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No, it's not going to matter one bit. The alcohol left your body after just a few hours so the only lingering effect is your concern. Don't sweat it one bit!

I ask Dr. Rodriguez about coffee and latte's. He said a latte is okay ever now and then, but coffee can cause erosion, as well as alcohol and spicy foods. Just be careful all of you who drink coffee, drink alcohol and eat those spicy foods. (also, carbonated drinks are not good for us either)

Hot liquids and alcohol relax my sleeve. It worked with the band too, and I know some RNY'ers that use the same trick. Cold liquids definitely restrict my volume. I drink most everything at home at room temperature, and if I'm out I typically get easy or no ice.

Yes... it easy to eat around the band... and, folks have failed the sleeve for the same reason. The band requires a bit of work--you have to listen to what it is telling you. Many folks simply don't learn how to live with a band, or they don't, or can't, do the requisite follow up visits. sometimes it is the fault of the surgeon, sometimes the fault lays with the patient. With the sleeve, it is a bit harder to cheat, but folks have managed to figure out they can graze all day, or simply eat beyond what their stomachs can hold,and finally they stretch the small stomach to to a point where the surgery is no longer effective. I've seen a lot of posts where folks have gone from the band, to the sleeve, and from the sleeve to RNY bypass. I've seen folks who lived in misery with a procedure for years, and you have wonder why in the world the problem wasn't addressed immediately? That isn't a fault of the surgery if it is allowed go on that long without medical intervention. I've seen posts where WLS patients are asking about drinking alcohol, and not in moderation... really? And they would expect to receive absolution from strangers in order to justify imbibing hundreds of extra calories and sabotaging what they have worked for? As Pogo wisely said, I've I meet the enemy, and he is us.

This was me, about 8 years ago? Surgery was 5 years ago. Diabetic, one heart attack. (for starters) You can see why. This is me, a few days ago (Christmas Eve) with my new Grandkids (twins) I will be 64 in 2 weeks. 100+ Lbs down, feel 1/2 my age.....little or no health issues. This is my favorite time of year...the parties started a few weeks ago. At least 3-4 that were work related, plus one my Wife gave for her employees and their families. Plus it seemed as though every hospital/clinic I went to for the past 2 weeks has had some sort of in-house luncheons, etc. Then there came Christmas eve, which is a big tradition for my family, then Christmas morning at my Daughters for a large brunch... Back to our house for our Christmas dinner that evening. Today we are off to my Brother-in-laws out of state for a full day... After this, comes New Years with dinners and full days of watching College football... I'm not so concerned about gaining weight, been here before since surgery and I know my Band and how to listen to it.....what I am concerned about is all the unhealthy things I would not normally eat, not to mention the huge spike in alcohol consumption. I do not believe in New Years resolutions, but come Jan. 2, I am going on a 14 day PaleoCleanse to rid my body of all these toxins.... Christmas comes but once a year....and with my new life that surgery has given me, I am enjoying it more now than ever....(I probably would not be here without it)

Four weeks post op is way to early. Your stomach is still healing. I have had a little white wine since my surgery, but that wasn't until I was 4 months post op. It's really best and safer on your new tummy if you can avoid it altogether. Also, check with your surgeon about the matter, he or she may tell you that alcohol is never allowed. Each doctor is different.

