Taking Vitamins and Supplements After Bariatric Surgery

Your body will go through a lot of changes after bariatric surgery. There will be changes in digestion and how much food you can eat. These changes can limit the nutrients your body receives. Depending on the type of bariatric surgery you had, to prevent nutritional deficiencies resulting from these changes, you may have to take vitamin and mineral supplements for life.

The following are some of the supplements recommended after bariatric surgery:

• Calcium
Calcium plays an essential role in your bone health and muscles and nerve function. The calcium supplement you’ll be taking may be in the form of calcium citrate or calcium carbonate.

• Vitamin D
Calcium and vitamin D go hand-in-hand. The body needs vitamin D to absorb calcium.

Vitamin D supplementation after bariatric surgery ranges from 3,000 IU daily to 50,000 IU 1-3 times weekly.

• Vitamin B12
There are some bariatric procedures that make it more difficult for the stomach to properly release vitamin B12 during digestion. This vitamin is essential for boosting your immune system function and energy levels.

• Vitamin B1
Vitamin B1 or thiamin is necessary for converting food into energy. It also contributes to having healthy skin, hair, and liver. A deficiency in this vitamin can lead to fatigue, irritability, vomiting, sleep issues, and in worst cases, permanent nerve damage.

• Iron
Iron deficiency is common among bariatric patients. Early signs include fatigue, dizziness/lightheadedness, fast heart rate, and brittle nails.

Iron deficiency is one of the most difficult to treat deficiencies, so it’s important to take them as recommended.

Follow-up care after your bariatric surgery
Your vitamin and mineral supplements are just one of the things that will be discussed during your follow-up care.

At New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery in Knoxville, TN, patients will have a series of follow-up visits after your surgery. Patients meet with our Registered Bariatric Dietitian, Krystal Cameron at 1 month, 4 months, 4 months, 12 months and yearly. Krystal will discuss supplementation, diet advancement, and dietary changes.

You will also check-in with our Exercise Physiologist, Morgan Thomas at 2 month and 7 months post-op to talk about activity progression and exercise duration and intensity.

Weight loss surgery is a lifelong journey, and this can bring a lot of challenges, both physically and mentally. So, we highly encourage our patients to join our Weight Loss Support Groups. Joining a support group can help you stay accountable and at the same time, you will receive emotional support and continuous health education. Visit our Support Groups page to learn more

New Life Center for Bariatric Surgery is part of Premier Surgical Bariatrics in Knoxville, Tennessee. New Life is affiliated with the Parkwest Center for Bariatric Surgery, part of Covenant Health Bariatric Services.