Re: vitamins

[Guest guest]

Pam,

At my six month appointment I talked to the PA and Dietician about

possibly replacing my prescription prenatal vitamin with a non-

prescription CHEAPER alternative. They both told me that I could go

with " any non-prescription prenatal " . Gee thanks. There's hundreds

and they've all got different levels of all sorts of things and some

are geared towards special prenatal issues (which is really relevant

since I'm a guy). So I decided to focus on the vitamins I had been

taking to try as best I could to duplicate them. After all my blood

work was perfect and I felt great, why mess with that right?

I looked around stores and the internet and settled on some that were

going to cost me $17 for 90 days when I had been paying about $42 for

prescription. Quite the nice savings. I have a nasty habit, though,

of not stopping shopping even after I settle on and often even buy

what I've decided on. Fortunately I hadn't purchased these because

one morning I was just searching again. I ended up on Costco's

website for some reason. I then remembered I had purchased a massive

bottle (500 tablets) of Costco vitamins about six months before

surgery. I thought it was pretty funny because it had more tablets

then I could use before they expired. I ended up giving them to my

mom to take since I figured I was going to have to take the

prescription ones and they were quite large. Well it turns out taking

two of these tablets amounted easily to a bit more than what I was

taking from the prescription vitamins. It wasn't lacking in any of

the B vitamins and key minerals. I decided to ask my mom for the

Costco vitamins back. It turns out she hadn't been taking them anyway.

Now I take one of them twice a day, one for breakfast and one for

dinner. I also take, per doctor's order, two calcium citrate with

Vitamin D tablets twice a day. I also take a couple fish oil tablets

because I had purchased those before surgery too for some reason and

the doctor said it was okay if I took those too. All of these pills

are quite massive. It sounds like you might not like the size. I

guess being a big guy I'm sort of used to the size. I've been known

to take all six without even a drink. Well for a bit at least. I sort

of need to have drink or something to eat to wash them down in about

15-30 minutes or it sort of feels like I've swallowed a small rock.

Blech.

The calcium/vitamin D tablets were purchased at Walgreen's one day

when they had buy one get one free. I bought something like 6 or 8

bottles of 120 tablets. I think they were only $7.99 each too (well

for two then). Regardless it was a pretty good deal. They don't

expire until August of 2008 so I'll have them gone easily by then at

four tablets a day. http://tinyurl.com/epbr2

Here's the prescription ones I was taking:

http://www.drugs.com/pdr/precare_prenatal_caplets.html

Here's the Costco vitamins I used to replaced them:

http://tinyurl.com/horhq

I strongly recommend you shop around and that you clear any

thoughts/choices by your doctor just to make sure you're not making a

bad choice for your particular situation. Hopefully you'll get

something more restrictive than just " any " prenatal tablet.

Oh and I've been taking the Costco vitamins for a month now and all

is well.

Mike in GR

>

> i had my surgery on 1-13-06 and i have lost 107lbs. i feel great! i

> just need suggestions on vitamins. i am suppose to take iron 325mgs

> (liquid) twice a week, b12 1000mgs liquid (i found a pill small

enough

> to take), calcium 1200 mgs, and of course childrens vitamins. i

> stopped buying the sugar free vitamins and started a cheaper brand.

> can anyone recommend a brand of these vitamins at a cheaper price.

and

> where to buy these. they have so many different kinds, i find

myself

> spending forever in the store and leaving with nothing. i also love

> wally world. pam

>

[Guest guest]

why are you neeing childrens vitamins? GNC has a liquid vitamin for adults that

may take care of your needs alot better. My Dr. ok'd them for use.

pam2angel wrote: i had my surgery on 1-13-06 and

i have lost 107lbs. i feel great! i

just need suggestions on vitamins. i am suppose to take iron 325mgs

(liquid) twice a week, b12 1000mgs liquid (i found a pill small enough

to take), calcium 1200 mgs, and of course childrens vitamins. i

stopped buying the sugar free vitamins and started a cheaper brand.

can anyone recommend a brand of these vitamins at a cheaper price. and

where to buy these. they have so many different kinds, i find myself

spending forever in the store and leaving with nothing. i also love

wally world. pam

---------------------------------

Stay in the know. Pulse on the new Yahoo.com. Check it out.

[Guest guest]

OK, I got a question, if someone would please answer. I read the

post about vitamins. As I said before I'm just now researching wls,

for the lack of feeling stupid, lol, I'm assuming everyone takes

vitamins for the rest of their life after wls. My question

being...Is it general vitamins prescribed (such as one for all), or

is it based on each persons needs of a vitamin(s) supplement? And if

the latter is so, how do you know what you need. Please don't think

I'm stupid. I'm just still very uneducated on the subject. Ya never

know until ya ask...thanks

> >

> > i had my surgery on 1-13-06 and i have lost 107lbs. i feel

great! i

> > just need suggestions on vitamins. i am suppose to take iron

325mgs

> > (liquid) twice a week, b12 1000mgs liquid (i found a pill small

> enough

> > to take), calcium 1200 mgs, and of course childrens vitamins. i

> > stopped buying the sugar free vitamins and started a cheaper

brand.