This whole thread went in a totally different direction -- so much so I have to go back to the original post to refresh myself it was NOT about vets v. newbies and the various definitions of each, which I don't care about anyway. FWIW, I *think* if I remember correctly, the gist of the original thread was a bit of frustration that newbies/recently sleeved people asking questions about risky behavior very soon after surgery and getting bent out of shape if they are having their wrists slapped. Then there was the usual brouhaha about "vets" being snobby, rude, and unhelpful to the put-upon newbies. Whatever. I mostly lurk and read and try to absorb the knowledge of everyone on here; newbies AND vets. I have been very surprised at a few posts regarding, basically, people insisting they can eat/drink/smoke things off plan very soon after surgery or blowing the pre-op diet. Honestly, I thought a lot of these were trolls in the beginning, but at the informational seminar I went to for WLS -- the very first one -- they told the group within 30 minutes that, if they proceed with surgery, they will have to quit smoking for good, and quit caffeine, pot, recreational drug use, and alcohol for 60 days before and after surgery. Seriously, half the (large) group got up and left after that. The people remaining, several engaged in arguing with the NUT running the informational session who wanted to be the exception and still use pot/smoke/drink the whole time -- and who wanted diet pills to help them lose lbs before and after. IDK what the answer is. I used to be defensive and kinda pissy about telling people I was considering WLS and it seemed that EVERYONE *knew* an uncle's brother's wife's cousin's friend who died or regained 200+lbs after surgery. I THOUGHT it was BS and just ambulance-chasing mentality, but after the informational session and seeing people asking about bacon, booze, steaks, etc., I guess there ARE people out there doing this crazy stuff -- and they are ruining it for the people who are very serious and are paying big bucks to have this done. As well, they are truly risking their lives, and if someone gets their feelings hurt by yet another person who has insight telling them, no, young grasshopper, you really shouldn't do X when you are Y days post-op -- too bad! These are the people who regain and DO die that the rest of the WLS population has to defend the surgery from -- the random people who don't follow any guidelines and get horrible complications and regain or are in serious trouble for the rest of their lives. And I have seen some posts from people who haven't had WLS yet, or who are VERY post-op, basically saying, yeah, I did X/harmful thing and didn't die. Go ahead, you should probably be fine. Buyer beware.

Anyone drank post surgery? What did you drink? I'm 10 weeks post op and have been following all the rules to a T but my best friend turns 30 next month and she wants to do it up big....going out that night and I know drinking is going yo be involved. So I was thinking....I cant drink beer because if the carbonation and I cant drink the yummy "umbrella drinks" due to all the sugar....don't tell me my only option is straight liquor!!!

I drinked about 10 weeks out but it was only wine and sangria. I was only able to tolerate 1/2 glass and i felt really drunk! Be careful because after our bypass if you drink it increases your alcohol level way more than a regular person. Do not drink and drive ever after bypass! even if its a half of glass. But, other than the woosiness i tolerated and didnot get sick. Sent from my iPhone using RNYTalk

That seems a little soon to me. You Dr. may say something different, but I know for me personally there was no way I could have drank a week out from surgery. I still felt sore and weak. Also something to consider, you will only be on the liquids stage which means you'll basically have nothing in your stomach and alcohol would effect you a lot more than normal. I would use extreme caution.

I was banded last June also, got a cold over Christmas and barely ate for days - I thought maybe the cold medication may have made me tighter? I have found some medications, alcohol and other particular foods irritate my pouch and cause swelling which obviously leaves me feeling tight. The other thing is fluid retention - hormones, medication etc leave me retaining fluid and my band feels tight - very strange :-)

Found on web Sunday, September 30, 2007 Alcohol after Gastric Bypass A glass of wine or two. A beer. A little mixed drink. Would that be OK after a gastric bypass? Well, early after the surgery, while the stomach is healing, you really want to avoid the irritant effect of alcohol. You want your pouch to heal well. So, the answer, as far as we know, is "no". But, what about drinking, let's say 6 months, a year, or more after the surgery? A very interesting study confirmed the previous opinion, that is, alcohol levels go higher after gastric bypass than people who had no such surgery. In a study published in the September issue of the journal "Surgery for Obesity and Related Diseases" (SOARD), researchers from Stanford School of Medicine, Stanford, California, concluded that the gastric bypass patients had a greater peak alcohol level and a longer time for the alcohol level to come back down to zero than the individuals who did not have gastric bypass. A particularly interesting finding was that the gastric bypass patients did not feel that alcohol influenced them any more than the no-surgery group. Could that explain why there are reports of post-gastric bypass patients who were cited for driving under the influence (DUI) after a small social alcoholic drink? Maybe. But also remember that there are other complications related to alcohol intake. Liver disease from alcohol is well-known. To develop alcoholic liver disease on top of the known obesity-related liver disease can be particularly dangerous. Alcohol is not good for peptic ulcers, either. Alcohol calories are empty calories, which is not what gastric bypass patients want to ingest. Also alcohol drinking has been linked to Vitamin B1 deficiency. Severe vitamin B1 deficiency can lead to serious nerve damage, that is, Wernicke’s encephalopathy. So far, we do not have a perfectly scientific answer to the question: Is it OK to drink, in moderation, if you are not driving, several months or years after gastric bypass? We just do not have the final answer, and prefer to err on the cautious side. Better be safe than sorry. References: Klockhoff H, Naslund I, Jones AW. Faster absorption of ethanol and higher peak concentration in women after gastric bypass surgery.Br J Clin Pharmacol. 2002 Dec;54(6):587-91. Hagedorn JC, Encarnacion B, Brat GA, Morton JM. Does gastric bypass alter alcohol metabolism? SOARD. 2007 Sept;3(5):543-8. (Note: This is the study quoted above) Posted by Hanafy M. Hanafy, MD at 7:04 PM <SPAN class="item-control blog-admin pid-1994542692' class='icon-action' alt='""' /> </SPAN><DIV class="post-share-buttons goog-inline-block' class='icon-action' alt='""' /></DIV>Labels: Bariatric, Eating Behavior, Eating Habits, food Choices, Gastric Bypass, Healthy Lifestyles, Lifestyle after Bariatric Surgery if (window['tickAboveFold']) {window['tickAboveFold'](document.getElementById("latency-6167538524377775520")); } <A id=Blog1_blog-pager-newer-link class=blog-pager-newer-link title="Newer Post" href="http://bariatricslounge.blogspot.com/2007/10/paradox.html">Newer Post Older Post Home

