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Absolutely no judgement here but I would like to bring up some ideas. As a nurse I would be concerned about the fact that cross addiction is an enormous concern. After WLS people have an increased chance of becoming addicted to other substances since food is no longer feeding our addiction. I would also be concerned that alcohol and cocaine could upset the electrolyte apple cart and be more dangerous for a person that has had surgery vs one who hasn't. Please be careful, it would be crazy if you changed your life with weight loss and ended up an alcoholic. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Seems people are all over the place on alcohol, some within two weeks and others waiting months. Does anyone actually know when it is safe to drink?

Kristen, that is great news. I will pray for a successful outcome. Just follow all the directions, don't drink alcohol (another subject for another post) and you will do great. Solve the emotional eating piece and develop good substitutes that are not food or alcohol. God bless you!

I love to hear that Hagengirl3!Im same age and having revision from band to bypass in 2 days time. I'm so scared that I'm making a mistake and that I'll regret it. Have you regretted your decision for bypass at all?? Can you tolerate alcohol at all? I just hope to have a glass of wine occasionally. Im mostly afraid of never being able to eat out with friends at restaurants again. Its a big part of socialising here in Australia. Have u found foods that you just cannot eat at all? Would you do it again if you could go back in time? Julie Sent from my GT-I9505 using the BariatricPal App

I ate a ton of sugar free fruit popsicles during pre-op diet and in the early weeks post-op. (FYI, even sugar free, they still have carbs so be sure to count those if your NUT requires keeping under a certain number of carbs) Some people do not tolerate sugar alcohols which are found in sugar free products post-op. You will just have to see how they sit with you. Having said all that, what @@Kindle said - get some popsicle molds and then make your own Protein popsicles. Premier Protein ready made chocolate shake right in a mold and then you get 30g of protein with your popsicle treat!

My first post-op alcohol (a glass of wine) was 6 months after surgery. Since then (I'm 20 months post-op and have been at or below my weight goal for almost a year now) I've had one glass of wine or 1.5 ounces of scotch most days. I almost never drink more than the "social drinker" definition (for women) of 7 drinks a week. I don't "party" -- in the sense of drinking lots of alcohol in a single day / night. I've done marijuana once since WLS. I've never done cocaine. So can't advise you there. However, I *know* that, had I ever done cocaine, I'd have instantly become an addict and that the outcome would have been ugly. I agree with those who encourage you to consider what you think a healthy lifestyle for you would look like. I'll also say that losing the weight is the *easiest* part of this whole deal. Creating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle for the rest of your life is the big upside opportunity here. Only you know what the downside of your obesity has been and what the potential upside for you can become. Very best to you!

So first let me say that I have no moral objections to a drink and have the occasional beer or wine myself. The point I'd like to make though is that there were numerous articles about 5-10 years ago touting the health benefits of moderate drinking, mostly around reduced cardiovascular risk. There have been more studies and more analysis of the data since then, and the revised guidance is that for optimal overall health anyway, alcohol shouldn't be part of your program. You might drink because you like the taste of course, but it doesn't make sense to drink with the goal of improving your health.

Kiwijet did you find that the alcohol went straight to your head or no difference? Sent from my iPhone

The first sentence of the post was not to judge- and the first response was just that. If you don't have something to contribute to the convo then don't post at all. In response to the original post, I have been asking the same question myself. I am 3 weeks post op on Monday. I haven't done anything but I am going to give myself 3 months for alcohol and 3 months for weed too. I just will need to control the munchies and drink Water instead which won't harm your stomach if you haven't eaten cause it will run straight through you. As for the coke, I'm going to a festival next month and will be doing some uppers probably Molly/E I think I'll be fine if I stay hydrated but I'll let y'all know. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

Please don't judge me but I enjoy my beer and marijuana and occasionally cocaine in very small doses. I'm a very social person and I have a lot of friends and we like to have a good time. I know that my alcohol intake will change dramatically but if I do a little Coke or smoke some weed, how will this effect my new stomach and my tolerance. This is a very serious question so please be understanding. Thank you everyone Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

P.s. Stevia is also a sugar alcohol and I'm allergic to that too even though it's supposed to be natural!

I am allowed alcohol, I think I had my first at about 4 months out. At my 6 month appt my doc asked what am I having for alcohol. Not if I'm having it, but what am I choosing. He just wanted to make sure it is a low calorie choice and obvi not excessive I drink prosecco, which is fizzy. My doc approved. The big thing is that you must avoid the super caloric, sugary drinks! Margaritas (unless skinny type), creamy type stuff, etc. That's where you can get into real trouble and your losses will be compromised. Eta I'll be 2 years out in September.

