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Im 9 days post op and really want a drink, I've been healing well tolerating everything extremely well. How soon can I have a drink? Thanks!

We learned in class to beware of alcohol. While most of us use food as a soother, after surgery we turn to alcohol. Alcoholism jump a significant amount in post-surgery patients. Be careful...you didn't go through ALL THIS just to drink it back on! Plus...do you really need to? Sent from my SM-G935V using BariatricPal mobile app

Maybe you didn't intend for it to come off this way, but if that truly is how you feel then that's something to be concerned with. In all honesty you'll end up feeling the same way if you go and have a bypass done. You have to come to terms with what real hunger is versus head hunger. For years my routine was to get home, sit for a few minutes to rest from the work day, and get something to eat. Even now it doesn't matter if I eat right before I leave work and feel full. By the time I get home I feel hungry. Why? Because it's habit and my brain saying you need to eat. It's no different than old nicotine cravings I would get when I was a smoker. Habit was to always have a smoke right after a meal. Didn't matter if I smoked right before dinner. I obviously had my nicotine fix. But because the habit was to always have one as soon as a meal was finished I thought I was having nicotine cravings. This is a tool. It's not a cure. The mental side to having WLS is just as important as the physical changes from surgery. It's like the old saying/joke of trying not to think about something. If you tell yourself don't think about sex what do you do? Immediately start thinking about sex. If you find yourself constantly dwelling on thoughts of food then there are some addiction issues you need to come to terms with. I fight head hunger all the time as well. It's annoying, so I get it. The more I think about "okay I have to go 3 more hours until lunch so I can eat again" all I end up doing is thinking about the clock and how much longer I have until I can eat. I don't have an easy answer for you. Food me after surgery I tried to look at food as being something I just need to survive and not letting it control my life. I'm perfectly fine having chicken salad and regular salads for 80% of my meals in a week. We food addicts are like alcoholics. It's a battle we're always going to have. Just because you stop going to a bar doesn't mean it's suddenly easier to deal with alcohol dependency. It’s no different than food. Addiction is a b***h no matter what the addiction is.

TALK TO ME!!! I loved kombucha before surgery. I even made my own. I couldn’t drink alcohol because of migraines. So I finished each day with 1/2 - 1 bottle of kombucha and was so relaxed from it. But it has fizz and I was told not to ever for life drink anything bubbly again. So how do you manage to drink kombucha? I am scared to try but I really miss it.

There is no evidence that Kombucha is "healthy", but there is mounting evidence that it may be unhealthy. And the alcohol is no more naturally occurring than the alcohol in wine. Both occur because of fermentation through the introduction of bacteria to a sugar base/broth. I am not a wine drinker, so I can't recommend anything. But I do want to say good on you for waiting on drinking. Wish more people would be conservative in this regard.

I don't drink wine, Moscato or champagne. I just drink Kombucha. It's a fermented tea that has naturally occurring alcohol in it but it's better for you lol. I drink that stuff and don't dump at all. I'm almost 10 months post op. Hw-273 Sw-226 CW-136 GW-130 Size- 4 or 6, Small in sweats. Small in shirts. depends on how it's cut or made. Bra Size- 36C Surgery Date- April 26th, 2017 RNY "Only those who try will become" FFX

It sounds like you were smart about it. Alcohol effects different people in different ways, just like there is a minority of people that don't get dumping syndrome as a result of RNY.

I’m about 14 months post opp and last night I had alcohol for the first time since surgery.... half of a small glass of Pinot Grigio. Honestly I didn’t feel anything or maybe I took to long to drink it or maybe I should’ve finished [emoji81][emoji81] Now that I’m not as scared to drink, what kind of wine do you guys drink or recommend??