March 19th here. Surgery weight was 324 and size 30/32 clothes. I am down to 258 as of this morning, so 66 pounds down and now a size 22 clothes. My bra size went from a 46F to 42 DDD. I have had no food issues, I haven't had any issues with any food I have tried. I still haven't tried bread or rice or alot of sugar though. Haven't had alcohol yet either. My first goal is 200, which I hope to be at before Christmas. My final goal is 170, but I am sure that when I get there, I will set another one. So far for exercising it is walking. I want to do more when I start getting some energy. Pre-surgery for many years, I have had an anemia problem. For several years my HGB was 9 with Ferritin of 5 and saturation of 4. I was alway dizzy. I was sent to see a hemotologist for iron infusions. I am on #8 of 10 infusions. My dizziness is gone and I am getting some energy so I am going to add some more stuff to my exercise.

first, alcohol is a lot of empty calories. Second, they want to try to avoid transfer addiction. Unfortunately, developing alcoholism after WLS is supposedly not that rare. that said, most surgeons do allow occasional social drinking (like one drink!) after a certain amount of time. I had to wait a year. Now I probably have three glasses of wine a year - and it hits me FAST!

I got the band out the first time because I was thin for a long time and my port stuck out pretty far. I was dating and did not know how to tell my man about the band surgery. Once I got it out I quickly gained all my weight back again. This band I got on May 15 comes with new respect. This surgery was hard. Now when I date I will be proud of my band because I am very brave to do this again. I feel if an alcoholic or diabetic had a chance for surgery to cure their ills they would. My compulsive overeating is cured because of the band. I only want a man in my life who would understand how brave and courageous I am to get rebounded. I am succeeding even though I am not in the green zone yet. I am so thankful for this band. We are all so lucky to live in a country where we can get the band and the support from our surgeons and their staff. I go to monthly support groups which helps a lot.

Jersey Girl, One suggestion, give up the beer. It will stretch your pouch. Any carbonated beverage no matter how slow we drink it over time will stretch the pouch. You could let it go flat but who wants a flat beet. Yuck, I was a guiness drinker and had to give it up. Try some SF drink mixes and switch to something else or maybe wine. Most of the reading says we should not drink alcohol for a year after surgery, well I fluncked that the first 2 months. The other think I noticed, is I used to be able to tolerate alcohol and now because we eat so little at meals and have to drink on an empty stomach that I am a cheap date. Two martini's and I am done! I love a good dirty martini and I have decided the olives are my fruit, veggies and fat. Two olives and one drink and I am full. I would love to find some of the CL Mojito mix, afraid I would be tempted to add a little rum and mint to that. Back to losing, some bandsters do not lose until after there first fill, it takes some of our bodies a while to adjust to decrease in activity and as you said the weight loss is slow and steady. Good luck, keep blogging and reading and you will be successful.