> > can anyone recommend a brand of these vitamins at a cheaper

price.

> and

> > where to buy these. they have so many different kinds, i find

> myself

> > spending forever in the store and leaving with nothing. i also

love

> > wally world. pam

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Mike I kinda thought that, I just wasn't sure. I guess I'm

still nervous about scheduling my 1st appt. after the seminar. I'm

assuming all that stuff will be touched-based-upon during the

seminar. I want as much knowledge for what lies ahead as I can get.

Knowledge is Power! And by the way, reading some of your post, you

seem to have a great personality, I bet your the " life of the

party, " all around good guy. thanks again. sherry

<In GastricBypass-LOSERS , " Mike Tune "

wrote:

Your going to get as many different answers as there are surgeons

doing this

surgery. Don't feel like your going to be just pushed out the door

of the

hospital on your own to figure everything out on your

own..........At least

we all hope not......

Your doctor/surgeon should have a complete plan for you, they will

tell you

what supplements to take, what to eat and so on......Your asking the

right

questions, but you will get the info that YOU need from your

doctor.....

Mike T

[Guest guest]

I take children's chewables also. Flintstones are one of the best multi

vits there are.

W

380/299/160

Debbye Fournier wrote:

> why are you neeing childrens vitamins? GNC has a liquid vitamin for adults

that may take care of your needs alot better. My Dr. ok'd them for use.

>

>

[Guest guest]

My guess would be that the types of vitamins prescribed/recommended

by doctors vary widely just as their diet recommendations do. Also,

everyone who has wls or in general is different and many have special

diet and vitamin supplement needs so that may affect what's

prescribed/recommend. AND it's highly possible that my and other's

needs will change as we grow older requiring adjustment to our

supplement needs.

I sometimes try to figure out the emotion behind statements

like " vitamins for the rest of their life after wls " . I was already

taking vitamins when I had wls. I had been taking them every day for

about 10 years and hadn't ever planned on not taking them or

finishing taking them. I was also taking four blood pressure/bi-polar

medications for the last few years so dropping down to the vitamins

only was no big deal.

Vitamins are cheap and usually have few if any side effects. I'd

rather take vitamins for life than have the NEED to take one/any

prescription meds let alone pay and take them for a year. If I miss a

dose or day of vitamins it's not the end of the world. If I forget

them on a trip or something I can pick some up at any store/pharmacy

without a prescription even if the ones I normally take are

prescription ones (something is better than nothing). Vitamins are so

ubiquitous compared to prescription medicines. If you say to

someone, " I take a multi-vitamin and two calcium tablets twice a day "

you'll like be responded to with, " Oh, that's nice, how's that going

for you? " but if you tell someone you're taking a laundry list of

blood pressure meds and/or other meds they often tend to get weirded

out..

If you're stupid for researching wls then we're all stupid because

most of us did too and those that didn't surely are stupid. Never

feel stupid researching/questioning major surgery.

> > >

> > > i had my surgery on 1-13-06 and i have lost 107lbs. i feel

> great! i

> > > just need suggestions on vitamins. i am suppose to take iron

> 325mgs

> > > (liquid) twice a week, b12 1000mgs liquid (i found a pill small

> > enough

> > > to take), calcium 1200 mgs, and of course childrens vitamins. i

> > > stopped buying the sugar free vitamins and started a cheaper

> brand.

> > > can anyone recommend a brand of these vitamins at a cheaper

> price.

> > and

> > > where to buy these. they have so many different kinds, i find

> > myself

> > > spending forever in the store and leaving with nothing. i also

> love

> > > wally world. pam

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks again Mike. I've never taken vitamins on a regular basis not

even when I was pregnant, I couldn't stand the iron, so its a new

concept to me. I didn't mean for it to sound like an awful thing.

Taking vitamins the rest of someones life. Sorry if it came across

that way. 'Cause honestly I'm a " bad patient " !!!! I hate taken meds.

I have over 20 meds I have to take daily as well as injections 2x a

week, and use my CPAP set on 12 every night. So I tend to rebel on

it. And I know I can't do that after wls. But, I would rather take

the vitamins than the crap I am now.

> > > >

> > > > i had my surgery on 1-13-06 and i have lost 107lbs. i feel

> > great! i

> > > > just need suggestions on vitamins. i am suppose to take iron

> > 325mgs

> > > > (liquid) twice a week, b12 1000mgs liquid (i found a pill

small

> > > enough

> > > > to take), calcium 1200 mgs, and of course childrens

vitamins. i

> > > > stopped buying the sugar free vitamins and started a cheaper

> > brand.

> > > > can anyone recommend a brand of these vitamins at a cheaper

> > price.

> > > and

> > > > where to buy these. they have so many different kinds, i

find

> > > myself

> > > > spending forever in the store and leaving with nothing. i

also

> > love

> > > > wally world. pam

> > > >

> > >

> >

>

[Guest guest]

I take them, too, because the pills hurt my pouch and make me feel sick.

