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First, responsible is following the advice of your doctor and the medical community (plain and simple), if you want facts ask your doctor to print off peer reviewed journal articles for your reading pleasure, I'm sure they'd oblige. I was flat out told no alcohol for a minimum of 6 months, however, they prefer a year. The main reasons: 1) Dehydration - alcohol WILL cause dehydration (fact). If you are not drinking enough Water this will compound the issue more than three fold and likely land you in the ER for fluids. 2) Stomach acid - Because there are less gastric juices to buffer alcohol it can cause swelling in the stomach lining. This happens even after healing, so why in the world would you even want to take an already swollen and irritated tummy and add fuel to the fire? 2) Absorption - Alcohol is much more readily abosorbed into the blood stream in patients that have undergone bariatric surgeries causing a person to get "drunk/tipsy" on smaller quantities. Consuming too much too quickly can cause alcohol poisoning (and for many people this can equal 2 drinks, shots, etc...). Again another trip to the ER. 3) No nutritional value and can lead to binge eating (poor choices). Alcohol is well known to lower inhibitions causing over indulgence in foods, alcohol and other vices. Guidelines are put in place to protect both the patient and doctor. The risk of dehydration and stomach irritation is enough to keep me from partaking until I'm well healed. I want to give myself the best start I can possibly have on my road to wellness. You weren't asking a typical question. You were asking for research and specific medical proof/studies. Big diff. No, I was actually asking people to be responsible for the information they contribute by backing it up with facts and evidence instead of just pulling it out of their a$$ ! What the heck was I thinking !?!

I was never advised not to drink alcohol, just to avoid beer and other carbonated beverages.

I have pizza every once in a while. For me it has to be a thin cruse pizza with lots of delicious toppings. I can only eat 1 or 2 very small squares and I am full. I don't make a habit out of it but it is possible. I cannot speak to the beer thing as I have a 12 month alcohol free commitment and I am ok with that. Also I have not had a sip of a carbonated beverage for all the reasons others listed. When you work this hard you certainly don't want to self sabotage! In terms of food funerals, I had several the week before I started my liquid diet. Spaghetti was my absolute favorite dish. It was the last thing I ate the day before my liquid diet. I have had a bite of spaghetti just to see how my new tummy would react. Honestly, I did not like it. It was hard to chew chew chew and I have purposely avoided it because it would be a trigger for me. Good luck to you!

Had a piece of pizza the other night ( pepperoni ), but I only have it occasionally. Can't stand beer and most alcohol, so Im no help there. Don't think of WLS as a food funeral, instead think of it as a funeral for your fat ! A couple of my favorite foods were General Tso's chicken with sweet and sour sauce, and broccoli salad. I can't get either one of those down since being banded, and while I miss them occasionally, I Don't miss the misery of being obese. You'll soon find out what you can and can't eat, but more importantly you'll find out what you CAN do . Good luck !!!

Google "Alcohol after Bariatric Sleeve" and you'll find plenty of information on it. 2 weeks out and over a bottle and a half of wine as well as other drinks, probably not smart. A couple of ounces a few months out, probably not a huge deal.

Personally I spoke to my therapist before surgery about alcohol and decided I would not touch it until I felt I had replaced my addiction with something healthy... It's just too risky to me. The way I see it is - alcohol never meant anything to me before surgery and I'm going to keep it that way! Once I get to a point where I am healthy, happy, and alcohol is purely a social activity then I will experiment a little. The only thing I worry about is my 21st birthday will be approximately 6 months post op in October. Most people know 21st birthdays usually end up in young people getting sick, passing out, or ending up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning ... so the peer pressure will be strong to go crazy but I'll have to reign those crazy friends in and remind them I have something more important to me.

Okay, @@bacon, I feel MUCH better now. Like @@JustWatchMe, I couldn't figure out what in the world had happened. Glad it wasn't our thread and you'll still be here. @@JustWatchMe - the scale makes me nuts! Sorry you're not seeing the loss yet, but you know it will come. It's so frustrating, I get it. Kudos on the small portions, leaving food, and no crapcorn & alcohol. It all sounds so positive!! Off to continue house cleaning...