I am a sleever that drinks. I was allowed at 3 months and I am four months out now. I don't have the same interest in drinking I use to. I used to drink every Friday and Saturday. 2-3 drinks a night. I think meet the definition of social drinker for a women. But that has really changed for a number of reasons. 1.) You really should avoid any carbonation. I took a sip of beer and it didn't feel good. I am not a big beer drinker so no big loss. But did use to like rum and Diet Coke.... That is out too. At bars I have tried skinny margaritas and did fine. You probably need to be willing to try new things to find something low cal and no carbonation. 2). You can't eat and drink so when your out there is a window when you can't drink alcohol. That lowers your overall consumption.... Which is good we are trying to loose weight right? 3.). Because I am focus on weight loss I limit for that reason as well. 4). It goes to your head faster so I limit for that reason too. With that said I DO enjoy an occasional cocktail. Now the disclaimer.... Follow your doctors orders and plan. Alcohol consumption is empty calories and hinders weightloss Third. There is a correlation between WLS and developing new addictions to things like alcohol. Be careful. But I am sure you already knew that.[emoji57]

I love my friends and family and most are normal weight. "Normal weight" people DO over indulge in food and alcohol during social situations. At this point the sleeve is doing it job and I find the whole display kind of gross. But the company is outstanding. I don't want to left out so I just watch their gluttony.... And kind of feel sorry for them. Food addiction is very different than drug or alcohol addiction. Alcoholics and addicts CAN avoid their trigger substances. Ban alcohol from their homes and avoid bars and social situations with alcohol. We cannot do that with food. You have seen dry weddings but have you ever been to a wedding without food and a big cake? Or a Birthday party, Christmas or any other social situation. Unhealthy food is everywhere. As food addicts we are tormented because we MUST consume our trigger everyday to live. Smokers, addicts and alcoholics it is the opposite.... Not quite fair. We can't expect friends and family to stop living and enjoying social occasions because we can't indulge to the same extent. We need to learn to cope with our inner food demons. I think I am doing that and to lesser extent I can indulge. I do have small quantities if restaurant food especially if they are protein. I had a couple wings and cocktail later in the evening last night. I had a great time with my friends and was satisfied. (FYI I am approved for moderate alcohol consumption).

How far out from surgery are you? Right now it is nice, because I am not really tempted by much that I can't have. There have been a few times when I have had to ask my family to take their ______________ (chips, Cookies, ice cream) to the other room. Later on, when I have less restriction and struggle more with cravings I will have to make a decision, do I stick with my plan, allow occasional treats or gain the weight back. That is a way ahead of me. I hope it will be one of the first two! but if it is #2 that will mean I am at or very near goal weight. Look for what sort of healthy items you could choose when you are with them and they are having something you can't - suggest meeting places with options for everyone. Have something to drink that looks nice in your cup but doesn't have alcohol at this point.

What are you do when the people around you are constantly either drinking or eating something that is easily tempting for someone in our position. My friends say that they're being very supportive of me but they still end up going out and drinking a lot of alcohol in front of me or eating sugary things or even to the point where they'll tell me that they warned me that this was a bad idea. Whenever I go to one outing with them its always there eating very bad fried food and there drinking lots of alcohol and I'm drinking Water and food that's good for me. Has anyone had issues adjusting to their friends lifestyles around them. Sent from my SM-N920V using the BariatricPal App

Can anyone she'd some light on this topic? I'm only a month in and I'm certainly not drinking any alcohol for a whole. I'm asking because I do like a cocktail every so often. What has been your experience? When did you dabble in alcohol again? Thanks. Sent from my SM-G935V using the BariatricPal App

