Vitamins and Supplements
Don't Sacrifice Your Success
Gastric bypass surgery has a remarkable success rate inducing substantial weight loss and with resolving or significantly improving many of the co-morbidities of morbid obesity Unfortunately, this success means little if the patient creates other health problems by not eating properly.
"The problem is there is no standard surgical procedure, so dietary guidelines vary," says Leslie Patterson, a bariatric dietician practicing in Ohio. "Patients have to be well educated and properly monitored, especially since studies indicate that many have poor nutrition, including vitamin deficiencies, before surgery."
These vitamin deficiencies become even more dangerous following surgery due to the patient's reduced caloric intake. As a result, most physicians require their patients to take daily vitamin supplements to maintain proper metabolic function. Daily vitamins/supplements for Life!! Please start taking a multivitamin of your choice before surgery. It is OK to not take a vitamin for the first couple of weeks after surgery. Your new stomach is healing. Iron in the Prenatals may cause some nausea. After surgery, the absorption of some vitamins and minerals may not be sufficient, therefore it will be imperative that you take the following supplements every day – FOREVER!
1) General Multi-vitamin: of your choice. If you have insurance coverage for prescriptions, then a prenatal (regular or chewable) can be prescribed for you.
2) Calcium: everyone should take 1800-2400 mg Calcium /day. Citracal. With vitamin D, Viactiv or Bone Builder. may be good products. Not all calcium products are the same, please read the label. Sunshine will help improve your vitamin D level and this in turn will help your Calcium absorption. Only a few minutes a day will increase your vitamin D. Remember to spread out your calcium throughout the day, do not take them all at once.
3) Iron: if you are menstruating, you should take one extra iron supplement daily. Hemoglobin, hematocrit, and iron need to be evaluated annually and supplements may need to be taken. Please coordinate with your PCP as well.
4) Vitamin B-12: Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass –patients will need 500 mcg/day, either sublingual, nasal spray or monthly injection by PCP.
5) Vitamins A, D, E & K: If necessary, you may be asked to purchase additional vitamins and minerals, such as water soluble ADEK vitamins, iron and/or zinc. Vitamins A, D, E & K are fat soluble vitamins so look carefully at the labels.
!! Do not take Calcium and Iron together.
... more on Diet & Nutrition
Copyright 2005
Professor Rudolf Weiner, MD
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