All in One Bariatric Vitamins

I've posted this before but thought I would post it again because lately I've seen a lot of people posting about taking these all in one bariatric vitamins and about their surgeons recommending them.

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.

I am always very surprised at how much they charge for these "bariatric" vitamins!  I guess it would be worth the price if they really had everything including calcium (since B12 has to be separate), but the cost -- given how many of the multi's you have to take and the things you still have to take in addition to them -- is astounding! The difference between these and Centrum is several hundred dollars every year!

Lora

They would be a great bargain if you really only had to take four a day and nothing else.  Since you would have to take eight a day and other stuff, though, it's very expensive.  Plus who wants to take eight multis a day?

What kind of Multi do you take that you only need twice a day. I get the chewables from bariatic and i'm tried of chewing them. So I like to know what kind you take. twice a day sounds good to me. Thanks Kelly, for all ur tips.

I take Centrum or a generic equivalent.  Most good adult multis we would only need two a day, though.  That includes Centrum, Centrum Silver, Celebrate, Bariatric Advantage and Building Blocks.

I'm slowly switching to Centrum Silver as I use up the bariatric chewables.  I've still got a lot to finish so it will take awhile.  Do you split the Centrum?  I find it difficult to swallow since it is so big and can actually feel it in my pouch.  I started cutting it in half.  I wish for a great vitamin pill form that is small.

Nah, I have no trouble swallowing it whole.  The only pill I've ever had trouble swallowing whole was potassium. That thing was HUGE.

Did you mention iron? You cannot take it within 2 hours of calcium. I don't care what those companies claim. They are lying.

I'm always amused (which beats being infuriated) by the claims how they have a new "Special Proprietary Blend" that they've "proven" to work. But when it comes down to it, the "studies" they quote don't prove anything, and when you ask for proof, for any information, they always come back with "Since the blend is proprietary, we can't share with you, but rest assured, that we wouldn't sell these if they didn't meet your requirements"

They could put on the label that they include "ground unicorn horn" and there are no controls on these labels. None of them must be true. I've read enough reputable studies to know that we're safer, and our health is far more likely to remain at optimum, if we choose the vitamin regimen with the least questionable elements.

For example, some people say that there really is too much hype about the Calcium Carbonate or Calcium Citrate debate, and it doesn't matter so I take Tums.... I say... the studies are clear, but even if they aren't, there really are four possible outcomes.... If you choose Tums, and Tums are fine, then you GOOD outcome. But if you choose Tums, and Tums are bad, your bones dissolve into powder over time BAD outcome. If you choose Citrate, and tums are just as good, then you have a GOOD outcome. And if you choose Citrate, and Citrate is best, you have a GOOD outcome. So choosing TUMS can result in a BAD outcome, but choosing CITRATE can ONLY result in good outcomes. For my bones, it's not worth it to choose TUMS in case the arguments are all misplaced and I wreck my bones. MY BONES are worth more than that.

Same with the Flintstones controversy.... ultimately they don't save you money, and they don't have everything you need, so why do it when that choice can result in a bad outcome?

 

Lora