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I haven't yet but my surgeon said 6 months I'm only 3. I wish I could even think of it, but alcohol killed my tummy preop I am so scared it will be worse post op!

I had a sip of red wine at about six weeks out and it did not sit well. I waited another month before trying again. It went okay, but I consume alcohol very cautiously now simply because of the empty calories. They really add up!

Here are me two cents... I have tried everything to lose wt and my family and friends have seen my modest successes and then dismal failures time and time again (wt loss, bigger wt gain...). Perhaps you fear the same thing that I do. Another failure that my loved ones get to witness. I think it is natural to not want to put this out there. It is not like there is much left to try after this step. WLS is it! That is the last rung on the latter. I feel like I cannot afford to fail this time. I cannot fail because the next step on the latter is off of the roof! I don't want to fall off but at the same time I am not confident enough in my ability to be successful even with this tool. I am hopeful but fearful. Scared but excited... I felt so conflicted about telling but I did tell. Thankfully I found myself surprisingly supported. I know I will need support and I know that I cannot do this by myself. Plus, As I have been reading all of these posts on "to tell or not to tell" I started thinking that the one way we can de-stigmatize WLS is to talk about it. I wonder if I would have done this earlier if I would have learned about it earlier. The more straight forward we are about wls the better people will understand it. And really, who are we fooling by not telling? It will come out as you start losing wt. Or, by witnessing the change in your eating habits. For a period of time an alcoholic can hide their disease but we literally carry our disease around with us all of the time. It is not like our loved ones didn't realize we needed to do something about our wt, right? My black outfits do not slim me down that much! I cannot answer your question, to tell or not to tell, but I believe as I go further down my own pre-op path that we can help others in our situation by sharing our stories. We can hopefully teach others that don't have wt issues that we are NOT lazy. It is not as easy as "just not eating crap all the time." We have a disease and we are doing all we know how to do to treat it. Sure, I could go it on my own again. Take off 20lbs and put on another 30lbs. As I get older I realize that I am wasting my life with this pattern. I have given the first 40 years of my life to this disease and I have failed treating it myself. I'm not giving it another 40 years. Best of luck as you find the path best for you! Dee

Wine is full of sugar and carbs. Most surgeons and nutritionist will tell you to stay away from wine or any alcohol. I'm surprised you were told it's okay. Alcohol enters sure system faster after WLS and you don't feel the effects for very long but it does stay in your system like normal and shows it blood tests or breathalizers. So I would say use your better judgment if it's worth it and those empty calories.

Hmmm, that's a sneaky way to get free alcohol

WHen did you (after surgery) drink any alcoholic beverage?? Wine, or hard liquor whatever, this is just informational for me, and also how did you feel? And did you do it again? Thanks

I had my first glass of wine at 6 weeks out and was completely fine! I've read a lot of people that talk about one glass making them drunk, but that hasn't been the case for me at all! I'm almost 3 months out now and have probably had 6 glasses of wine total and have not been even close to being drunk after 2 glasses! I haven't drank any hard liquor or beer though, so that might be a different story. I'm not sure if I'm just at a stall or if there is a correlation with me having a glass of wine every now and again, but the scale has not been moving much these past few weeks so I'm going back to ZERO alcohol for the next few months!

Addiction transfer is real, as so many people have stated on this board. It doesn't have to be smoking, alcohol, gambling etc. - we all know that this not "healthy behavior". Addiction can be way more sneaky. Being addicted to exercise and eating "healthy" is all too often encouraged and seen as a good thing because it aids "weight loss". No one intervenes when things get too excessive. Excessive exercise and eating little calories is seen as desirable. Something many obese people even aspire to achieve, being that person who "lives in the gym and eats 100% clean". And people in their environment only start "to worry" once the person has become thin enough to raise concern and/or suspicion. However, someone with a normal or slightly overweight BMI rarely raises these concerns so people suffer in silence. I think most people don't actively lie about this. Yes, maybe some people give the answers they deem to be "the right ones" - like all of us know what people in our environment want fat people to do, huh? So some people I guess actively lie/lied about calorie/food intake and exercise. It's the same the other way around. Once there is concern about a person getting too thin or not eating enough, the person might lie about food intake as well. However, I think someone who claims to "eat very little" actually is convinced that he or she is not eating that much. After all "a little" and "a lot" is 100% relative, it always boils down to whom you're comparing yourself to. Just look at the posts where people ask about what amount of food is "normal" X weeks or X months after surgery. Compared to the amounts people on this board claim they eat I look like a hopeless glutton. To my environment my food intake looks fairly normal.