My brother passed away exactly this time last year after a long struggle with alcohol. He was only 47. I took it very hard and gained even more weight doing my version of "coping" and was feeling horrible. Then in August my health problems started. I was diagnosed with PCOS and put on metformin for my blood sugar and was taking 4-5 birth control pills per day. I knew the day I was prescribed all of those pills that it was time! I look at it like I am conquering the addiction that I have allowed to control me. My brother would be proud I think. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@@rmbaldah I am so very sad to hear that things have gone badly for you. I hope that things will get better in the future. I would be curious to know where you had your bypass procedure. Was it a Bariatric center of excellence? The reason I ask is because I see such a huge difference in pre op education depending on where one goes for help. My insurance company required me to use a Bariatric center of excellence. I had to go to classes, I had to take tests and I had to sign contracts before the surgeon would even see me for a consultation. I had gone completely through the 6 month required diet before I even met a surgeon. During that time I was made aware of every risk that could possibly happen. I was held accountable to execute changes in my life before I would even be considered. If I missed one appointment I was warned if I missed 2 there would be a written warning that if I missed a third I would be dropped from the program. I signed a contract that I would not try alcohol for a year, that I would take all my required Vitamins daily for the rest of my life as indicated by my doctors and most importantly that I would go every 6 months for blood work to verify that all my nutrition is in good standing. I know there are many people on this site that were not educated enough about what to expect and what was required. Some people admittedly don't pay attention others simply didn't get it from their surgeons. I don't understand why every surgeon does not require the strict education that I had. Isn't it worth it? After hearing everything you hear that could go wrong, then you get to decide if the risk is worth it. It just makes sense. I am with you, you must do your homework and understand the risks and also understand what is expected of you. If you don't, you could be making a terrible mistake. Surgery for me was a last resort. I had developed a seriously deadly comorbitity, stage 3 chronic kidney disease. I was told I would soon be looking at dialysis and likely a kidney transplant. I chose the surgery knowing it was a second chance at life for me. I had no complications. Yes I have a bit of lactose intolerance in the beginning but that is now gone. For me, having this surgery was the best thing I ever did for myself but I do understand that others don't always have that same experience. I really wish that were not the case. I hope and pray things get better for you. Clearly you have been through the ringer and did not have all the information you needed or you might have chosen not to have the surgery. Hopefully for most this surgery really is the last hope of losing the weight and not their first attempt.

@@OKCPirate ... I look forward to hearing what your medico friends have to say. That study reported in Medscape (thanks for the link, @@butterfly23 ) is based on medical data from 200,000 patients of the US Veterans Administration. Many VA patients have other diseases and behaviors induced by poor self-care that often contribute to subsequent kidney disease and dementia -- diseases like diabetes, alcoholism, poor nutrition, etc. These initial diseases and the behaviors that lead to them are also the kinds of diseases and conditions that cause GERD and, consequently, prescriptions of antacids -- both H2 blockers and PPI meds. Oddly, the study authors assumed something I think they should not have assumed: "As the study authors note, both classes of drugs are generally used for the same indication." Instead, it's been my own observation that MDs prescribe PPI meds after H2 blockers don't lower GERD symptoms. That means to me PPI meds are prescribed for patients who suffer from GERD that is more severe. Patients with more severe GERD (caused or contributed to by greater degrees of primary diseases like diabetes, poor nutrition, alcoholism) might run a higher risk of secondary diseases like kidney diseases and dementia, due to their primary diseases -- not the antacids prescribed for their GERD. It's these kinds of correlations that lower my anxiety about the likelihood of PPIs *causing* kidney disease or dementia. As the lead scientist of the study himself said: ... as Dr Perazella cautioned, neither study proves that the PPIs actually cause adverse renal outcomes. "It must be remembered that these are epidemiologic studies that don't prove causation," he stressed. Indeed, the JAMA Internal Medicine authors themselves note that their study was observational in nature and did not provide evidence of causality.

I would love to hear about your vacation adventures this year. I'm always looking for new places to explore. I'm home from a memorable 25th anniversary road trip with my husband. ( 8 days in a car and we did not kill each other ) Route 66, Las Vegas, Grand canyon and Tombstone. Indulged in alcohol and expensive restaurants. Still in love with my man! Enjoyed a pool party in Las Vegas. I was comfortable showing skin with the help of a few cocktails. Our anniversary dinner was at a french restaurant. I had escargots for the first time. Hiked areas of the grand canyon. A six pound gain in 8 days. I'm kind of shocked that was all I had gained. I was very naughty. My next trip, I hope will be a bit unusual and away from tourists.

I think alcohol is three months out as well. Although mine recommend longer only so people don't transfer their food issues to alcohol issues, and the empty calories. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

Do you know if that would be the same timeline for alcohol as well? I really miss my glass of wine once in a while and have yet to get a chance to ask my Dr. or NUT.

My doctor gave me the okay to have alcohol, but honestly I can't take it. It makes me sick and I end up throwing up even just having one drink makes me sick.

I tried beer Did any of you feel a throat dryness after waking up? This was two beers drank very slowly, and I stirred as much carbonation out of it before I enjoyed them. It was not right before bed, and I sleep on a wedge pillow. Just curious now if the alcohol in those beers caused the silent reflux? Or if it's something else. But did you experience any negative effects the next day? I felt not so great, even after two beers. I won't ever drink more than that again.