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if you wouldn't rub alcohol on a wound outside your body less than 30 days post op, then I wouldn't consume it internally. please wait until you are fully healed and medically cleared.

If I'm out sampling groundwater, spray from sampling gets all over your clothes and your equipment. Dust from drilling contaminated sites also settles all over you and your stuff. Some days when I get home I look like I'm ready to be deep fried becuase I'm covered in dust batter. Potentially contaminated dust batter. Some days I pretty much strip in the driveway because I can't bring the clothes I wore to work into the house for washing without turning them inside out. Bringing food and drink into the situation is generally a company no no because of the potential for it to get contaminated dust and splashes all over it. In the short term that's not a big deal, but after a few years of constant intake of low levels of contamination, you can get quite sick. I'm thinking maybe it's time to patent the beer hard hat. I'd fill it with non-alcoholic beverages of course...

@@AvaFern thank you very much for a concise and truthful answer to my question. Just to clarify to everyone, I do not plan to do cocaine or smoke pot because I have random drug tests at work, but everybody has their moments of weakness due to peer pressure or what have you. I'm making a huge decision to have this surgery and I am doing it to live healthier and better my life. I'm 40 years old now but in my 20's up until around the age of 33, I lived a life of excessive partying and drinking. I have two children now and I no longer partake in the drug aspect of that life but I do drink quite a lot on the weekends with my friends and my brothers. I've gone from a pretty steady 215 pounds to the heaviest I've ever been at 290 lbs. my joints hurt, clothes don't fit me anymore, my confidence is all but gone. All I see now is a fat lazy slob that I am ashamed of. I have depression and I'm on medication for it and looking back, I believe I used drugs and alcohol as a means of self medicating. I appreciate all of the posts and well wishes from all of you on this thread. It means a lot. Thank you for listening to my issues and letting me vent. I cannot wait to get this surgery and start to live my life the way it was meant to be lived. It will force me to do the things that I did not have the ability to say no to. I am excited for the future. Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

I'm neither pro or con. I don't and won't personally use it. But that's me. Not you. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4789154/ ******************** https://asmbs.org/wp/uploads/2016/09/Telem-et-al_LSG-Pathway_2016_Final.pdf (From p. 17 of the ASMBS guidelines which helps determine and set standard of care for bariatric patients both pre and post surgery.) ******************* https://www.liversupport.com/medical-marijuana-alcoholism-and-the-liver/ (From the article "Medical Marijuana, Alcoholism, and Your Liver) ****************************** CBD is metabolized by the cytochrome P450 pathway, as are many other things including alcohol, especially almost any pharmaceutical. https://www.alternet.org/drugs/cbd-drug-interactions-role-cytochrome-p450 ********************** Note: When you ingest substances that the liver says, "Hey, we have to deal with this bad boy in a hurry, break it down and get it out of here!" it adds stress on our liver and causes it to work it's ass off. We're already stressing the liver by quick weight loss. Quick weight loss can actually make the liver more unhealthy before the weight loss and weight stability can make it better. So you don't want to add things to your body that: 1. Place more stress on your liver--an organ doing a MAJOR amount of the heavy lifting during weight loss (quick or otherwise). 2. Don't want to contribute to possible relapse into substance use. 3. Perhaps make things more toxic because it enters your blood stream so quickly, since your gut is altered (although no intestinal alterations occur with VSG, you still shorten (dramatically) the time it takes to ingest something to the time it hits the part of the intestine where it's processed by the liver (or into the blood stream where it is still processed by the liver).

