The importance of vitamins

This was posted over on the WLS Lightweights board... I wanted to repost here because of the importance of the topic "VITAMINS - FOR LIFE!!! Does everyone hear this???? VITAMINS FOR LIFE!!!

I work in an Occupational Health Clinic but I have several patients who are WLSers (mostly RNY because that's what's available in our area). Anyway... I was doing a routine physical on one of these patients today - she's about 19 months post-op. She has been having some problems for a few months but has been afraid to see the surgeon because she hasn't taken ANY vitamins for about 9 months (and prior to that it wa**** and miss) and doesn't want to get lectured. She's been getting tingling and weakness in her hands and feet and she can't concentrate. She bursts into tears for no reason at all (which she did during the exam) and it seems to be getting worse.

So... as I'm doing her exam - she starts to get slurred speech and her neurological status starts to deteriorate quickly - can't remember where she is or what year it is. I call 911 and they whisk her off to the ER. I thought she was having a stroke!

The diagnosis - SEVERE MALNUTRITION AND B1 DEFICIENCY!

She will be hospitalized for quite a while to TRY to correct this problem, but I don't know if she will ever be the same.

THIS CAN BE AVOIDED IF YOU TAKE YOUR VITAMINS!!!!!

YOU ARE NOT IMMUNE TO THIS! You could have the most balanced diet on earth, but you still can't absorb the vits that you need from your food so supplementation is necessary for life - I don't care how good your 3, 6, or 12 month labs look...if you stop taking the vits - you WILL develop deficiencies and you may suffer potentially irreversible complications - including death.

OK - I'll grudgingly step down off my soap box now. But have I made my point????!!!"

Wow...that is so true...I had a rough time in the first couple of months after my surgery due to not taking my vitamins...my legs would cramp just walking up stairs, I literally felt I was dying...I decided one day to be an adult and do what I had to do and started my vitamins and supplements and have been better ever since...Vitamins are fantastic and I don't mind at all taking them...

Thanks for posting that...It's one of those things that doesn't present itself overnight so it is hard to get the negative feedback I would get if I forgot to take my asthma inhaler when I started getting short of breath for example.... I had a scare last week....my pcp had me take some x-rays of my spine and the result was possible osteopenia - which is the decreasing bone densiity but not enough to be classified as osteoporosis. The most common cause of that if you are still young - malnutrition. Of course, I have been bad about remembering to take my calcium citrate everyday - I usually forget the first 900 mg in the morning, but get the second at night...Anyways, I had to to a bone density scan to confirm the diagnosis and luckily it was negative - but the whole experience was enough to serve as a wakeup call. I'm taking my calcium as directed everyday now...

You hit the nail head on - it takes time for the 'effects' to show - people lose the weight and look/feel healthy on the outside and think they are ok to stop the supps/vits or that they will 'be fine'. Its just not the case. Id hate to go thru all this to only develop some medical condition 5 or 10 years down the road. The entire purpose of the surgery is to cut down your risks of medical conditions so why cause yourself a whole other set of issues? Glad to year you are back on the calcium track :-****ep a bottle in my desk at work and a bottle at home so I can get in my daily doses. As soon as I get to work I take out 2 600mg pills - one for mid morning and one for mid afternoon, at night I take another after dinner :-)

Jennifer, I also thank you for posting this.  At only 7 weeks out, I'm already forgetting to take my second dose of vitamins in the evening.  I get home from work, go to the gym, get back, eat dinner, grade some papers and head to bed, and wake up the next morning and while taking my vitamins remember I forgot to take them the evening before. I have to say the hardest thing about having surgery for me hasn't necessarily been the change in eating, but all the other life changes I've had to make...vitamins, and not drinking during or after meals (for an hour). Anyhow, thanks again!