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It seems like those of you who are saying you do fine are at least a year out (2014 surgery). I am three months out and I can't even imagine the thought of alcohol, so I'm not inclined to try. It could knock me out even at my highest weight and larger stomach. Given this thread, I am definitely waiting until the 1st anniversary (incidentally, the day after my birthday).

Gastric bypass equals malabsorption of everything including alcohol. I'm having trouble with malabsorbtion of my anti-anxiety meds and it's torture. But, this too shall pass.

Hi everyone! Does anyone else experience a high tolerance for alcohol after gastric bypass? I have a completely difference tolerance now than before surgery. I don't get drunk (not a bad thing). I can feel just a tiny bit tipsy for a very short period of time - maybe 20 minutes and then goes away. I even put it to the test this past week on our annual all-inclusive trip to the Caribbean when rum punch was flowing freely all day. Not that I need to be drinking and wanting to get drunk, but sometimes that relaxing fun feeling would be fine. Even my surgeon was stumped and said this is the first he's heard of a high tolerance as it's usually the opposite. So...just wondering if anyone else has experienced the same?

Hi Gill, Mr Hewin told me that it's best to try to reduce the size of my liver before the op, as it will make it a lot easier for him, and my recovery time will be shorter. I have been told to avoid alchohol as much as possible for 3 weeks before the op, and for the week before I have to go on a liquid fat free diet. I can have fat free yoghurt and thin soups only, according to the enormous handout he gave me. I am going for my pre-op assessments on Monday, and I am going to check to see if I can have something like Slimfast shakes as well, as I hate yoghurt (though I don't mind the Muller Light ones too much). I actually gave up alcohol as a New Year resolution and I have tried to eat a low fat diet throughout March, so hopefully it will be ok. I'm a teacher too, and having it in the Easter holidays, which was my choice. I saw my GP at the end of July, and he gave me a form there and then to make an appointment with Mr Hewin over the internet. I made the appointment for 14 August, and after that had to wait for PCT approval. They approved the operation and all costs in early November and I saw Mr Hewin again at the beginning of December. Once you have approval, there is a 2 month waiting list, which put me in February, but you can ask to have it later, which I did, so that it would fit in with my life. I meet the anaesthetist on Monday, and have the pre-op tests, then a week on Wednesday I go in! The only thing I am worried about now is if there isn't a bed and I can't have it at the last minute, which is always a worry with the NHS. Good luck with your referral! Debbie

What drinks does everyone order at a bar? Or make at home?

The issue for people post surgery is addiction transfer & alcohol is an easy transfer from food. I enjoyed a glass of something (wine, gin, scotch) every night pre surgery but since my surgery I probably have a glass less than once a month. And then I rarely finish it. I also found that my taste buds have changed & a lot of alcohol tastes too sweet & just plain blah! Have to admit I don’t really miss it. If I do have something to drink it’s gin & tonic. I drink it very slowly - an hour + for a low ball. Most of the bubbles dissipate quickly which helps with the carbonation issue. A couple of things to consider: The carbonation fills you quickly & causes issues like discomfort. If you’re drinking, you’re not eating. Alcohol will dehydrate you. Alcohol has no nutritional value.

well it all depends on the person. there are a lot of people that transfer addiction from food to alcohol, shopping, sex, PS..... I can only talk about the band and sleeve. I have a drink a few nights a week when my husband is home.... when he is not, I don't. For me it's definitely not Crack.... for some, maybe

My experience with alcohol (wine) and the lapband is that I don't feel the effects of the booze immediately. Then like someone flipped the switch and I am bombed, almost passed out (have passed out). I also purchased an alcohol breath testing machine. It takes 3 times as long to the booze to leave my system as my husbands when having the same amount of drinks. The machine will read triple zeros for him and I will have a .045 blood alcohol level. We are wondering with the band is the alcohol residue is staying above the band longer.

I will concur with others; this is definately the easy way out! I was not going to tell anyone except my boyfriend. Then I decided that I would tell my parents. I was nervous, thought that they would tell me, "You just need to stop eating the wrong stuff etc" After I told them it was a tool and I needed it to help me stop overeating they understood and have been very supportive. I told them that I wish my sister (who struggles with alcoholism) had a physical tool such as this to give her a headstart. I think they realize that my food addiction is as real as my sisters alcoholism and that I am going to do whatever necessary to abolish it! I say all this to say, don't let fear or shame keep you from sharing your decision. You may be surprised at how supportive they would/will be about your decision. I am glad that I took the risk/chance and shared it with my parents. I know my boyfriend feels better about it too (didn't want to be my only source of support). Whatever you decide, best of luck and congratulations on your decision to become the best you you can be!!

I would suggest you consider skipping alcohol all together or get something like a vodka and cran with lime.

She didn't ask for suggestions on whether or not to drink alcohol, is the thing. If you think you're adult enough to tell another adult she should abstain from alcohol, "you should be adult enough to handle various feedback." And mature enough to not mock people with your blah blah blahs.

I have had alcohol on several occasions since my surgery. The first was at 3 weeks out and I had two glasses of wine over the course of about 5 hours. I made sure to get in all my Protein that day using my shakes and then actually budgeted the calories into my plan for the day. Just be sure to make sure it's not a really bubbly wine. I drank Riesling. The second occasion was about 6 wks out and I drank a margarita on the rocks and a vodka cranberry. (those were not budgeted in but I actually lost weight the morning after.) I will say the only issue I have had was the frozen margarita I tried to drink last weekend. I got down about half of it and was sick to my stomach. I guess it's all the sugar in a frozen drink. Whatever you choose to do is up to you personally! Good luck to you!! Kacy Sent from my iPhone using VST

My wife and are both post op and prior to were heavy pop drinkers. Both if us being recovering alcoholics we have resigned to treating pop like alcohol. Not taking a sip is the best way to avoid reforming bad habits. Good luck. You can do it. Sent from my SM-G900V using BariatricPal mobile app

I love non-carbonated drinks, like vodka and juice cocktails. They come in easy, and it's a lot of fun. But I don't advise anyone to drink alcohol because it's a very insidious thing. Alcohol can be called poison. It destroys almost all the organs, but you feel perfect, and you're in a good mood. I've been drinking like that for over a year, and my liver said, "Bye, buddy. It got to the point where I woke up in the hospital with terrible results. I was told either you quit drinking, or you're going to die soon. I'm afraid of death, so the choice was obvious. After I was discharged from the hospital, I wanted a drink and thought about joining Alcoholics Anonymous & Other Mutual Aid Support Groups. It all worked out, and now I've been sober for over a year. It's a small victory for my loved ones and me.

I enjoyed various wines, beers, Hennessey, Crown Royal as well as other "adult beverages" prior to my surgery. I was a "social" drinker and could put back about 4-5 mixed drinks or glasses of wine before feeling REALLY good... My surgery was April 16th and tried my first drink which was wine at about 8 weeks out.. It BURNED my throat and didn't sit well at all. I tried a Crown n Ginger at about 12 weeks and still... not good.. the only drink I have tried that went down okay was Ciroc and pineapple with a splash of sprite. It took me about 2 hours to drink it but at this point I can honestly say that I don't even desire alcohol anymore.. Once you are sleeved you will notice that your tastes change when it comes to drinks or food.. Some of the foods and drinks that I enjoyed prior to my surgery I don't like at all now.. Not a big deal for me personally.... My boyfriend loves it!! I'm a cheap date AND the designated driver!!! LOL

Based on my experience and knowing several people with different experiences when compared to mine...I think you have to know the following and be ok with knowing this for yourself. 1.) The surgery is a personal decision and if you decide you are ready to go for it because you have to make a change for your life then you are ready to do it and do it right. 2.) You must understand that while it sounds like magic, it is not. It will not be magic...waking up and all your weight is gone overnight. It takes time. The normal weight loss with no working out and barely eating right is about a quarter to a half a pound a week at best. IF you eat good but don't exersize much then you might get double that. IF you exercise and eat better at a gradually increasing rate then you will hit the one pound to two pounds a week rate. Even with all of this you are going to be working on changing your metabolism as well. The longer you've been obese - the longer it will take to change this. (IN my case it was 25 years of being over 100 pounds overweight). 3.) The longer it takes you to learn how to chew and manage the band rules - the higher your changes of causing yourself problems associated with eating too much, too fast, the wrong things, wrong combos, etc. (i.e. all the things people are complaining about...) Many are caused by user error. 4.) Your health care provider will probably seem like they are slow to fill you and they will tell you that you are doing fine. This will be infuriating because you will compare yourself to what you thought would happen or to what others experiences have been. You have to realize that just filling you up to let nothing through will cause more damage than not having a band at all because you have no re-learned eating and timing and choices yet. IT takes a great deal of time, trial and error, trying and re-trying in different situations to re-learn how to live and eat in a healthy way. 5.) When you first get your band, your mind will not be changed like your stomach...again, it takes time to reset and unlearn bad behaviors. 6.) Somewhere around the 6-8 month mark - you will start to view food differently. This is about the same time that your fills should be catching up with your brain to have the tool working to help you think about food differently (i.e. food is not a reward system or something to do when you're bored). You start to only eat because you know you need to or because you really and truly do feel hungry. 7.) Somewhere around this time you will have a bad episode with alcohol that will teach you that you no longer have tolerance for a lot of it. NEgative reinforcement of what you have already been told re-establishes the new eating pattern...just like the PB'ing that you see people talking about here. THe only time I have trouble is when I blatantly disregard the rules and then you know I remember it next time or the time after that when I have a bad episode. It's all learning. You just have to commit to it taking time and effort. What I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt is that the two years of saving money so I could pay for my surgery in cash (insurance wouldn't pay) was the best decision I made and I think it made me more dedicated to making it happen because it wasn't given to me on a silver platter. (At least for myself I think this has been a contributing factor). Best of luck on your journey!

