Post Bariatric Surgery Vitamin and Mineral Supplement Guide: Gastric Distal Bypass or Duodenal Switch 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 – high ADEK formula
- Do not take gummy multivitamins
- Take your multivitamins with minerals after your meal
- Examples:
- Celebrate Multi-ADEK chewable tablets or capsules
- Take one chewable tablet three times every day or two capsules two time every day
- Bariatric Advantage High ADEK Multivitamin with minerals
- Take one chewable tablet three times every day
- DEKA plus Softgels (not DEKA essentials)
- Take one softgel twice every day
- Celebrate Multi-ADEK chewable tablets or capsules
3 Weeks After Surgery
- Continue to take your high-ADEK multivitamin 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: in the morning 1 hour before you eat, take your medicines or vitamin/mineral supplements; or in the evening 2 hours after you eat, take your medicines or vitamins/mineral supplements
- 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: in the morning 1 hour before you eat, take your medicines or vitamin/mineral supplements; or in the evening 2 hours after you eat, take your medicines or vitamins/mineral supplements
- Vitamin B12
- Take 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)
- Iron supplement with water
9:00am Breakfast
- 1 High-ADEK multivitamin
- 500-600 mg Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D
- 500 mcg Vitamin B12
12pm Lunch
- 1 High-ADEK multivitamin
- 500-600 mg Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D
3pm Snack
- 500-600 mg Calcium Citrate with Vitamin D
6pm Dinner
- Last high-ADEK multivitamin (if indicated depending on product)
- 500-600 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.