Patients who have weight loss surgery are at a greater risk of developing vitamin deficiencies after bariatric surgery. Bariatric surgery alters the anatomy and digestive tract, significantly affecting vitamin and nutrient levels postoperatively. If left untreated, these nutritional deficiencies can have long-term effects.
A nutritional deficiency is most commonly a result of malnutrition caused by not eating enough (nutritious) food or developing an eating disorder. However, after bariatric surgery, malnutrition is almost always a result of the procedure itself. The gastric bypass and the duodenal switch are both malabsorptive procedures, meaning you cannot absorb all the nutrients consumed. Combined with the effects of eating fewer calories due to the restrictive nature of all bariatric procedures, including the gastric sleeve, patients have a heightened risk of developing nutritional deficiencies after bariatric surgery.
It is not uncommon for patients to have vitamin deficiencies before their bariatric procedure. So if you are thinking about surgery or in the pre-op phase, it is important to talk to your doctors to ensure that you get the correct supplementation for normal vitamin levels before your bariatric procedure.
Bariatric patients have a greater risk of becoming deficient in specific vitamins, including vitamins B12, B1, C, A, D, and minerals such as iron and calcium. If you have the duodenal switch procedure, you are also at risk of being deficient in vitamins K and E.
The most common vitamin deficiencies after bariatric surgery are Vitamins B12 and B1; therefore, we pay close attention to those vitamins when we read your labs. If your bariatric office finds low levels of a specific vitamin, they may recommend you supplement with it until you can adjust your vitamin levels to meet the correct ranges.
You should have your vitamin levels checked every six months. We strongly encourage patients to have their bariatric office draw their labs instead of their PCP since we check for different vitamins and ranges. So make sure you follow up and have regular check-ins with your bariatric care team.
Although vitamin deficiencies after bariatric surgery are common, not every patient will be affected, especially if you take your bariatric multivitamins (we recommend the Ness Vitamins products).
Trying to prevent vitamin deficiencies is crucial as they can have long-term effects. Vitamin deficiencies can be hard to catch early on, but once you do, you may already have developed irreversible problems from those deficiencies.
For example, if a patient has low calcium levels for a month, they may feel fine. But after years of low calcium levels, they may experience shocking health problems such as their teeth breaking and falling out or their bones breaking very easily. And although you can try to prevent further issues in the future, you already have the broken bone or dental issues.
So make sure that one of your top priorities each day is to get those bariatric vitamins into your system to prevent deficiencies.
Vitamin deficiencies after bariatric surgery can range from feeling lethargic, fatigued, and having a lowered immune system to aggressive symptoms such as memory loss, vision loss, and cognitive issues.
Another side effect of vitamin deficiencies is hair loss, especially among our female patients. Hair loss can be worrisome; it doesn’t feel good when you lose chunks of hair after showering or brushing. Although some degree of hair loss is common in post-bariatric patients as they lose weight rapidly, sustained hair loss could result from a vitamin deficiency.
When your body does not have the proper nutrients to support your organ’s health and hair health, you will begin losing more hair than what is considered “normal.” So make sure you are taking your bariatric vitamins and eating nutritious, high-protein meals to prevent excess hair loss.
Vitamin deficiencies do not feel good or look great. And although there is a wide range of symptoms, with some popping up earlier than others, the best way to prevent any lasting side effects is to ensure you take your bariatric vitamins every day.
It is important to note that your bariatric vitamins supplement your diet. Different vitamins help other ones absorb, and they all work in balance in your system. When you develop a deficiency in one vitamin, you risk creating a deficiency in another. So it is also essential to eat a well-balanced diet along with taking your bariatric vitamins.