This is one of those things that you will get a different answer to. For me, my surgeon was fine with it. About the only thing I DON"T drink from a straw is coffee and wine. Some will say never, ever. Coffee, alcohol and carbonation are other things that is debated. There are lots of folks that are banned forever from all the above. My only no no is carbonation. I can live with that. I'm a year out now and I can safely say my sleeve has not exploded, stretched or any other bad thing from using a straw since a couple weeks post op. That is me, though, I will always say follow your surgeons direction. Good luck to you! You are gonna love your sleeve!

I just got sleeved on the 14th and wanted to share some of my experience. I was previously banded at age 30 and lost nearly 100lbs. But by age 38 I had complications and had it removed. Now at 40 I had regained more than half the wt lost. So I elected for the sleeve. I chose to go to Mexico because it was less than half the cost of having it done by my original surgeon. As an RN of 18 years I wanted to share some thoughts on StarMedica in Juarez. But first I should say I chose to drive to El Paso and I traveled solo so my wife could care for the kiddos. I woke up on Friday early and made my family a pancake breakfast (had a bite of one myself). Then got on the road for El Paso. 810 miles and 11.5 hours later and I was there. I went by Wal Mart to pick up a heating pad (very helpful post op) and some slippers. I also (full disclosure) had an excellent "last meal" at JnL Cafe of enchiladas. Then headed for the Holiday Inn Express for the night. I had a little confusion with scheduling my transport from the Airport long term parking but got picked up with another sleever at 1245 at the main entrance of the Airport. I was given the name of Sergio by my coordinator but this was not who picked me up. I did ask about Sergio and where I was being transported to before my luggage got in the van (I know, paranoid much?) The ride across the border was maybe 25 min with a 30 second stop at the border. Once at the hospital, we were met by a fireplug of a Mexican with salt n pepper hair, in khakis and a blue Members Only type jacket. This was Dr. Caulderon. He helped translate the admissions paperwork for the other sleever I'd ridden over with then said he would be back. The admissions clerks asked If I could speak spanish and i indicated a little. Well, it was enough. I was going to sign their standard documents regardless so WTH, I figured. I gave them my money order and DL for them to copy. Once Dr. Caulderon came back he took me for a chest X-ray (was film....I have not seen few in a few years). After that it was up to the 2nd floor for my room. Now, I have worked in HUGE Metro hospitals and tiny community hospitals over the past 2 decades. This was somewhere in between. Clean, a good size, style was a bit dated but not more than a decade (no lime green tiles here). The bed was a later model Stryker electic model. There was a couch/padded bench appx 28"wide by 5.5 to 6' long. Was a big picture window and a spacious bathroom with shower (lukewarm water at best). Shortly after Juan my nurse came in, he said he had 4 years of experience and that he was one of 4 male nurses at the hospital. He wanted to start an IV but honestly his technique was that of one of my 2nd semester nursing students. I am a fat man so veins are hard to visualize but not palpate. Anyway, Juan brought gloves but did not wear them. And I never saw him wash his hands and there is no alcohol hand sanatizer in the room (all of which is SOP in the US in the 1980s). The nurses also wore white (standard in the US in the 1980s), which I prefer. Juan spoke almost zero english and on his second attempt got the IV cath in but, because he forgot to take the tourny off my arm got blood on my gown, bed,and floor. "Oh Mi Dios! Mucho Sangre!" I reached over and popped the tourney off for him and it stopped. The lab draw later was a bit of a trial (same deal,poor technique,no gloves or handwashing) that took 4 sticks. And in my opinion could have been avoided if a policy was in place for the nurse to draw the blood samples when the new iv cath was started, and before flushing. So I just kept reminding myself that I was not there for the nursing care but the reported success of the surgical team. I then hung out in the room until about 630p when I was wheeled to pre-op. In preop the nurse gave me some IV meds which as best I could understand were for relaxation. The anestheologist came by for a couple minutes, the surgeon too and then I was wheeles into the OR where I scooted onto the table. That is all I remembered until post op. Was back in my room by 845p and up walking by 10p. The next day was a mix of walking and getting IV pain meds. Best part was my nurse. Adalyna spoke excellent english, answered several questions, got me a remote for the TV and got me a password for the WiFi (all were beyond my limited spanish to ask for). She actually had good clean technique changing my dressings. Late in the day Dr. Caulderon got myself and 5 other new post op pts together and gave us discharge instructions. That night in addition to the IV pain meds, I got 10mg Valium for sleep. The next morning I woke up, packed my bag, took a whore's bath (couldn't face a tepid shower) and made my bed and cleaned my room. At 930a I was taken downstairs and got on the Taxi back. Took appx 1.5 hours on return. Mostly sitting in line at the border. US border officer asked me what I was bringing back and I told him of the Ketorolac (non controlled pain med) Omeprazole (acid reducer) and Antibiotic. No problems. The driver dropped me off at my car in long term parking about noonish. Then, 810 miles and 13 hours later I was home. I stopped and got some chewable gasX on the way cause the gas pain was rough. Also stopped every hundred or so miles to walk around to stave off DVTs. Well, that is my story.

