After the first five weeks following gastric bypass surgery on through the first year my doctor advises to take only the following supplements and, I might add, only when instructed to do so by your doctor:

1 . Multi- Vitamins:
Take one children's chewable multivitamin with iron or one adult strength multivitamin with iron at breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily.

Note:
Do not take multi-vitamins/minerals in the late evening because the minerals compete with your supplemental calcium for absorption.

2. Vitamin B6
Take one 50mg vitamin B6 tablet with your multivitamin with iron at breakfast. This vitamin helps your body to use protein.

3. Zinc
Take one 50mg zinc tablet with breakfast and one 50mg zinc tablet with supper daily.

Caution:
Zinc supplements must always be taken with food. If they are not taken with food, they may cause nausea. If you experience nausea (and you have been taking your zinc supplement with food) try six to seven 15mg zinc lozenges throughout the day with food. This will provide 90mg to 105mg of zinc per day.

4. Iron
If you do not suffer from iron poor blood, you may obtain enough iron from a multivitamin with iron three times daily. If you have been told you do have iron poor blood, you will need to take from one to four Hemocyte tablets or one to four doses of Fer-in-sol liquid iron per day depending upon the severity of your iron poor blood.

Note:
Your doctor should monitor your blood work on a regular basis and notify you if you need to make any adjustments in the amount of iron you take daily. Remember iron supplements should be taken on an empty stomach one hour before or two hours after eating.

5. Calcium
You need about 1,500mg of elemental calcium per day following gastric bypass surgery. You can achieve this dosage by taking:
Six to Seven Regular Strength or
Five Ex-Tums or
Three Tums Ultra;
Three Caltrate 600-D or
Three Calel-D;
one heaping teaspoon of calcium carbonate powder or
the appropriate amount of other preparations such as calcium citrate (which is very readily absorbed) at bedtime daily.

Note:
It is important to take your calcium supplement at bedtime because calcium is best utilized in the evening when you are inactive. It is also a good idea to take your calcium near bedtime or apart from your vitamins so they don't interfere with each others' absorption.

6. Protein
If your doctor thinks you need to increase your protein intake you might wish to use three scoops of Promod or one packet of Advanced Health System daily as a protein supplement. If you have been told you have a protein deficiency, you may need more. Your doctor should monitor your blood tests on a regular basis and should notify you if you need to adjust your dosage of protein supplement.

Note:
If your doctor has told you to take protein supplements: Do not stop taking your protein supplement on your own. If you feel you are getting enough protein from your diet, you can keep a diet diary (write everything you eat and drink on a daily basis for at least seven days) which can be reviewed on your next follow-up clinical appointment by your doctor or a nutritionist. If the doctor or nutritionist agrees that you are getting adequate protein from your diet, you may be able to discontinue your protein supplement. Usually though, most doctors like to encourage their patients to stay on their protein supplement the first year following gastric bypass surgery.

Assignment:
Check the supplements you are currently taking. Compare your list to the list you should be taking. Do they match?

Supplement Checklist:

One children's chewable multivitamin with iron or
One adult strength multivitamin with iron with B-L-D daily.

1,500mg calcium/day from pills or
Six to Seven Regular Tums or
Five Ex-Tums or
Three Tums Ultra at bedtime, daily.

50mg vitamin B6 with breakfast daily.

50mg zinc with breakfast and dinner daily.

One Hemocyte or
One tsp. liquid iron one hour before or two hours after eating (with dilute juice) one to four times/day (if directed).

Three scoops of Promod or
One packet of Advanced Health System daily.

Other:
Please list other supplements you have been told to take.