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One of the nurses gave me alcohol swabs to sniff for bouts of nausea. It was a miracle worker! Walking, heating pad, and not laying down (slept in a recliner), & Gas-X helped the most with gas. It was the worst part. Hiccups hurt too, I just kept my abdominal binder on and clutched a small pillow across my stomach to hold it as still as possible. Surgery date- 11/8/16, Height- 5'6", HW- 249, SW- 235, GW- 160, CW (11/16)- 226

My surgery has been cancelled and rescheduled 3 times in 2 months, so so frustrating! The Dr always wants 1 more test, which is fine, but on 9-17-12 I went in for my pre-op only to have it cancelled again. Now the Dr says im high risk and wants to do my surgery in a hosp that has an ICU. I have cirrhosis due to fatty liver, no alcohol,drugs in my life. I'm curious to see if anyone else out there has liver disease and had this surgery? The main reason I'm having GPS is for my liver, diabetes , my gastro highly recommended surgery to stop the liver damage and possibly reverse damage that is there. I wasn't nervous or scared until the other day when words like high risk and ICU were used. I appreciate any comments or peace of mind. Marta

I am still in the approval process so Im a long way off from being pre-op, but I am trying to find out as much information as I can so Im prepared. I know that in the first few months after getting the sleeve you have the liquid then soft food phases, but does it ever go back to really average things, just in small sizes? What about drinking alcohol?

In my social group, I'm the "afternoon cocktail girl". Seriously, moderation is key for me. There is no reason to not indulge in alcohol unless you are worried about transfer addiction issues. Plus, I didn't drink during my losing stage because our livers are working double time and throwing alcohol on top of everything else it's processing is pretty unfair to task my liver even more. I'm a party girl at heart. I love the bar/club scene, and refused to give it up just because I had my guts altered. Plus, dancing on tabletops is much safer at 130lbs than it is at 270lbs LOL ! ! !

I do eat anything I want just small portions. There is nothing that gives me trouble. I don't drink alcohol by choice, but I have had it. I get drunk pretty quickly if I have a drink. Alcohol gets into the blood stream quicker from our stomachs being so small.

Sorry, I'm being lazy so I'm just copy/pasting this reply from another post: 1. What is a daily meal like? This answer has changed based on how far out I am, and what my goals were. During losing, I ate Protein, protein, protein, protein and more protein. Pretty much atkins diet, no more than 30-40gr of carbs until I hit goal, and was getting into maintenance. At almost 2 years out, I eat fairly normal. Last night for dinner, my almost 13 yr old son, and I shared a fajita for one dinner at a local Mexican place. I ate 6 tortilla chips with salsa, 1 small flour tortilla with about 1Tbsp of refried Beans, a smear of sour cream, 3 strips of fajita steak meat, and about 6 jalapenos. I tear off the rounded part of the tortilla once I folded it over, and I was perfectly content with my intake. I can eat 1 slice of medium thin crust pizza with toppings and cheese. Rice, bread, Pasta are now all slider foods for me so I do watch that intake, but there are not any foods that I can not eat. Pork settles heavy in my sleeve so I don't eat it. I don't feel like I'm missing out on anything at all. Saturday night my husband and I went to a local steakhouse for dinner. I ordered a 6oz sirloin (teriyaki marinade and dipping sauce) a loaded sweet potato (marshmallows and caramel topping), and mac-n-cheese. I ate 1/4 of a dinner roll before my meal arrived. Proceeded to eat 1/2 of the steak with extra dipping sauce (food lube condiments makes meat easier to consume), half of the inside of the sweet potato, and 3 bites of mac-n-cheese. This meal experience lasted 1.5hours allowing me to eat a bit more without being "stuffed". 2. Is there anything you can't eat? Nopers 3. How much can you eat? It totally varies on the consistency of the food, the time I allow myself to eat. There are ways to cheat every weight loss surgery, and I know every single one of them. But, just because I know them doesn't mean I use them all the time. It's typically in social settings when I use those cheating skills. Grazing, eating super slow, stretching out my meal, sipping in between bites, allows me to eat a bit more, and not draw attention to myself. I attend A LOT of social functions, and no one ever questions my eating or lack thereof. 4. Can you drink diet soda? I've drank regular soda since being around 6.5-7 months out without issue. No change in my sleeve capacity, and without any effect on my weight. It's all about moderation for me. As for alcohol consumption, it's wasted calories and I didn't indulge until I was at goal. The first glass of wine hit me hard and fast. I was drunk, numb lips, tingly face, and then sobered up about 20-30 minutes later. I am a major social drinker (well before pregnancy), and I drink all types of mixed drinks and wine. Not a beer drinker, but I indulge when I can. The only time it had any effect on my weight was last holiday season. From Halloween to New Years, we partied a few times a month. I drank and ate without care, and I enjoyed every minute of it. Over those 3 months or so, I gained 7lbs. Went back to my normal eating, and drinking , dropped those 7lbs in a little over a week. My alcohol tolerance is just like it was pre-op.

No, they didn't seem too ... I think the sugar alcohol is like a "1"

That is way cool. Anything that has that Malitol which is sugar alcohol makes me so gassy I have to be alone for the rest of the day. I have to be careful, cause now some of the Atkins bars have it too. I just ran out of the bars I use. I am going to look for the mud pie. I just resstocked at costco on Protein drinks. I love the muscle milk light.

Are you eating foods with sugar alcohol? Because if I have any excess of sugar alcohol I get really bad gas. All day. No matter what I eat after the fact. You might just have something in your diet that has an excess of sugar alcohol or something else that your stomach doesn't handle well.

Here was my pre-op diet starting 12-days before surgery: The patient may have one Protein shake for Breakfast and one Protein Shake for lunch. At dinner, the patient may consume one Lean Cuisine. Protein shake = 1 scoop Iso-Pure Protein powder with up to 2 cups of skim milk. 1. No alcohol for two weeks prior to the surgery. 2. One Chromium Picolinate 400 mcg per day can be taken for fat-burning purposes. 3. One Metamucil capsule can be taken at 10:00 am and one at 3:00 pm for hunger pangs. Drink with a lot of Water. 4. 1-2 diet drinks a day are allowed, but not to be taken to excess. 5. A green salad (no colors other than green!!) may be consumed. A zero to five calorie dressing may be used, but not to excess. (Example: Wish Bone Salad Spritzer)

I was banded on October 2nd, 2006. I have no problem with drinking alcohol. You should probably stick to wine or cranberry juice and vodka. That's what I do. I limit the beer to maybe 1 or 2. I don't do too well with that. But I wouldn't recommend anything with coke or too sweet. Good Luck!

Alcohol is a huge choice/decision for us WLS patients. But at just 4 weeks, you really haven't arrived at the point yet where it is your "choice." You're still under your surgeon's care. Wouldn't you feel better asking him/her that question? But, some food for thought in your future choices about alcohol. As you've read here from other posters, many docs have many different opinions. The nation's largest HMO that does extensive research on bariatric surgery patients recommends NO ALCOHOL FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. Besides the obvious safety reasons of getting drunk very easily and causing death or bodily harm behind the wheel, the major concern is WLS patients' vulnerability toward what they call TRANSFER ADDICTIONS--alcohol being the most common one. We've already had a major addiction with food our whole lives, and are ripe for replacing our food addiction with something else--like alcohol. But, like every step of the way on our new WLS lifestyle, everything we do, every bite we take is a CHOICE, and we have been taught that every choice is subject to consequences that we have to be ready to accept if we choose the behavior.

What's the deal with alcohol? When can you have it post op? I am no way a big drinker, but i do like an occasional night out. Does it affect you differently? What can you NOT drink? Can you have a lot, or only a small amount? My date is scheduled for 1/21, I'm guessing celebrating st. Paddy's day is out of the question??! Lol

I had surgery in February. My surgeon told me at least 3 months no alcohol. Over the summer, I'd have an occasional drink. Half way into the beverage you're feeling the effects. Every person is different as every dr is different. Your body will tell you what's right for you.

My surgeon says no more alcohol... ever! Not an issue for me as my family has a history of alcoholism so I've made a point to never drink much. Typically, my drinking consisted of sampling my husband's beer when he would try a new one. I stopped doing that months before my surgery and don't miss it at all. However, I have noticed that people who do drink around me, (and I don't have any problems with people drinking around me) get very uncomfortable with the fact that I choose not to drink. For some reason it bothers them a LOT! If I don't care if they choose to drink, why should they care if I choose not to?

I do not drink hard liquor or beer. Just no preference for it. But pre-VSG, I was very much a wine drinker. Not cheap rotgut stuff (no offense to anyone who enjoys $2 moscato). I would have a few glasses each night without fail. I was very concerned about what life would look like on the other side of my surgery as far as my enjoyment of fine wines. A little over a week post-op, and shockingly, I have no craving for wine. No desire. It doesn’t turn me off, but I’m not missing it. Something I never would have believed could be true pre-surgery. I asked my doctor about wine specifically at my one-week appointment, and he said it would be fine to have it in very small amounts, just being mindful of the empty calories aspect, and that smaller amounts of wine would hit me much harder now. Unlike RNY patients, VSG patients don’t experience many of the same issues with alcohol damaging their digestive systems post-surgery and can often drink in small amounts after their surgery with minimal issues. A few days ago, we had a small (socially distant!) outdoor gathering with friends. None of them know about my surgery. I knew it would raise all sorts of concerns if I didn’t drink at all, because everyone knows I love my wine, so I brought a cup with about 4oz of wine in it, which I took teensy tiny sips of over the course of a few hours. It was fine but I didn’t want any more.

Hi there everyone! I am in the UK, and in the process of having my pre-approval for a gastric sleeve. I am 33, 5'4 (164cm) and approximately 20 stone (280 pounds). One thing that came up in the psych assessment is that I am a heavy drinker, and this will hinder my attempts to lose weight (with or without surgery.) The doctor said I need to decrease my drinking to 10 units a week, which is a lot less than I drink now. I was wondering if anyone had a similar experience, and had to drastically reduce their alcohol intake, and how was their experience of that? Was it easy/difficult? Was it an issue post-surgery? Thanks for your help.

I gave up alcohol along with soda and sugar pre-op I see alcohol as just one of the many things you have to change

Hi there, Just to be clear I am going to follow medical advice - I was advised by my doctor to post here to get some feedback about people's emotional and practical experience of cutting down significantly on alcohol. Thanks for all your feedback so far, more welcome

Although I have not been banded yet, It is my understanding that your tolerance for alcohol will be a lot lower than it was before the surgery.

Mermaid, When I had my surgery on 7/11 I was VERY concerned about the breathing tube being inserted while I was awake or wose yet me waking up with it in my mouth. My understanding is the procedure depends on the person but mostly the tub is inserted while you are already put out. Also unless you are not breathing on you own, it will be removed before you wake up. My best advice to you would be to talk to your anthesiologist (sp) in pre-op beforehand and voice your concerns. It's what I personally did, and mine was very understandable about my concern. I just knew if I woke up with it in my mouth I would automatically panic! She was great though, and told me that as long as I was breathing as I should she would definitly have it out before I woke up and she was right! I wouldn't of even known I had one in if it wasn't for the scratchy throat afterwords. I also was lucky enough to not have to be catherized. I've been told that if they would of done it, it would of been while I was asleep. My surgeon's office was very specific in that I wasn't allowed to have ANY Water after midnight the night before my surgery. I'm sure that had something to do with not needing to be cathed. I'd ask your surgeon about it though, I'm sure everyone has different practices. As for the alcohol, I'm not so sure what the effects would be on us that have been banded. I'm going assume that it wouldn't be as dramatic as someone whose had the RnY, just because it is liquid and would go right threw. At the same time it might take longer to absorb. This is just my guess though, someone whose actually been able to drink probably knows better then me! LOL Good Luck with everything!

I think it's especially important for us to pay attention to these things too. Not only because it takes so much less to knock us on our butts. I think the risk of a "crossover addiction" is very easy! I come from a background of family members with addiction issues (drugs alcohol) I have NEVER had a problem with drugs or alcohol (just food) . I was very prepared for many things after surgery but the one thing I didn't think about was the temptation to find comfort in things that never comforted me before.. The weeks after my surgery I became increasingly aware of my "need" for my pain meds (refilled twice) it got to a point I looked forward to my nightly dose. I wasn't taking it during the day just at night for my relaxing down time (the time I used to over eat also). I knew it was becoming an issue so I fessed up to my husband who then helped me hold myself accountable after. To this day I have to be really honest with myself as to why I want to take a medication.. Even allergy meds that make me sleepy. Eyes wide open.

