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Does anyone know how long the effects of alcohol stay in your blood stream after gastric bypass? I can't remember and I am going out for an after work drink next week with some co-workers and wondering how long I should wait to drive. I know that normally it is a drink an hour, but not sure if that is the same after surgery. I am 8.5 months out and will probably drink a glass of wine which I have tried and can tolerate fine.

My doctor told me 6 months. I had my first drink at 7 months, a beer, and it was ok, the carbonation of it made me feel a little bloated, but I could drink it, just took a while. Now at 8.5 months out I drink the occasional glass of wine and I am fine, I do feel drunk very fast, usually 1/2 a glass and it hits me, lasts a little bit and goes away....Be very careful since even though it wears off and you feel fine, your blood still has alcohol in it and you can easily get a DWI when you feel fine. I went to a party about 5 weeks ago celebrating a friends engagment and I drank, probably the most I have since surgery and I did fine, but planned a ride home. I had about 4 drinks the whole night. Just remember people get addicted very easy after surgery, so don't make it a habit! I would go off what your doctor tells you and follow that advice. I hope you are doing well!

For those who drink...how far out from surgery did u start drinking again?

quick question - are you eating anything like Atkins Bars? or anything with sugar alcohols in them? I was losing fine, then I started adding in an Atkins Bar a day or even 1/2 of one, and my weight stalled out for almost 3 weeks. I finally realized maybe it was the Atkins - so I cut them out, and holy crap did the weight start falling off again! So maybe if you are doing any bar supplements or something like that, give them up for a week and see how it goes?

Lately, I’ve been thinking about judgments & why people feel compelled to judge others. People post a lot here about feeling judged by friends and family members for deciding to have surgery, or feeling judged by skinny people for being fat in the first place. Personally, I have been fortunate that not one single negative word has been said to me with regards to having surgery. My family and friends have all been very supportive. Intellectually, I know I am (or have been) judged negatively by other people for my weight, but I honestly don’t usually notice those judgments. If I do happen to notice or feel judged by somebody, I don’t generally internalize the judgment and allow it to continue to affect me. But it seems to me that there is also a fair amount of judgment happening among members of the WLS community. Sometimes it’s subtle and sometimes it quite overt, but it’s all judgmental bulls**t that says more about the person making the judgment than it does about the person being judged. Here are just a few judgments I have observed being made here and elsewhere among members of the WLS community. Some of these judgments have been directed at me, some I’ve observed in others, and one or two I am guilty of making. Everyone who needs/wants WLS has a food addiction or depression or very low self-esteem. If you say you don’t, then you are either lying or in denial. People who go to Mexico for surgery are less prepared mentally and emotionally than those who have surgery in the US. My surgeon does things the “right” way. If your surgeon tells you something different, he/she is wrong and I am justified in telling you to ignore your surgeon’s instructions. People who slip up on the preop diet are not ready for surgery and will likely fail. People who do not follow instructions to the letter in the first couple of months post-op are not committed to the process and will likely fail. People who do not commit wholeheartedly to an exercise plan postop are not committed to the process and will likely fail. People who drink alcohol, smoke cigarettes, or smoke weed postop are not committed to the process and will likely fail. People who come here posting questions without first searching for the answer are dumb or lazy. People who credit their faith with helping them get through this process are annoying and should not talk about their faith in relation to WLS. People who are atheist or agnostic are missing the most important part of life and should be pitied. People who have plastics after WLS are vain. People who struggle to put their own needs ahead of others aren't trying hard enough or valuing themselves enough. I’m sure other folks can think of more, and there is also a whole raft of judgments that we frequently make against ourselves. The point is that none of these judgments are true and none of these judgments are supportive or helpful in any way. We all have our own path to travel, and I believe we each generally do the best we can at any given time. At various times, my “best” will be better than some and not nearly as good as others, and that’s true for everybody. I don’t know if judging others is a way to feel better about ourselves, or just a bad habit we fall into, but it certainly does seem to come naturally to us. In my opinion, reaching out for support is a healthy, intelligent, and wise thing to do. Let’s try to respect the courage it takes to be here, and check our judgments at the door.

First time I heard of the sleeve causing gout and I have done a lot of research in the past 2 yrs. my husband has gout. If you are put on the right medications you will be fine. It is caused from high uric acid. He was told no alcohol or organ meats. He is not a drinker so that is not a problem. Did you dr say it was related to the surgery?

Hi chrissy we, ve already been chatting but to let other fellow brits know, i, m 6 days post op and 16 lbs down including pre op diet I, m a northern girl lol and had my surgery done at thornbury hospital Sheffield although all my other pre and follow up consultations Will be at the nhs northern General hospital with my surgeon dr patel. My post op diet is 3 days liquid followed by 3 weeks pureed then soft/mushy and crispy. Then stage 4 is solid textured diet 3-6 months after my sleeve, I guess I will know through triel and error when my stomach is ready for this stage. Dr advice is no alcohol for 12 months post surgery but I know some drs in America say 6 months, I know I will attempt a small glass of wine around Christmas, which will be about 5 months post op, I may find I no longer desire a drink, but I do like a glass with Christmas dinner so i, m not depriving myself lol.

Hey girl! I feel you. My surgeon told me no alcohol for 6 months but seems it's because of calories rather than safety. I'm 7 weeks out and I've tried wine, beer and liquor (I've told y'all I'm a rule breaker....but I'm 100% honest with my support group and medical team) and beer was by far the worst. I mean two drinks and I was hurting.... thik it's the carbonation. Wine and liquor I did fine with but I'm VERY careful about the amount and I drink extra water. Good luck!

Hey girl! I feel you. My surgeon told me no alcohol for 6 months but seems it's because of calories rather than safety. I'm 7 weeks out and I've tried wine, beer and liquor (I've told y'all I'm a rule breaker....but I'm 100% honest with my support group and medical team) and beer was by far the worst. I mean two drinks and I was hurting.... thik it's the carbonation. Wine and liquor I did fine with but I'm VERY careful about the amount and I drink extra water. Good luck!

I was told no alcohol for a year

I am 8 months post op and have been at a stall for 2 months. So, i finally made an appointment to see the bariatric surgeon to find out what is going on. I saw him today. It was very interesting. Thought I'd share. He basically told me that the sleeve is working just fine, but my diet needs work. He told me that most of what I was taught about the diet is wrong. His recommendations FOR ME are: Protein first, but get all protein from fresh sources no Protein shakes NO DAIRY NO ALCOHOL No beef Jerky no cheese sticks only really "good" quality cheeses in limited amounts only a bariatric Multivitamin (no other supplements needed) first thing in AM- a big glass of Water daily breakfast- coffee and a piece of fresh fruit lunch- a great big salad dinner anything fresh and lots of fish. My exercise regimen is ok Im gonna start going to weekly educational/support meetings with weekly weigh ins. I got a copy of his new book and so far it is really good. it is available on Amazon. "Ultimate gastric sleeve success: a practical patient guide to help maximize your weight loss results" by Dr. Duc C. Vuong" ...feeling hopeful

This is truly me. Not the professional, mother, friend afraid of judgement or wife making light of her past - but really me. Feels good to just be that - me. I had an emotional childhood. The oldest of 5 kids and daughter to high functioning alcoholic and untreated bipolar disorder/clinical depression parents. Riddled with disabling eczema and asthma, I got to know hospitals very well. I would scratch, bleed into my bed covers and by morning they had become the scabs we could not rip off. The belt beatings from my mother in a blind rage were the worst. I can still hear myself screaming. I chose happiness any way I could. I started hoarding candy from birthday parties. I was a heavy teenager but excelled in high school. I was the smart overweight friend who would tutor the football team in basic math. I wasn't date able so the guys treated me with respect but not the same goofy behavior as when the liked a girl. I was relieved to stand behind them instead of being in their sights as a possible conquest. Then one day my junior year in high school, one of the most sought after and cutest boys "Victor" looked over the railing of our 2 story honors classes building and called my name. Me? Probably dropped something he wanted me to bring up? Then he ran down the stairs half way to meet me to talk about last nights reading assignment. All the saliva left my mouth from the stair climb but I managed the brief conversation. Next day he waited and we walked up together. We realized we lived on the same long curvy street but on opposite ends. That summer we did not see each other at all. We both had jobs. Determined, I started exercising. With all my job and academic involvement I walked to the school quite a bit and decided to run. Senior year was great until his mom said he could not go to prom if it was with me. So he went with another girl "for the pictures." Talk about a kick in the self esteem. But, I chose happiness any way I could. Depressed and choosing happiness/gaining weight, I graduated and as I threw my cap in the air I walked away. I knew I was going to college somehow and getting out of this small town where you grow up, marry some guy you never would have dated in school. Have kids and repeat cycle. Got a new job through a friend who said she would set fire to my bed if I did not get out of it! I discovered that I could starve myself and only ate every 4th day and workout 3x week. That's about as long as I could go without starting to fall down a lot. When I did eat, it was about 2tablespoons of whatever. I lost 80 lbs. Women would ask me how I did it. If I felt like being honest, I would tell them. No one believed me. Guess who called 1 year after high school? Yup, Victor. I was living on my own, with job and school and car but I still accepted his invitation to lunch. He had to be home before his mom got home from work so we could not have dinner. I know, cringe. I thought I was choosing happiness. We dated again, it ended when I started dating grown men. Still starving, I started eating every other day to control my weight. I dated a semi pro athlete and he would always call me fat. I has 5'1 and 115 lbs. So, more starvation. Eventually, I met a beautiful man who loved me thin and as the pounds creeped back on. We have been married 22 years. I had a wonderful 25 year career as an advertising director of an department. I worked hard to get to that position. Many 14 hour days and late night binge eating. After 10 years and several miscarriages, we finally had a baby. 6 months later we discovered I had breast cancer while pregnant. With a very young child, I opted for bilateral mastectomy. After extensive chemo and 11 surgeries, I made a full recovery. I tried every diet out there. I had the money so why not try? Then the company shut down as the economy tanked. I was now out of a job. I could never starve myself again. It was so painful. I tried more diets. Cheaper ones. Still, they only work as long as you stick to them. 1year into my new job I started feeling sick and very tired. I knew it had to be something deep. Colds or flu don't feel this way. I had a two week rule. If it hurts for two weeks, then I go in to doctor. Most everything passed before time was up. One day as I getting my son ready for school, I lost control of my bowels and soiled myself. I knew I was going to hospital. I took a shower, got my 1st grader into the car and drove him to school. Instead of walking him in as usual, I encouraged him out of the car and told him to walk in and tell the office his mom was going to hospital. I riddled off my medical history as I sat in the ER doubled over. Good thing most of that history occurred there. After some tests and pain meds they consoled me by letting me know how sooty they were to inform me that my appendices ruptured and they would have to perform surgery asap. I chose happiness. I laughed as I told them I thought it was cancer returned. And since people live through appendicitis, let's go!!! I met my surgeon after he performed appendectomy - maybe before...morphine. When I asked him how is it my body did not stop me sooner, he very gently stated that it was my nature... My nature to endure pain. So much for choosing happiness. He suggested some form of WLS but I snuffed it off telling him that I was way to strong, smart and happy to do it. I just had to get my butt in gear. But, 1.5 years later after having lost and regained 45 pounds plus some, I came back and asked for help. I had been so tired lately since regaining weight. I just couldn't choose what I thought was happiness anymore. I needed help. When I look back and think of all the pain I went through, I wrap my arms around myself and thank God I am still here. Now that I have had Sleeve surgery, I feel like I can step back from anxiety, emotion and that overwhelming urge to eat high calorie ice cream and truly chose happiness that in the end will result in happiness - a healthier me!

Can we talk about alcohol? Shhh! Don't tell my Dr. But I started drinking again. I'm still loosing, so I'm not concerned about the caloric part of it. I mainly feel guilty because he told me not to drink for a year. But I'm single, 30, loving myself and my new body and I've been a SHUT IN for the last 4 years! I want to go out and have fun! Don't judge. If i do drink it's a wine spritzer or beer. I find that I get tipsy, then sober up real quick. I guess it goes right through me faster now and doesn't absorb like it used to? Anyone else have similar stories to share?

So today has been a rough day and we haven't even hit 1 PM yet. This morning, instead of having my normal 3 turkey sausage links for Breakfast (100 cal, 13 gm protein) I decided to have a ham, egg and cheese croissant with only 1/2 the croissant from our local donut shop. I have done well lately and have been seeing the scale move which has made me really happy. I have been craving one of these croissants which I haven't had since before surgery so I figured this morning I would stop and get one and then do REALLY good for the rest of the day. I don't mean skipping meals, just getting the most out of what I would eat for the rest of the day. Anyway, things got hectic at work and I didn't get in a morning snack, by 11 I was so stinkin hungry and with no end in site for lunch I grabbed what was easiest and closest, 1/2 a donut... and then the other half. I haven't eaten a donut since well before surgery. Then the boss went out and bought hamburgers and fries from Burger King for lunch. I ate mine with only half the bun, and only one fry but still, not my good planned lunch that I was counting on. He also bought me a chocolate shake and I can't remember how long its been since I had one of those. One drink of it and I knew if I kept going I would feel bad because of all the sugar. It went down the drain. I haven't had a drink out of a straw since surgery and I even drank the drink of the chocolate shake through the stupid straw. I know better. I know better than all of it. I'm disappointed in myself that I let myself fall off the wagon like I did. I'm a food-a-holic, I have to watch myself just like an alcoholic does. I feel like I have failed miserably today. I also feel like I missed the good feeling of the "drunk" and went straight to the hungover feeling. None of what I ate made me feel better. In fact I kinda feel gross right now. I know it is a lesson in learning. I've been really proud of myself with how well I have done over the past 5 months. I thought I was getting to the point where battling these food demons was getting to be second nature and it wasn't so hard anymore. I don't want to do anything to screw this up. I don't want to start gaining back what I've lost... I've worked too hard. Nothing about this journey has been easy but I have been living it. I've been making it and making it work for me. I just feel really defeated. I told my sister about all of this (she is in the process of getting approval for the sleeve) and told her that tomorrow would be better. I can't wait until tomorrow, starting from this minute the rest of today has to be better. Sorry for the vent/whine. Praying for a better rest of today and for better decision making...

I got my sleeve almost a month ago, I've had one problem, nausea my big issue is drinking . My fiancé and I have had the week off , and been drinkingi like I use too . I was wondering if there's side affects and what could happen ? Thanx

I am a 3 yr vet of VSG and have recently begin experimenting with low calorie again (600cals) On my low cal days, it's not that I feel "hunger" per se, but I do feel empty and the desire to eat is overwhelming, especially as day turns into night. At night I think constantly about food and liken it to the obsessive need of a junkie or alcoholic . It is and is not, hunger. I can remember vividly what it felt like, physically and mentally, to be completely indifferent to food - how it was immediately after surgery. I wonder if naturally skinny people, the kind of people who take one or two bites of chocolate cake and actually wrap up THE LEFTOVERS (!!) and actually forget they are in the fridge until they go BAD (!!!) ... I wonder if it will be proven that those people have almost no ghrelin in their system. Has a ghrelin suppressor been invented yet?

I'm on a pre-op diet, prepping my liver for surgery. I've followed a very low carb program (20 grams or less) and huge amounts of protein since last Thursday. I've lost 10 lbs. in a week. I'm drinking Nectar shakes once a day, lot's of lean meats (salmon, shrimp, chicken, etc.), tons of water and really watching the carbs. NO sugar, alcohol, grains, pasta, rice, bread, etc. It's working. You can do it!

I am 13 month post op, close to you, I am not much of a drinker, 1 margarita every couple of months so I don't have advice on that side; however, I was warned from all sides (dr, psych, Nurse, surgeon) that alcohol addition was a common problem/transference after weight loss surgery. I was asked at every visit in the last year if I felt I was transferring addiction to drinking. I really recommend you see you DR and talk to them honestly. It makes sense, we can't eat in the volume we used to so we look for something else that we can do - and liquid funnels out rather rapidly - food does not. I urge you to see your dr:)

I have to tell you guys -- this is bizarre, but I'm actually doing ok all things considered. I'm feeling a little squirrley, but for the most part, I'm just excited it is almost here! For those of you who are behind me in terms of timing on this journey, here have been the most challenging parts of this process: 1. Making the decision. Until I literally put down money (I'm self pay), I was having a constant dialogue about "should I or shouldn't I." It was exhausting. 2. Mourning the food. I felt like a crazy woman for the 2 weeks leading up to my pre-op diet. I ate everything I could get my hands on. Seriously. I went to a different restaurant every night. I ate until I was sick. It was horrible. And it made me question EVERYTHING -- I kept saying to myself, "You are pathetic. If you cannot control yourself better than this, then surgery will never work for you." I now know that was just self-sabotage (as was the crazy behavior itself). 3. Giving up smoking and alcohol. These were a bit tough, but not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be. I just feel like if my entire life is changing, my entire life might as well change (if that makes any sense). No use holding on to other unhealthy coping behaviors. And what's the point of getting my health risks down with the surgery if I were going to continue to smoke? 4. Thinking too much about what my life will be life after this surgery. I know this is an important part of the decision making process because this surgery is irreversible and life-changing. That said, I think I over-scared myself. I keep forgetting that the person I am today does not have the same perspective as the person I will be after surgery. For example, right now, food is the center of my world. I can't imagine life without big plates of pasta, and ice cream, and steak, (etc). But once I get used to eating with the sleeve, I am confident that other things will fill in that void. I have faith that there is life on the other side of food addiction. Okay -- off to eat my last popsickle before I make an effort at sleep. See you all on the other side!!!!

Good for you. As many opinions as there are out there on post op diets, such as caffeine or not, alcohol or not, carbonation or not, soft foods after a week or not...the list goes on. The only thing I have noticed that IS universal is the minimum amount of Water that should be consumed. I wish the best for you and hope you don't get dehydrated. From what I have heard, it's not pretty. I have been a 100 or so oz drinker for years and years as kidney stones run in my family and I am one of the few who has not experienced them. I have to think the water consumption has made somewhat of a difference.

FYE, you always find the most interesting stuff. I'd be interested to see how everybody else plays out according to the table (you can find the link for table inside the above link article) well, according to the table: I would put me in the "big losers" column I fit in the age pretty much and time use loss #s 59/8wks BMI - I think my BMI was around around 26.9 to start average weight loss - I'm off the charts! theirs 7.12 mine 21 lbs at 8 wks. avg lost week 1.07 theirs mine 3 Body shape apple frame medium TDEE (heres where it is way off!) theirs 2994 , mine 1875 Mobile Weight lost on previous diet - their avg 3.6 um 100 Medical condition affect weightloss - I'd say yes since I've had weight loss surgery but I guess no Range of calorie intake on feed days - Steady Change in feed day behaviour - less food, Snacks, sugary food, carbs, fat, more veggies, less dairy, fewer ready meals, i'd say less Protein for me. I don't drink so alcohol no factor Fast days per week - two Calories eaten on fast days - 401-500 Meals on fast days - here i was NOT average mostly Bfast plus dinner when first started, now mostly lunch, dinner Macronutrients on fast days - mostly lower carb Duration of total fast - 12-16 Binge behaviour - never Fast day exercise - light What was interesting to me was the average age (older) bigger losers, post menopausal bigger losers

My general rule of thumb these days is this: just because you can do something (according to your surgeon) doesn't mean you should. Though more often than not I think surgeons go way over the top alarmist about food, caffeine, alcohol, etc. For me, at one month post op I was not eating much carbs - only cooked veggies and some fruit. I am more than 2 months out now and I can tolerate protein-infused oatmeal okay but rice, Pasta and bread feel like bombs going off in my stomach. I avoid as much as possible.

Guys. I am very freaked out. The more i am reading about where you are and what is allowed in relation to me, man, it worries me. Like, i was allowed to take tablets a bit more than a month post op. i started drinking alcohol about 8 weeks post op (little, i might add. Only one glass of wine, and i take a long time to drink it). What else? Oh, i can eat a bit more than most it seems. Like a small steak. I've had no problems and doing ok. Although my weight loss have slowed down considerably, but perhaps it is just also the 4 month slump. I dunno. Feel weird. Totally off my anti-depressants since the op. Perhaps I should go back on. I do have to start gymming though!

It's a very short window where ur not urged to drink alcohol (cept beer, can't ever have that). I'm 5 weeks out and plan on enjoying a margarita now and then in the future. I'm not really into wine, but I'm sure it's fine, in moderation. You stomach is smaller now so be careful. You're liable to get tipsy faster!

I was told that someone died from drinking alcohol after wls. But I do have a drink every now and then and it does effect me a lot quicker than before. It also gives me a stomach ache after too. I find that after my wls, everything affects me different than it did before....Even pain medications too..........