For those that need a vitamin schedule

I see posts pretty often with people needing help with a vitamin schedule.

Here’s what I think is easiest:

Breakfast – multi, 500 mg calcium citrate, B12, B complex (if you take that), D3 (if you take that)

Lunch – 500 mg calcium citrate (you can take your D3 here too if you want to spread the pills out more and have less to take with breakfast)

Dinner – multi, 500 mg calcium citrate

Bedtime – iron, vitamin C

Yes, if you have iron in your multi and you take your multi with calcium, you won’t absorb that iron.  But if you’re taking iron at bedtime, that’s OK. 

Your other option would be a schedule like this, if you do have iron in your multi and you want to absorb it:

Breakfast – multi, B12, B complex (if you take that), D3 (if you take that)

Lunch – 500 mg calcium citrate (you can take your D3 here too if you want to spread the pills out more and have less to take with breakfast)

Snack - 500 mg calcium citrate

Dinner – multi, iron, vitamin C

Bedtime – 500 mg calcium citrate

These schedules have you taking the vitamins recommended by the ASMBS, along with taking vitamin C with your iron because then you’ll absorb that iron better.  If you pair your vitamins up with meals, it gets easier to remember them, I think.  And it doesn’t matter if you sleep late or go to bed early or whatever, because it’s not a certain time of day you take them, it’s just whenever you eat breakfast or go to bed.

Thanks for posting, I started using an actual schedule the last time you posted this and have been way more compliant. Seems like a no brainer after the fact LOL, but wasnt sure when and where to fit all that calcium in.

 
Hi Kelly, 

Since we are talking vitamins, do you take additional Vitamin D other than what is in with your Calcium?  

I just ordered the BA calcium citrate chews with D3 from VitaLady.  I'm wondering if in general that is enough or I if I should get some plain Vitamin D to keep on hand?

Thanks! 

Yeah.  I take 50,000 IU D3 three times a week.  That seems to be what I need to keep my vitamin D level up.

We need our D level to be at least 80.  Most RNY patients need at least 10,000 IU a day to keep their level up, although a few people do OK on less.

 
Okay, thanks! 

Thank you, Kelly. I didn't realize it was the iron that doesn't get absorbed w/calcium. I thought it was the other way around. I think the first schedule is easier to remember and follow. I would need to purchase a separate iron pill, then, I guess. My surgeon also has me on Actigall and Pepcid 2x/day. It feels like soooo much to juggle. Plus I take Celexa and Norvasc at night, too.  So, my schedule would be

Breakfast: multi, Calcium citr., D3, B12, Actigall, Pepcid

Lunch: Calcium citr.

Dinner: multi, Calcium citr.

Bedtime: Iron, (Vit. C?) Actigall, Pepcid, Norvasc, Celexa

Am I forgetting something? I have some D3 that I haven't been taking; it's 5000IU. I guess I should go ahead and add it in. It is a softgel....do we absorb those okay? Also, how much iron do we need if you don't mind answering. As far as B12, my surgeon's guidelines say 1000 mcg 3 times per week. Do you take it every day?

Have you added up your monthly costs for vitamins? I haven't, but it seems like it's a lot. Thanks again for taking the time to help those of us who are still trying to get the hang of things :).

That schedule is fine.

We don't absorb the soft gels very well because they have oil in them.  Oil is a fat and we malabsorb fats.  You would absorb some of it, just not all of it.

The ASMBS recommends 54-63 mg iron for menstruating women and 36mg for everyone else. 

I do B12 shots once a week.  But your surgeon's guidelines are in line with the ASMBS recommendations.

I did add up my monthly costs for vitamins.  It was a lot of math!  My current vitamin regimen costs me $1.06 per day, so just over $30 a month.  Sometimes it's actually less, because sometimes I get multis or calcium citrate on sale where I buy one and get one free.  Sometimes it's a little more, because sometimes I buy the Calcet creamy bites for some of my calcium just because they are yummy and i like them, but they cost more.

The cost depends a lot on what brands you use.  Chewables are often more expensive than vitamins you swallow.  I take a lot of vitamins for my $1.06, though.  That includes my multi, calcium citrate, iron, C, B12 shots, D3, vitamin A, zinc and magnesium oxide.

 Thanks for posting this, Kelly.  It's super helpful. 

Thanks so much for your posts lately about vitamins.  I've printed them out so when I have my surgery in July (hopefully) I can keep up with this.

I've been doing so great the last couple days with my "Take your vitamins!" vocal alarm. It's kind of embarrassing to hear my own voice ringing out of my phone in public, so it helps me keep my mind on it. I catch myself glancing at my phone more often, thinking, "When's the next alarm going to go off?"

Yay!