Post Bariatric Surgery Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Guide: Gastric Bypass Guidelines
This information is brief and general. It should not be the only source of your information on this health care topic. It is not to be used or relied on for diagnosis or treatment. It does not take the place of instructions from your doctor.
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Take your prescribed medicine and your vitamin/mineral supplements at least 1 hour apart.
1 Day After Surgery
Start to take multivitamins with minerals
- Chewable or liquid forms or crush whole pills or tablets
- Take as directed on the label
- Examples:
- Centrum
- One A Day
- GNC Mega Men
- 2 Flintstones vitamins
- Do not take gummy multivitamins
- Take your multivitamin with minerals after a meal
3 Weeks After Surgery
- Continue to take your multivitamins with minerals. You may now swallow whole tablets/pills
- Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D
- Take 500-600 mg of Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D three (3) separate times every day. Your body cannot absorb more than about 650 mg at one time
- Check the “supplement facts” label on the bottle to see how many mg are in one (1) pill
- Do not take Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D within 2 hours of your iron pill for best absorption.
- Examples: Caltrate 600+D Plus, Viactiv, Adora, BlueBonnet Liquid Calcium Citrate, GNC 600 mg Calcium chew
- Take 500-600 mg of Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D three (3) separate times every day. Your body cannot absorb more than about 650 mg at one time
- Iron
- Take 1 pill every day with water on an empty stomach, either in the morning 1 hour before you eat or take your vitamin/mineral supplements and/or medicines, or in the evening 2 hours after you take your vitamins/mineral supplements and/or medicines
- Do not take your iron pill within 2 hours of your Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D pill, antacid or when you drink milk, coffee, tea
- If insurance does not cover your iron prescription, you can purchase over-the-counter iron supplements.
- Examples: iFerex, Ferrex 150 or Vitron-C iron supplements
- Take 1 pill every day with water on an empty stomach, either in the morning 1 hour before you eat or take your vitamin/mineral supplements and/or medicines, or in the evening 2 hours after you take your vitamins/mineral supplements and/or medicines
- Vitamin B12
- Take 350-500 mcg of Vitamin B12 every day (or 1000 mcg every other day) or ask your doctor about a monthly Vitamin B12 injection
- Vitamin D3
- Take 50,000 units Vitamin D3 one time every week
- Must be a capsule with powder or a pill; do not use a gel
- Take your Vitamin D3 with a meal that contains some fat for best absorption
- Examples: Bio-Tech Pharmacal’s D3-50, ForestLeaf Vitamin D3 50,000 IU capsules
- Take 50,000 units Vitamin D3 one time every week
Sample Schedule for Vitamin/Mineral Supplements:
7:00am (or 10:00pm)
- 1 Iron supplement with water
9:00am Breakfast
- Multivitamins with minerals
- 600 mg Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D
- 500 mcg Vitamin B12
12pm Lunch
- 600 mg Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D
6pm Dinner
- 600 mg Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D
- 50,000 IU Vitamin D3 once every week
Notes
It is very important that you take all these supplements for the rest of your life. Your care team will monitor your blood work and will let you know if you need to take any additional vitamins, minerals, or supplements. If you have difficulty with your vitamin/mineral supplements or if you have another brand of supplement that you would like to use, please discuss with your registered dietitian/nutritionist.