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@troyg I think it’s up to the advice of your surgeon because many are different. But from what I have read on these forums and others, and knowing people who have been sleeved, it is possible. Some people start sooner than owners, some people wait a long time, some never do. I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that alcohol can lead to unneeded calories and also making poor decisions when you are under the influence - like eating foods that are bad for you. But it seems like plenty of people still do it. I was initially turned off of the sleeve because they said no bubbly drinks at all again ever, and I love an occasional glass of bubbly. But the more I learned, the more I realized how there were so many greater benefits, and the reality is that if I really want one glass at brunch or at a wedding, I can. It’s not like it’s out forever. It’s just rethinking why we make the choices we do!

I see this thread is very old, but posting anyways. I am thinking about having the sleeve surgery done, one thing I am wondering about, is can you still drink alcohol after surgery if its not carbonated?

I think I have a real sugar addiction because when I refuse sweets for at least a day, I feel a sharp desire. So if the desire for sugar can be compared to drug or alcohol addiction, then you can fight it with the same necessary measures. There are various detox programs for this kind of addiction, approved by doctors and successfully tested by many people. The key point in the elimination of addiction is the psychological recognition of the problem and your own independent desire to fight it. I am impressed by your success in living without sugar and I hope to achieve the same success in a short time.

Holy cow. I cannot even believe how slow this has gotten to be. My first 65 pounds basically melted off, I did what the dr told me to do and the pounds just came off. I am no longer in a stall, I mean its coming off, but good lord is it ever slow! I am following my program to the letter. Water, protein, macros, exercise, sleep and patience but that last one is tough........we went to Arizona the beginning of March and I did not have a scale with me. I was so flipping proud of myself. No alcohol at all, I didn't cheat on garbage food, we hiked ALOT, we swam a lot, I was so excited to get home and get on the scale and I only lost 3 pounds I don't know how or if its possible to speed anything up, I don't know if this is just how its going to be, at times I am thinking I am just destined to fight the fat the rest of my life! 3 POUNDS IN THREE WEEKS!

Alot of folks already said more or less the same thing, but I'll throw in my 2 cents anyway: I chose sleeve because: I was afraid of dumping (but...I dump anyway) I wanted to continue using NSAIDs (but...I ended up not needing them anymore anyway) I was personally freaked out a bit by the re-routing of my intestines (but...not cutting out my stomach? lol) I DID NOT have GERD. I only had a choice between sleeve and bypass cuz those were the only ones covered by my insurance, so I didn't consider any other procedure. I think that one's results with WLS has more to do with the person, than with the type of surgery. I'm convinced I would have had the same result if I had the bypass. But that's just me. Some background and current statuses: I'm 5'2", almost 50yr old female, started off at 235 lbs at the beginning of my 2 week pre-op diet...2.5 years ago. I got to goal of 127 lbs in 7 months (108 lbs lost at that time). I settled into 115 lbs by 10 months post-op and stayed there basically since...but not without a bit of effort on my part. 3 times I got up to 120 lbs for a few consecutive days, and subsequently made efforts to get back down to 115. And 4-5 times I went sub-110 lbs for a few consecutive days, but didn't have to make any effort at all to get back to 115, go figure. This morning I was 109.2 lbs. I consumed very little calories during weight loss phase, and exercised regularly starting month 3 (running/walking mostly, and minimal strength training daily). No complications, nor issues other than those expected (dump with sugar, foamies/chest pressure if I eat too much or too fast, need to barf if I drink with my meals, burp like a teenage boy) At 2.5 years out, up until a month ago, I was averaging around 1800 cals a day with regular exercise (running & strength training 4-5 times a week). Currently I'm playing around with calories as I'm sidelined on the exercise front, which explains my lower weight these days cuz I haven't figured it out yet. I mostly eat salads (by choice, I LOOOVE salads!) , but I also eat desserts, spicy stuff, fried stuff, fatty stuff, drink coffee, alcohol and carbonated water. On rare occasions I eat bread or potatoes, but I don't eat rice nor regular pasta. I max out at about 1 to 1.5 cups of food per sitting (more if its salad) My lab results have consistently been uneventful (my last one was in November last year). So....so far so good. I have no illusions that I will be like this forever...but that's on me, not my sleeve.

