Frequently Asked Questions
About our Multis
You take one Multi a day. The Gikavi Multi products are specifically formulated for your type of surgery, so you only need one capsule a day to take the right increased dose of vitamins and minerals.
We advise you to take the Multi P, G or E right after your meal.
It is best to take the capsules with a sip of water or a sugar-free drink. If you find this hard, you can also open the capsule and mix the contents with sugar-free juice or something else you like. The chew (Calcium Soft Chew) is easy to chew.
Because of the permanent changes of your body (as a result of the surgery), your body is no longer capable of absorbing the right amount of vitamins and minerals. That is why we recommend using the Multis every day.
The Multi P and Multi G are 2.2 cm. The Multi E is about 2 cm. If you find it hard to swallow, you can also open the capsule. You can then still take the contents of the capsule, for example by mixing it with a little sugar-free apple or fruit sauce.
Do you need help, or would you like personal advice? Please call 0031 10 309 18 00 or send an email. We are happy to help you.
Start approximately 14 days after your operation, always after consultation with your doctor. Do not use during (radio) chemotherapy. Combined use with anticoagulants only after consultation with your physician.
Taking supplements after resection is needed because your body is less capable of absorbing vitamins and minerals. This is called malabsorption. The most important causes are:
– A smaller stomach: makes sure you can eat less. It also means that your body absorbs less nutrients from the foods you take.
– Food intolerance: a possible complication after the surgery is food intolerance. Some people no longer tolerate certain foods, such as red meat and dairy, which contain a lot of protein, vitamin B12 and iron.
– No/smaller production of gastric acid: gastric acid makes sure vitamins and minerals are extracted from your foods.
– No/smaller production of intrinsic factor: intrinsic factor is a type of protein that transports vitamin B12 and enables its active absorption.
Supplementary food supplements
Calcium is not part of the Multi because it decreases the absorption of iron. Iron is one of the ingredients of the Multi P, G and E. To receive a sufficient amount of calcium, it is important to take separate calcium supplements. The amount of calcium you need, depends on your type of surgery, among others.
On top of the calcium absorption through foods, it is recommended to take about 1000 extra a day. Your body reaches an optimum absorption of calcium with an amount of 500 mg per time, because the body is not able to absorb more at the same time. It is therefore recommended to use it with at least two hours of time in between.
Bovenop de calciuminname via de voeding wordt aanbevolen om circa 1000 per dag extra te nemen. Uw lichaam neemt de calcium optimaal op bij een inname van 500 mg per keer, omdat het lichaam niet in staat is om meer tegelijkertijd op te nemen. Gebruik deze dan op verschillende momenten met minstens twee uur ertussen.
Take one protein shake a day to supplement your diet. Dissolve 30 grams of Whey Protein Isolate in 200 ml of skimmed or semi-skimmed milk per shake. You can also make this shake with water. For the best result, it is recommended to mix the protein shake in a shaker cup or blender. It is recommended to take the shake in the morning, after physical exercise, or before you go to bed.
Protein is important for the management of strong bones and muscle mass.
In consultation with your nutritionist, you can determine how many grams you need a day to supplement your diet the best way possible. This depends on the amount of meat, fish or dairy (such as cheese, milk and yoghurt) you take every day and your daily activities.
A normal dosage advice per day is about 60 mg. You receive about 30 mg per day with regular foods, so you could supplement it with 30 mg protein powder a day. It is recommended to take it in two parts for the best possible absorption.
No, the Whey Protein Isolate contains lactose.
Yes, it is very important to take extra iron. Why this is important:
– You eat smaller portions, so your body absorbs iron less well from foods.
– Some people experience food intolerance after surgery. If this is the case, it mainly occurs in red meat (an important source of iron).
– Gastric acid is needed to absorb iron. It converts iron from plant foods in a form that the body absorbs well. After a surgery of the upper gastrointestinal tract, there is little to no gastric acid left. This means the body absorbs iron less efficiently.
Once you have an iron deficiency, it is hard to treat and preserve a constant serum level in the blood. It is therefore very important to prevent an iron deficiency! Do not wait to take extra iron until you experience an iron deficiency.
The body absorbs the form of iron in our Multis very well. Good to know; take the iron (in the form of Multis) at least two hours before or after your calcium supplements. This is because calcium prevents the absorption of iron.
Our Multis contain a relatively high dose of vitamins and minerals, and of some micronutrients it is known to cause nausea. It can help to take the Multi with coffee because of the coffee’s acidity.
Another reason for nausea could also be that the stomach, oesophagus and small intestine are still quite sensitive. A lot has changed in your body after surgery, so some people experience intolerance for certain foods. Such as pasta and (red) meat. You can try to take the Multi right before going to bed. This way, you may not experience nausea at all.
We use clinical studies to evaluate the activity and safety of our products, but we also pay attention to the customer experience. We are always looking for ways to improve our supplements and the customer experience. We give high priority to decreasing nausea.
About ordering, payment and returns
When you order before 03:00 PM on business days, we ship your supplements the same day. You will then receive the order within appr. 5 business days.
We offer several payment methods via a secured payment gateway. We also accept credit cards, payments via iDeal and PayPal. A familiar, safe and secure way to pay via the internet.
Would you like to order Gikavi’s supplements? Please go to the Get started page to place your order. Would you like to view the products first? Please go to the product page.
Ordering is very simple:
1. Place your desired product / service in your shopping basket.
2. Enter your details. When you ordered before, you can also log in by using your email and password.
3. Select the payment method you desire.
4. Check your order. As soon as you placed the order, we send a confirmation mail, and of course the products.
Would you like to change or return your order? No problem at all. If the product is not as you wish, you will receive your money back within 30 days. Please call 0031 10 309 18 00 or send an email. We are happy to help you.
You can easily change the shipment date in your My Gikavi account. You can do this until two days before the currently planned date. Choose a date in the near future, up to three months after the date that was originally planned. Would you like to postpone your order with more than three months? Please call 0031 10 309 18 00 or send an email to reach our customer care.
After every order, you will receive an email from our carrier (within 24 hours after your purchase). You can find it in your inbox by looking for “Your Gikavi order was sent”. Don’t forget to check your spam folder as well. This mail contains a tracking link. You can use this link to follow your package step-by-step during transport, and you will receive updates on the expected delivery date.
Would you like to cancel your order or our service? We are happy to help you. Please contact the Gikavi customer care. We are there to help.
You can easily change your address by contacting our customer care. We are happy to help you.
Other questions
Click ‘Forgot password’ to change your password. After entering your email, you will receive a mail with a link to reset your password.
Our name (Gikavi) comprises of different elements:
- GI = Gastrointestinal
- Ikigai = a Japanese term that comprises of ‘iki’, which means ‘living’ or ‘life’. And of ‘gai’, which means ‘advantage’ or ‘value’.
- Vi = the abbreviation of vitamins, and ‘life’ in Latin.
