vitamins!

being that i am 9 days post op, i am having a hard time taking the flinstones multivitamin that i was given. they make me very nauseous!

does anyone have any recommendations for multivitamins that are chewable and not chalky? one of the nurses said that gummies would be okay, but i would have to take an iron pill separately. i wouldn't mind doing that, but i'm just worried about chewing the gummy.

Everyone is different. Flinstones made me nauseous also and they were not suggested by my program. I found a variety from Bariatric Advantage. You can search by bariatric procedure and they have different information on all sorts of related things on their site. https://www.bariatricchoice.com/bariatric-advantage-vitamins -119.html?msclkid=f2eeba307dce1c584141e6973c50168f&utm_sourc e=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=B%20-%20%5BNB%5D%20Bariat ric%20Advantage%20-%20Term%20Only&utm_term=bariatric%20advan tage&utm_content=Bariatric%20Advantage%20-%20Exact

Bariatric Advantage can be spendy. I found the Target generic Flintstones less sweet, but maybe a little more bitter. But I like bitter. Centrum Adult is orange and pretty good - the one's I'm using now. I still supplement my iron as I'm okay but trending down (mainly was on Flintstones during that period). Don't take gummies - they are worthless according to everyone I've spoken with and read about on this forum. So try Centrum - I get it at Walmart and/or Target generic Flintstones. Good luck.

Flintstones are not sufficient to meet the supplement recommendations.

Gummies are not a great idea because they tend to have a lot of sugar.

You will definitely want a separate iron pill, as the amount of iron in a multivitamin is not enough for a bariatric patient.

Your best bet is to get a regular multivitamin pill, like Centrum or something similar. If you cut it in half and have small pieces, you should be able to swallow it just fine with a tiny sip of water. You'll likely need a double dose (two pills per day) plus extra iron and calcium.

My nutritionist said that Gummies aren't good because they don't retain nutrients well. Have you tried Celebrate? They have the chewy ones and the "chalkier" ones. I've had the "chalky" ones and hey were OK and have no iron. I think early out, it's best to take vitamins that are intentionally made for Bariatric patients. I'm out 17 months and although my vitamins aren't intentionally made for Bariatric patients, they have a lot more nutrients than in the typical vitamins. You may have to order them online from Celebrate or from Amazon.

I was swallowing whole pills while still in the hospital. Skip the Flintstones, they are a sure way to end up vitamin deficient. Skip the gummies, they are also incomplete and technically are in an oil based suspension, which RNY patients don't absorb well.

Any complete vitamin will do. I take Centrum Silver (at breakfast and dinner time) because it does not have Iron in it. I take my Iron tablets at bedtime, separate from all other vitamins. You will need to take at least 1500mg of Calcium Citrate daily. I take 500mg at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You will also need to take Vitamin B12 in sublingual (dissolves under the tongue) or nasal B12.

Just make sure you are swallowing one pill at a time and allowing it a little time to move into your pouch. Don't try to swallow a whole handful at one time and you will be fine.

I Use the Kirkland (Costco) Womens mature multi. I used Celebrate in the beginning, but did not like them.

piggy backing off of this question - I realize bariatric specific vitamins can be spendy; however, if there is a patient who has conditions such as iron deficiency anemia and severe protein calorie malnutrition, would it make any significant difference for bariatrics sake to have those vs the other store brands? My programs office sells Bariatric Advantage and Celebrate so I was just wondering especially in context of what I am currently dealing with due to medical complications, not non compliance.

I think the key is to meet the ASMBS requirements (and any additional ones you are given); pre WLS I did a lot of reading on supplements and it seemed like it boiled down to brand not mattering as long as it was a reputable brand that submitted consistently for the audit testing that proves they have what they say they have in them.

i have learned here from the really smart people that the calcium and iron types ARE important because we don't absorb some types as well now. I won't speak to that because I don't remember what we should avoid, only that I have the ones we should take!

i will watch any replies here with interest, still learning every day!

Calcium carbonate is the one to avoid after RNY, as you won't absorb it too well. Calcium citrate is the better choice.

Regarding iron types, ferrous iron is better absorbed than ferric iron. Additionally, heme iron (from animal sources) is absorbed better than non-heme (plant) iron. The absorption of heme iron is also impacted less by things like the chemicals in coffee, tea, and wine.