Dana

Re: vitamins

I take children's chewables also. Flintstones are one of the best multi

vits there are.

W

380/299/160

Debbye Fournier wrote:

> why are you neeing childrens vitamins? GNC has a liquid vitamin for adults

that may take care of your needs alot better. My Dr. ok'd them for use.

>

>

[Guest guest]

I agree with Mike. Most doctors have an aftercare

program that includes personal follow up. In the

program I am in, they check us and do blood work every

few months for the 1st 2 years to be sure we do not

suffer from any malnutrition or bone loss.

If your surgeon does not have an aftercare program, I

would ask for a recommendation to one or ask him what

your primary doctor should be checking for (and how

often) so they can monitor you.

cheers!

Laurel in Texas

__________________________________________________

[Guest guest]

,

What you're saying makes perfect sense. The doctor prescribes the bp

and other pills, you pay big money for them, they keep you from

feeling REALLY uncomfortable or having serious issues and maybe

death. So you take them with a little more enhusiasm and regularity.

I'm not saying you have to or can attach that importance to vitamins

but I can still remember taking my prescripts and so I take the

vitamins as if I was taking them and call it good. Maybe you could

fool your mind by putting the vitamins in the brown plastic

prescription bottles. I keep my vitamins next to my recliner where I

sit with my PC, watch TV, eat breakfast and relax in the evening (it

gets a lot of use). So I take the vitamins during breakfast and in

the evening. Maybe put yours in the restroom where you take a shower

and then brush at night before bed. That way you can take them twice

a day. Just work at it hard for 3+ weeks and it'll become habit. A

good one.

Good luck!

Mike in GR

> > > >

> > > > Pam,

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > At my six month appointment I talked to the PA

> > and Dietician

> > about

> > > > possibly replacing my prescription prenatal

> > vitamin with a non-

> > > > prescription CHEAPER alternative. They both told

> > me that I could

> > > go

> > > > with " any non-prescription prenatal " . Gee

> > thanks. There's

> > hundreds

> > > > and they've all got different levels of all

> > sorts of things and

> > > some

> > > > are geared towards special prenatal issues

> > (which is really

> > > relevant

> > > > since I'm a guy). So I decided to focus on the

> > vitamins I had

> > been

> > > > taking to try as best I could to duplicate them.

> > After all my

> > > blood

> > > > work was perfect and I felt great, why mess with

> > that right?

> > > >

> > > > I looked around stores and the internet and

> > settled on some that

> > > were

> > > > going to cost me $17 for 90 days when I had been

> > paying about $42

> > > for

> > > > prescription. Quite the nice savings. I have a

> > nasty habit,

> > > though,

> > > > of not stopping shopping even after I settle on

> > and often even

> > buy

> > > > what I've decided on. Fortunately I hadn't

> > purchased these

> > because

> > > > one morning I was just searching again. I ended

> > up on Costco's

> > > > website for some reason. I then remembered I had

> > purchased a

> > > massive

> > > > bottle (500 tablets) of Costco vitamins about

> > six months before

> > > > surgery. I thought it was pretty funny because

> > it had more

> > tablets

> > > > then I could use before they expired. I ended up

> > giving them to

> > my

> > > > mom to take since I figured I was going to have

> > to take the

> > > > prescription ones and they were quite large.

> > Well it turns out

> > > taking

> > > > two of these tablets amounted easily to a bit

> > more than what I

> > was

> > > > taking from the prescription vitamins. It wasn't

> > lacking in any

> > of

> > > > the B vitamins and key minerals. I decided to

> > ask my mom for the

> > > > Costco vitamins back. It turns out she hadn't

> > been taking them

> > > anyway.

> > > >

> > > > Now I take one of them twice a day, one for

> > breakfast and one for

> > > > dinner. I also take, per doctor's order, two

> > calcium citrate with

> > > > Vitamin D tablets twice a day. I also take a

> > couple fish oil

> > > tablets

> > > > because I had purchased those before surgery too

> > for some reason

> > > and

> > > > the doctor said it was okay if I took those too.

> > All of these

> > > pills

> > > > are quite massive. It sounds like you might not

> > like the size. I

> > > > guess being a big guy I'm sort of used to the

> > size. I've been

> > > known

> > > > to take all six without even a drink. Well for a

> > bit at least. I

> > > sort

> > > > of need to have drink or something to eat to

> > wash them down in

> > > about

> > > > 15-30 minutes or it sort of feels like I've

> > swallowed a small

> > > rock.

> > > > Blech.

> > > >

> > > > The calcium/vitamin D tablets were purchased at

> > Walgreen's one

> > day

> > > > when they had buy one get one free. I bought

> > something like 6 or

> > 8

> > > > bottles of 120 tablets. I think they were only

> > $7.99 each too

> > > (well

> >

> === message truncated ===

>

>

> __________________________________________________

>