4 years post-op and feel very tired..........
Are you taking B12 some other way? You don't need B12 injections, you can take it sublingually or by nasal spray, but you do need B12.
Some people prefer to do the injections. You can give them to yourself but you must have a prescription to buy the injectible B12 (you can get it at any pharmacy).
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.
Well, yeah. I'm guessing you've been taking either Bariatric Fusion or Optisource, and to meet the ASMBS guidelines you'd need EIGHT a day, not four. Plus you can't absorb the B12 in those because you don't have enough intrinsic factor in your pouch. You need a sublingual B12, nasal spray, or shots.
You've been getting labs done? What was your B12 level last time it was checked? After four years with no B12, it has to be low, probably very low. If it's below 550, it can make you tired and depressed, cause problems with short term memory, and trouble concentrating.
Also, if you take more than one of those tablets at the same time, the amount of calcium in them will block the absorption of iron in them, which would probably mean your iron would be low.
Have you had a bone density scan recently? Because you're also not getting enough calcium citrate if you are only taking four of those a day. I'd get a bone scan ASAP, if you haven't had one lately.
And I'd get a full set of labs right away.
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.
you should called Doctor Kelly! I'm trying to write all this down now. It is Baritric Fusion and was always told to take 4 a day never more but maybe things have changed and I'm 53 yrs old so who knows what changes are happening. I'm going to list things you've mentioned it's a lot of help, a lot things I would have not remembered due my brain farts I write it all down now! I don't care if I need a shot a day I just want to feel normal again! Anyway thanks for your help!
Things haven't changed. The label on Bariatric Fusion still says to take four a day, but the ASMBS guidelines are the same now as they were four years ago, and they say you need 200% of the RDA of most things and four Bariatric Fusion only has 100% of most things.
I'd be willing to bet you a lot of money (and I am poor) that your B12, iron, and ferritin are both low. I'd also bet your PTH is high because you aren't getting enough calcium citrate. Four Bariatric Fusion has less than 600 mg calcium citrate (the rest of the calcium in them is calcium carbonate, and we can't absorb that), and the ASMBS says we need at least 1500 mg calcium citrate a day. Seriously, you need a bone density scan ASAP because you most likely have already started to experience bone loss.
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.
I haven't seen my surgeon in years. He closed his practice when I was six months post op, I found a new surgeon to do my follow up and she left her practice when I was about 18 months out. Since then, I've just had my PCP order my labs. I usually get them done every six months, but last time went a year between draws. I had a bone density scan at one year out and plan to get another in a couple months.
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.
It'll be worth it.
I look forward to hearing how it goes tomorrow.
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.
