Gastric bypass surgery can help you lose weight if you are unable to lose weight with diet and exercise alone. Because your stomach is much smaller, you will not be able to eat as much food as before, which should lead to weight loss. The reduced amount of food can also mean that you will not be able to obtain the vitamins that you need by eating alone; vitamins may not be absorbed by the digestive tract normally after surgery as well. After a gastric bypass, you will need to take vitamin supplements for the rest of your life, according to the Connecticut Surgical Group.
Multivitamins
Once you start drinking clear liquids a few days after the surgical procedure, you should also start taking a chewable multivitamin two times a day, as noted by West Penn Allegheny Health System Bariatric Surgery Center. Once you begin to eat soft foods, you should take them with your meals. Chewable vitamins are easier to digest and absorb into the digestive system at this stage. You can begin a non-chewable vitamin--twice a day--once you advance to solid foods, as noted by Connecticut Surgical Group.
Calcium
Most multivitamins contain small amounts of calcium, so a calcium supplement is very important. When you start soft foods, you should begin taking 1000 mg to 1200 mg of calcium each day, according to West Penn Allegheny Health System Bariatric Surgery Center. This should be a chewable vitamin. You can begin using non-chewables once you can tolerate solid foods. This supplement should be taken twice a day with meals to maximize the absorption of the calcium in the body. You should not take the calcium supplements at the same time as any iron supplementation; these should be spaced at least two hours apart, the Connecticut Surgical Group advises.
Vitamin B-12
The gastric bypass surgery changed your digestive system; you may not be able to absorb enough vitamin B-12, as noted on CIGNA.com. Because your intestines are no longer able to absorb B-12, you will have to receive it either as a monthly shot from your health care provider or a B12 lozenge that dissolves under the tongue, according to West Penn Allegheny Health System Bariatric Surgery Center. The 500 microgram dose can be taken once a day; 5,000 micrograms can be taken once a week. Sublingual B-12 microlozenges 500mcg and sublingual B-12 lozenges 1,000mcg are two forms that can be purchased at local vitamin stores or drug stores. Your physician may also offer you B-12 nasal spray as well.
Iron
Although iron is generally included in the multivitamin, you should take additional iron--starting when you start soft foods. These pills are generally small and can be swallowed easily for most people, according to the Connecticut Surgical Group. The side effects of iron are nausea and constipation; to avoid these problems, you should take ferrous fumarate or ferrous gluconate, which can be more easily absorbed. Some iron supplements are better absorbed with orange or tomato juice. If the side effects are still a problem, you can take the supplements every other day. Remember to take the iron and calcium supplements at least two hours apart.
Member Comments