I understand it from that perspective but isn’t alcohol just as harmful, if not more? I just don’t understand the dirty looks, etc. Like, I’m 22. Im graduating college with a 3.5 GPA and, so what, I smoke weed. Doesn’t make me a bad person

venting so feel free to ignore. don’t get why there is such a bias against weed. i met with the dietician and social worker today. both asked me about my marijuana usage and alcohol consumption. i said my marijuana use was down (a half lie? it is down but not as much as i said it was) but alcohol was up due to celebrating graduating college on saturday. they were both disappointed that i didn’t completely stop smoking pot, but had no problem with my drinking. they obviously want time to stop both for surgery, but didn’t seem phased about the drinking. in fact the social worker told me to “party it up” this weekend. granted i’m not phased about the drinking either, i’m really not a big drinker, it is just up because of celebrating my graduation and will calm down after this month. but still? i’m just venting but i really don’t understand why there is such a negative bias around pot. what’s the harm!! it’s legal here in MA!!! alcohol is worse for you!!! again just venting so feel free to ignore this

Every surgeon seems to have a different opinion on the subject of alcohol consumption. My surgeon said 6 weeks. Some say 6 months and some are firm on never. I would highly recommend you do not do that right now. You are way too soon post op. Your stomach is not anywhere near healed and no good can come from that right now. You must concentrate on hydration this soon and wine will only hurt that goal.

So you're anti-alcohol of any kinds for WLS patients and think all WLS patients should be or become tee-totalers ... right? Do you feel the same way about alcohol for patients a year out (and in maintenance) as during the weight-losing phases? Do you also recommend no-Cookies for WLS patients? Ever? Even in maintenance? What about cake? Barbeque (and all the sugar in those BBQ sauces)? Chili? Breads? If not all breads, which kinds / brands? What about coffee? Tea? Marijuana? What about sweet potatoes? White potatoes? Fruits -- with or without sugar?

I have the occasional small glass of wine that takes me an hour to drink or a 1 oz. shot of vodka (which I sip over 1/2 hour). No adverse effects and I haven't gotten tipsy from it. That small amount once a week or so is fine for me and I figure it into my daily calories, too. I'm dying for a cold beer, but even a sip of carbonation makes me ill now. I don't recommend alcohol for everyone.

I'm glad everyone has been respectful too. Be careful with the claims in the popular press on health benefits of wine. It's actually much more complicated than "the flavonoids protects you from cancer." Here is an interesting presentation summarizing some of the major studies: http://kisefront02.ki.se/sites/default/files/alcohol_women.pdf The health benefit might be from one glass for women...but that ends with more than one. There is a very slight increase in morbidity as you drink more. But so little that British health officials said to effect "nothing alarming, just warn people to be careful." The most interesting question some researchers are asking is "wine drinkers seem to be more social, and having friends seems to be more important than the wine itself." Wine has been a medicine for 5000 years. Paul in the bible told his protege Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach. But I'm under no illusion that having a glass is going to make me healthier. Hanging around with friends and enjoying laughter might be great medicine, but that is not my motivation ...my motivation is I really enjoy it. Enjoy life, but don't fool yourself over this, I can look at my own family and see the dangers of abuse of alcohol and drugs, but I also enjoy the relaxing properties of drinking. Just be a responsible adult and keep your eyes and mind open.

I know I said my next article was going to be on causes of obesity, but I got carried away tonight doing some investigating about the professional medical guidelines for alcohol use after weight loss surgery. In summary, the gist of the recommendations are: “Patients undergoing bariatric surgery should be screened and educated regarding alcohol intake both before and after surgery… patients should be made aware that alcohol use disorders (AUD) can occur in the long term after bariatric surgery.” (From: http://asmbs.org/resources/alcohol-use-before-and-after-bariatric-surgery.) Bariatric Realities – Medical Professionals’ Guidelines about Alcohol Use & WLS I know I said my next article was going to be on causes of obesity, but I got carried away tonight doing some investigating about the professional medical guidelines for alcohol use after weight loss surgery. In summary, the gist of the recommendations are: “Patients undergoing bariatric surgery should be screened and educated regarding alcohol intake both before and after surgery… patients should be made aware that alcohol use disorders (AUD) can occur in the long term after bariatric surgery.” (From: http://asmbs.org/resources/alcohol-use-before-and-after-bariatric-surgery.) Well, now. Those are some non-specific medical recommendations by medical professionals who are the predominant leaders and caregivers of the surgical weight loss population. Education and awareness. Hey – I am all about education and awareness. Great things, education and awareness. And yet, I’m gonna say that as a recommendation, that is a very “PC” non-recommendation recommendation, when one considers that we are talking about 1) ALCOHOL and 2) WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY patients. Consider these educational nuggets and facts I found that WLS patients really ought to be aware of: Psychologist Stanton Peele, writes, “readers now know that scientifically, it's not alcohol that causes people to live longer, but it is simply being with others and that they are less socially isolated when they drink that prolongs their lives. After all, alcohol is a toxin.” (italics and bold added) (From https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/addiction-in-society/201011/science-is-what-society-says-it-is-alcohols-poison. My comments: Yes – alcohol is a toxin, and that means POISON. Those of us in the medical field really ought to know that people are not supposed to ingest poison. But the recommendations do not say, “Do NOT ingest the toxin, alcohol.” No, no, no… they say be educated and aware. Dr. Charles S. Lieber, M.D., M.A.C.P., in a publication for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, writes, ““A complex interplay exists between a person’s alcohol consumption and nutritional status,” and … alcohol and its metabolism prevent the body from properly absorbing, digesting, and using essential nutrients” (italics added.) Dr. Lieber does indeed, educate us about the nutritional value of alcohol: “Alcohol would not fall under the category of an essential nutrient because not having it in your diet does not lead to any sort of deficiency. Alcoholic beverages primarily consist of water, pure alcohol (chemically known as ethanol), and variable amounts of sugars (i.e., carbohydrates); their content of other nutrients (e.g., proteins, vitamins, or minerals) is usually negligible. Because they provide almost no nutrients, alcoholic beverages are considered ‘empty calories.’ Therefore, any calories provided by alcoholic beverages are derived from the carbohydrates and alcohol they contain.” (italics added) My comments: People who have weight loss surgery (other than the band) experience absorption issues to one degree or another. Nutritional deficiency is one of the concerns the medical professionals monitor in the months and years following WLS. We stress to patients the importance of taking vitamin supplements for the rest of their lives to help ensure proper nutritional balance. And yet, rather than saying, “Alcohol use is unwise after WLS,” or “Don’t drink alcohol after WLS,” the governing body of health professionals for bariatric surgery recommends being “educated” and “aware.” Is that happening? Are the physicians and surgeons and nutritionists and mental health professionals educating patients and making patients aware that ALCOHOL IS A TOXIN THAT CAN INTERFERE WITH VITAMIN ABSORPTION – and it should not be consumed after weight loss surgery? I can’t answer that, although I know we do this at the programs I work with. If it’s not happening, why not? Having a background in direct sales, which, ironically, was incredible education for my later career as a psychologist, I was taught to “anticipate the objections.” Many health care professionals may be pooh-pooh’ing the vitamin deficiency issue associated with alcohol, stating it’s only those who drink heavily who are at risk for this type of vitamin deficiency. That information, to the best of my knowledge, is relevant for persons who have not had weight loss surgery. What’s more, we don’t know the extent to which people are drinking many years after WLS. Most of the research, as noted in the ASMBS Guidelines/Statements entitled ASMBS position statement on alcohol use before and after bariatric surgery, states, “The existing studies do not present a uniform picture regarding the overall prevalence of lifetime or current alcohol use disorders (AUD) in patients seeking bariatric surgery. The vast majority of the existing literature is retrospective, with small sample sizes, lack of control groups, and low response rates. There are also varying definitions of alcohol disorders (“high-risk” versus “misuse” versus “abuse/dependence”) in the bariatric surgery literature.” In other words, this research does provide some information, but remember, we don’t really know that much because there isn’t enough research on enough people over a long enough period of time. We don’t then, know the actual affect that alcohol use has on vitamin absorption for WLS patients. We DO know that vitamin deficiency is a concern, so WHY aren’t we telling people not to drink? Not only is alcohol a toxin for our bodies, “Alcohol is actually classified as a drug and is a known depressant. Under this category, it is the most widely used drug in the world. According to the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)” (italics and underling added). http://www.medicinenet.com/alcohol_and_nutrition/article.htm My comments: I am literally chuckling now at the absurdity of this situation. The situation being the medical professionals, all having a code of ethics that reflects the “do no harm” sentiment, ignoring potential harm for their patients. Please note that we would all consider alcohol as being “empty calories” and having sugar/carbohydrates and certainly no protein. PLEASE let it be the case that the mental health practitioners around the world who deal with surgical weight loss patients are telling them, “Don’t eat empty calories. Eat a lot of protein. Limit the simple carbs and sugar. And refrain from consuming your calories from liquids. NO STARBUCKS. BUT, HEY - GO AHEAD AND DRINK THOSE SUGAR/CARB LADEN, EMPTY, NUTRITION-ROBBING TOXIC CALORIES IN ALCOHOL, THAT ARE, BY THE WAY, THE MOST WIDELY ABUSED DRUG IN THE WORLD.” Honestly, that sentence should be the entire article. But WAIT! There’s MORE! I really love this last tidbit I’ll share with you. It’s so much nicer for me when I can find it online so it’s not that mean, alcohol-hating Dr. Stapleton being the one to blame! “The truth is that no one needs alcohol to live, so regardless of what you've heard or want to believe, alcohol is not essential in our diets. Did you know that a glass of wine can have the same calories as four cookies? How about a pint of lager – surprised to hear it’s often the caloric equivalent of a slice of pizza? You do not need to be an alcoholic for alcohol to interfere with your health and life.” https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/check-the-facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/appearance/calories-in-alcohol Do you hear this, people in the medical profession? Are you giving the OK for your patients to eat four cookies “now and then,” or “in moderation,” or “not for the first six months, or year after surgery?” Do you realize that you may be DOING HARM by giving your patients “permission” to drink alcohol? “But our job is not to be the watchdog or decision-maker for people.” Another potential objection to my dismay about the recommendations being for “education” and “awareness,” rather than a direct, “SAY NO TO ALCOHOL” stance. I agree that no one can make the decisions about what people can or cannot do, or what they will or will not do. People in the medical field do tell people things like, “Don’t get that wet or you could get an infection,” “Keep the splint on for the next six weeks if you want to heal properly.” There ARE dos and don’ts that are educational and increase awareness. What’s the real issue that medical professionals don’t take a hard stance on alcohol after WLS? I don’t know. I do know that I did my dissertation on medical doctor’s attitudes toward addiction. Turns out it is much like that of their attitudes toward obesity: many don’t know that much about it, very many do not feel comfortable working with it, and most don’t care about/understand it. To top it all off, HERE’s the real kicker… Not only do the medical AND some of the WLS organizations not tell people, “Don’t drink alcohol,” THEY PROVIDE ALCOHOL AT THEIR EVENTS! I can’t say any more. Connie Stapleton, PhD connie@conniestapletonphd.com Facebook: Connie Stapleton Twitter: @cstapletonphd LinkedIn: Connie Stapleton, Ph.D.

Alcohol does not enhance anything for me.... But let me smoke a little bit of that good stuff and I transform into something "dangerous" (as my Sugar Daddy says) (but no real danger- I promise!)

B-52 I strive and pray every day to get to where you are. Bandista, yes, it really is freeing. And Karen, YES! I absolutely agree we are like alcoholics. I do come from a family of dependent of something people. It is a struggle most days. Thank you so much for the encouragement! People like you and others on this site are a true God send. Thank you.

No rules as to not being able to drink. I have had a drink maybe a few times a month since surgery and no problems. That being said alcohol seems to make me hungry and so I seem to eat more than I should after drinking.

Get PROFESSIONAL Help! In support group I met a woman who started drinking wine and became an alcoholic. She lost her husband and children in 2 years of this addiction and decided to attend AA Meetings to reestablish a relationship with her children. In the AA Meetings she polled the people and found out 15 in the group had WLS. 1 DIED a slow miserable death. So her warning to us was NEVER drink, it can cost you everything. Sent from my SM-G530T1 using the BariatricPal App

mine smells too. i noticed that as i lose weight my tummy is looking frumped over. like the top is now falling down and it covers up my belly button. what i typically do is after a bath/shower i wipe it dry with a towel and sometime a little bit of rubbing alcohol on a q-tip. or if i am going to be home i sometimes just stick a cotton ball in there (i have a deep button). it soaks up the moisture. i just leave it in for alittle bit. usually helps. while it was healing i would put a cotton ball in there for a while. just made it feel better. that's where my only incision is. not sure if these will help but good luck!

I do not but I am only 8.5 months post op. I do not drink alcohol and have not for years so that’s not an issue for me. If I eat out I order an ice water, sip it a bit before my meal comes, then I leave it there when my meal arrives. If anyone has noticed they haven’t said anything. I am sure plenty of people enjoy a glass of wine with their meal now and again.

I sometimes do when at restaurants or when invited to dinner (think alcoholic beverages). I try to not making it a habit.

This thread has been really helpful. Last week I was given the green light to have surgery on 4th January. It was my first visit to the surgeon! I have one week of the liquid and steamed veg right over the Christmas and New Year period which doesn't really bother me. Last December I gave up alcohol, if I can do that I can do anything! Last night at my husbands Christmas party I met a lady who had the gastrectomy in May this year. She gave me some good advice on the liquid pre op period. The Optifast puddings keep you satisfied longer and it was recommended by her bariatric dietician. That and Powerade Zero (we are in Australia so not sure what the US equivalent is).

I think is it safe to say that most everyone here has certain foods that are addictive for them. Some people have soda or sweets. For me it was chips. I'm pretty proud when I can have a handful and then just walk away. I suppose not everyone can do this with addiction. Alcohol and drugs .... you can't have just one drink or one hit of cocaine. It's a life long journey we are on and it is very individual.

Oh, I'm afraid I just dont buy that theory with celebs. They put themselves where they are through their own choice and to my way of thinking have no right to complain about the consequences. These things probably DO make it difficult for Oprah, but think about it. Say she really does want to have lapband surgery. Say she's decided finally that its a logical next step. If she hadnt blabbed her big mouth all over the world going on about how she thinks its wrong, she'd be free to do it now, wouldnt she? How many celebs "accidentally" become celebs?. As in they were riding their bike down the street one day and entered a time warp and next thing they knew they were famous. What's the differnence between them and us? Normal people like us understand that with the good comes the bad and normal people like us dont feel the compulsion for everyone in the world to know who they are or what they think. I'm not saying no celebs have great personality features but I think with very few exceptions none of then would be celebs if they werent egotistical, self absorbed and wanting the limelight, thus they make decisions to get that for themselves. Oprah is no different. Given her background, she could easily have lived a life in obscurity and luxurious anonymity but she didnt choose that, she chose to draw the world's attention to herself. They're all like that, that's why their relationships dont last, why they have drug problems, and alcohol problems and behave appalingly - they're overly self indulgent egotistical creaters with not much idea of reality. So can I understand the difficulties in Oprah's life? Yep. Do I feel sympathy? Nope. She has consequences for her actions same as I do.

I was getting nervous yesterday about the lack of contact from my surgeons office, so I gave a call to the Insurance coordinator there and she said things were going fine. I should have my approval any day now. I trust her assessment because she does this for her job. It makes me a bit less apprehensive about the timing. I now have appointments at the hospital and with the surgeon for pre op stuff first thing next week. Surgery is still planned for the 29th. I spent a lot of the rest of the day thinking about how vulnerable I am to addictions. My wife has been at her wits end with me and I really don't blame her. I have been difficult. I called the psychologist that did my bariatric evaluation. It was really strange when I talked to her in my evaluation. I have talked with so many different "shrinks" at the Veterans Administration that could not believe that I was not a smoking alcoholic. Many times they kept trying to get me to admit I drank or smoked so they could get an "easy fix" for a veteran. When I sat down with the new, non VA person, it felt like a watershed moment for me. I was able to actually discuss myself rather than what I considered a confrontation with all the VA whacks. I will still have to see the VA but I called the new person back and scheduled another session. I am really introverted today, so perhaps that is why I am having such a struggle writing today. I think I will close for now. Thanks for reading, I will be back.

so sorry its long.... I'm so scared and confused... Well, it goes something like this... day 1- mess up... I tell myself... I'll do better tomorrow....day 2- start well, mess up, I'll do better tomorrow.... fast forward to the end and 3 out of 14 days I stayed under 1350 calories. I never stayed under 1200 like I was told to. Holy cow if I had the ability why would I need surgery?!!!! There were a few days when I panicked and ate a lot... a lot... thinking... I'll never be able to do this again!!! Wow, I thought I was so so so ready! I've been in counseling for my eating disorder for years. I've told myself... I AM READY! But, If I can't make it through the pre-op diet, am I?! Tomorrow my fasting starts...liquids only. Wednesday a.m. is my surgery. I'm wondering if I shouldn't go through with it. Most of my friends say... don't worry, you will do fine because you KNOW you can't mess up after its done. I made the mistake of reading postings where people had written that they had no pre-op diet. That was all I needed to tell myself... if they didn't...then why should I? I had other friends tell me... omg! go out there and eat whatever you want! its your last chance!! Again, all I needed...someone gave me permission to cheat...so I did. If I can't make it on this liquid fast for the next 3 days... I'm postponing the surgery. Obviously its some sort of sabotage. Am I just scared? IS there some part of me that I haven't acknowledged that doesn't want this? I was so sure, so convinced I was ready! Why am I doing this to myself? Why am I so scared when all I want is to be healthy! For goodness sakes I work out like crazy and am even in TWO nutrition classes. Why can't I keep the dang food out of my mouth!!!??? My counselor says I'm addicted to food... that it is my comfort. I lead a very stressful, often lonely, life. Food has always been my friend. I have to say goodbye and yet, handle it EVERY day of my life and not take part in it (at least most of the stuff I like anyhow and very little of every thing else). At least alcoholics and drug addicts can stay away from it, keep it out of the house, not go to clubs, etc. I can't escape food. My husband, I swear he's been sabotaging me as well....bringing home all my favorite things....allowing me to cheat.... Maybe he doesn't want me to lose weight? I'm terrified...absolutely terrified. I'm very angry at myself for failing repeatedly over the years...that I couldn't do it on my own. OMG I think I'm resenting this surgery! I'm pissed at myself. Angry for failing, angry for being weak, angry for being angry. this sucks. Last week a young woman died at our local hospital. The doctor that told me (my ortho...btw I now need knee surgery and have arthritis in my upper spine... grrrr)...that that woman had had the Lap band surgery a few weeks prior to her death. That scared the crap out of me. I have children to take care of!!!!! I can't leave them! Is this selfish to take that risk? What the heck am I doing?

i just tried to use common sense, as too many rules was too confusing. i was told to eat protein 1st fruits and veggies 2nd, and if i had any room left over , carbs. i eat nuts or PB everyday, and include a little lo fat cheese 2-3 times a week. i have a cup of milk daily, and a little treat everyday. (skinny cow ice cream, or a cookie or 2).i dont like soda, alcohol, or fried foods, and eat fast food once a month, maybe. i think you're doing fine, and write in your logs what they want to see, but use good common sense in you daily eating habits. like they said, if it aint broke , dont fix it !!!

Just curious, i know what the Dr.'s tell you about alcohol consumption and I know about not drinking beer because it's carbonated. What about Wine? My friends mom is a year out and can drink wine like crazy... in fact she drinks wine almost every night with dinner. Anyone else have any input on whether or not you consume wine post op? I'm not talking weeks out or anything, but after a couple months or even a bit longer, have you given wine a shot?