free jello.  Crystal light or other sugar-free non-carbonated flavor for water.  Sippee cups w/out straws (remind me to sip not gulp).  That's the kind of stuff you need right away.  You need gauze and tape for your drain.  You need lquid Tylenol.  Your tastes really do change after surgery so don't buy too much until you get home.  Oh, you need apple juice.  And potatoes with a can of low-fat turkey gravy are good for me right now too.

Debbie

Here's what the ASMBS says you should start with:

A multi with 100% of the RDA of most nutrients.  Take two a day.  Stay away from kids' vitamins and gummy vitamins, because those will not have what you need.  Even though Flintstones says “complete" on the bottle, they really are not complete.  They recommend a multi with iron.  If you take a multi with no iron, you’ll need additional iron at a separate time.  They say to start your multi as soon as you get home from the hospital.

1500-2000 mg calcium citrate.  Make sure it's citrate, not carbonate.  That means no Caltrate and no Viactiv.  They say you can wait up to one month to start your calcium – not that you should wait, just that you can.

18-27 mg iron for menstruating women, unless your labs show you need more.  (If you’re using a multi with no iron, that would mean you’d need 54-63 50 mg iron.)  We absorb carbonyl iron better than ferrous sulfate.  Ferrous sulfate will also make you constipated.  They say to start your iron as soon as you get home from the hospital.

B12.  You can use a sublingual, 350-500 mcg per day, a patch once a week, nasal spray once a week, or shots once a month.  Unless your labs show you need more.  They say you can wait up to three months to start your B12 – not that you should wait, just that you can.

They say a B complex is optional.

Many people also need D3 so you should get your vitamin D level to find out if you do.  Don’t take the prescription vitamin D, because it’s D2 and in oil so we will absorb very little of it.

 Don't buy things in bulk just yet. Tastes change, so the proteins you like preop you may hate postop but then like it again months later. Order lots of samples - samples of vitamins, samples of protein shakes. IMO Celebrate B12 sucks, so if you're gonna do sublingual try Twinlabs, Trader Joes or Natures Bounty. Immediately postop, the things I liked/could tolerate were Unjury chicken soup (but many people hate it), organic chicken broth, hot herbal tea, and very weak crystal light. Good luck!

Hi am having surgery on the 13th of September and I gotten the Rite aid brand of Vitamins and they have to be chewables until we can start eating actual food. Good luck to you.  Right now what i am having a problem with is the shakes. They taste fine but it is the 4th one that I am ready to throw up.  Today is the 2nd day and it is a little better. so hoping it gets easier every day.

 and then there is me...lol  i am only almost 2 weeks from surgery and i am not on any vitamins at all. i will be starting vitamins probably at my one month checkup in about 2 weeks.  not sure yet what i will need but i am for sure some kind of multi vitamin with iron, vitamin d (i was low on my tests because i live in a northern climate ha) and i think i saw calcium and vitamin c on my list of needs.  will be interesting to find out.   Post surgery when i got home i just needed water, chrystal light,  broths,  jello.  3 days post op i could have yogurt, creamed soups and now i am on pureed foods starting at day 8.  

Hi Pam,
Our dates are the same! Great question so I'm printing these out because I've found myself in the vitamin section almost weekly. I'm not a pill taker so the vitamin aspect is going to be VERY hard for me to get used to doing.

Day 2 down only 12 more to go.