Not taking your supplements is NOT okay - Page 4 - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

scottydidit · 08-07-2007, 10:11 AM

Thanks for the great information Lisa, its good to be alittle more knowledgeable about the supplements....Scott

Mavisavis · 08-07-2007, 10:23 AM

I hang my head sheepishly and admit that the further out I got and the less like a GBP patient I feel..........the fewer supplements I continued. The iron deficiency showed up readily on my labwork and I did start them up immediately.

I will take this thread as a serious reminder and warning........and I promise to get back on track with the rest of my regime. Thanks for the wake up call.

Alleusion · 08-07-2007, 11:00 AM

I don't sheepishly admit that I'm not taking vitamins. Granted I'm not proud of it, but I'm not ashamed either. When I'm settled here, I have a list of vitamins to get that Tracy gave me. I know the vitamin issues I can have later in life, as I see them in my mom. I have even more reason to take them now than ever. So, once I'm settled, and have some more cash, I'll be hitting up a health store.

Rachel · 08-08-2007, 08:37 AM

I have such a hard time remembering to take the B12 separately. I take all the others as suggested, so thank you for letting us know you can't get too much B12. I will just add it into my daily intake and have that done!

Vertigo · 08-08-2007, 10:07 AM

Thank you so much -- I have been off of mine for MONTHS (vitamins, B-12, and calcium) and will start back TODAY!

Thank you for posting this.

LisaM · 08-08-2007, 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vertigo

Thank you so much -- I have been off of mine for MONTHS (vitamins, B-12, and calcium) and will start back TODAY!

Thank you for posting this.

Wow. Haven't seen you in a long time, Andy. Glad you're back. Hope you really are back on your supplements...

Jenny, darlin', there's a difference between ignoring what you need and not being able to get your supplements, and we all know it. I'm glad you're there, glad you're OK...

LisaM · 08-17-2007, 12:06 PM

OK, sometimes life has some VERY weird coincidences, if you want to call them that. I've been busting people (as witness the beginning of this thread) when they don't take their supplements like they should. Here's the kicker: My two-year tests showed perfect except for one mineral. My levels of selenium were not drastically low, but lower than the expected range. And I take my supplements every day.

Looked at my multis, though, and my multivitamin only covers about 30% of my selenium needs (if I were a normal adult, which none of us are post-GBS). That is combined with the fact that selenium is mostly found in meats and cereal grains, two substances which I eat very little. Just so you know, selenium deficiency can cause muscle weakness and cardiomyopathy. I had to look up cardiomyopathy--it's the deterioration of the function of the heart muscle called the myocardium.

So, even when we're doing everything right, we can still trip over a deficiency. I just added selenium as a separate supplement. Further investigation says that you can overdo selenium, so I have to be aware of whether I develop any nausea, vomiting, loss of hair and nails, a skin rash, or nerve damage in response to upping my dosage.

This is why we get regular lab tests, so we can catch this stuff before it gets out of hand!

Phoenixfire · 08-05-2009, 04:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LisaM

My two-year tests showed perfect except for one mineral. My levels of selenium were not drastically low, but lower than the expected range. And I take my supplements every day.

So, even when we're doing everything right, we can still trip over a deficiency.

This is why we get regular lab tests, so we can catch this stuff before it gets out of hand!

Bumping this thread AND posting to remind others that you HAVE TO TAKE VITAMIN AND MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS FOREVER. Even if you are eating a lot more food, you MUST always take them. Like LisaM posted above, you can take a "good" vitamin with the right amount but STILL have issues. So take them all and test yourself every year. 6 months if you can afford it.

Here's what has happened to me now: My magnesium is low. How did I know? I have signs of magnesium deficiency. Uncontrolled spasmodic muscle twitches, skin patches, fingernail ridges, osteopenia, etc. I noticed the jerking muscles and did a little research. Got blood test. Confirmed low level.

I didn't know I was supposed to take SERIOUS vitamins when I had surgery. My doc said to take Flintstones and Tums. I shit you not. So that's what I did. It wasn't until I came HERE (my doc retired, no aftercare) that I learned I was ROYALLY SCREWED with adequate vitamin/mineral intake.

It's just now, over 6 years postop, that I've found out I have two serious additional medical problems to deal with now. People don't skip them. Ever.

Here's just one link to know how much you need. But this site is FULL of this info. and tons of links. Search the threads PLEASE. There is NO excuse for any of us who found TT. You will never regret spending $30 a month for better health and a savings in medical costs from complications.

Introduction: Minerals and Electrolytes: Merck Manual Home Edition

88Shelly88 · 08-07-2009, 02:22 PM

Lisa...Thank you for the reminder. I am also a vitamin freak and will not miss a dose of them. I swear by the celebrate vitamins, I love them and have had perfect blood work thus far! To anyone looking for a great tolerable vitamin specific for WLS patients I hight suggest them. Also Vic, the owner of the company is amazing and can answer any questions that you may have. I just love the company.

Dont skip you vitamins ever. We do need these and yes for the rest of our lives!!

Ms. Readytobehealthy · 08-07-2009, 02:28 PM

This is definitely a good post to keep LIVE. My surgeon said vitamins is the MOST important besides protein. He stressed this about 2 to 3 times during my visit. I was like okay I do get the point. I am going to be a vitamin Queen!!