I am waiting for insurance approval. When I had my consultation with the surgeon (Dr. Singh, St. Agnes Hospital, Baltimore) I told him my PCP was concerned because my liver enzymes were frequently elevated on my blood test for cholesterol. He told me that could indicate fatty liver disease moreso than a reaction to cholesterol medicine, and fatty liver disease can become non-alcoholic cirrhosis. He didn't say the surgery would be cancelled, just that while doing it he would take a sample for a liver biopsy to find out. Also once I get a date I have to do liquids 2 weeks before and 2 weeks after banding. The before is to help shrink the liver and make the surgery easier. Don't know if anyone has tried this or heard about it, but in the current issure of Prevention Magazine there is a short article about milk thistle as a supplement and its main ingredient silymarin. Says it can detoxify the liver and help fatty liver disease, which (I didn't know this) can lead to diabetes. They suggest 200 to 500mg of silymarin a day and note that not all brands have enough. Trader Darwin Milk Thistle at Trader Joes and Natures Way Thisilyn are two that do. I plan to tell the surgeon's office once I am scheduled because they will be adjusting my meds anyway. I have pretty much every co-morbidity except diabetes. From what I read you need to buy what has been standardized to 80% silymarin, which means my 250mg milk thistle capsule has 200mg of silymarin in it and it states that on the bottle. I got the Trader Darwin, about $10 for 100 capsules. Prevention recommends 200-500 daily so I take one twice a day which gives me 400mg. And they said to be sure and tell your doctor. I figure anything that makes my liver a better surgical risk. The Nature's Way brand is more expensive but is availble at places like the Vitamin Shoppe and online. Has anyone tried this? I would love to hear about some experiences. My sister had RNY about 2 years ago and her PCP actually put her on milk thistle (though she doesn't remember why, and plans to ask him).

Hello Wv chef Im so sorry to hear about all your troubles & I agree with Crèekimp13! Alcohol is NEVER the way to cover over any problems! It just leads you to more as you have already experienced! I have a Niece who had a gastric bypass right after she graduated high school. She had been over weight most of her young life so wrhen she was old enough my Sister helped her to get the surgery. By the way shes now 25 or 26. Back then my sister, her Mom, didnt know about the gastric sleeve! Anyway my Niece loss all her weight & felt pretty & sexy for the first time in her life! She started to go partie, bars & started drinking, getting drunk which lead her to getting raped & anòther time she became pregnant & well...the fetus is no longer here![emoji17] To make a long story short.. she's still drinking despite all the help & encouragement from family & the TV show called Intervention. She is now living many miles away from her family, has a 4 yr old daughter, living with the babies father who is a drug addict & who beats her! So NO... alcohol is not good! And yes it will make you gain weight! WV let me ask you this...have you ever though about turning your life towards God? That is the Best direction you can go at this point in your life! Why not seek a way to have a personal Bible Study to show you how you can change you life & bring you much,much Joy! I promise you will never regret it or ever be alone no matter where you live! Sent from my SM-T530NU using BariatricPal mobile app

We can all beat ourselves up with the if only we hadn't allowed this to happen story but it's not changing a damn thing I think of this as our "rehab" there's drug abuse alcohol abuse etc everybody goes to rehab it's expected well this is our rehab let's use it wisely and stop living in the past and move forward what's that saying u can't change what u don't acknowledge? Well we know we have a problem and we are trying to fix it let that be our new story and a new start

She stated she suffers from acid reflux. alcohol cannot be good while taking acid reducing meds. who am I to say she can't drink. CHEERS darling drink up if its a special occasion worry about the repercussions later lol

As of yesterday, I have lost 100 pounds. YEA! (cue happy music to start playing loudly) Now, to lose the last 18 pounds. My target is to be done in January of 2012. I started my preop diet on February 9th of this year, and had surgery February 22nd with Dr. Nicholson in Dallas, TX. My surgery went extremely well. I had no complications and went home after one night in the hospital. My recovery went smoothly. I had no trouble drinking fluids or finding a Protein I could tolerate. Didn't have any vomiting once I got home. Didn't need much pain medicine at all - took a total of two or three pills after I left the hospital. Went back to work three weeks after surgery - I had to wait for my three weeks check-up before I could get my doctor's clearance. I have a two hour drive to the office, and the doctor was concerned about me being in a car for that long that soon. I had to stop and walk around for 5 minutes or so after an hour - to help prevent the possibility of clots. Working a twelve hour day (8 hours work, 4 hours driving) was too long at first, so I would stay in a hotel close to the office for three nights a week until I was ready for the 12 hour days. This journey so far has been a major learning experience for me. I am a very organized (obsessive?) person. I had everything mapped out for each day - what I would eat. I tracked calories, protein, carbs and ounces of Fluid. In all my dieting history I had never tracked the grams of protein or carbs in my food - so this was brand new. The other major learning experience was how to deal with life without my old "frenemy" FOOD as my coping mechanism. There are addicts in my family tree (alcohol, recreational pharmaceuticals) and that tendency is within me. Not for drugs or alcohol - why go there when there was food available? (Cocaine couldn't be any more satisfying than brownies.) So I am having to build an entire new relationship with food, and build totally different coping skills for all of the triggers that previously resulted in me choosing to use food inappropriately. I am pleased to report that this effort is going well. But it really is "one day at a time" as the AA folks say. I have to stay 100% conscious of what I am doing. On a lighter note - I have had a blast rediscovering smaller clothes. I am now in 12's and some 14's - and they are petites! Still sounds strange to even say that! I started out is 24 Womens and 3X's. I say "thank God for clothes" as it hides all the sagging wrinkled skin from the weight loss. I am also WAY HEALTHIER than I was. My PCP was talking to me prior to me starting the 6 month preop (which actually took a year for me - insurance issues) about WHEN I would have a heart attack, not IF. My father dropped dead of a massive heart attack when he was about the age I was when I started my preop diet. I had high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea (I hated my CPAP machine and wouldn't use it). My joints ached all the time. Now, I am off all blood pressure meds, all cholesterol meds and I no longer have sleep apnea. My last labs looked good - except for borderline anemia (even with iron). That doesn't have anything to do with the sleeve, I have been that way most of my life. The only meds I take now are Vitamins and minerals, acid reducing meds, and hormones. Didn't mean to natter on for so long. Thank all of you on this site for being such a wonderful support for me. You guys are my "AA" - and, believe me, I come here every day to help me stay focused. If I can be of help to anyone here, feel free to PM me - I am happy to return to favor. I posted some before and recent pictures. The picture with the giant guitar is at the Hard Rock in Albuquerque. That was last Thursday - I was on vacation with my 86 year old energizer-bunny mother and my two sisters.

How well does everyone post op do with the drinking of alcohol? I know you can't drink it all the time because it inhibits weight loss but is once in a while okay? How does everyone feel when they do drink? Does it burn?

You're on a good start by cutting out alcohol and soda, and are practicing chewing your food. You're slowing down while you eat which I think helps you to get fuller faster! Don't get discouraged, if you have questions about dieting - ask your dietician! That's what they are getting paid for! I had to do a six month Doctor supervised diet before my insurance would approve me. I learned a lot from asking questions, here and at my appointments! Good luck!!

Wonderful! You recognize that your craving was just an emotional pacifier! That's good! Once we know *why* we eat, we can begin to create new, better, habits. Don't give in to that craving! All it does is load the bad (sugar) carbs back into your system...which will create more cravings for sugar. All I can do is tell you what I do and perhaps there's something here you can use or will give you ideas for other strategies... These emotional cravings for sweets are not just necessarily emotional. I know when my adrenalin gets going from stress, it affects my blood sugar levels...which in turn cause a *physical* craving for carbs due to excess insulin being kicked out. My doctor told me to eat Protein because it will help raise my blood sugar but slowly...unlike something sugary which will do the same thing but then drop you even farther right after. I usually eat 1-2 oz of cheese...and then just white knuckle it until my blood sugar levels stabilize. I usually feel much better within 15-20 minutes and am able to resist that craving. I'll drink decaf tea, coffee or chicken broth...or just warm Water. It's soothing in the belly. I talk myself down from that food precipice. I sit comfortably, close my eyes and then deliberately focus on relaxing every part of my body. Then I start talking to myself...perhaps just chanting a mantra such as "I am in control. For this moment I can do this. Food does not rule my life."...whatever works for you, but the focus being on deliberately taking control and choosing to not let emotions dictate my life. Like the alcoholic, I've learned to take it one moment at a time. All I need to do is get through this moment. You can do this Fran! .