Search the Community

This is what my surgeon told me. He said that it will likely affect me more quickly and to be careful when drinking. He by no means said, however, that I can't or shouldn't drink. I've also seen that some surgeons differ on when alcohol can be consumed after surgery. I only have to wait 6 weeks, but have seen that others say 3 or 6 months.

Does alcohol alone make you dump? So straight moonshine would be OK?😀 Is it just sugary mixers that's the problem?

Day 3 here. Definitely not getting enough protein. Only bought vanilla premiere protein and can barely get it down because of the aftertaste. I ordered protein powder online Thursday and because of the holiday, will not receive it until Mon/Tues. I'm waiting on my husband to get home so I can do some liquid food shopping. Took another test, negative and have cramps so that is the last I will be writing about that. Went out last night and brought my crystal light with me. Did not miss the alcohol; but had major food cravings. There were snacks all over the place. My toddler has been having tantrums all weekend. He's non verbal with limited vocabulary so that's how he shows me he's upset. Despite that I've been trying to give him as many hugs as I can besause I will not be able to hold him for a few weeks. Ive been having creamed soup for 1 meal each day and its the only thing that holds me if only for a couple of hours but I feel like I'm cheating, each can has 9g of carbs plus the 1% milk I use. So I'm looking for alternatives. Oh and I have had no BM in 2 days. But, I'm down to 281 Sent from my SM-G930T using BariatricPal mobile app

The issues regarding alcohol and WLS are the following: Healing - alcohol is corrosive to the raw stomach tissues that have been exposed during surgery, so we need to keep away from it while the stomach heals. Surgeons differ in their opinion as to how long that should be, from a few weeks to a few months. Liver health - starting out obese or worse, our livers are often in pretty poor shape (hence the "liver shrinking" pre-op diets that some surgeons impose). Further, our livers are further stressed by their role in metabolizing all that fat that we are losing, and doesn't need any further stress from ingesting a liver toxin like alcohol (that's not a moral judgement, just basic physiology.) Surgeons vary widely as to how much this bothers them depending upon their backgrounds and WLS philosophies (short term vs. long term.) In my doc's program, we are under contract to not drink as long as we are in a weight loss phase (call it a year, though ideally forever) - with his "sideline" as a liver transplant surgeon, he doesn't want any of his bariatric patients coming back onto his transplant table. Transfer addiction - to the extent that we are/have been addicted to food (a very individual thing) that we can no longer satisfy, courtesy of our WLS, we can be prone to transferring those addictive tendencies to something else - alcohol, drugs, gambling, shopping, etc. So, a casual drinking habit pre-op can (and often does) morph into full blown alcoholism.

If you're eating 700 calories and 300 of them are wine...and you don't see this as an issue...you might have an alcohol dependence problem. Just sayin.

Only an observation...but I think gastric sleeve vs gastric bypass is the answer to why some people seem to tolerate / handle alcohol and others get hit like a brick in the head. I have a friend who had a sleeve and he can sit and drink 5 vodka cranberry drinks and it seems to not phase him. (BTW, he is 2 years in and has not had any weight regain.) I on the other hand with a gastric bypass cannot finish 2 vodka drinks without passing out before finishing my 2nd drink. Go figure, I tell my wife I am a cheap date, but seriously I will never drink and drive (not that anyone should) not even after 1 drink. My experience at home has taught me that I cannot handle even a fraction of my pre OP alcohol consumption.

and my doctor said 3 months... big difference eh? The point is that everyone's program is different. The only consistent thing is eventually they do allow alcohol again.

I've experienced the blackout thing post-surgery, too, after 3 glasses of wine, so be careful. I think its because the alcohol enters you colon more quickly that before? Drinking contributed to my original weight gain, and I suspect it is slowing my weight loss, but I find complete abstinence difficult. That night where I had 3 glasses of wine was 3x6x20=360 calories!!!!!!

Well I hope everyone is surviving through this virus situation. i felt like updating everybody I'm pretty much 6 months post op give or take a few days! This has been an incredible journey to say the least. Had the RNY BYPASS surgery and I believe it completely changed my metabolism; I've lost so much weight and it's like I can't gain weight. i actually started my own pre-op diet roughly 8 months ago way before surgery and my highest weight was 322lbs. I was weighed in for surgery day at 257lbs. Over the past few weeks I've pretty much hit maintenance I believe and I'm weighing in between my lowest day of 168 and my normal days of 170/171 obviously weight can fluctuate from day to day. I am gobsmacked how well I've done and how good I look but I know I really need to start to tone up and build muscle. My main focus from Day 1 was to just shed the weight off lose the LBS and I've done that. Never thought I'd get this far. In the past few weeks I've really tested my metabolism over Easter I had some chocolate and some crisps and a few alcoholic beverages but it appears not to make much difference at all to my weight but obviously I'm back on track still logging my food intake most days and some days still using protein shakes when I'm busy or not that hungry literally 6 months post op some days I'm still not hungry..... So in summary I've lost max 154lbs since day 1; 8 months ago and in the 6 months since surgery day I've lost 87-88lbs and I'm feeling great and it's weird people now telling me I've got to stop losing weight LoL. I'm finally the slimmest one in my group of friends. People treat me differently in general. I've included a photo it's not the best angle as it's hard to take photos of myself but you get the general idea considering the amount of weight I've lost there's not a huge amount of excess skin the main area is my lower belly abdominal area!!! I really truly believe my metabolism and the way my body processes food has completely changed and it's an amazing feeling!! MIKEY xxx Feeling great 35 years young

I have an occasional glass of wine with no ill affects. Sugar is my drug, not alcohol.

i was sleeved by dr. fernando garcia in t.j. exactly 11 months ago. he is great the staff is kind. you will be safe i promise. my advice is LISTEN to what they tell you. if you are not hungary after great. dont worrie. just dont over eat or eat the wrong food. no diet cokes no alcohol. and you will look great and feel better. honestly i love being sleeved. but its still hard. im hungary, and fight eating right. is it easier than before yes.

There is never a 100% no to any food but carbonated beverages seems to be very hard to tolerate because of the bloated feeling after drinking them... this goes for beer also, you should be able to have alcohol if you want i dont see why not?

drinks or coffee might be hard on your sleeve if you're nervous. Remember you can order tea at most places that have coffee; it might be a little easier on your tummy acid-wise. You might not get nervous; I seem to remember being kind of flipped when I went to meet my now-husband for the first time. :-) If it was dinner, I probably wouldn't just come right out with the fact of my surgery early, but it's hard to know what this old married chick would do. LOL I know when I've been on business dinners with new friends/colleagues, I haven't really felt like "going there," so I fall back on my usual restaurant routine-- 1. Order Water so the waitperson will not worry about you not having a drink. 2. Order a side salad as an appetizer and Soup or appetizer for your main course. I always say something like this: I'd like to start with a side salad, please, dressing on the side, and for my main course, I'd like the appetizer shrimp cocktail (or cup of soup), please. Then I smile and hand them my menu. Nobody bats an eye. 3. When the salad comes, push it around, nibble, enjoy it but don't eat until you're full. Nobody will care--I promise, if they notice, it's not going to be a big deal if you still seem like you're enjoying yourself and are relaxed. I did have a colleague once ask me why I wasn't eating very much, and I said that I didn't like to eat big meals when I was working (which is true, although sort of evasive). He teased me about "being good," and I just laughed and went on. No big deal. I have also said, which is also true, that big meals make me sleepy, and I like to stay sharp when I'm working. People understand that completely. Ironically, the smaller I've gotten, the less people seem to notice that I'm not eating much--wait staff are all very unconcerned that I'm sharing my husband's meal--they just bring an extra plate and no big deal. I think it's pretty common these days, with restaurant portions being so huge. I also like the tricks of putting down my fork/spoon often, talking, enjoying the table conversation, really having time to listen to my dinner companions. You might get the reputation of being the nicest date in town--a cheap date (you don't drink alcohol and don't eat much!) who really pays attention to her companion!! Best wishes!!

I suppose you do what's comfortable for you. But, for me, I stay silent on it all together for a while. They don't know the "you" before...so you don't have to introduce them I avoid dates surrounding food and recommend coffee, a drink (where I may or may not drink alcohol). If they ask about food I say I had a big lunch, aren't hungry, etc. once you get farther out you can eat, but won't eat as much and can use the same excuses. Good luck!

I'm allowed alcohol but alcohol is too high in calories sadly.

I was sleeved on 12/14/16. The only people that know are my husband and 3 kids. I don't live near the rest of my family, but I speak to them often. I've already lost 34 lbs since I last saw them, and will hopefully lose alot more before I see them again. They will be surprised! Even now I have told them that I started seeing a nutritionist and cleaned up my diet, with little to no carbs, no alcohol and no sugar, and that I've been working out. That's all they need to know. When I see them and have meals with them, all I will say is that I eat til I'm full, as long as it's clean. Sent from my SM-G920T using the BariatricPal App

I'm about 5 months post op... My 21st birthday is in 6 months which will make it 11 months post op & for my 21st birthday of course I want to go out & have a drink. What drinks settle good? & you haven't had problems with? Just need opinions on drinks.. To the ppl that have negative comments don't try it with me...

I drink bubbles occasionally with no issues. I do agree though that it can be quite acidic so I recommend going for top quality and dry. Think champagne rather than methode traditionelle. Of course,t his is dependant on how far out you are. I am twenty months post OP and had the all clear for alcohol at 6 weeks post OP. It was six months post OP before I had champagne. So your own plan needs to be taken into account here.

There is a carb-sugar craving that probably comes from the bacteria in our guts. We (speaking for myself for sure, but maybe a lot of you) are not strong enough to resist that craving. That’s why I used the sleeve surgery restart of eating as my point to stop eating all processed carbs or sugars and only a bite a day of fruit, or eating any fake sugars, because the sweet tastes keep those bacteria forcing us to crave. I don’t want to gain all the weight back. I’m about 16 months out. So yeah, for me, not eating those carbs has made me not want them at all for real - not lying. If I eat something like a tortilla chip I immediately feel sick-ish. AND I LOVE THAT. I am sure I could force myself to eat cake and pasta and chips and candy again and build up a population of gut bugs who want that stuff. But why??? I’m not fat any more, omg, I like this. I want to live a long time! But with alcohol, I would like to have SOMETHING to drink on special occasions. But I can’t tolerate anything sweet at all. And I don’t want shots or really hard stuff because I am not a big drinker. So I’ve decided to try a Gibson as my first mixed drink. I want something salty not sweet. I bought all the ingredients. Maybe thanksgiving will be my first time to try alcohol. Wish me luck. (Just one drink - hoping I don’t feel yucky or sick but if I do, I guess it’s cannabis only for me now, lol.)

Chantal, you have all our sympathy and support. You have gotten some great advice and everyone's stories are so moving. You're in a very difficult situation indeed, but as others have said there is NOTHING to be gained if your children are the only reason you are sticking this out. I'm a product of a divorce and I can tell you my life IMPROVED immeasurably once my dad moved out. Neither parent was at all abusive or anything, but the tension between them was so thick that when they finally did the deed my only response was "what took you so long?" I was 8 years old. It didn't fix all our family problems, but it fixed THE BIG ONE and let those of us who weren't addicted to alcohol (i.e., everyone except my mother) move on and heal. My father found new love and became a healthier, happier person which made me happier too. If simply being in the same room causes tension between the parents, no one in the family can ever be comfortable. And don't kid yourself, children know this. What can you give them as part of this couple that you can't give them alone? Pain? Tension? Grief? Worry? These are not things you want them to have, right? And being a single mom is hard, absolutely. But you know it can be done. Your friends and family will flock around you and surprise you with talk of how glad they are that you have freed yourself from this ugly situation. And you will be yourself surprised at how wonderful it is to not worry all the time about what the next fight will be about, and how to keep your husband from dropping some really important family ball. Hell, you already run everything yourself, so you'd just have fewer people to take care of if he were gone! And a lot less laundry, I'll bet. An added bonus would be that if you left him you'd also be leaving his mother. My story isn't as dramatic as some others, and my first marriage was blessedly short. But the man I married sounds a lot like your husband. He never got violent with me but I could see it was coming someday. Once he threw a fistful of hamburger meat in my direction (don't ask me why, I have no recollection), and it hit the wall near me with really shocking force! I knew he had missed intentionally but I was amazed at how hard he had thrown it. That was the first time I realized I might be in danger someday. We never talked and for the last 8 months of our marriage I hardly saw him at all. I kept thinking that this would pass, that in 10 years we'd laugh about the hard times, but after a while it dawned on me that he was doing it on purpose. As a Catholic he'd never suggest divorce, but being married to me didn't mean he actually had to SPEAK to me, right? I finally walked out, convinced I'd be single forever. Six months later Mr. Right walked into my life and I've never looked back. Of course, I didn't have children then so it was an easier decision to make with fewer logistical problems, but when it needs to be done there is always a way. My thoughts are with you, Chantal, please don't hesitate to get in touch if you need anything.

It's vasovagal syncope or vasal vagal response. It can be involuntarily triggered by a number of factors, including prolonged standing, alcohol, fatigue, hunger, and anxiety. Vasovagal syncope is caused by low heart rate and blood pressure, leading to inadequate circulation. The reduced oxygen supply to the brain results in syncope, or temporary loss of consciousness (fainting). Individuals usually regain consciousness within a few minutes and their prognosis is good, although the syncope has a tendency to recur. Though it can be a serious problem because it causes our blood pressure to decrease, our heart rhythm to slow, and can cause it to change rhythm, it isn't always a problem. We do a voluntary vasovagal manuever when straining while using the bathroom, or pushing out our babies (bearing down). In the case of PSVT or SVT a vasovagal manuever can be a life saver in that it can sometimes quickly change the svt heart rhythm back to normal. Good Luck, let us know how it goes for both of you!

Sounds to me as if you have some folks who are uneducated and scared to take responsibility for your coumadin/warfarin maintenance. If he thinks you may have a problem because of a fill, He is really very naive. It's a pin prick. They're not going into an open vein or artery. The amount of blood loss you may have is minimal, less than a nose bleed for sure, barely more than a finger stick, in my experience. True, blood thinners are critical drugs, but with patient knowledge and doctor's education, it's very manageable and easily maintained. I was bounced between my PCP and finally, a cardiologist to monitor mine because the PCP just was not comfortable with being responsible for the maintenance. Today, I do my own home testing, I call in the PT/INR to my Cardiologist's coumadin clinic and all is well. Of course, I know that the last thing I want to do is get dumped off the back of a motorcycle going down the freeway, or be involved in a major collision in my car. I don't skydive on a regular basis, but if I knick my legs shaving, I am NOT going to bleed to death. The day I got my lapband, they also inserted a vena cava filter, so that I might prevent any further major issues in my lungs, brain or heart. I have had numerous fills since without ever having to halt any meds or taking any extra precautions. To help manage your INR be sure to arm yourself with knowledge about different foods and drink that effect the drug levels. If you eat too many foods that contain Vitamin K/green foods, it will decrease the effect of the coumadin and thicken the blood - hence your levels become to low and clot faster. If you drink too much alcohol, cranberry juice, grapefruit, other things, you could cause it to become too thin. These are all serious but manageable things as long as you empower yourself with the knowledge it takes to maintain. Check out this website for great information www.ptinr.com Good luck!

Everything gives me gas. It's a big problem. I think splenda gives me gas too. I know anything with sugar alcohol gives me gas worse than I ever thought was possible. Milk products definitely give me gas too. Like I said, it's a big embarrassing problem!

Keep in mind, “sugar free” doesn’t mean “carbohydrate free”. If the label says “sugar free,” that means that the product has less than ½ gram of sugar per serving. The product can still be high in carbohydrates. Sugar alcohols are often used as a sweetener because they don’t usually raise blood sugars. However, sugar alcohols can have 1.5 to 3 calories per gram. Evaluate you habits before adding in treat foods. Is your overall nutrition in the healthy range? Are you disciplined with your eating and supplements? Are you getting regular exercise? An occasional small treat might be reasonable based on evaluating your overall eating and exercise habits. Consider working with your bariatric program’s dietitian to see how these foods might be worked into your food plan.

How much pain you have is variable. I had none after my sleeve but I really knew about it with my gall removal. But the surgical gas is mostly in your abdominal cavity not in your digestive tract so burping & farting have minimal impact. The surgical gas rises up behind your lungs putting pressure on nerves which cause the pain. The gas is absorbed into your lungs & breathed out. Walking, marching on the spot, pumping your arms up & down, slow deep breathing all help you breath that gas out. Heat packs can help with any discomfort. It usually takes about a week to fully pass. Additional burping or farting can be from the shakes, any sugar alcohols used in the shakes or drinking too quickly, plus the change in your digestive process could be adding to it while your body gets used to the changes. GasX may help with this gas. As with everything if it persists or gets worse give your team a call.