Calcium, Iron and zinc
i only say listen to your surgeon because i'm sure there is a reason as to why he/she doesn't want you to start right away...different surgeons have different ways. mine told me to wait until i was on either nutrition supplements (carnation instant breakfast or wahtever) to ensure my pouch will hold it. and when i started taking my liquid calcium (after i got the ok) it made me sick. clearly you all have valid points as to why you could/should take the extra supplements, but your surgeon is just that for a reason, we go to him/her for this, and take their advice because they know what they are doing. it's just my opinion, but mine has yet to steer me wrong.
In some cases, however, the only "reason" might be that the surgeon knows very little about nutrition. Many medical students are only required to take ONE med school course that deals with nutrition, absorption of vitamins, etc.. Surgeons know how to do surgery, but that doesn't mean they know all that much more about vitamins than the average person on the street.
Have you have had all of the appropriate testing (including multiple bone scans) to determine exactly how much calcium you have and the status of your bones, BTW?
Lora
Have you have had all of the appropriate testing (including multiple bone scans) to determine exactly how much calcium you have and the status of your bones, BTW?
Lora
14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained
You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.
I didn't go to my surgeon for advice about vitamins. I went to my surgeon to have surgery on my stomach and small intestine, which had a huge impact on how well I absorb vitamins. My surgeon did a good job performing that surgery but did not know much about vitamins. Mine did steer me wrong, telling me not to take iron and then telling me to take calcium carbonate, which we don't absorb after RNY.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
The ASMBS says to start your calcium citrate within 30 days of surgery. Why is that necessary? Partly because calcium is mostly absorbed in the upper part of the small intestine, part of which has been bypassed, and partly because you need a fair amount of stomach acid to absorb the calcium in most foods, and you have little stomach acid in your new pouch, so you won't absorb much calcium from your food.
Kelly
Please note: I AM NOT A DOCTOR. If you want medical advice, talk to your doctor. Whatever I post, there is probably some surgeon or other health care provider somewhere that disagrees with me. If you want to know what your surgeon thinks, then ask him or her. Check out my blog.
Don't wait. Don't deplete. What benefit is there to wait?
MINIMUM you should be taking:
2 multiviatamins per day
1500 - 2000 mg calcium CITRATE per day
500 mg B12 (sublingual daily or higher dosage less often that averages 500 mg daily
Dry D3 at dosage to get/keep your lab level above 80. 4000 IU probably won't do it if you don't
live where there is a lot of sun.
My D3 labs were at 23 before surgery. I was told to take 4000 IU per day which did not increase my labs I increased to 25,000 IU per day for 100 days then 50,000 every other day thereafter. My next lab result was 87.
MINIMUM you should be taking:
2 multiviatamins per day
1500 - 2000 mg calcium CITRATE per day
500 mg B12 (sublingual daily or higher dosage less often that averages 500 mg daily
Dry D3 at dosage to get/keep your lab level above 80. 4000 IU probably won't do it if you don't
live where there is a lot of sun.
My D3 labs were at 23 before surgery. I was told to take 4000 IU per day which did not increase my labs I increased to 25,000 IU per day for 100 days then 50,000 every other day thereafter. My next lab result was 87.
Winnie
i guess i should have been more clear. when i personally refer to my surgeon, i mean the whole team, the surgeon, the NP's the NUT, the nurses, everyone involved with your care when it comes to your WLS. some one within that team knows better then we do about why one should or should not begin vitamin supplements and when one should do so.
and as far as whether you have the nutrients stored in your body and how much, probably was not the REASONING for not taking supplements right away it was probably just the doctor stating that because you have that reserve, you can go a short time without said supplements.
and as far as whether you have the nutrients stored in your body and how much, probably was not the REASONING for not taking supplements right away it was probably just the doctor stating that because you have that reserve, you can go a short time without said supplements.
Most Active
Recent Topics