All in One Bariatric Vitamins

There are several different companies that make all-in-one bariatric vitamins.  Most of them say you only need four tablets a day. 

Most post ops take vitamins four or five times a day.  I have a shoe box full of vitamin bottles and once a week I set up my pill container.  You know, those things that have little spaces for pills for each day of the week?  Otherwise opening all those pill bottles and getting out my vitamins several time a day would be a huge hassle.  And most people would love to be able to only take four pills a day, all out of the same bottle.  It would make life a lot easier and it would save money.

So how come most of us aren’t taking those all-in-one deals?

Because they don’t meet our needs.  It would be great if they did, but they don’t.  Just because they print “bariatric" on the label and say you only need four a day, that just doesn’t make it true.  Even though some surgeons sell these in their offices (which makes me cringe), that doesn’t mean they meet our needs.

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery says we need 200% of the RDA of most things.  But most of those brands that say you only have to take four a day, do not give you 200% in just four.  With most of those, you’d need EIGHT a day.

The ASMBS also says we need 1500-2000 mg calcium CITRATE a day.  It needs to be citrate because we no longer have enough stomach acid to absorb calcium carbonate.  But those all-in-one brands usually have calcium carbonate.

We also must take a B12 supplement.  We can’t absorb B12 from a chewable multi, or any multi we swallow.  We do not have enough intrinsic factor in our pouches.  So we have to take a sublingual B12, or the nasal spray, or the shots.

In addition, many of the all-in-one brands contain forms of some vitamins or minerals that we do not absorb well because of our RNY.  If you want to take one of these, you can, but if you want to get the nutrients you need, you will need to take a LOT of other vitamins in addition to the EIGHT all-in-one tablets you’d need.  Personally, I find a good multi I can take just twice a day more convenient and more affordable.

 

 Thank you for all your help with the vitamins but I have a question about down the road. I have read here that you don't absorb as much food in the beginning and after awhile your body will start to absorb more. So does that mean our vitamin needs will change later? Or really that means oohing about absorption because we will be getting labs done every 6 months and the dr will work with us on what we need? Thanks

Down the road, you will start absorbing macronutrients (protein, carbs, fat) better.  You will not absorb micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) better, ever.

Kelly,
You are a tresure.  thank you for all your information. 

I am still trying to get used to this vitamin thing and I am heading towards 3 months out!!! I haven't found a pill container I like so all my vitamin bottles are on the kitchen counter with the vitamins set out for 3x a day....I am a "clean counter" person . so this is making me crazy. I am going to look AGAIN at walmart today for a pill container so I can get my counters cleaned off!!!
Thanks for all your help and info !!

Drugstore.com has a number of different organizers you can buy. 

You could also look at plastic storage containers used for craft items (I used to make a lot of jewelry and kept beads in plastic containers similar to pill organizers) or those used for hardware stuff (like to sort nails and bolts and things in).  One of those might seem to work better for you.

I've also known people to sort out a month's worth of pills, putting them in small ziploc bags.  They would label each bag with the day and time to take it, like Mon 9 am, Mon noon, Tue bedtime, etc.

 Donna have you looked online I saw some online I don't remember the sites I was just looking around one day. What about. Pharmacy toothed probably have some great ones. Good luck!

Pretty sure I got my "big" pill container at CVS or Walgreens.

Hi Kelly,

I know this is a lot to ask. Can you post a complete list of what vitamins you take at what time of the day and also the brand name. If you order your vitamins from an online website, can you include this information as well? For us newbies...We thank you for the wealth of information that you give us every day!

Thanks,

Kelly  

I bought a large 7 day pill container. Instead of using it for individual days, I put different vitamins in each day. Like MOnday has my multis, Tuesday = B12, Wednesday = Calcium etc. Works great for me!