I'm two weeks away from surgery, but I wanted to offer some advice regarding alcohol post-surgery. I know this is the type of thing you've probably heard about before, but wanted to share an experience. My ex-wife had bariatric surgery in 2004. At that point, we had been married for 14 years. She was never a drinker before that. I can remember a whole year going by without her even drinking a glass of wine. For the first couple of years after surgery, everything was fine. She lost nearly all of her excess weight. Then, she got a job at a restaurant where the staff would drink a glass of wine together at the end of the night. Within a year, she was an alcoholic. It became apparent to me that she had replaced the feeling of comfort that food gave her with alcohol. By early 2010, our marriage came to an end because of it. 20 years of marriage with 2 kids. We tried to help and and get her into treatment but nothing worked. Today, she is a shell of her old self. She has liver disease and I doubt she will be here a year from now. If you are addicted to food, I would suggest that you stay away from alcohol as long as you can after surgery and try to find something non-destructive to comfort you. I love drinking and collecting red wines. I take regular trips to Napa Valley. But I've had to make a commitment that I won't drink wine again until I'm comfortable that I've resolved any addictive behavior in myself. Thanks for reading

It's normal for doctors to require you to take B1 supplements for 90-180 days after surgery. However, it's very rare to have a thiamine deficiency but it can be very serious. Get started on B1 capsules daily. Increase your grain consumption (whole), decrease alcohol and sugar consumption.

Here you go thanks for posting this! Slider Foods Spell Weight Regain For Weight Loss Surgery Patients Soft processed carbohydrates, slider foods, are the bane of good intentions and ignorance often causing dumping syndrome, weight loss plateaus, and eventually weight gain for gastric bypass, gastric band (lap-band), and gastric sleeve bariatric patients. Learn what slider foods are and why they cause weight regain for weight loss surgery patients. 5 Day Pouch Test Store By Kaye Bailey For most people eating sliders is a good thing. Popularized by the American food chain, White Castle, a slider (originally slyder) is a miniature grilled hamburger or cheeseburger on a steamed bun often served with onions and dill pickle and other condiments. They originally sold for a nickel a piece in the 1940s making it affordable to add a side of fries for just pennies. By all accounts this is a good kind of "slider" food. To the weight loss surgery patient slider foods are the bane of good intentions and ignorance often causing dumping syndrome, weight loss plateaus, and eventually weight gain. Slider foods, to weight loss surgery patients, are soft simple processed carbohydrates of little or no nutritional value that slide right through the surgical stomach pouch without providing nutrition or satiation. The most innocent of slider foods are saltine crackers, often eaten with warm tea or other beverages, to soothe the stomach in illness or while recovering from surgery. Understanding Slider Foods The most commonly consumed slider foods include pretzels, crackers (saltines, graham, Ritz, etc.) filled cracker Snacks such as Ritz Bits, popcorn, cheese snacks (Cheetos) or cheese crackers, tortilla chips with salsa, potato chips, sugar-free Cookies, cakes, and candy. You will notice these slider foods are often salty and cause dry mouth so they must be ingested with liquid to be palatable. This is how they become slider foods. They are also, most often, void of nutritional value. For weight loss surgery patients the process of digestion is different than those who have not undergone gastric surgery. When slider foods are consumed they go into the stomach pouch and exit directly into the jejunum where the simple carbohydrate slurry is quickly absorbed and stored by the body. There is little thermic effect in the digestion of simple carbohydrates like there is in the digestion of Protein so little metabolic energy is expended. In most cases patients in the phase of weight loss who eat slider foods will experience a weight loss plateau and possibly the setback of weight gain. And sadly, they will begin to believe their surgical stomach pouch is not functioning properly because they never feel fullness or restriction like they experience when eating protein. The very nature of the surgical gastric pouch is to cause feelings of tightness or restriction when one has eaten enough food. However, when soft simple carbohydrates are eaten this tightness or restriction does not result and one can continue to eat, unmeasured, copious amounts of non-nutritional food without ever feeling uncomfortable. Many patients turn to slider foods for this very reason. They do not like the discomfort that results when the pouch is full from eating a measured portion of lean animal or dairy protein without liquids. Yet it is this very restriction that is the desired result of the surgery. The discomfort is intended to signal the cessation of eating. Remembering the "Protein First" rule is crucial to weight management with bariatric surgery. Gastric bypass, gastric banding (lap-band) and gastric sleeve patients are instructed to follow a high protein diet to facilitate healing and promote weight loss. Bariatric centers advise what is commonly known among weight loss surgery patients as the "Four Rules" the most important of which is "Protein First." That means of all nutrients (protein, carbohydrates, fat and alcohol) the patient is required to eat protein first. Protein is not always the most comfortable food choice for weight loss surgery patients who feel restriction after eating a very small amount of food. However, for the surgical tool to work correctly a diet rich in protein and low in simple carbohydrate slider foods must be observed. The high protein diet must be followed even after healthy body weight has been achieved in order to maintain a healthy weight and avoid weight regain.