That does sound like it is a bit on the low side. One time my mom was lying down on the couch, my daughter called me and said there was something wrong with mom. She was white as a sheet. She couldn't talk. She tried but no words came out, only a few whispers. She couldn't move. She looked like she was dying. We called an ambulance, they came in and measured her blood sugar and I believe it was in the 30's. So 58 is too low. So I think you are right about reactive hypoglycemia. Here is a link https://www.stjoes.ca/patients-visitors/patient-education/f-j/PD 7972 Reactive Hypoglycemia after Bariatric Surgery.pdf According to their webpage: How can I prevent reactive hypoglycemia? You can help prevent reactive hypoglycemia by following your diet guidelines for bariatric surgery. • eat 3 healthy meals and 2 healthy snacks each day • space meals and snacks 2 to 3 hours apart • eat protein at each meal and snack time • avoid skipping meals and snacks • avoid or limit alcohol depending on what stage of diet your are at • avoid or limit caffeine depending on what stage of diet your are at • avoid sweets like cookies, cakes, candy, pop, juice and sweet drinks Instead of sugars and simple carbohydrates, eat complex carbohydrates because they release less sugar over a longer period of time. Having a complex carbohydrate with protein will slow this release even more.

As Little Green pointed out, all of our plans are a little different. I can have dairy, soy, almond, or rice milk with my protein shakes. I can also have nonfat yogurt, lowfat cottage cheese, up to 1/2 cup fruit, and 1 T peanut butter. But not all at once :-) My target parameters: >250 kcal, 20-30g protein, >8g fat, >6g sugar, >15g carb, and >10g sugar alcohols (tho sugar alcohols are discouraged). So my surgeon is shooting for up to 1,000 kcal per day.

It was an encouraging thing to hear a message from my paster about his own personal weight and gluttony struggles. The message centered around 'do you want to be made whole' the example of many given when we go to the ER or hospital outside there are those with an IV pole, smoking with an oxygen mask. The obvious is they want healing but not wholeness. He was convicted by God about his weight when various health issues came crashing down on him. He elected to have a gastric bypass done a year ago. None but a few in the congregation knew. As Jesus said to the man at the pool, 'do you want to be made whole' who'd been sitting there for 38 years. He took up his mat and walked, was made whole. It takes courage to come forward and admit to this, I struggle myself with gluttony and it is sinful to willfully abuse my body in that way because, in the end, it's not being a good steward of my body, and I'm not able to live fully without being whole in every way. Potlucks, dinners etc. at church are a thing, and it's an issue that is swept under the rug a lot. The following are quotes from his notes: "I know this is an extremely sensitive issue. As a recovering obese man, and I purposely choose this phrase and terminology as it is an addiction, no different than drugs or alcohol. Eating sweet and high-fat foods releases dopamine in your brain, pleasure stimulants." "A recovering alcoholic should never take the drink any alcoholic drink, a recovering smoker shouldn’t partake of any tobacco product, a recovering gambling addict shouldn’t be buying lottery tickets! I can’t eat desserts, snack foods etc… It’s certainly permitted in the Bible but I can’t control myself with them. I needed an intervention. As most of you already know, with great conviction, prayer, prompting of the Holy Spirit coupled with the loving support of my family and the leadership of the congregation I elected to undergo Gastric By-Pass surgery a year ago, January 2017. 162 pounds later it's off! But its not over. " "I’ve had comments such as: “oh, you took the easy way”. First I can tell you that no surgery is easy. Second, I recently, much to my chagrin gained 8 pounds of which I immediately got off. Even though I had the surgery I can gain it back by eating the wrong things. The surgery just kicks started my weight loss, I must continue to exercise daily (a fit bit) and log everything I eat, and I mean everything. " His wife Barb has been doing low carb, high protein high veggies some fruit for the last year with him and has lost 60 pounds. She herself is short, but her testimony floored me. God asked her, 'What will you do when you say here I am Lord send me, and yet you are physically unable to be sent?' That stuck with me, and in tears, I repented and daily come to God for assistance. The Bible has a lot to say about taking care of our bodies: Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 It was so encouraging to me that I went to my paster and told him I had the sleeve done in Oct. and he smiled and said congratulations, keep going you look great! As a couple that leads our church, I admire them for their honesty and commitment to God, themselves their family and us as a congregation they've been entrusted with. They both are servant leaders and I am thankful for them. I just thought that this would encourage others, for it says in the scriptures that we are to encourage one another with the very thing we've been encouraged with. Hope this helps someone.

