We typically recommend that our patients take a multi-vitamin long term (for years) following a parathyroid operation. The parathyroid tumor(s) has removed calcium from your bones and your bones will heal themselves to some degree if we give them the building blocks they need to build new bone and restore the bone you have to stronger bone. It is important to understand that bones are living tissue, so they need the proper nutrients to be healthy.
Bones are more than just calcium
Although calcium is the major mineral within bone, good bone health also requires magnesium as well as some other trace elements like strontium. The best way to get these trace elements is by taking a good multi-vitamin every day. There are a number of good brands, but we still like the typical brands that are available almost anywhere like Centrum Silver and Woman’s One-a-Day. We like the ones that are intended for senior citizens even for our youngest patients because these formulations are designed to give more bone-related nutrients and that is why we are taking these pills.
When should you start?
We typically tell folks to start the multi-vitamin about 2 weeks after the operation, because we already put you on 5 or more calcium pills per day. But it really doesn’t matter; you can start your multi-vitamin pill a few days after the operation if you want.