One of the most important things you can do after having bariatric surgery is to take your vitamins and supplements regularly. Vitamin B12 is one of the key vitamins for bariatric patients to ensure the growth and replication of all body cells and the functioning of the nervous system.
This vitamin is found in several food selections, such as lean chicken breasts, fish, eggs and breakfast cereals fortified in vitamin B12. However, after surgery patients may not tolerate these foods and the body is less able to absorb the proper amounts of vitamin B12, resulting in a deficiency.
What should your vitamin B12 level be?
Your levels should be between 250 to 900 pg/ml although some patients can have symptoms of deficiency with levels below 400. Levels below 160 are considered critical. Vitamin B12 has no known toxicity level, but there is no reason to have levels over 900. I recommend having your vitamin B12 levels checked regularly after surgery.
How much should you take?
Unless you have a prior history of vitamin B12 deficiency, I recommend that you take 1,000 mcg sublingual of vitamin B12 three times per week. Sublingual vitamins dissolve under the tongue and are absorbed better than pills that are swallowed. Smaller doses taken more often are more effective than one large dose, as only 10 to 30 percent of any food or supplement consumed is absorbed at one time. Alternatively, you may take a prescription vitamin B12 nasal inhaler weekly or a vitamin B12 shot monthly.
View our Vitamin and Mineral Schedule for more on timing.
What are symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency?
If your levels are below normal, you may experience the following symptoms:
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Nausea
- Constipation
- Loss of appetite
- Numbness
- Tingling of the hands and feet
- Difficulty in maintaining balance
- Depression
- Confusion
- Poor memory
- Soreness of the mouth or tongue
A deficiency of vitamin B12 can cause pernicious anemia and other forms of megaloblastic anemia. Vitamin B12 deficiency that is allowed to progress for longer than three months may even produce permanent degenerative lesions on the spinal cord.