I had to travel for work 4 weeks post-op. I stayed at an extended stay hotel so I would have a kitchen and I bought my soft foods. The company dinner was to a Mexican restaurant. I e-mailed my dietician about options. I asked about the shrimp taco. She said no shrimp until month 4. Since there wasn't anything else on the menu, which I previewed beforehand, I gracefully bowed out of dinner. Fortunately, I wasn't the only one. A few nights later some colleagues went out to eat. I went with them and at the salmon. My dietician is adamantly again alcoholic beverages in the first year because we don't have the enzymes for proper digestion of alcohol yet. It will take a while to get back to that place. So I'd say, skip the wine. Plus it's just empty calories. Happy V-Day!

Hi @daizeoh. Here's more information than you asked for. I'm just a thorough kind of guy, The insurance company will only deny you for these reasons: You do not meet the criteria. Failure to follow the pre-op protocol. Not passing the psychiatric evaluation. Not being covered for weight loss services. CRITERIA: I'm pretty sure the standard rule of thumb for eligibility, at least for males, is a BMI of 40 or up or a combination of BMI of 35-40 with other complicating factors like severe sleep apnea. It may differ for women. PROTOCOL: Each insurance company has different pre-op protocols regarding things like pro-op dieting. Your doctor's staff will know what your insurance requires. There are reports of requirements of pre-op diets ranging from zero to six months as well as other things like endoscopies and other pre-op exams to ensure you're healthy enough to endure the surgery. The doctor's staff will all handle checking with the insurance company to find out exactly what you need. It's probably better to let them deal with the insurance company than doing it yourself since they know exactly what to ask. PSYCH EXAM: If you do not pass the psych exam you may be able to get a treatment protocol to follow that would help you get past that hurdle. The psych exam includes things like not having drug or alcohol addictions, so if you've had that recently they'd require you to be sober for six months. If they determine you have undiagnosed or untreated depression they might recommend seeing a therapist weekly until the therapist believes you have a handle on it. The psych exam also ensures that you have a good support system in place for your recovery period, so if you live alone with twelve cats but have no local friends or family, you're a poor candidate. NOT COVERED: Not all insurance policies cover weight loss services and bariatric surgery. This is something you could call and ask about yourself. If you have coverage through an employer and these services are not covered, it's because your employer decided not to include the coverage, which can be done to keep premiums lower. The most important thing is to ask questions. You'll get a lot of advice here, often confusing and conflicting. In addition, all doctors are different: most will do the surgery in a hospital and have you spend the night, some will do it outpatient and you'll be home by 4pm the same day. Some will require a pre-op liquid diet, others won't. No two people will have a similar experience, so just because one person says they have the same insurance company as you does not mean you'll have the same requirements.

My surgeon suggests that you have Alcohol about 4 - 6 months out of surgery and in smaller concentration.

I had my surgery on dec 12 its my brother bday n i just turned 21 in oct n I really want to drink with him im also go to my first concert with him

I know you can and will take PPIs, in the long run the are gastroprotective Most surgeons surgeons discourage carbonated beverages. A they encourage weight,gain, many of us got fat from overindulgence in Coke, Pepsi and their evil soda cousins. B. Do you enjoy pain? That stuff will bloat up your sore little stomach. If it doesn't cause you to vomit you'll have to belch or blow it out the other end. Alcohol doubtful you'll be allowed to indulge very soon. I've heard 6 months, a year down the road. You have been a workaholic , you do not want to exchange one addiction for another. You'll become drunk on less. And a final note, although I am pre surgery I have gastritis, booze hurts and burns the lining in your stomach and it hurts like the walls of Hades. Sent from my VS880PP using BariatricPal mobile app

1. Yes. Omeprazole was actually prescribed to me for 4 months after surgery to help protect my new sleeve. At first you just open the capsules and swallow the contents....later you can swallow the whole capsule. 2. Sleeve is associated with higher instances of GERD. 3. Carbonated beverages are generally frowned upon for life. 4. Alcohol is discouraged before 6 months post op and is generally cautioned against.....because it has empty calories, because it is metabolized differently after surgery, and because there is a risk of cross over addiction with WLS.

