I started taking a multivitamin as insurance and then found out that two of the things I was actually short of were the two it barely contains.
The bit I cannot resolve on my own is which deficiencies actually show up when intake drops this far, and which are worth testing rather than supplementing blind.
I have searched first, so if this is covered somewhere point me at it and I will read it.
emma_london said:I started taking a multivitamin as insurance and then found out that two of the things I was actually short of were the two it barely contains.
Blood count monitoring for micronutrients: my doctor noticed my MCV (mean corpuscular volume) trending up at month 6: 90 → 97 fL. This flagged potential B12 or folate deficiency.
Sure enough, B12 had dropped from 620 to 340 pg/mL. Started B12 injections monthly and MCV normalized within 2 months. GLP-1 agonists can impair B12 absorption — this is a real clinical concern that deserves routine monitoring.
BariatricNurseD said:Blood count monitoring for micronutrients: my doctor noticed my MCV (mean corpuscular volume) trending up at month 6: 90 → 97 fL.
Vitamin and mineral labs to check while on micronutrients — my doctor orders these quarterly:
- B12: Can drop due to reduced GI absorption. Mine went from 650 to 380 — now supplementing.
- Iron/Ferritin: Reduced food intake = reduced iron. Ferritin dropped from 73 to 30. Supplementing.
- Vitamin D: Was already low (20 ng/mL), now taking 5000 IU daily.
- Folate: Stable, no issues.
- Zinc: Slightly low, added a multivitamin with zinc.
Nutritional deficiencies are a real risk when you're eating significantly less. Don't skip your labs!
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View Resultsemma_london said:I started taking a multivitamin as insurance and then found out that two of the things I was actually short of were the two it barely contains.
Mine went the same way, slower.
Clinical perspective, offered as context rather than as advice.
Iron studies on micronutrients — important especially for women:
| Marker | Baseline | Month 6 | After Supplementation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ferritin | 61 | 24 | 51 |
| Iron | 91 | 56 | 84 |
| TIBC | 316 | 386 | 336 |
| Transferrin Sat | 34% | 16% | 25% |
My ferritin cratered at month 6 from reduced dietary intake. Iron bisglycinate 36mg with vitamin C brought it back up. Don't wait for anemia symptoms — test proactively.