Vitamins....RNY

Hello everyone! I have vitamin questions if you will. I had RNY surgery 12/17/2008. Needless to say I have been lax taking my vitamins. Not proud of that but that's what it is. Do I still need to take Dry vitamin D or can I take over the counter D3? I got my lab result and it is 15. My iron is 84 which they say is normal, but I don't know if that is normal in my case. I'm disappointed in myself because I was up on all that when I first had my surgery. Any info would be appreciated. Also what is a normal Ferritin level? Thanks for any help. I know I didn't take care of myself, would just like some answers.

Oh boy. You and I had our surgeries right about the same time and if I'm being truthful I have to admit that I'm not as diligent on the vitamins as I ought to be either. But.

At the very least I (try) to at least get in my multi-vitamin, calcium, B-12 and D. I have pernicious anemia know so my iron is monitored quite closely and I can only get it in via infusions every couple of months. You'll soon be getting some expert advice from OH members *****ally are experts in vitamins so be ready to do what they say.

In the meantime, you can get yourself a good multi-vitamin (I use Centrum Chewables and take four per day). Find some calcium you can tolerate - it must be Calcium Citrate for maximum absorption (I use "Celebrate" Calcium 500 chewables and take six a day) find a sublingual B-12 (as long as it's sublingual and B-12 the brand usually doesn't matter) and on the D3 yes it does need to be dry and so I usually get mine from Vitalady.

Get ready to take notes. The real vitamin experts here are likely going to have a couple of things you should do and maybe some brand names and doses. You'll likely need some labs drawn and you'll probably get a list of what should be tested by these same vitamin folks here on OH.

Good luck. Purpose to at least try all of the suggestions. We are farther out than many so our preop vitamin stores have been depleted. It's really important to catch up with vitamins right now before ending up in some serious trouble.

Can I ask what is "Dry" Vitamin D? I have never heard that before. I do not currently take a separate Vitamin D just what is in my multi? Should I be taking a separate D?

Thanks

Gosh I wish we could tag people here like we do on FB, lol.

I'm not an expert so I wouldn't be surprised if I were to be corrected by someone who is. But I know that for some reason we just don't absorb the "regular" vitamin D. Actually had to correct the D I was being prescribed by my own surgeon way back when because although it was the correct vitamin, it came in a an oil base capsule. So yes, I take a separate, "dry", Vitamin D.

Let me see if I can send some people over here to your thread. They probably haven't seen it yet. I want you to get every answer you need and I'm just not that up on the "whys" of things. I've learned to do what my body needs but you require more information; what your body needs may be much different.

hold on.....

Thank you

I'm just starting my journey (RNY Aug 9, 2017). I take a multi from ProCare Health called Bariatric Complete multivitamin. It's a capsule form, which I can swallow, and I only need to take 1 a day. They have a chewable too, but I can't deal with that. 90 day supply for $35, and the ability to just take 1 and be done with it for the day works for me! I get my Vitamin D and calcium with Bariatric Advantage calcium citrate chewables- they are like little chocolate or caramel starburst sort of "candies". I get the 500mg, so take 3 throughout the day. The 250 are a little less chalky, but taking 6 just wasn't working for me. I like the chocolate *******so have tried ProCare Health's dark chocolate squares, which have 500mg calcium and 500iu vit D. They are really good but expensive (30 for $20) and 50 cal and 4 carb each, so I just do that occasionally when I need chocolate! I also take an iron supplement-- also in capsule form. B-12 is already in the multi.

Had my 3 month checkup with bloodwork, and everything was fine.

Vitamin B12 must be sublingual (absorbed through tissue under the tongue), injection, or nasal spray. After RNY we no longer have enough gastric intrinsic factor, a glycoprotein produced by the parietal cells of the stomach, that is necessary for the absorption of vitamin B12 . The B12 in your multi vitamin are likely doing nothing for you. The WLS vitamin with B12 that you take might be OK for a VSG patient because they still have a stomach and no bypass, but they are not OK for RNY patients.

We need 200% of the FDA recommended vitamins. Check your label on your multi. If it is not 200% you need to adjust the dose.

This is the multi from ProCare Health that I take (1000mgc B12). I was also taking an additional B12 (gummy, 3000mgc) since they suggested it following surgery. My 3 month bloodwork was 2000pg/mL for B12, with the standard range being 232-1245pg/mL. Prior to surgery it was at 626pg/mL. I don't know about how things are absorbed, but it certainly seems to be working for me anyway.

Generally speaking, a single data point from a few months post-op isn't the most helpful piece of information, especially when you decide what works and how you should continue. Make sure to track your lab results over time!

The multi-vitamins my surgeon recommends are Bariatric Fusion chewables. I take 4 a day. Each one of these includes 140 Mcg of B12, which is listed as being a staggering 2333% of the minimum daily value, and four times that is just ridiculous if absorption in that form is impossible! I haven't been taking any vitamins beyond this formula, per my center's advice. Next week I'll have (I believe) 11 vials of blood drawn, hopefully all will be well. But if the B12 in this multi cannot be orally absorbed at all, then I will need to supplement my supplement. I would assume then if it isnt being absorbed at all, there would be no potential for any sort of toxicity/overdose if I also take sublingual B12, correct? Sometimes taking too much of one vitamin can result in an imbalance in others.