I had the SADI-S/SIPS/Loop Duodenal Switch surgery almost 14 months ago now. I've had some of your symptoms, but not all: Diarrhea (maybe once a week?) Constipation (happens on occasion, but only been bad twice) Excessive foul smelling flatulence (yep. made worse by sugar alcohol. Avoid sugar alcohol's as much as you can) Severe Bloating (occasionally) Abdominal discomfort (the problem with this one is I have EOE so sometimes it's caused by that and not my surgery. I had issues with abdominal discomfort BEFORE my surgery with that) Pale coloured stools (nope) Steatorrhea (it happens. lessen your fat intake it gets a lot better. it did in my case, at least) Foul smelling stools (I think it just goes with the territory, but it's always worse when I consume sugar alcohols. Avoid them if you can) Nausea (rare occasions. Usually when I eat to fast or too much) weight fluctuation (yes, but that's due to me having hypothyroidism and not my surgery. According to my PCP and surgeon, anyway) Malabsorption (I KNEW I'd have this as they told me before my surgery that it was common to malabsorb vitamins. Especially ADEK vitamins. However, I only have issues with Vitamin A and have to take extra. I also, for some reason have issues with my potassium though I doubt that's caused by the malabsorption. I DID develop a wheat allergy though. My surgeon believes it developed due to the malabsorption because it can happen that way. My PCP and gastroenterologist aren't sure though and said there's a slight chance I already had it, but the surgery made the allergy worse. So not sure on that aspect. I was never tested for the allergy prior to surgery) I'm so sorry that you're going through all that and are miserable. I doubt anything I said really helped, but many of those issues are fairly common for the surgery, or so I've been told. I really hope things get better for you!

You are not alone. At all. This has been plaguing me for the last week. Luckily, I let alcohol and cigarettes go over a year ago. But I am absolutely, positively addicted to Arizona Green Tea. I love meat, seltzer and Coca-Cola (at times). I'm only getting the sleeve, but to my understanding that stuff is a BIG NO NO for at least 2-3 months after surgery. Its very scary.

ok thanks yeah i don't drink alcohol, and yes i know about the addiction transfer. i was just curious where is there scientific fact proving that RNY are more prone to getting ulcers than people with VSG ? like i said above : So far I found out from my dietitian and surgeon about Gastric Bypass Ulcers : 1, they can heal themselves. 2. there is medication someone can take to heal the ulcer. 3. dying from sepsis is the worst case scenario which is extremely rare according to my doctor and dietitian ?!! thanks so much so far no one on here has said they know anyone that has died from an ulcer after gastric bypass ? or sepsis ? I just look at worst case scenarios 1st . actually more people die from drug overdoses and alcohol poisoning after gastric bypass due to the addiction transfer. https://www.bariatric-surgery-source.com/gastric-bypass-surgery-deaths.html

I don't know of any surgeon who would approve alcohol during the first 30 days post-surgery. Mine said to wait a year, and then only indulge occasionally. Some say it's OK after 3 or 4 months. Be aware, though, that transfer addictions can be a huge risk. I know of several people (on internet forums) who've become alcoholics after WLS because of transfer addiction. and yes - people with RNY are more prone to ulcers than people with VSG.

I know this wasn't directed at me, but I'll answer anyway. Note: I am only 2.5 years out...and I'm a sleeve. alcohol ? YES, regulary nicotine ? YES, regulary weed ? YES, partook probably once a week last summer, none since then. Nsaids ? YES, for 1 month post WLS, but none since cuz I didn't need them anymore. So far so good. P.S. Not to say that I am encouraging nor discouraging any of the above, just stating my experience. YMMV.

I drink alcohol - but not a lot (never really have because alcoholism runs in my family, so I never wanted to risk it. I definitely have an addictive personality, so I wouldn't be at all surprised if I have the genetic predisposition to become alcoholic). I'll have a drink maybe three or four times a year, though. But only one or two at a time (you get trashed very quickly after surgery, so one or two is pretty much all it takes....) I don't do nicotine because I was a heavy smoker for about 15 years. It was HORRIFIC to quit, so I don't even want to take a puff. It's WAY too tough to quit. I once bummed a cigarette from a friend after a one-year quit and was back to smoking full-time within a couple of weeks of that, so I'm not doing that again. I know I'd be back to smoking in no time, and after being cigarette-free for over 20 years, that would be awful. Weed - well, I'm in my 60s. I don't think I've done that since I was in my 20s. NSAIDs - nope. I take Tylenol now. The PA in my surgeon's office said a very occasional NSAID when nothing else is working might be fine, but as a regular thing, no.

thanks so much, in 6 years with gastric bypass , you have never once had a sip of alcohol ? nicotine ? weed ? Nsaids ? or any drug that can cause an ulcer ? I'm sorry if its a personal question you don't have to answer. I just hear so many conflicting stories, I just trying to understand the truth behind "following the rules" of gastric bypass

Yeah, I figured I would get a few concerned reactions. But it's all good, everyone's got their own stance on drinking. No bigs. As an aside, according to what bit of (north american) literature I've read, women who drink 8+ drinks a week (men, 15+) are considered alcoholics/excessive drinkers/abusers-of-alcohol. Which makes me and all my BFF's alcoholics these days, and my husband, and his friends, and more than half of my extended family...oh, and our next-door and back neighbours too (which we discovered last summer, when we were all in our yards...drinking.) P.S. We were in Italy, and there was an assortment of wine bottles every morning at the breakfast buffet. Which at first surprised me, but eventually accepted as pretty cool😂

If you don't mind me asking , has anyone had or has had a stomach ulcer ? staple line ulcer ? marginal ulcer ? and if you did have an ulcer at some point. Can you shed some insight and truth on preventive measures, and how to deal with them? You can be honest with me and direct message me about drugs , or alcohol, or weed, or cigarettes or whatever, you took, that caused the ulcers, if you do not want to make it public you can Direct message me , and explain . I would really appreciate any real world facts on this please . thanks so much So far I found out from my dietitian and surgeon : 1, they can heal themselves. 2. there is medication someone can take to heal the ulcer. 3. dying from sepsis is the worst case scenario which is extremely rare according to my doctor and dietitian ?!! thanks so much

If you don't mind me asking , has anyone had or has had a stomach ulcer ? staple line ulcer ? marginal ulcer ? and if you did have an ulcer at some point. Can you shed some insight and truth on preventive measures, and how to deal with them? You can be honest with me and direct message me about drugs , or alcohol, or weed, or cigarettes or whatever, you took, that caused the ulcers, if you do not want to make it public you can Direct message me , and explain . I would really appreciate any real world facts on this please . thanks so much So far I found out from my dietitian and surgeon : 1, they can heal themselves. 2. there is medication someone can take to heal the ulcer. 3. dying from sepsis is the worst case scenario which is extremely rare according to my doctor and dietitian ?!! thanks so much

One suggestion -- you may want to have your physician order a hepatic function panel for you about once a year. This just ensures that your liver remains healthy. One terrible weekend, due to incredible stress, I overindulged in alcohol and had such a violent physical reaction that I ended up in Urgent Care and learned that my liver enzymes were elevated above normal. But within a week, when retested, they were normal again. So I am very, very careful about drinking alcohol now. My surgeon told us at our pre-bariatric seminar that he has had only one WLS patient die during his 20 years of practice, and this was from alcohol addiction leading to cirrhosis. Because of the WLS, the cirrhosis developed very quickly. So we have to be careful and, if we drink, ask our doctors to conduct blood labs to ensure our livers are processing the alcohol and remaining healthy.