I had this too. The advice I was given was what Jachut said - drinking hot fluids to relax things (or alcohol but don't advise this on regular basis - empty calories). Also I was told to take a bite or 2 to prep yourself then come back in 20 mins for the real meal - its the esophagus spasms. Anyway this went away.... but when I got overfilled I was sooo soooo careful w/ teeny bites and waiting that it never came back - and I've posted this before to keep myself honest until i get a grip i eat w/ a timer on. google online stopwatch. I often feel the food passing through I wait 30 seconds at least but sometimes as long as a minute or two. In hindsight I think I was still just eating too fast between bites. Or maybe things just changed over time. But I did not notice a difference until I introduced the stopwatch. I'm new at this so its a learning process. The tighter your band is the more you need to be super careful about eating slowly and chewing well as it will be less forgiving.

Just found these! Yummy!!! And no I am not an alcoholic, although I do love the occasional Margarita!! [ATTACH]2703[/ATTACH] xo Hilary

A lot of SF products use sugar alcohols to sweeten them. They have 2 cals/gram instead of 4. They all end in OL, i.e.: mannitol, maltitol, sorbitol, etc. It is what is in ex-lax. It causes you to retain a lot of water in the gut and can cause terrible gas and diarrhea. SF jello is usually OK as are popsicles. Discuss this with your dietician or MD.

I have always been a passionate cook ... I honestly have no bad habits besides food no alcohol no smoking ... This is just so hard for me Sent from my iPhone using the BariatricPal App

@Megdelyn I was a heavy drinker too before the surgery. We have drive-thru daiquirs bars here in New Orleans. I had a large (32 oz) daiquiri every night (with extra shots) for almost 30 years. I'm sure we all know how much sugar is in those things. I haven't had one sip of alcohol since the surgery. I'm leaving to go on vacation next week and will be having some margaritas, etc. I'm surprised you didn't get drunk fast. I like that slow buzz. It would take me aboutg 3 hours to nurse on my daiquiri. Did you try and drink anything other than wine? If so, did it give you heartburn?

Every single doctor is different. My doctor said 6 weeks, my friend's doctor said 6 months, another doctor said a year, another said 3 months, another said 2 months. And, as every doctor is different, every patient is different, every patient's recovery is different. At 4.5 months post-op, I now have a glass of red wine about 4 nights a week. I had my first glass of wine at 6 weeks, and had one or two glasses a week for that next 6 weeks. At 6 weeks post-op, I'd had no recovery issues, had not gotten ill (or even nauseous) once, and my diet was completely advanced at that point. I include the calories from the wine in my daily food log and have had no ill effects from the alcohol. At 6 weeks, you may not be able tolerate alcohol. You may not be able to tolerate it at 6 months. There really is no right answer here; it all comes down to the individual.

How long after surgery did your Dr. Clear you to drink wine or any other alcoholic beverage? Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using the BariatricPal App

Alcohol use is exactly why Carnie Wilson re-gained her weight after her bypass. She was supposedly up to 10 mimosas a day! You've taken a brave step by admitting it on here. I know you don't want to waste all your pain and hard work. We are here for you whenever you feel the temptation!

My surgeon said no alcohol for one year post-op and that's exactly what I did. That said, I seldom drink anything other than a glass of wine before dinner and I've had no problem with that. Tropical drinks and eggnog with rum are definitely out - late stage dumping. A very high percentage of folks experience a dramatically lower tolerance for alcohol following surgery. Always a good idea to be at home the first time you try it and you never want to drive after even one drink. There are some real horror stories of patients getting DUIs after a single drink. It should be noted too that surgery patients as a whole are at a considerably greater risk for becoming alcohol dependent following the surgery. Moderation is more important than ever.

