Gummys don't work for the multi because they don't contain something - maybe iron? There are meltaways for pretty much everything, and those are easy to take. Several people like flinstones for the multi

I think the thing missing from the gummies is Calcium Citrate, which you definitely need unless you want to start losing teeth. I keep a stash of the gummies and an added bottle of Calcium Citrate on hand in case I cut it too close from when my vitamins are shipped for the month (I use Bariatric Fusion, which I get from Amazon). That way, I have SOMETHING just in case, but it's my backup plan, not my norm.

I was told that because of nutrient absorbing issues, I needed to take bariatric vitamins. Also, my clinic said if you HAD to have something different, to have the Dietician look at it, evaluate it, and tell your what to supplement it with. That made sense to me. Vitamin malabsorbtion in WLS patients is a huge issue. Which is why my clinic does yearly bloodwork for vitamin deficiency.

cmchandler74 wrote: »

I think the thing missing from the gummies is Calcium Citrate, which you definitely need unless you want to start losing teeth. I keep a stash of the gummies and an added bottle of Calcium Citrate on hand in case I cut it too close from when my vitamins are shipped for the month (I use Bariatric Fusion, which I get from Amazon). That way, I have SOMETHING just in case, but it's my backup plan, not my norm.

It's not the calcium that's missing from gummy and children's vitamins. Plus, since we can only absorb about 500 mg of calcium at a time, we need to break it up into three doses per day of 500 mg each.

Comparing Centrum adult, sort of the gold standard for complete adult vitamins, and most gummies, the following is what Centrum has that gummies are missing:

Vitamin K
Thiamin
Riboflavin
Niacin
Iron
Phosphorus
Magnesium
Selenium
Copper
Manganese
Chromium
Molybdenum
Chloride
Potassium
Nickel
Silicon
Tin
Vanadium

Flintstones "Complete" are missing:

Phosphorus
Magnesium
Selenium
Manganese
Chromium
Molybdenum
Chloride
Potassium
Nickel
Silicon
Tin
Vanadium

And a lot of things that gummies and children's vitamins do have, they have in lower percentages than a truly complete adult multivitamin.

You don't need chewables or liquid. Tablets and capsules get absorbed just fine. You may want chewables for a few months after surgery when swallowing might be a little more difficult, but they aren't necessary. Chewable bariatric vitamins aren't special. In fact, one brand in particular stinks -- to get the 200% daily we need, you would have to take EIGHT per day of a product called Bariatric Fusion. And you can find complete multis for much, much lower prices than the bariatric chewables.

Don't mess around with vitamins. Deficiencies can take years to show up. Vitamins are medicine. They don't have to be tasty, or fun. Just take them, and take a good one.

I was proscribed Nascrobal which is a B12 nasal spray that you take 1 time a week and it comes free with calcium, and iron and multi especially for bariatic patients called Bariativ vitamins look them up My insurance covers them for a $25 a month copay. The calcium is horrible and very very chalky but i like the other stuff, I take Viactiv calcium which the surgeon said i can take first six week weeks even tho its calcium carbonate and not citrate but then i have to switch over. but by then i can take capsules he said. Win Win. Love the B12 nose spray tho it makes me feel so good each week, i never miss that does.

Vitamins on a full stomach, is what I've been told for years. BTW, it is the B vitamins that make me green. So I take one after every meal (i have 3 ) so I don't OD on B vitamins and get queasy.

I was swallowing pills before I left the hospital. VSG. Haven't had any trouble with pills, but learned years ago never to take them on an empty stomach.

I use the Bariatric Advantage capsules and have been since 3mo post-op. I just couldn't handle the chewables, but I did them for the first 3 months to prevent any possible issues.