Hi all, I'm currently in my pre-op phase. Not sure if I will be having sleeve or bypass, depends on my EGD results on the 22nd. I'm hoping for sleeve. Anyway, some questions for those of you who are post-op and have reached their new "normal": 1. Can you take pills? My gallbladder was removed in 2004 and I've been on PPI's ever since so not sure if I will still be able to? 2. Does anyone still need to take PPI's now that I'm thinking about it? I suppose it's possible that surgery will eliminate the need for them! 3. Carbonated beverages? My surgeon hasn't said much about them. 4. Alcohol? I'm not an alcoholic or anything but I do enjoy a margarita or martini for my birthday! I'm sure I'll have more questions, these are just what's on my mind lately. Thank you for your honest responses! Luella [emoji5]

I had a lap band placed 11 years ago (and removed 2 days ago!!) but back then my husband voiced his concern that I might lose weight and leave him for someone else (an irrational fear he's always had). My own fear with my upcoming sleeve is that when I lose weight he'll no longer be attracted to me. He's never known me at a healthy weight. We've been married for almost 16 years. Alcoholism, interfering family, lost jobs, bankruptcy, foreclosure, a baby in the NICU, having 3 babies 3 and under at one point, a move across the country and back again 10 months later that was intended to be permanent, health issues for us both, and a child who has fought a brain tumor for almost 4 years...we've made it through all of that, so I pray we can make it through this one too.

My program’s advice was to drink water in between each alcoholic bevvy to remain hydrated. I haven’t had a drink yet but will likely have a glass of wine in a couple of weeks at a social event and am keeping that advice (I’ll be 6 weeks post op by then.)

Just a quick comment I would like to make to back up what a lot of people are saying about the success of ANY bariatric surgery depends on the person, not the type of surgery you may or may not have undergone. None of us here (I don't think) are researchers in this area, and all of our comments are, of course, anecdotal. What happens to 1, 10, 100 of us does not mean a whole lot in the broader spectrum of statistical data. That being said, I would like to add my little anecdote. I was banded in Feb. of 2015 and I have lost 80-ish lbs. I could be doing a lot better, but I get lazy and eat a lot of slider foods. I drink liquids with my meals pretty often. I also partake in alcoholic beverages occasionally, and my beverage of choice is beer. Overall, I am very happy with my success. Then there is my sister. She had the gastric sleeve surgery last August or September and has not lost any weight (as far as I know) other than what she lost during the pre-op diet. She has a very stressful job, drinks alcohol almost every night, and gets up in the middle of the night and raids the fridge. Two different people, two different lifestyles, and two different surgeries.

I feel like it takes alot for me too feel drunk.. beer does not sit well at all. But alcohol I'm afraid to see how much I can drink. But I've drank a good amount and never feel drunk. Pre op I used to get the worst hangovers. Now they're non existent. I have no clue . Don't make sense to me Sent from my SM-G935T using BariatricPal mobile app

I feel this too. Must be after the year I've had of losing weight that the newness wears off and you realize that this is what life will be like. I find myself a bit bored and trying to find things to fill my time. For me, it was also giving up the alcohol. I used to love to come home on a Friday night and have my husband make me a Cosmo (or two or three) at our bar. Or to invite over a bunch of people for appetizers and wine. Food and alcohol were so much a part of my social identity. I was the entertainer, I was the great cook, I always had the stocked bar. But now I am able to breathe, and I can walk and garden and do so many other things that I hadn't been able to for so long. My health has returned and I am no longer diabetic. So yes, no regrets. But I get what you are saying about the lack of coping mechanisms...and for me it is also a lack of social outings that don't involve food or alcohol.