Mind you, this information is for people with whole functioning stomachs. Not fresh surgical lines, staples, and a stomach reduced to the point where a small ulcer could be major.: Put simply, alcohol irritates your digestive system. Drinking – even a little – makes your stomach produce more acid than usual, which can in turn cause gastritis (the inflammation of the stomach lining). This triggers tummy pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in heavy drinkers, even bleeding. On the less serious end of the scale, drinking can make it more difficult to digest food and absorb vital nutrients. That’s because alcohol reduces the amount of digestive enzymes which the pancreas produces to help us to break down the fats and carbohydrates we eat (1). (1) NHS Choices website, Gastroesophageal reflux disease: introduction. The Information Standard member organisation. Last reviewed: 29/05/2014. Available at:http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Gastroesophageal-reflux-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx Thank you ! That is the most helpful comment Iv read on this entire thread ! Interesting and also thought provoking, makes sense too.

Mind you, this information is for people with whole functioning stomachs. Not fresh surgical lines, staples, and a stomach reduced to the point where a small ulcer could be major.: Put simply, alcohol irritates your digestive system. Drinking – even a little – makes your stomach produce more acid than usual, which can in turn cause gastritis (the inflammation of the stomach lining). This triggers tummy pain, vomiting, diarrhoea and, in heavy drinkers, even bleeding. On the less serious end of the scale, drinking can make it more difficult to digest food and absorb vital nutrients. That’s because alcohol reduces the amount of digestive enzymes which the pancreas produces to help us to break down the fats and carbohydrates we eat (1). (1) NHS Choices website, Gastroesophageal reflux disease: introduction. The Information Standard member organisation. Last reviewed: 29/05/2014. Available at:http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Gastroesophageal-reflux-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx

Ok glad the crazy stuff was in a different thread. I couldn't figure what on earth could have been said here that could offend someone. I'm doing well. I'm consistently leaving food on my plate and eating small portions. I haven't gotten stuck in weeks. I'm exercising regularly and NOT LOSING anything. Aargh !!! Don't tell me muscle weighs more than fat. I haven't gained enough muscle yet to make that true. My rings are tight, my feet are swollen at the end of the day. I don't think I'm eating too much sodium but I may have to let go of my morning bacon. Frustrated. I have not had movie crapcorn or alcohol in weeks. I just need to trust that eventually the scale will move. Grrr.

Well I am rooting for you ladies and at least you know you're not alone. Everything I cook (with the exception of a turkey and beef meatloaf I made), turns me off. I generally love turkey and chicken and if I make it, I despise it. I've only thrown up once (thank goodness because I hate throwing up). Dealt with dumping a few times (only once from food though, the rest of the times it was because of sugar alcohols in my Glucerna shakes which I no longer drink). Hydration...loathe it. Eating to fast, I'm trying. Good news is I've lost 30 pounds and my A1C is finally under 10 (8.9 to be exact). Sometimes I regret my decision and then other times I think I can't believe I waited so long (well actually insurance only approved my lap band, otherwise I would have done this 3 years ago). In any case, no matter our obstacles, we did something to improve our health. I appreciate you all sharing your struggles. Not because I want you all to struggle, but at least I know I am not alone in my thoughts, feelings and experiences. Keep going! Monique

Very brave of you to post this. I'm actually dealing with an alcohol issue as well now. I've lost 180 lbs and all my life have been almost debilitatingly shy in social situations. Now I'm in this new body and getting attention from friends, co-workers and interested men. I started drinking to help with my inhibitions, but I like it way too much and have come to rely on it. I'm thin, but this is not good for my health. I wish you the best of luck in your recovery, and thank you again for posting .

When it comes to certain flavors, I'm planning on SF puddings mixed in with my Protein shakes. A great example is a vanilla Protein shake base with a TBSP of SF Cheesecake pudding, and whatever Torani SF Syrup matches the flavors I'm craving. I'm a little under two weeks post-op, and I'm adding SF English Toffee to my shake for the evening (I keep late hours), and it's really hit it on the nose for the flavors I was looking for. I'm not up to the puddings yet (require puree stage first), but the syrups have been great. That said, I suggest BariatricFoodie or Eggface's blogs, as both of them have a great array of dessert type treats that are WLS friendly! Sadly, I can't offer you any help on the Coke or Beer front, as I've never been a big drinker of either, and don't miss soda or alcohol at all. I'm sure one of the more seasoned vets will chime in soon. Edit: Kate's also got a great point, in that WLS friendly mug cakes are a fantastic option. They were my go to pre-op, because I didn't want to load down with junk, but I still loved my sweets.