Anyone have alcohol intolerance after surgery? I had bypass and the few times I’ve drank vodka now (a common drink pre-surgery) I get very itchy all over my body.

wow that's great i don't even think mini bypass was an option for me . i initially wanted the sleeve , but my insurance only covered gastric bypass 100% was the mini out of pocket? sometimes i get depressed thinking mine can not be reversed, not that i want to reverse it, its a mind game i play with myself i guess. plus going through the surgery and diet and everything on top of trying to recover my natural testosterone is tough mentally i start thinking i cant eat, i cant drink alcohol, I have no sex drive , but I'm down 50 lbs looking good. its a crazy mind game, I'm mentally tough ill be fine.

I quit Testosterone Replacement Therapy, after 2 years on it. I was not on steroids !!!! Its testosterone replacement therapy, it makes a man at 40 years old, feel great, high sex drive, etc.. It is not pills and 5 different steroids going to you stomach. Its one low dosage intermuscular injection per week. I do not drink alcohol, or smoke nicotine. I quit cold turkey, ["weaned off, TRT with very low dosage weekly shot"], 5 weeks before my successfully , gastric bypass surgery , I am still currently off TRT probably forever. I am 40 years old, ex powerlifter. I am currently 6'3" 299 lbs , i lost 48 lbs as of today in 3 weeks. I only choose gastric bypass surgery because my insurance covered it 100%, i knew it was not reversible, going in. I was told I could continue TRT for life 4 weeks after post op. but now I read No NSAIDS and no Steroids , and they are to opposite things ???? because they can? cause ulcers in the new smaller stomach, and around the staple line. That being, said I am prepared to quit TRT forever !!! But I don't understand why ? It makes no sense. I know for a fact my natural testosterone will come back in a few months, being off TRT, I am not worried about that. *****These are some things that I cant understand and it makes no sense to me , during 4 week post operation. ******* NSAIDS is an appreciation for "NONSTEROIDAL anti-inflammatory drugs" but then it says you CANNOT take Steroids' either ????? Can someone please explain to me how that makes sense ? One is NON STEROIDAL and one is STEROIDALl ?????? Now on to the Clomid brand name drug name is clomiphene , it can be taken by men or women, i have read many posts about women using Clomid post operation to get pregnant !!! there doctors said it was fine but , as I did further research Clomid is a NSAID !!!!????? how does that make sense ??? Clomid taken by men post cycle therapy off TRT will help a man boost testosterone 200% i have done it before in the past it works bringing back natural testosterone levels. The Clomid comes in crushable form pills and liquid too, obviously because , after gastric bypass surgery, your body does not absorb medication like it did before. This is a serious post for people who know what they are talking about please respond with personal stories or any knowledge or insight that you have would be appreciated thank you.

I quit Testosterone Replacement Therapy, after 2 years on it. I was not on steroids !!!! Its testosterone replacement therapy, it makes a man at 40 years old, feel great, high sex drive, etc.. It is not pills and 5 different steroids going to you stomach. Its one low dosage intermuscular injection per week. I do not drink alcohol, or smoke nicotine. I quit cold turkey, ["weaned off, TRT with very low dosage weekly shot"], 5 weeks before my successfully , gastric bypass surgery , I am still currently off TRT probably forever. I am 40 years old, ex powerlifter. I am currently 6'3" 299 lbs , i lost 48 lbs as of today in 3 weeks. I only choose gastric bypass surgery because my insurance covered it 100%, i knew it was not reversible, going in. I was told I could continue TRT for life 4 weeks after post op. but now I read No NSAIDS and no Steroids , and they are to opposite things ???? because they can? cause ulcers in the new smaller stomach, and around the staple line. That being, said I am prepared to quit TRT forever !!! But I don't understand why ? It makes no sense. I know for a fact my natural testosterone will come back in a few months, being off TRT, I am not worried about that. *****These are some things that I cant understand and it makes no sense to me , during 4 week post operation. ******* NSAIDS is an appreciation for "NONSTEROIDAL anti-inflammatory drugs" but then it says you CANNOT take Steroids' either ????? Can someone please explain to me how that makes sense ? One is NON STEROIDAL and one is STEROIDALl ?????? Now on to the Clomid brand name drug name is clomiphene , it can be taken by men or women, i have read many posts about women using Clomid post operation to get pregnant !!! there doctors said it was fine but , as I did further research Clomid is a NSAID !!!!????? how does that make sense ??? Clomid taken by men post cycle therapy off TRT will help a man boost testosterone 200% i have done it before in the past it works bringing back natural testosterone levels. The Clomid comes in crushable form pills and liquid too, obviously because , after gastric bypass surgery, your body does not absorb medication like it did before. This is a serious post for people who know what they are talking about please respond with personal stories or any knowledge or insight that you have would be appreciated thank you.

Ok , so here the deal ....... I quit Testosterone Replacement Therapy, after 2 years on it. I was not on steroids !!!! Its testosterone replacement therapy, it makes a man at 40 years old, feel great, high sex drive, etc.. It is not pills and 5 different steroids going to you stomach. Its one low dosage intermuscular injection per week. I do not drink alcohol, or smoke nicotine. I quit cold turkey, ["weaned off, TRT with very low dosage weekly shot"], 5 weeks before my successfully , gastric bypass surgery , I am still currently off TRT probably forever. I am 40 years old, ex powerlifter. I am currently 6'3" 299 lbs , i lost 48 lbs as of today in 3 weeks. I only choose gastric bypass surgery because my insurance covered it 100%, i knew it was not reversible, going in. I was told I could continue TRT for life 4 weeks after post op. but now I read No NSAIDS and no Steroids , and they are to opposite things ???? because they can? cause ulcers in the new smaller stomach, and around the staple line. That being, said I am prepared to quit TRT forever !!! But I don't understand why ? It makes no sense. I know for a fact my natural testosterone will come back in a few months, being off TRT, I am not worried about that. *****These are some things that I cant understand and it makes no sense to me , during 4 week post operation. ******* NSAIDS is an appreciation for "NONSTEROIDAL anti-inflammatory drugs" but then it says you CANNOT take Steroids' either ????? Can someone please explain to me how that makes sense ? One is NON STEROIDAL and one is STEROIDALl ?????? Now on to the Clomid brand name drug name is clomiphene , it can be taken by men or women, i have read many posts about women using Clomid post operation to get pregnant !!! there doctors said it was fine but , as I did further research Clomid is a NSAID !!!!????? how does that make sense ??? Clomid taken by men post cycle therapy off TRT will help a man boost testosterone 200% i have done it before in the past it works bringing back natural testosterone levels. The Clomid comes in crushable form pills and liquid too, obviously because , after gastric bypass surgery, your body does not absorb medication like it did before. This is a serious post for people who know what they are talking about please respond with personal stories or any knowledge or insight that you have would be appreciated thank you.

You can reintroduce when allowed by your surgeon... but start out slow and stick to moderation! Alcohol and weight loss don't really usually go together. Alcohol and maintenance only go together if you are monitoring calorie intake. And how fast you feel tipsy might be accelerated from before.. but that isn't the case for everyone. Me? I have had a couple sips... maybe twice... of wine in the last 18 months since surgery. Doing fine without it so not seeking it out. But not overtly avoiding it either.

So I have an incredibly controversial and rather personal question for the lovely people of BariatricPal. I’ll be upfront, I’m a 20 year old guy in college so pre-op I was a party animal. My question doesn’t relate to alcohol but to illicit-drug use.. I understand this is a super touchy subject but is there anyone that would be willing to share how they get felt or reacted to the use of illicit drugs (molly, snow, bars etc.)

Wow quite the response. You are your own person and I don’t wanna make any rash judgement but from what you said I think slowing down on alcohol is a good idea. As WLS patients we all suffered from some degree of food addiction and I just don’t want you to transfer that addiction to alcohol. Glad to see you’re still maintaining a healthy weight and not reverting to your old self. Just be careful, wish you the best

There are a few controversial topics that get some strong (and not-so-strong) opinions/responses on this forum. Alcohol consumption is one of them. With that said, I am a maintainer and a regular drinker. Aside: I have mixed feelings about saying this even as I type this, as I don't want to inadvertently influence someone to drink if they are of the type who may spiral. I often drop hints about my drinking habits in more light-hearted threads (i.e., the food thread or the clothes thread), but in threads specifically asking about alcohol by those in the early stages, I have pause. But, we are all adults here and can make our own choices, so here goes: Prior to WLS, I didn't drink regularly, but if/when I did, I drank ALOT. Think sloppy drunk. It was always at parties or nights out, and never at home (if we hosted parties, I'd drink, but not get drunk cuz I mean, I had hosting responsibilities after all, LOL). During weight loss phase, I must have drank maybe 5-6 times the entire time. And it was very little, less than 1/4 of a single serving, if that. The first time I drank after surgery was 3 weeks post op. I had 2 sips of red wine at a party, and it was weird...I remember feeling the liquid in my stomach and the warmth of it travel through my intestines and I got surprisingly tipsy for so little that I drank. The second time I had a drink was 3-4 sips of a soju-sake concoction around 1-2 months post op and I had the most horrible dumping experience soon after. Like laying on the bathroom floor horrible. It was the sugar in it. The handful of times I drank after that (during weight loss phase) I stuck to gin/vodka sodas & dry red wine. I was definitely affected with just a few sips, and the effects wore off pretty quickly. Now, lets talk maintenance. Freed from having to stay under a self-imposed calorie limit, I drank more. I drank more often than I did pre-op, but less overall, even including my occasional pre-op benders. I no longer only got to sloppy level when I drank, but to just a good buzz. And again, only when I was out and about. I'd say I had maybe 1-3 drinks a week. I still got buzzed relatively quickly (less than one full drink), and the effects did not last long (less than an hour). There were maybe 4-5 times I got pretty trashed during this time (i'm guessing on like 5-6 drinks), all while on some vacation or other, and once at a wedding. Then came lockdown in March last year. I was about 1.5 years out when Covid reared its ugly head, and just under a year into maintenance. My drinking increased exponentially over a couple months. These days, I drink at least one drink a day (usually two, occasionally much more, on those nights we have an extended dinner seating time, or when it was patio season last summer). Now according to the literature I have read, based on volume alone, I am an alcoholic. Go figure. Am I concerned? Honestly nowadays, not really. I did contemplate it in the beginning, especially cuz Mr would keep bringing up how my drinking has increased (in a joking way mostly...but he should talk, he drinks every day too. Almost always has...his drinking also increased with Covid. Granted, he has more mass than I do and has the metabolism of a hummingbird). It's been almost a year of this daily drinking now, and while I believe I could benefit from cutting down, I don't see it as an issue at the moment in terms of any decrease in quality of life or my own safety or the safety of those around me (but I suppose this is what anyone who drinks would say). We'll see. Back in the summer we agreed that each person in the house can call a "dry day" at any point and everyone must abide to no drinking that day. Though to date, no one has called it. That probably speaks to the mentality we got going on here, lol. I did a couple "dry weeks" on my own accord months ago, just to prove to Mr. & myself I didn't have a problem...these weeks went by uneventfully, but I'm not sure if it really proved anything. Very long story short, while I'm not advocating nor discouraging drinking either way to anyone, as with anything else in life, the hope is that you can be self-aware enough to know what YOUR acceptable limits are and try to stay within them. Sorry this was so long. Good Luck ❤️ P.S. In case you were wondering, I have pretty much maintained my weight (115 lbs +/- 5lbs) this entire time. Last year I reached my acceptable upper limit (120 lbs for more than 3-4 days in a row) twice and then switched gears to get back to 115. First time took me 3-4 weeks, second time took me 3-4 months (granted, I didn't try very hard). Today I am actually 6 lbs under my "normal", BUT I'm in transition at the moment as I've had zero exercise for about a month due to injury and i'm trying to offset that with a reduction in calories...and yeah, I haven't found the right level yet...so this is temporary, as far as I'm concerned. BUT I'm still drinking, lol, am just having less dessert 😜 P.P.S. I also smoke. But that's a whole other topic...