Vitamins? What kind??? - ThinnerTimes - Gastric Bypass Forum, Lap Band Forum, and Vertical Sleeve Gastrectomy Forum

LaChica707 · 09-17-2009, 04:02 PM

I was just wondering.. I received a list of diffrent types of vitamins I could take and what not.. but I wanna know what is everyone else taking.. Is there an easier way doing this than buying all sorts of diffrents kinds??

And which taste better, whats easier to go down, cheapest???

Thanks~

mistymee · 09-17-2009, 04:05 PM

My favorites are the ones from celebrate vitamins...

You'll find them here: Bariatric Vitamins | Celebrate Bariatric Supplements | Bariatric Surgery & Nutrition

I prefer the chewables, even though I'm 20 months out, as I find them easier to take, not having to worry about getting them down with liquids and whatnot.

Another good brand is bariatric advantage, though I find them chalky and off-tasting. Others like them fine.

I can speak to the customer service at celebrate- which is FANTASTIC.. plus, free shipping for orders over 100 bucks.. so buying in 3 months supplies works out for me.

hope that helps.

poet_kelly · 09-17-2009, 04:16 PM

I suggest you start with a good bariatric multivitamin, like Celebrate or Bariatric Advantage. Check out this thread comparing some different types of vitamins and you'll see what I mean - "regular" multivitamins don't really meet the needs of WLS patients. Flintstones vs. Bariatric Vitamins

Then you'll need calcium, and it should be calcium citrate (as opposed to calcium carbonate).

Check with your doctor about what else you'll need. Most recommend B12 and iron.

I use this stuff called ENS from Celebrate. It's a drink mix. You mix it with 8 ounces of water and it tastes just like grape Koolaid. It's a multivitamin plus 500 mg of calcium. I used to use the chewable multis and calcium from Celebrate, but they were making me nauseous. I like this much better.

You use it twice a day, but that's only 1000 mg of calcium, and we need 1500 - 2000 mg of calcium a day. So I also use this stuff called Upcal D, which is 500 mg of calcium citrate plus some vitamin D. It's a powder and you can dump it in any drink. I usually add it to my protein shake.

I use the B12 patch. I used to use a sublingual, but I didn't like the taste. I really like the patch. I wish I could get all my vitamins that way, but apparently no one makes a multivitamin patch or a calcium patch (I looked).

Kelly

poet_kelly · 09-17-2009, 04:17 PM

Oh, and Celebrate will send you free samples if you email them and ask, if you want to try stuff before you order. I'm pretty sure Bariatric Advantage will, too.

Kelly

sgtsbabygirl · 09-17-2009, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by poet_kelly

Oh, and Celebrate will send you free samples if you email them and ask, if you want to try stuff before you order. I'm pretty sure Bariatric Advantage will, too.

Kelly

My surgeon cautioned me about ' bariatric' vitamins. He said it was truely a ploy to get money and to take what he told me too. Maybe its because i have insurance that will cover some vitamins? That probably means they are going to taste like crap. The vitamin thing has me so confused.

UndercoverDiva · 09-17-2009, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgtsbabygirl

My surgeon cautioned me about ' bariatric' vitamins. He said it was truely a ploy to get money and to take what he told me too. Maybe its because i have insurance that will cover some vitamins? That probably means they are going to taste like crap. The vitamin thing has me so confused.

I found that the Celebrate vitamins are pretty comparable in price to vitamins you can buy off the shelf at Wal-Mart. I certainly hope he doesn't tell you to take kiddie vitamins!

AirForceW1fe · 09-17-2009, 11:23 PM

Wow I would be cautious about a surgeon that made that statement. Does he not do surgery to make money? Let's be honest here, none of the doctors that operated/will operate on us are in it out of the kindness of their hearts. The 2 main companies that distribute bariatric vitamins have done alot to ensure their products meet our very unique needs post op.

I don't see what they do to be a "ploy" to make money. I mean they are a business and they do exist to turn a profit like any other business but then again so do the "non bariatric" companies that make and distribute vitamins. I frankly don't see what the difference is.

I get calcium in the generic brand from our base exchange store purely because there is no difference and it's considerably less expensive. But for my multi vitamins, I use Bariatric Advantage. And I agree with Undercover Diva, they are no more expensive than regular multi vitamins and really do meet our needs.

When it comes to the quality of what we put in our bodies post op, I don't think it's a great idea to always look for the cheapest thing.

sgtsbabygirl · 09-18-2009, 03:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AirForceW1fe

Wow I would be cautious about a surgeon that made that statement. Does he not do surgery to make money? Let's be honest here, none of the doctors that operated/will operate on us are in it out of the kindness of their hearts. The 2 main companies that distribute bariatric vitamins have done alot to ensure their products meet our very unique needs post op.

I don't see what they do to be a "ploy" to make money. I mean they are a business and they do exist to turn a profit like any other business but then again so do the "non bariatric" companies that make and distribute vitamins. I frankly don't see what the difference is.

I get calcium in the generic brand from our base exchange store purely because there is no difference and it's considerably less expensive. But for my multi vitamins, I use Bariatric Advantage. And I agree with Undercover Diva, they are no more expensive than regular multi vitamins and really do meet our needs.

When it comes to the quality of what we put in our bodies post op, I don't think it's a great idea to always look for the cheapest thing.

I totally agree. Does Tricare not pay for prescribed vitamins for you? What I'm finding out now is that he intends to prescribe them, not have them bought over the counter from any company. And no, no kiddie vits! I wouldn't be as far in the process as i am now had that statement come out of his mouth.

poet_kelly · 09-18-2009, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sgtsbabygirl

My surgeon cautioned me about ' bariatric' vitamins. He said it was truely a ploy to get money and to take what he told me too. Maybe its because i have insurance that will cover some vitamins? That probably means they are going to taste like crap. The vitamin thing has me so confused.

I dunno. Compare the list of ingredients in Celebrate to the ingredients in some other vitamins and see if they are comparable. I have found Celebrate to be superior to "regular" multivitamins like Centrum. If your insurance will pay for vitamins and they measure up, then that's great. But read the ingredients and make sure. What did your surgeon tell you to take?

Kelly

justroni · 09-18-2009, 08:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LaChica707

I was just wondering.. I received a list of diffrent types of vitamins I could take and what not.. but I wanna know what is everyone else taking.. Is there an easier way doing this than buying all sorts of diffrents kinds??

And which taste better, whats easier to go down, cheapest???

Thanks~

I take Optisourse vitamins. I can buy them at the nutrition store that sells bariatric products, and they also sell them at Walgreen's drug store. I like them because they are chewable, and they have a great orange taste. I also use sub lingual B-12.