Already had the coffee, gotta figure out what I'm wearing to community festival today. Five hours of all the seafood you can eat and the alcoholic drinks you can handle. I'll see a lot of people I haven't seen in a long time and I want to look thinner. Ya know how some clothes make you feel smaller. It's suppose to be 80 here today, but then once the sun goes down, so does the temperature. Hummmm, jeans or capris???

Don't throw in the towel.... pre-op is tough, but the de-carbing is, in my opinion, the most important so that your body will burn the fat around the liver so that the doctor can access your stomach. Here's my experience: I was banded March 20th. Post-op for two weeks, I was barely hungry because my stomach is still aggitated. By week three, i was eating pretty much normally again (despite the fact i should have still been on mushies.) with no restriction in the band, my consumption pretty much resumed to its normal rate. I wasn't worried and didn't feel guilty because i knew it would work eventually. First fill, yes, had some restriction but not enough. Second fill, which is where i am now - much much better. the band will FORCE you to slow down, take smaller bites, make different choices, stay satisfied longer. Otherwise you will feel ill. I may not be losing as fast as some (down 13 pounds) but my challenge is alcohol - i am very social, and that is part of my life. So even without having to take that away, i'm still losing weight.

I was 11 days post-op when I had my first alcoholic beverage since surgery. It too was at a post-holiday party. I had a vodka-cranberry (hey-juice!). I had to watch everyone else digging in to NY Strip steaks while I sat & ate 1/4 cup of mashed potatoes....I decided I deserved to get SOME enjoyment out of the evening. I sipped it slow, 1 oz every 15 minutes just like I was supposed to have my beverages.. It tasted good & there were no problems. But, day 4 post-op, I don't think I would have tried it!

Thanks Mkrupa - Appreciate the post. I'm kinda where you are in terms of it not being part of post op. However - I honestly don't feel like it would hurt either my weight loss or my band - but that said - my body feels a little to fragile to have a glass of wine. Fluffy - Really?? Is that your idea of support? Ultimately I will incorporate wine into my weight loss and I expect my surgeon (as great as he is) to be supportive of that. My view is that if you build a sustainable happy place for yourself with food and the band (even some alcohol) that you will be more successful in the long run. I was half joking about having it now - but wasn't looking for a preacher....

What's the story with alcohol? Is vodka the liquor of choice as far as 'clear' is lower sugar/carbs? I'm not a big drinker but I love my tap beer and shots now and then! I'm sure my 'shot' days are over!

Thinking Wellbutrin, it is the LEAST likely to cause sexual side effects and weight gain, which those two things are more important than the obsessive. Also, maybe combined with an ADHD medication, to help with energy and focus. Here is an exerpt from: http://www.bipolar-lives.com/benefits-of-wellbutrin.html (Note, I am not bi-polar) We know from clinical studies that Wellbutrin is more than just an effective medication to take if you suffer from bipolar depression. Wellbutrin is as effective as an antidepressant such as Zoloft, Prozac and Paxil, and is more effective than Effexor. Additional Wellbutrin benefits: Helps compulsive gamblers who have other bipolar disorder symptoms Helps smokers kick the habit (under the name of Zyban) Used as a treatment for ADHD Unlike so many other antidepressants, Wellbutrin does NOT induce fatigue Increases alertness and energy It is on the FDA approved list for treating Major Depressive Disorder as well as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Reminder: Wellbutrin is FDA approved for treating major depression but NOT for bipolar disorder. ... There is evidence that Wellbutrin medicine can help with social anxiety and generalized anxiety. However, it does not help against panic attacks and may even make them worse. (This is why I stopped taking Wellbutrin. For someone who does not have panic problems, Wellbutrin may still be a good option, especially in combination with an anticonvulsant mood stabilizer or with lithium.) Substance abuse? One of the best known benefits of Wellbutrin is how it helps folks quit smoking cigarettes – and marijuana! It may increase sensitivity to alcohol – or it may not – the evidence is inconsistent. Impulsive behavior? Wellbutrin has been shown to be helpful for compulsive gamblers. It should be kept mind though that Wellbutrin is a medicine with stimulant properties and there is not enough data at this time to understand how it may either fuel or control impulsivity. Obesity? Wellbutrin has been trialled as a weight loss aid and is unusual in being an antidepressant that contributes to weight loss rather than weight gain. This is extremely important as people with bipolar disorder suffer from higher than normal rates of obesity and are up to 3 times more likely to die from related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.