[mike]

I guess this question is really for Doc. I had my year check the other day, and I got off my gall bladder meds, that I was advised to take up until one year after surgery. Yippee, another one gone. Well, the question is.....up until now, I had a slot for all four of my pill containers....morning-noon-evening-night. He advised me not to take the gall bladder pills with my Tums. Ok, fine. Now, I am trying to figure out how I can get rid of one of the slots. I think I did it. Is it ok for me to my multi vitamin with my tums, and my B12 all at once? I got rid of my afternoon slot by doing this, but I am not sure it was a good idea due to maybe it won't absorb as well. I should have asked him while at my appointment, but I forgot. What do you think Doc? mike

[DocSanae]

The one thing you need to be careful of, is not to take your iron and calcium within 2 hours of each other. Otherwise, read the labels, and the script, see if they say anything about taking other meds together--the labels are supposed to list that. Also, ask the pharmacist which meds shouldn't be taken together. Truthfully, we (drs) don't remember everything, and it's the pharmacist's job to check things out, keep track, and send up a red flag to the drs, so check out with them, and then confirm with the drs works as well.

If you want to reduce a slot, the best place probably is to get rid of your noon slot, as a lot of people tend to forget the noon meds rather than other slots.

[BOOTS]

Wow My Vitamins Have Extra Iron In Them And I Take Them With My Calcium All The Time.

[kimtindall]

Yeah, that is why they have me on a seperate Iron pill and my calcium I take at night. But I have always wondered why a multivit has iron and clacium in it!!

[DocSanae]

I can understand that cost is an issue, but if possible, it's best to take supplements that have been devoloped with the thought to the specific needs of the gastric bypass patients.
I just confirmed the Bariatrics Advantage supplements that our eStore carries, and the multi vits have calcium citrate in them, while the iron pills are separate.
If you have a multi vit that has both iron and calcium, then you should change to one that has either iron or calcium citrate, and choose an independent product for the other.

[kimtindall]

Thanks Doc...that is exactly what I take, Bariatric Advantage Orange Chewable.

[BOOTS]

I Take A Multi Vitamin With Extra Iron In It And I Take Calcium Citrate Chewables But I Usually Them At The Same Time

[kimtindall]

From waht I was told by the Nut and my surgeons office, the calcium will void the Iron, so its like you are not taking any Iron at all. Maybe that would be why you are so tired! A little on the Anemic side?!?!

[DocSanae]

BOOTS, you need to take your multi vits/iron and calcium citrate separately, at least two hours apart, as iron and calcium interfere with each other's absorption.

[BOOTS]

Hmmmmmmm Now I Have To Think When To Take It Cause I Also Cant Take Any Type Vitamin To Close To Taking My Thyroid Or Stomach Meds Otherwise It Will Have The Same Affect. That I Knew From The Pharmacist Telling Me. I Was Likr No Wonder My Thyroids Were Out Of Wack For A While Cause I Used To Take It At The Same Time As My Prenatal Vitamins A While Back.

Wow This Is All Such A Pain. Lol Oh And Lets Not Forget That Taking Anything In Pill Form Has To Be At The Same Time As Liquid Time So You Have To Work Around The Schedule Also. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr