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I did have decaffeinated tea on day 2 and since then a small one each morning, apparently it settles my stomach. I know you didn't mention tea but I am English - Enough said As for wine, I will try a very small glass on Christmas day and not before. Although I will be happy not drinking alcohol again, I am soooooooo glad I can still have decaff tea.

30 days post op I added coffee back! Have not had wine yet, I am 6 weeks out, but I am dying for some alcohol!

I am not sure if it is okay but, honestly I would NOT do it. Along with other things Nyquil has a lot of alcohol in it and this early on you do not need that in your tummy. Think of it like a baby's tummy - it needs time. Have some chicken broth with some extra frest strained out garlic - that will help your cold Take care, Sandy

I suffer infrequently. I have watched the onset of my migraines and can sometimes figure out what triggers them. Stress, alcohol are two that I have figured out. Mine last for 3 days and usually make me blindish in one eye. I found the cure. Topirimate stops my migraines dead. I can still feel them, but they are not painful. I take the drug under the name Maxalt rpd. They are melt on your tongue type. I am so relieved that there is a cure. Good luck with yours. I know they are miserable.

Ive got DVD's, and almost everything else here. But still bored to death. Most of our outings here are eating out. It is all you have to do in this country. I didnt care if someone ripped me for asking about alcohol. If we were all angels we wouldnt have had to have the lap band. And I sure dont need a sermon at age 53, nor will I listen to one. So I appreciate the advice I recieved. Thanks

That's great! I think I can handle 1 on the sugar alcohol. I wish they would just get rid of that stuff. More things are supposed to come out with stevia.

This is strange logic. Does gossip or jealousy have the same consequences as does terror? Does it have the same purpose? In fact, it does not. Terror is used to control people, or cause chaos which will control people. It is meant to cause a destruction of society or fear that will break down culture to allow another culture to replace it. The consequence of "losing" the war on terror is that radical Islamists or jihadists or whatever term you want to use, will control more of the world. It is the stated goal. There are already judges in England who have ruled that it is legal for a Muslim man to beat his wife, because the Koran allows it. Now, we are that much closer to having two rules of law. Where will the future of gay rights and abortion rights be, if Muslim rule of law is accepted? A further example: some Muslim cab drivers believe they should not have to drive fares who are carrying alcohol, or dogs...continue that logic to more extreme "rights" that Americans want to be accepted. The consequeces of not winning the war on terror are much more dire than not being able to take a cab, or knowing that your neighbor can be beaten, because she is a Muslim. I cannot understand that these are things you are willing to accept, and at the same time, rail against the Patriot Act, for goodness sake. The comparisons made are false comparisons indeed. At any rate, most of America has never been known for throwing up their hands and saying...oops, can't be done. We're in the fight of our lives, for our lives and way of life. If we can't win the war on gossip, does that mean we should never confront it, or even encourage it? You can tell a person that gossip is wrong...does that make them stop? Maybe, sometimes. I've never seen that tactic work with a terrorist. "Hey, buddy...blowing people up is wrong, okay? So, stop it already." When there is a war against your country, and your country is being attacked physically and philosophically, I think you have to try to win. Giving up certainly will hasten the consequences.

I would ask her if she yells at alcoholics for having their disease; trying to stop for a moment in time to lower risks during surgery has nothing to do with lifestyle change. If it were that easy, modern medicine should have come up with a cure for food addiction a long time ago. Makes me mad to think insurance co's are allowed to dictate how much out of control are bodies need to be in before they "grant" approval. Seems like the medical people ought to be dictating this decision. but don't get me started. personally, I'm going to pay out of pocket and go to Mexico for my banding next month. Wish me luck! Sufina

I personal didn't feel any drunker than I usually did with drinking alcohol but the hangover was 10x's worse!!! Be prepared!

Agree with other posters.... beer bubbles will make you feel uncomfortable. Keep in mind too that your alcohol tolerance will change now with your sleeve. I can get a slight buzz on 1/2 glass of wine now. I stick with heavily watered down margaritas, fruity martinis. And..... I make sure I'm not driving. You might want to just kinda experiment at home. Will also vary on if you have eaten or if you are empty.

Just don't forget that alcohol turns to sugar!

For future reference I was wondering if I decide to go out and have a drink would a beer be better than a Margarita. Girls from work like to get together and I haven't told but two people there about surgery so I don't want them to get supicuous

Surgeon said protein 1st, fruits and veggies 2nd, carbs last. Eat healthy 95 % of the time, but have a little bit of a treat too. So , daily I have a cookie or a bit of WW ice cream. 2-3 x a week I might have a piece of cheese, or a small glass of 2 % milk. I don't like alcohol, soda pop, fried food, or salty stuff. Sweets are my trigger food, so I try and keep them to a minimum. Works for me , and it something I can live with for the rest of my life !

I do a low-ish carb diet. I have meat and/or eggs and green vegetables at virtually every meal. I do moderate dairy: yogurt, whey protein powder, grass-fed butter, and occasionally small amounts of cheese. I eat fruit and nuts as snacks (in addition to jerky and more green veggies). Excluded: grains, starchy veggies, dairy milk, alcohol, beans and legumes, and sweets. I make rare exceptions on special occasions, but they really are rare. This particular plan works well for me because if I eat sweets or other carby foods my cravings go absolutely insane. This diet keeps them in check.

Alcohol and NSAIDS are big no-no's. The acid in coffee can cause problems, as well.

It is hard, I know. You didn't have your head banded, only your stomach and sometimes the head is stronger. Just think - you have had surgery and are healing. Do you want to stall or delay the healing process? I doubt you do. Try your hardest to stick to your eating plan. Foods you loved before, you still may be able to eat but just a lot less, which is great. As for alcohol, everyone has a different opinion, but mine is, I still drink it and love it and I'm okay with it (and so is my doctor). Now probably isn't the time for it though. You need to let your body heal and just give it the nutrients your doctor said to. Good luck!

Never counted, tracked or weighed. Eat when I'm hungry and just until satisfied. I Keep a running tally in my head so I know I'm getting at least 64oz water. Have a large 30-40g protein/fiber smoothie everyday and just eat a healthy, balanced diet of protein, fruits, veggies, and whole grains. However, I also eat deserts, ice cream, alcohol, bread, cake, muffins, chips, potatoes, pasta, and candy in moderation. Easiest "diet" I've ever been on and I've been maintaining at 10 pounds below my goal weight for almost 4 months.

Ahh.. I didn't realise there are deeper issues. Sorry to hear. As your confidence and self esteem grows you will know if that's the life you want to live. No judgement I hope their isn't kids in this situation with an alcoholic. There is lots of support available if you need it. All the best. Sent from my Vivo 5R using BariatricPal mobile app

WHAT IN THE EVER LIVING ACTUAL F*CK... Seriously. I followed the diet, I'm taking meds...I'm still making sure to get protein in first and trying to make it to at least 1k cals per day...but I've lost 6lbs, that's it. Has ANYONE else experienced this?! Is it normal? I mean I am not the biggest person in the world, I was 276 when I came home from hospital and weighed 270 a couple days ago. I was not a huge alcohol drinker, did not drink pop all the time etc before the surgery, had no health issues, still have no health issues and nothing I eat makes me sick... is that it? I mean, is it because other than eating drastically less than I could before surgery, is it because I was healthy before hand so Im not seeing any drastic results!? I'm starting to get super depressed.

thank you so much for the information! I haven't had any alcohol for a month or so, so I I should be good there. My insurance has already been approved, but my doctor requires the nicotine blood test. I'm sure it will be fine. I'm a big worry wart! Thanks again!:thumbup:

I'm seven months out. The only goal that I had from this surgery was to reduce the amount of medications that I was taking. I didn't give a rip and still don't, about the scale. I've have met the goal that I have set in that respect, and I am now working on getting my weight to a point that I have not been before. I am not the fastest loser, but I really don't care that much as a slow loser tends to be a permanent one. I still have about 35+ lbs to go and probably will make that goal within the year I set out to do. I have really worked on changing my lifestyle. I eat healthy and I eat properly. I cut out the things that got me to the fat ass stage. (Soda, alcohol, carbs etc.). I don't eat white foods (flour, rice, pasta, etc.). I workout daily and I run almost every day. I don't miss eating anything. I still go out, I still have fun, probably more fun than before as I can be more active. I am thinking about a career change (I am a chef) and getting out of the food business. The surgery has given me the opportunity to really understand my relationship with food and eating. I really have a better idea of what my triggers are and how they can impact my eating and in turn, my life. For me, the decision to have the surgery has been one that I feel was proper. I have worked hard, and probably could have loss the weight on my on without the surgery, but in general I am glad that I did it. I think for the long term, it is a better approach.

I believe chronic acid reflux is the curse of long term use for many of us. It a matter managing it, if possible. I had a slip in the Spring. I had losts of reflux then, but also could barely get anything past the band, food & eventually water. I was unfilled for 4 months, no reflux during that time. About a month after being refilled it came back, but I can still eat & drink so I'm working to manage it. A good part of my life centers around managing these unpleasant complications. My coffee consumtion is very limited, as is alcohol, tomato based foods, spicey foods,etc. I do not eat or drink after 7 PM, and sometimes still suffer the dreaded night backup. This is the most unpleasant. I try to avoid forced pbing because I think that's what made my band slip before. Maalox helps take away the acid burning. I have some Prilosec, I think I'll try that again, but I expect even if it helps it won't totally eliminate the problem, at night at least. At night it seems that falling asleep relaxes the hiatal muscles & if there's food or liquid there, it shoots right up. I'm just guessing, but it feels like it's something like. I think many of us who have been banded longer than a year experience it. Does anyone have more info on the mechanic of what happens? Funny thing is, I'm not sorry I had the band put in. I have gone from 218 to 155, less than 20 pounds to go. I need the band to lose the rest & will need it filled off and on for the rest of my life, if I can make it work. When I was unfilled for 4 months I worked like the devil to keep it off & still gained 7 pounds. I can only take it a day at a time & hope I can keep it working for me.

(Sorry for the quote, but I don't want to have to scroll up to reference your post… and sorry in advance for the long post…) I felt bad about getting so low that this surgery was my only option. I WANTED to lose the weight myself. When I put my mind to something, it gets done, so why not THIS particular something? That's another book... It took me almost 5 years of heavy thought and self contemplation before I was "OK" with the idea of having weightloss surgery. I spent 4 years telling myself, “MAYBE I’ll consider if, if I don’t weigh under X by X date” or “Ok, I will do it if I can’t be 40 lbs lighter this time next year, because obviously if I can’t make that little goal, I just can’t do it on my own.” I also kept thinking, especially as I was truly, seriously considering LB, “Damn, it would be a shame if one last diet could have fixed my problem… so maybe I should give it one last chance…” Here’s the thought process I had that slowly changed the way my gears were turning: Lots of people have health issues. Lots of people have borderline health issues, or are at risk for health issues. Most of those people are employing some type of medical intervention for their issues. Why is this so different? Why should I not seek the medical treatment available to help with what might otherwise turn into a significant health issue? Why is it OK for an alcoholic to receive a new liver, but not for me to get the band? Why is it OK for a smoker to seek breathing treatments, but not ok for me to seek a medical support? Eventually – I could no longer explain away the differences, and could no longer justify to myself staying fat. Don’t feel bad about the money (easy to say, my insurance covered… I know). If you need reassurance that it’s a worthwhile investment, ask your husband – “If we could spend $180000 on <debt, car, house, whatever>, or on something that will give me a really good shot at a normal, healthy weight and longer life, which would you want to spend the money on?” J I do want to interject against one thing you said. You say “I think that I am on the right path, because friends tell me I should definitely do this”. In the politest way possible, your friends have nothing to do with this, and you should not use their opinions as a way to judge whether or not this is right for YOU. It’s handy to have the support… can definitely be done without… but make sure you aren’t allowing their opinions to change your life. YOU need to be telling yourself that YOU should do this. Until then, it’s maybe not the right path. Have you researched the band, how it works, and what happens once you’re banded? I think for most people, upon finding good restriction, don’t have to contend with appetite. A majority of the significance of restriction is that you get full on a small amount of food. That’s why we get it. The possible restriction on certain foods, and negative consequences to “eating wrong” are side effects… the purpose is to cause satiety on small portions. Here’s another “setting” I put myself in when contemplating WLS: Time is going to pass. There’s nothing I can do about it, it’s one of the few truly inevitable things about life. It’s going to be “a year from now”, regardless of what I do. So in a year, I can be like this, or fatter – or I can be well on the road to a much healthier & happier me. In a year, how am I going to feel if I reflect back on this exact moment, and only feel regret for not making changes?

Thanks you all for your posts. I am going to look into an outpatient program in my area. I have great insurance that covers rehab once a year while you have coverage. I really struggled with the detox on my own so I am hoping the center will keep me on a medically supervised detox. I was 16 months sober when I relapsed. I realize that I have a problem. Yes, my weight loss has stalled because of my alcohol abuse. I have lost 100 lbs and am 25 lbs from goal. The same 25 I have had for 6 months. Today I had a barrium swallow and my band looks fantastic. I just love my lapband doctor. Too bad he can't help me through my detox. He is fantastic. Love to all and thanks again for all the insight and support.

I looked at the binder that my surgeon gave me and it says that it's best to avoid caffeine but if you do drink caffeine consider cutting back or drinking 8 oz of Water for every cup of coffee. It also said its best to avoid alcohol. I have no idea where I got the 3 months from but maybe that was my rule. I love coffee but I hate feeling like I need it every morning, so I plan to avoid it. Alcohol I plan to wait until I reach goal but ultimately who knows what will happen down the line