Have had a few things on my mind about the process I'm going through, don't quite know how to explain, but am going to attempt to, because I think others might relate. Food has changed. And I don't say that like some badge of victory. I say it with a little bit of anxiety and a little bit of grief. Everything still *tastes* like it used to....but the effect of food has changed significantly in my life. (and even my physiology) And my preferences for foods have certainly changed. I really LOVED food. Sort of akin to maybe how a homebrewist loves beer. It was my go-to to relax. It made a bad day more bearable. It took the edge off emotionally difficult situations. It was a source of joy and comfort. Back when I was doing my 6 month diet...I still loved food. I still had my little food love affair celebrations. Every Friday, I'd budget my calories and splurge on a glazed donut. (yes, I know this is pure poison)...but it was a wonderful treat, and I really enjoyed that donut I'd earned by being good all week. With a big cup of premium coffee. And I was losing weight, so why not? I told myself I'd still do this once in a while...obviously I can't eat a whole donut....but I thought....maybe one of these days I'll get a donut and cut off a little quarter of it...let hubby eat the rest...and still have my little donut reward for a job well done. Now here's the weird part. I've found myself standing in front of the same donut case...looking at those damned glazed donuts....several weeks in a row now...and I can't get myself to buy one. Not because I think I'm going to screw anything up hopelessly...I won't. Not because I feel I couldn't control the quantity...I know I could. I just feel sad looking at the donuts. Just this weird grief of knowing it wouldn't feel the same if I ate it. And this is what I'm finding hard to describe... It's like the beer homebrew guy...who would really like like a beer....opening up beer after beer...only to find they all taste like ice tea. I mean...sure, ice tea is great...it's wet, you can drink it and not be thirsty. But what you wanted doesn't exist anymore. Food no longer affords me a coping mechanism. And I'm not sure how to feel about that. Part of me is delighted...because I know THAT is the root problem...food shouldn't be a coping mechanism. Food shouldn't be a love affair. That's a big part of why I got fat. But the other part of me feels a little freaked out by this. Like...damn, what do I use now as a coping mechanism? I can totally understand how crossover addictions happen. And while I don't think I'm really at risk for one because I'm expressing all of this to my support people and trying to come up with some other good ideas for coping mechanisms......I understand the danger, now. I think being aware and talking about it helps a lot. I'm avoiding alcohol and other substances that could potentially be problematic, too....at least until I feel like i've got this all figured out and have settled in feeling more comfortable about it. But yeah....this? This was unexpected. My husband said last night.....OK, for a long time you were trying to make a lifestyle change and you equated all of these fantastic outcomes to that someday mythical lifestyle change.....but now that you have made the lifestyle changes you're noticing the reality isn't exactly what you thought it would be. And that's the thing about any major endeavor, there will be surprises, both positive and negative. I think you're doing great, and doing a great job of taking it all in stride. Keep talking to me. I think I'll keep him. No regrets about the surgery...I'm overall increadibly happy. Just trying to describe something that I really didn't see coming.

I've had a drink from time to time but nothing crazy. It hits you much harder than you'd expect. I can have half a beer and it's like "weeeeeee!!!" Which is fun but annoying as well. I don't drink often but love a good craft beer. It's near impossible to go out to eat and drink/eat at a meal. One time I went with some friends to BW3. Managed maybe half of a glass a beer and like 3 wings and I was done. Felt super full and miserable for the next hour. Other times I've spaced it out - drank the beer first (over the course of 30+ minutes) and then ate a little bit and felt fine. It's a crap shoot. Drinks with hard alcohol (like vodka w/ cranberry) are easier to drink, but again there's that risk of how hard and fast it can hit you. Definitely do not be the one to have to drive the first time you drink. Be at home or with somebody that can drive. As the others have said you really have to be cautious. It can become a trigger to eating things that you shouldn't or you end up getting a bunch of empty calories from drinking. I'm a weird one. I have anaddictive personality but can go 2-3 months without having a drink and it doesn't phase me. Yet when I was a smoker I couldn't go for long without having one and there's no way in hell I could ever be a social smoker where I only had one a few times a week.