Vitamin recommendations starting when you are discharged from the hospital:
Take a bariatric-specific multivitamin, 45 to 60 mg iron and 350 to 500 mcg vitamin B12 daily.
*Some multivitamins will contain adequate amounts of iron and vitamin B12
Bariatric Multivitamin Options:
After 30 days, add Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D
Take a total of 1,200 to 1,500 mg of calcium citrate and approximately 3000 IU vitamin D daily. Do not take calcium citrate doses larger than 600 mg at one time. Total vitamin D intake equal to amount in multivitamin plus calcium citrate supplement. Take your calcium supplements two hours apart from iron-containing supplements. Iron and calcium interfere with the absorption of one another.
Calcium citrate with vitamin D recommendations are (choose one product):
- Citracal Maximum (2 tablets, 2 times daily, available over-the-counter, generics acceptable)
- Citracal Regular (2 tablets, 3 times daily, available over-the-counter)
- Citracal Petites (3 tablets, 2 times daily, available over-the-counter)
- Celebrate Calcium Plus 500 (1 chewable, 3 times daily, www.celebratevitamins.com)
- Calcet Creamy Bites (1 chewable, 3 times daily, www.celebratevitamins.com)
- Bariatric Advantage Calcium Citrate Lozenge (1 chewable, 3 times daily, www.bariatricadvantage.com)
- Bariatric Advantage Chewy Bites (2 chewables, 3 times daily, www.bariatricadvantage.com)
- Building Blocks Black Raspberry Calcium Chewable (1 chewable, 2 times daily, www.bbvitamins.com)
Vitamins and minerals are required for life after weight loss surgery, chewable vitamins are recommended for the first 30 days, my insurance will not cover the cost of the supplements and that some patients may require additional supplementation after surgery.
Let your healthcare team know if I do not tolerate any of the above supplements.