I would just like to pose this question... Why would you feel the need to drink so soon after surgery while your stomach is still healing? Why would you take a chance after coming this far to mess things up and possibly hurt yourself? Even though there may not be evidence that it will hurt you, why would you chance it? You could wait at least a couple months out until your stomach was fully healed. Who knows what kind of affect alcohol has not only on your new stomach but your other organs because the digestion in your stomach is now different. Those are just some of the questions I would ask. Just because you can, doesn't mean it's good for you. If you need to drink that badly that you can't wait until your stomach is fully healed then I think there may be a problem.

My program is very conservative, particularly about alcohol. The transference of addictions was the main concern, as nutritionist, surgeons, psycholologist, and nurses all discussed with me during all stages of this process. I drank maybe a glass of wine a month before surgery, so didn't quite understand what the big deal was. Well after they showed the research during our various meetings...I no longer questioned the importance of being aware of this problem. Combine the research proven issues of addiction, empty calories, stress on the liver after a major surgery, not to mention my new tummy is so small I really don't want to waste space on alcohol...I choose not to go against my program's rules in regards to alcohol. Just not worth it in my opinion. But something I've learned on boards...some people rationalize/loosely interpret their programs rules...so my words or the words of way more experienced/successful others is taken offense to or just ignored anyways no matter how much logic is provided. Folks will do what they want to do period. Again this seems like program recommendations, where is the research you speak of that was presented to you ? I would like to see that.I am a librarian so research is my thing. However, I'm leery of spending my time locating the research for you when a simple Google search using the key words, "alcohol dependence bariatric surgery" returns quite a few results. Seems like this issue is no secret. If I thought it would make a difference & you would use this info in a responsible manner, I'd hop on that research for you. But Something tells me that you are going to do what you want to do anyways. What I don't get is why not save time & take your surgeon's & the many folks on this board's word for it. I mean we can't all be blindly following our programs plans without logic & reason... right? That's where you would be wrong. If I read that there was proof that drinking too soon would effect my healing insides I definitely would not do it. I did do a quick search and yes like I said originally, I found information supporting things like liquid calories (no brainer) transfer addiction ( I'm an 8 yr bariatric surgery vet, if I was in danger of this it would have happened when I lost over 100lbs with the band) and alcohol entering the blood stream faster ( I experienced this with the sleeve) what I didn't find and what I'm asking for is research that it somehow is dangerous to my healing process. Iv had 3 procedures from 3 different surgeons and they all said something different. I also worked in bariatric surgery for 6 years and I know for a fact that surgeons often just go with what they feel or what sounds good and don't always have great scientific research to back it up, a perfect example of this would be the insane differences in post op diets ! So, being an educated person, I prefer to take my surgeons recommendations but also do my own research and then make an informed decision about what I feel best suits my personal situation so sure you could see that as "I'm going to do whatever I want anyway" and while in the end that may be true I'm also going to have a good evidence based reason for doing so.

My program is very conservative, particularly about alcohol. The transference of addictions was the main concern, as nutritionist, surgeons, psycholologist, and nurses all discussed with me during all stages of this process. I drank maybe a glass of wine a month before surgery, so didn't quite understand what the big deal was. Well after they showed the research during our various meetings...I no longer questioned the importance of being aware of this problem. Combine the research proven issues of addiction, empty calories, stress on the liver after a major surgery, not to mention my new tummy is so small I really don't want to waste space on alcohol...I choose not to go against my program's rules in regards to alcohol. Just not worth it in my opinion. But something I've learned on boards...some people rationalize/loosely interpret their programs rules...so my words or the words of way more experienced/successful others is taken offense to or just ignored anyways no matter how much logic is provided. Folks will do what they want to do period. Again this seems like program recommendations, where is the research you speak of that was presented to you ? I would like to see that.I am a librarian so research is my thing. However, I'm leery of spending my time locating the research for you when a simple Google search using the key words, "alcohol dependence bariatric surgery" returns quite a few results. Seems like this issue is no secret. If I thought it would make a difference & you would use this info in a responsible manner, I'd hop on that research for you. But Something tells me that you are going to do what you want to do anyways. What I don't get is why not save time & take your surgeon's & the many folks on this board's word for it. I mean we can't all be blindly following our programs plans without logic & reason... right?

