For the first 3 months after surgery, you will be on a chewable vitamin. You’ll want to be taking a high-quality vitamin, due to the fact
you are at high risk for vitamin deficiency.
The following are required to be taken after your surgery:
- Multivitamin
- Iron (26 mg/d)
- Calcium Citrate (10001500 mg/d)
- Sublingual B12 (1000 mcg/week) OR Monthly B12 injection
- At 1 week out you will begin taking 1,000 mcg daily until your 1-month visit.
- Starting at 1-month postop you will decrease to 1,000 mcg/week.
- Vitamin D3 (15,000 IU/weekly)
The following brands are recommended chewable vitamin supplements:
- Bariatric Advantage (sold at JourneyLite offices or in the eStore at JourneyLite.com)
- Optisource Vitamins (sold at Walgreens or at www.walgreens.com)
- Celebrate Bariatric Vitamins (found at www.celebratevitamins.com)
- GNC Vitamins (liquid/chewable/powered are available)
The above vitamin brands will provide you with all products you are required and are rated very highly for purity and quality.
After 3 months you may begin taking capsule supplements based on your tolerance. B12 will remain sublingual long term.
The following are recommended vitamin supplements:
- Nature’s Way (found at most health food stores and Whole Foods Market)
- Solaray Vitamin’s (found at most health food stores)
- GNC vitamin products (found at GNC locations or at www.gnc.com)
- Nature’s Life (found at most health food stores and Whole Foods Market)
- Prothera Vitamins (found at www.protherainc.com)
There are various wholesale vitamin sites online that you may also be able to find these products.
Vitamin Tips and Information:
- The form of Iron that you need to take is either Ferrous Fumarate or Ferrous Gluconate.
- Ferrous Sulfate is the most commonly prescribed form of iron, but it may not be well absorbed after your surgery.
- If you are ever required to take Vitamin D, the preferred form is Vitamin D3.
- The preferred form of calcium is calcium citrate-this is due to the lack of stomach acid being produced by your new pouch.
- Calcium carbonate is the most common form found OTC but, is not absorbed well because it does require a larger amount of stomach acid to be absorbed.
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- Calcium and iron need to be ideally spaced 2 hours between each other. They actually compete for the same absorption sites and can interfere with absorption.
Products to Avoid:
- Centrum
- One-A-Day
- Flintstones Generic store brands
- “Gummy” type vitamins
