Pills, pills, pills

I get to start taking vitamins on Thursday, and I'm super excited about this.  Here's my vitamin plan:

#1 Multi, Calcium, Vitamin D, B-12 (every other day)

#2 Calcium, Vitamin K

#3 Multi, Calcium, Vitamin D

#4 Iron, Vitamin C

(These will be taken at least 2 hours apart.)  

Does this seem reasonable?  

I'm also wondering about Nexium since I get to go back to taking it on Thursday too (instead of the disgusting liquid Prilosec I've been on).  My bottle says I need to take it an hour before eating.  Does this mean an hour before anything else as well?  I feel like I should skip drinking too for an hour so that I don't wa**** out of my stomach?  Is that right?  

PPI's can be taken with other liquids/vites- no worries. They do work at optimum levels taken 30min-45min prior to eating. No need to stop drinking prior/after- it's a systemic effect, not a stomach coating effect. I have been at the same dose pre & post op w/o change.

Monitor your B12 & iron/ferritin, I got too high on both on the normal dosing recommendations. For most, the lack of intrinsic factor is such a slight effect- that normal cal/iron/b12 will keep you good. D3 is a big one, though- I take 5000mcg  several times a week to keep my level near 100. Keep tabs on PTH (lower is better, shows where calcium is coming from, keeping d3 & mg up there will help your bones too- normie or otherwise.)

Awesome, thank you!  It's good to know that the Nexium is systemic.  I had just been assuming it was a coating thing.  :P  

I will definitely be monitoring those things!  I think my first post-op bloodwork is scheduled for 3 months.  Is that soon enough?  

3mo is fine for the first time, then 6mo for a couple.. then as long as everything looks good- annually is fine from thereafter. I am a bit of a supplement queen- and my wonderful PCP has been on board  to do my long list of labs since I talked to him re: my follow up for my self-pay MX route. I will also occasionally self-pay through direct labs online if I want to check something as I have a HDHP anyway..

I take a bit more than most, but only a few I feel are really essential*- the rest I take as I feel that  they add to my overall well-being.. my crazy list, since the beginning:

Cal: 1200-1500 mg a day*

biotin: 10000 mcg a day (for years) helps with nails & hair

vit c 1000mg/day*

d3- 5000mcg*, everyfew days - started every day (was def to start at blood level 30 something, I now maintain in the 90's)

B12*- was low to start pre-op, went high, now take a couple times a week, methyl form, best absorbed.

Iron- Vitalady Tender iron- I take it maybe once a week now, I went too high post-op.. 

Multi*- centrum or equiv, 1x a day

4g of Omega 3 fish oils a day

1g evening primrose oil

Gaia Vitex berry- I'm peri-meno, it helps

magnesium* (this is a biggie- many are low in it) orotate (best absorbed) and I also take  Mg oxide/citrate (keeps me pooping, as the cal is constipating, no joke.)

L-glutamine & probiotics- for gut health..

Thanks!  This is really helpful for me to read.  My D was in the teens pre-op, so it's definitely something I'm going to attack aggressively once I'm taking vitamins!  

Do you have a list of labs that you have your doc run every 3 months?  

This is the list of labs I had done at 3mo, 6mo, than annually.. it's a lot of tubes of blood... and now, honestly I don't even get all the bvites done- save B12 as they have always been spot on (Oh, and I take a b50 complex too.. forgot.) You can google to find the levels that are best.. the only ones I had out of range were : ferritin (went high) B12 (high) and D (low pre-op) Teens- get thee on 10,000 iu a day for about a month and re-test.. 

Something I learned from some very wise DSers (they need to be much more on top of their levels due to malabsorption) is to be your own advocate with medical care, go by you own body feelings, Drs are not gods, and do not be afraid to question, confront, or disagree with medical professionals.. and by all means.. read everything you can on nutrition, physiology and health till your eyes pop out.. and take things with common sense and a big dollop of questioning.. 

CBC

Comprehensive Met panel

Pro time, PT/INR

Iron

TIBC

ferritin

transferrin

Copper

Zinc

Total protein

albumin

pre-albumin

Folate

Vitamin A (DO NOT EXPOSE TO LIGHT)

vitamin B 1 (Don't expose to light)

vitamin B6 (also do not expose to light)

vitamin B12

vitamin D (Dhydroxy 25, 0,25 – NOT 1,25)

PTH (for use with calcium and vitamin D levels, where is calcium coming from)

You are amazing.  I have saved this list for future reference.  I'm going to ask my doc to run labs again after I've been taking vits for a month - so late April!  

Thank you again.  I really appreciate it. 

Wooohaaa that is a lot.  I am taking celebrate multi complete and two doses of calcium.  My multi has all of the other stuff, so I don't need to take so many.  

I would follow what your doctor recommended, but I believe you can get more in your multi to reduce the extra pills.

The Celebrate vitamins do look really great!  My multi doesn't have Iron at all, and my surgeon wants me to get extra B12, and I'm deficient in D and K.  I'm taking an extra calcium since ASMBS recommends 1500.  The extra vitamin C is to help with iron absorption as well as my bowels.  

Thankfully this regimen is just for the first 90 days, and I've already bought all the vits! 

My doc changed my vitamin regimen after my three month labs came back. I ended up returning several vitamins that I purchased, expecting that the vitamins wouldn't change. So beware on stocking up for more than a 90 supply.