My program is very conservative, particularly about alcohol. The transference of addictions was the main concern, as nutritionist, surgeons, psycholologist, and nurses all discussed with me during all stages of this process. I drank maybe a glass of wine a month before surgery, so didn't quite understand what the big deal was. Well after they showed the research during our various meetings...I no longer questioned the importance of being aware of this problem. Combine the research proven issues of addiction, empty calories, stress on the liver after a major surgery, not to mention my new tummy is so small I really don't want to waste space on alcohol...I choose not to go against my program's rules in regards to alcohol. Just not worth it in my opinion. But something I've learned on boards...some people rationalize/loosely interpret their programs rules...so my words or the words of way more experienced/successful others is taken offense to or just ignored anyways no matter how much logic is provided. Folks will do what they want to do period. Again this seems like program recommendations, where is the research you speak of that was presented to you ? I would like to see that.

My program is very conservative, particularly about alcohol. The transference of addictions was the main concern, as nutritionist, surgeons, psycholologist, and nurses all discussed with me during all stages of this process. I drank maybe a glass of wine a month before surgery, so didn't quite understand what the big deal was. Well after they showed the research during our various meetings...I no longer questioned the importance of being aware of this problem. Combine the research proven issues of addiction, empty calories, stress on the liver after a major surgery, not to mention my new tummy is so small I really don't want to waste space on alcohol...I choose not to go against my program's rules in regards to alcohol. Just not worth it in my opinion. But something I've learned on boards...some people rationalize/loosely interpret their programs rules...so my words or the words of way more experienced/successful others is taken offense to or just ignored anyways no matter how much logic is provided. Folks will do what they want to do period.

The booklet I received with post-op instructions say 30 days, that's it. Here it is verbatim: "Do not drink alcoholic beverages (beer, wine and liquor) for one month after surgery." One year seems really extreme. I hardly ever drink so it won't be an issue for me either way.

I'd like to know if there is any "valid" info on it as well! Instead of just everyone else's useless rude comments! Lol Why judge someone for being truthful when you could just give them insightful encouragement instead? I have not drank alcohol, soda, or anything else I wasn't supposed to but Lord knows if I did I wouldn't post it on this board people are way to hypocritical. Lol I'll ask my nut for real medical examples of why not to drink soda and alcohol and try to post it on here when I can.

Okay, does anyone have any information stating that alcohol is dangerous too soon after surgery ? All I can find is "it can impact you differently" in other words you feel it a lot faster and of coarse empty calories and the risk of transfer addiction, but all that aside, I'm looking for actual research showing it is a risk to staple line ect. My surgeon had no stipulations on alcohol following the sleeve and in fact said "it's a liquid" you'll be fine, I had 2 margaritas about a month out. However, I recently had a revision so I'm looking for information in order to make an informed decision this time about if I would want to have a drink next weekend while out of town for the Holiday.

I was never advised of a time limit by my doctor, however I felt I would wait a year, to make sure my pouch was healed well enough before I took my first sip of wine. I have heard of many gastric bypass patients giving up the food addiction for another addiction such as alcohol, drugs, gambling. If shopping is my only addiction, then I'm a happy girl

There are occasional posts here that just freak me out. I can't find the post now, but the one that just floored me was posted by a guy who was about 3-4 months post-op. His big advice to those who, like him, were members of wine-drinking societies went like this: If you have to drink a couple of bottles of wine at a party, take an anxiety-reducing Rx medication like Xanax or Ativan beforehand. The medication will reduce your stomach's rejection of that much alcohol drunk so soon after surgery. What the f**k!?

Lord people are still not getting it. Having 7 alcoholic drinks 2-4 weeks out of surgery and having a 2oz moscato 2 months out are two different things. This is not an attack on alcohol but rather... You know what I'm tired of repeating myself. Enjoy everyone!

I find the wording very interesting in that statement. "Actually, only a small percentage of bariatric patients claim to have problems with alcohol after surgery." Claim, well...I know plenty of alcoholics who won't "claim" they have a problem with alcohol. The closest to me was my own mother, she'd never "claim" she was an alcoholic, but she died of advanced cirrhosis of the liver, due to her drinking. I fail to understand why we are given such wide and wildly different advice from a group of professionals who are all giving us basically the same surgeries. I wish they would get their stories straight. It makes me nervous. Why are things so different for so many of us?