Tespo Vitamin Dispenser? Have any of you seen this and/or do you have thoughts on this?

[writegirl]

Okay, so as a pre-surgery DS patient I am seeking out ways to make sure I get my daily supplements after surgery while taking as few pills as possible. I do not swallow pills easily and they often screw with my stomach now, so taking like 50+ pills a day honestly does worry me. In my research, I came across the Tespo vitamin dispenser and the company has a formula designed for bariatric patients. I do not expect this to be perfect but damn, if it can make life a little less complicated and getting some supplements via a liquid form, I would be willing to pay handsomely for that. I'm sure I would still need to supplement some things beyond what comes in the Tespo and perhaps even take more than one Tespo pod per day for DS dosing, but what say you veterans. Is this Tespo thing something worth trying?


https://gettespo.com/shop/bariatric-women/

 

[aaa]

It's scary to think how many Bariatric Bundles I'd have to buy to fill my daily vit/mineral quota.

Our vit/mineral intake is pretty much based on blood draws. When I looked at the women's bundle; well, it wouldn't come close to the amounts I need each day. Sorry.

 

[southernlady]

I saw that product @writegirl but it isn't anywhere near what we need so I passed it by.

 

[Clematis]

Yes WAAY too low in many if not most areas. Understand that the term "BARIATRIC" slapped on a label may (but probably not) be suitable for a non-malabsorptive procedure, like a band or sleeve, and in no way applies to the highly malabsorption DS. (The term "BARIATRIC" also doubles the price!) Your vitamin needs will differ greatly from any other person with DS. Why? First because one person's DS may not be another person's DS -- limb lengths and percentages. But mostly people just absorb nutrients differently and no one knows why. Draw comprehensive labs every 6 months and adjust vites based on results.

As for pill swallowing, yeah this can be a real challenge early on. At least it was for me. I would sometimes gag on calcium pills before DS. (Remember you don;t need vites for first 3-4 weeks as you will have stores.) But then I found it uncomfortable swallowing anything early on. My sleeve was rebellious. I had a big heavy professional pill crusher (about $50 on Amazon) and crushed the biggest pills (calcium and magnesium) and stirred into yogurt. They had no taste, just made the yogurt gritty. Six months later and I could swallow 3 calcium tabs and a magnesium pill at the same time! You'll be surprised at what you can get used to. (My husband said he could never stand changing a diaper but within a month he could do so while eating a meatball sandwich.) The other pills are very manageable and some like A and K are teeny. I think I take about 20 pills a day, not 50.

 

[writegirl]

Thank you all for your feedback on this. I realized that the amounts are low and far too low on some vitamins. However, couldn't something like this be coupled with the multi-vitamins that (wrongly) claim to be enough for bariatric patients? I'm wondering if taking the real required levels of vitamins for a DS patient could be streamlined by combining the multi-vitamins with something like this Tespo dispenser and save me having to chug down even 20 pills. I can't imagine what swallowing all those pills will be like because I really do have a hard time choking them back. I like the idea of liquifying some of them. I don't think this Tespo thing can replace additional supplements, but it might be useful in conjunction with them. I wonder if the claims that their vitamins are more absorptive could be correct. Certainly, even if it is for a regular person, I do understand that would be much different for a DS patient.

I'm committed to making sure I get the correct level of supplements to keep me healthy and if taking pills is the only way to do that, I will figure out work arounds and get that done. However, in the year 2017 surely there are some better alternatives than hard-to-swallow pills for supplements, right? Even if that means you still do take some supplements in pill form. I am just freaked out about taking 20+ pills post-op when I can't swallow them or stomach them well pre-op.

Call me a dreamer lol.

 

[Munchkin]

I looked at these when they first came out and looked again at your link. Not adequate, sorry. Not even close. Plus I bet these taste HORRIBLE!

I am not a huge malabsorber so what I need supplement wise is a relatively light load for a DSer. I do take 2 multis per day then after I add in everything else, I am still taking about 30 pills a day.

If you can't do this, the DS is probably not for you! I do know there are some people getting D injections instead of or in addition to taking the pills.

 

[southernlady]

Even if that means you still do take some supplements in pill form. I am just freaked out about taking 20+ pills post-op when I can't swallow them or stomach them well pre-op.

This is something you will have to get over to some extent if you want a malabsorptive surgery.

There are some that are not available in capsule or chewable or liquid form (and don't get us started on patches cause they are just all wrong for DSer's.
Yes, the D and A,and K are in capsules, the capsules can be opened and added to something. Calcium can be had in chews (@Larra does those), but be aware that chews can have sweeteners and the carb counts can add up quickly. There is also UpCal (a powder), or BoneUp which is a capsule and can be taken apart.

Multi...make sure it is a good solid generic Centrum Equivalent. I do the Costco Kirkland Daily Multi. I do three a day.

So the total of pills to actually swallow may be just a few. BUT YOU aren't sure yet. That comes with time.

Let me ask it this way, if you had cancer and the ONLY way to take your meds would be to take big "horse" pills, would you just not do it or would you do your damnedest to get over that aversion? No, WLS is not a life and death surgery like having cancer would be but the same idea applies. Work on the aversion now. If you can't get past it, maybe the DS is not for you.

 

[writegirl]

This is something you will have to get over to some extent if you want a malabsorptive surgery.

There are some that are not available in capsule or chewable or liquid form (and don't get us started on patches cause they are just all wrong for DSer's.
Yes, the D and A,and K are in capsules, the capsules can be opened and added to something. Calcium can be had in chews (@Larra does those), but be aware that chews can have sweeteners and the carb counts can add up quickly. There is also UpCal (a powder), or BoneUp which is a capsule and can be taken apart.

Multi...make sure it is a good solid generic Centrum Equivalent. I do the Costco Kirkland Daily Multi. I do three a day.

So the total of pills to actually swallow may be just a few. BUT YOU aren't sure yet. That comes with time.

Let me ask it this way, if you had cancer and the ONLY way to take your meds would be to take big "horse" pills, would you just not do it or would you do your damnedest to get over that aversion? No, WLS is not a life and death surgery like having cancer would be but the same idea applies. Work on the aversion now. If you can't get past it, maybe the DS is not for you.

I'm glad you put it in these terms. I'm ordering a pill crusher today and will order the powdered Calcium to start taking now, ahead of surgery, and acclimate myself to it. For the rest, I will do the good quality multi-vitamins as you've suggested and figure out a way to suck down whatever I have to in pill form. This is life or death for me. I know that if I stay this heavy and keep going the way I am going now, I will die from complications arising from obesity. It may not be cancer (thank goodness), but it is just as fatal if not treated.

Maybe I'll find a way to make it fun lol--display my thirty+ pill bottles on some amazing counter shelf or something. And, just so it is clear to everyone here, I am not looking for a way to take "shortcuts" to my supplement needs. I fully do understand how vital it is to take my supplements--whatever they may be--every day and without exception. My sister had RnY like 20+ years ago and is in deep supplement deficit. She is non-compliant and now needs her hips replaced. I'm not going to be that patient. I will find a way to take whatever supplements I have to take and I am not going to play around with my newly malabsorptive digestive tract. I was only hoping there was a more humane way to injest the needed supplements other than pills.

Thank you for giving me the feedback and the reality-check. XO