Tomorrow will be 12 weeks into my banded life and I still don't have a single regret to report! I've never been more sure of my decision, and it's been many years since I've felt healthier and better about who I am! I just spent 11 days on the best beach vacation ever! A girl's trip to Gulf Shores, AL was just what the proverbial doctor ordered, and I'm home tanned, relaxed, and more than a few inches smaller than I was when I left!! How's THAT for vacation? Perfect if you ask me. I lost a whopping total of one pound while I was gone haha! But towards the middle of last week I noticed that my bathing suit (which I spent a lot of time in) was fitting very strangely. It felt too big in the stomach for starters, but then I noticed that the bra cups in it were all deformed looking. I realized that the girls had shrunk! YEEE HAW!! There's hope on the horizon my friends! I admit I was a little concerned about vacation eating, especially since I didn't get a fill before I left, but I had decided that I wasn't going to stress about it. I ate very well.. I ate normal sized portions, and had no problems with wanting to snack between meals. I drank at least one frozen alcoholic concoction every single day while I was on that beach.. along with lots of water and lemonade. I felt a little restriction at times which was comforting, and let me know my band was doing its job, and had a couple of "stuck" episodes that were mild, and lasted only a few minutes. I ate LOTS of steamed shrimp! Mmmmm! I miss that yummy steamed shrimp.. the kind you can get on the Nebraska prairie just doesn't compare. One highlight of my trip that I must share ~~ I PARASAILED!! Oh yeah! I stepped right outside of my comfort zone and flew high above the Gulf of Mexico! I absolutely loved it and will do it again if I ever get the chance. I felt like super woman when I was done, and I kind of still do! I was without a scale for the entire vacation, and that freaked me out a little.. I figured that I'd have gained a pound or two by the time I got home, even though it was pretty obvious that I'd left a few inches down in Alabama somewhere! I was pretty happy when I stepped on that scale yesterday and realized that there was no gain, and I could still be friends with both the scale and the mirror! I'm happy to be home.. and while I didn't use a gym even once while I was gone, I did have the sand to walk in so I got a little added exercise I guess! It's back to the gym for me this week! I'm also looking forward to adding a daily fruit smoothie to my diet! Hey~ it's my healthy version of a daily frozen concoction that will remind me of the beach as I delve back into reality! Thanks Aunt Jan for introducing me to the wonderful smoothie! My other butt is getting closer.. I can feel it! I hope you all have had a safe and happy Independence Day if you're in the USA~ and mostly, that you spent it with the people you love! That's all for this week ~ thanks for stopping by! Follow me @ http://www.myotherbutt.blogspot.com

I don't like soda pop at all, I have 1 alcoholic drink every month or 2, and the smell of coffee makes me nauseous, so I've never had a cup of coffee in my entire life ! ( Im 56). I have 1 cup of reg tea in the AM, and when that caffeine hits me Im bouncing off the walls ! ( I know, I know........ Im weird, but obviously very sensitive to caffeine and alcohol, etc....) After that, its decaf tea, Swiss Miss cocoa w/ water, and a little Propel water.

I think even without it being food, you have a lot on your plate right now! I understand somewhat the constant food obssession. I do believe tho, that as you get into your new life, and school starts filling your mind with other things, and you become adjusted to your new eating habits, it will ease up. However giving up food and alcohol, at the same time, while it is an awesome accomplishment, must be a struggle!! Sounds like some depression may have kicked in. Maybe seeing a Dr. would help. If you don't have anyone near you for support, it is going to be much easier to drink again, or simply eat the worng things for successful weight loss...ice cream, pudding, etc. As for eating out with friends, afte the first couple of times in a place, you will find some things you can fall back on to order. And as far as talking about it, just try to do it with humor. I eat hotdogs...but there was a time I couldn't. Just go slow, and try things, you will find your life settling down. I hope it hurries for you!!! I do want to say again how great it is that you gave up both food and alcohol all at one time, in new surroundings, you are a strong gal!!! Good Luck, keep coming back here, there are so many people with such good advice!! You can get support any time!!! Kat

