Vitamin supplement question

Someone has probably answered this already, but as I am getting closer to my date, I am trying to gather as much info as possible.

Do the veterans only take the bariatric multi vitamin and calcium, or do you take them along with other vitamins?

I have Bariatric Advantage multi's, BA calcium citrate, and BA B-12 that I am going to start taking on Friday. But do I also need to keep taking the biotin, vitamin c, b-complex, and vitamin d3 that I am currently taking?

Right now I'm just taking 2 multi vitamins and 2 tums per day until I'm far enough along to switch back to calcium citrate. I also take biotin by choice to help with hair loss. At this time I don't take anything else but that could change the next time I have bloodwork done. I bought iron pills before surgery just to find out that I don't need to take them so before you buy this is a good question for your surgeon's office. 

I've never taken bariatric vitamins. For the first four weeks after surgery I took a double dose of liquid multi-vitamin (Wellesse), then moved on to a double dose of chewables (Trader Joe's High Potency multi). Since my one year surgiversary I've cut back to a single dose of the multi-vitamin.

I also take a half dose of liquid calcium. I like the liquid because it has fewer calories and carbs than the chewables, and I don't tolerate the big horse pill size calcium tablets any more. I eat a lot of dairy so I get most of my calcium from food. I track it on MFP to make sure I get at least 150% of my RDA from a combination of food and supplementation.

In addition, I take extra vitamin D, K2, and iron - but I took those before surgery as well.

I have my labs drawn regularly and they have always been great.

My NUT/surgeon wanted me to have a three month supply of chewable vitamins when I started, so that's what I did, since I saw no reason not to!  I did take regular pills for vitamin D and vitamin K, since they're tiny and easy to swallow.  Then, as that three month supply has run out and I've had lab work done and stuff, I've switched out some of the bariatric chewables for "normal" pills.  I still take the Bariatric Advantage Calcium Citrate in Peanut Butter Chocolate flavor and probably always will since they're delicious.  Yum.  

I'd ask your doc about the biotin, vitamin C, b-complex, and vitamin D that you currently take.  There might be enough of those things in your multi that you don't need to supplement additionally.  My vitamin D was deficient pre-op (and had been every year prior when I had blood work) so I definitely needed to keep supplementing it post-op.  And now my vitamin D levels ROCK, so clearly it's working!  I hope that after my next blood work is done I'll be able to switch to only taking D once a day and see how that works for me.  

Here's the evolution of my vitamin regimen (in reverse order) with links to the specific products I use.  Once my bariatric sublingual B-12 runs out I'll be switching to a B-12 powder that'll go into my morning shake.  My plan is based on my NUT/surgeon, the ASMBS guidelines, and my own lab results.  

Started 8/8/2014
#1 Multi, Calcium 500mg, Vitamin D 5000IU, B-12 1000mcg (every other day), Probiotic
#2 Calcium, Vitamin K 500mcg alternated with Vitamin K Complex 2200mcg
#3 Multi, Calcium, Vitamin D
#4 Iron 50mg, Vitamin C 500mg
In shake: .5t magnesium citrate (changed to .25t on 8/25/2014)
In water: 1 scoop Scivation XTEND

Started 6/26/2014
#1 Multi, Calcium 500mg, Vitamin D 5000IU, B-12 1000mcg (every other day), Probiotic
#2 Calcium, Vitamin K 500mcg alternated with Vitamin K Complex 2200mcg
#3 Multi, Calcium, Vitamin D
#4 Iron 50mg, Vitamin C 500mg

Started 6/8/2014
#1 Multi, Calcium 500mg, Vitamin D 5000IU, B-12 1000mcg (every other day), Probiotic
#2 Calcium, Vitamin K 500mcg
#3 Multi, Calcium, Vitamin D
#4 Iron 18mg x2, Vitamin C 500mg

Started 3/27/2014
#1 Multi, Calcium 500mg, Vitamin D 5000IU, B-12 1000mcg (every other day)
#2 Calcium, Vitamin K 500mcg
#3 Multi, Calcium, Vitamin D
#4 Iron 18mg, Vitamin C 500mg

It bugs me how nutritionists push these designer vitamins on sleeve patients.  It's unnecessary.  Especially since your body still works as designed (albeit a smaller stomach), you need the same supplements as a post op that you need today.  They don't have to be designer bariatric vitamins, either.  As to what your body needs aside from a multi and extra calcium (and maybe D, because many are deficient), your bloodwork should dictate what additional you need.

Thanks so much everybody for the info. I appreciate it.

It's going to depend on your bloodwork, for sure.

I had low D going into surgery so I take that. I take about 2000 IU a day from various sources and then 50,000 IU every Monday. That keeps me in the 70-100 range.

I take 2x the adult dose of the store brand of Centrum Silver (without Iron) or the Celebrate Capsules (also without iron) for my multi. I had hoped to go down to just 1 dose but my labs are good with this dosing and I'm not high on anything so I don't want to risk it.

I take iron separately, usually Tender Iron with C which is a carbonyl form that is better absorbed and less constipating.

That's all I take based on my labs. I also take the following on orders of my neurologist to treat post concussion syndrome:

250 mg of Magnesium

400 mg of B2 (spread out throughout the day)

Plus 300 mg of Ubiquitol because it's recommended for people who do endurance sports and also for headaches

Plus 3000 mg of biotin because I'm tired of having brittle nails. I just started that though.