Hi Leona: I was banded in July as well and have gone through some bumps. I think it's normal and it hits us all at different times. I freaked out at having a foreign thing in my body and felt like "what have I done and get it out of me now!" That's totally better now. As for the social thing...I do understand about loosing your confidence. Maybe you were comfortable in who you were and now that your body as well as lifestyle is changing, it's a liitle unsettling. I hate change as well and going out without alcohol as liquid courage is kind of scary. Everyone around you is having a great time and you have to socialize stone sober. Maybe that's OK though. You're a smart, funny and lovely girl who can stand on her own and prove to yourself that you can have a great time without the aid of alcohol I went out with a group of friends Thursday night. It was my 1st time out after surgery and I was a nervous wreck. So I piled on the makeup and wore the sassiest thing I could find.....and I had a great time. I think talking to a counselor is such a wise thing in times of major change. It helps keep you grounded and makes this transitional time not so scary. LOL Who knew that shedding all this weight could be so complicated???? Best of luck to you....I think that once you work through the kinks you'll enjoy your banded life much more! Stefani

The bad thing about having the band is you can't throw up the alcohol when you're done drinking. That was always my escape plan. A quick nap is the only other thing that helps, but you have to make sure you don't just pass out. Haha

Penny, it sounds like you are in excellent hands with Dr. Hunky! That's the kind of Dr. you want when you're faced with difficult decisions. He is very reassuring and I hope he is 100% correct in his educated diagnosing. My prayers are with you. Lisa, I am so glad to read that you have decided to see a gastroenteroligist. (is that spelled right?!) You had an infection of long duration, and it probably requires long duration anti-biotics to resolve it. I hope the Dr.s take a personal interest in your case, and do what it takes to get you healthy and your band back in full working order. Best wishes your way. Oh yeah, I love to drink. It is my remedy of choice when stress comes a knockin'. I really watch myself though, because my dad was an alcoholic, and I don't want to go there. I strive for moderation, and it has worked thus far.

I only had a 24 hour pre-op diet. About 2 weeks out I traded lunch for a Protein shake. At that point I also cut out coffee and struggled to cut out alcohol, I ate clean. Pretty much lean meats and vegetables only.

Just a train of thought about the odds. Diabetes is rampant in my mom's side of the family. My mom's mom's mom.. was bed ridden and 600+lbs by the age of 30. So, that was my biggest factor.. I never met her, she died by 35 of diabetes, but I saw her pictures.. and I heard the stories...and I knew I was gaining weight at a gross rate, and saw myself bedridden by 30. So anyway.. my mom's mom (daughter of above person), has diabetes.. she had 'pre-diabetes' about 10 years ago, went on a diet, lost weight, everything was good, then she gained it back and about 2 years ago they said she is diabetic.. and now she's back to a perma-diet. My uncle (her son), was told he was pre-diabetic about 6 months ago. He use to be a personal trainer, but let himself go and he's an alcoholic so the beer belly factor-- and so he's been dieting. I was told about 4 or 5 years ago, I was 'pre-diabetic'. I really didn't know that was a term, or what it meant.. and I honestly still don't, except that I could get diabetes (duh!). I've had a lot of bloodwork since then, and gained quite a bit of weight, but no one has ever told me I am diabetic. I do have some things I associate with diabetes (sores on my body are my biggest problem).. So, I've been losing weight with the band. Since no one has called me diabetic yet, is there a possibility, with me continuing to lose weight, I could still become diabetic? Or does losing weight get me out of the water?? I was thinking, I'm in the safe house now, I've lost nearly 50lbs and I wasn't diabetic at 333lbs.. so maybe I won't ever be.

Hi there and welcome ! ! ! As for the alcohol, I was restricted for 3 months. Sodas were out for 6 months, and heavy lifting (anything over 10lbs) was restricted for 6 weeks. Normal working out could resume at 6 weeks out. As for the pills, I was allowed to swallow pills no bigger than a regular m&m around 4 weeks out. You'll want to remember that with alcohol comes some dehydration and immediately post-op, you might struggle to get in fluids. That goes for night clubbing, dancing etc. You'll just want to make sure you're hitting your calorie/protein/fluid goals to ensure success. Just play smart, and you'll be fine.