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When are we given the clear for alcoholic drinks? I'm 6 months out and I have never thought to even ask my doctor this question LOL

Good Morning lovely ladies and thanks for the congrats. I know I have a long way to go, but I have to start somewhere. I am actually able to eat mushies and soft foods. I don't have to do anything pureed they said because I'm doing so well. When do people start sliming? After fills? It hasn't happened to me yet. I have my first fill on Aug 6th, so I hope I don't find out! Diane, one of the best things about this thread is nobody does chastise each other. I've read some of those other threads... it's scary in some of those places; people can be miserable. What's the point? We're all human and support goes a lot further than chastisement. Pat and Diane, where are the chocolate stains coming from, I'm almost afraid to ask? I'm lucky not to have a big sweet tooth. Give me a bowl of spaghetti or a greasy cheesesteak anyday. :redface: (it looks like those days are long gone) Question: When did you add alcohol back into your diets? I'm going on vacation in a week and a half and I would really like to have a few! Well, thanks for listening and have a great day. Donna

My book says alcohol causes gastric irritation and can cause liver damage. During periods of rapid weight loss the liver becomes especially vulnerable to toxins such as alcohol. Also says they recommend complete abstinence from alcohol for six months after surgery and avoid frequent consumption thereafter.

No, you do not have to stand up. That is more drama for TV, but there are meetings where it is encouraged. Bottom line is you don't have to do anything you don't want to do. For me, it didn't take too long before I heard my story being told in the rooms and I was able to identify. At that point, I had crossed the line of acceptance of my alcoholism and I wanted to identify myself as such. I am on my mobile device right now, so I will write more or contact you directly later. Just know that only you can say whether you are an alchoholic. I know AA meetings may seem daunting as there is a lot if fear that if you do identify, then you might convince yourself of something you are not. It doesn't work that way.

Here is an excellent summary of the research. I believe that Buffle is closest to the mark... coffee restrictions, in the absence of a specific medical problem is a "better safe than sorry" approach. Full disclosure, I am very strict about following my program BUT I do drink coffee. (sigh) I usually post links, but it did not work, so the entire article is below I shall also post this in research _____ Dear Ontherighttrack, You’ve asked a great question. What is the effect of caffeine on sleeve gastrectomy? To answer your question, I did a search of the medical literature on PubMed, the index for the National Medical Library. I couldn’t find any articles that address your question directly. Incidentally, there were no articles that addressed the effect of caffeine on gastric bypass either. Next I searched for both sleeve gastrectomy and gastric bypass and coffee. Again the medical library search engine did not return any articles. Thus, so far there have been no studies performed on sleeve gastrectomy patients or gastric bypass patients that would permit or discourage caffeine or coffee use. Most surgeons recommend that gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy patients avoid caffeine or coffee. These recommendations stem from research work that has been done on non-weight loss surgery patients. Before looking into this further let’s distinguish between caffeine and coffee. Caffeine is an alkaloid chemical that has stimulant effects on the central nervous system as well as other parts of the body. Caffeine is a moderate stimulant of gastric acid production. In some studies it has been shown to decrease lower esophageal sphincter pressure and thus potentially promote reflux. In other studies, the effect on sphincter pressure is not so clear. Coffee is brewed from the coffea plant. Coffee contains numerous biologically active chemicals including caffeine. The degree to which these compounds are present in a given cup of coffee depends on the specific species of coffee plant as well as the roasting and processing methods used to bring the coffee to market (see article by Van Deventer below). Even the type of filter used in a coffee maker will change the types of plant oils that remain in the brew. Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD or GORD) is reflux of stomach juices into the esophagus. GERD can cause heartburn. There are several full medical articles attached at the bottom of this reply. Please download these for further information. Coffee/caffeine and gastric acid stimulation There is general agreement that caffeine and coffee are two factors that stimulate stomach acid production. According to Cohen and Booth (1975) “Decaffeinated coffee gave a maximal acid response of 16.5 per hour (mean)which was similar to that of regular coffee, 20.9 mEq per hour, both values being higher than that of caffeine, 8.4, on a cup-equivalent basis.” Thus there are chemicals in coffee aside from caffeine that have potent acid stimulatory effects. In this study, decaffeination did not reduce acid stimulation. Further information about decaffeinated coffee was put forth by Feldmen et. Al (1981): “At equal concentrations, decaffeinated coffee was a more potent stimulant of acid secretion and of gastrin [an acid stimulating gut hormone] release than peptone [a Protein meal acid stimulus]. The ingredient(s) of decaffeinated coffee that accounts for its high potency in stimulating acid secretion and gastrin release has not been identified.” Coffee, caffeine, and esophageal reflux There is considerable controversy in the medical literature as to the effects of coffee and caffeine on esophageal reflux. Here are the conclusions to three articles on the subject. The full article summaries are added below. Wendl (1994) writes, “Coffee, in contrast to tea, increases gastro-oesophageal reflux, an effect that is less pronounced after decaffeination. Caffeine does not seem to be responsible for gastro-oesophageal reflux which must be attributed to other components of coffee.” Boekema (1999) and associates came to an opposite conclusion: “Coffee has no important effect on gastro-oesophageal acid reflux in GORD [GERD] patients, and no effect at all in healthy subjects.” Zheng (2007) conludes, “In conclusion, this large monozygotic co-twin study provides evidence that BMI, tobacco smoking and physical activity at work facilitate the development of GER, while physical activity at leisure time appears to be a protective factor. The association between BMI and frequent GER symptoms among men may be attenuated by genetic factors. In addition, heavy coffee intake may be a protective factor of GER in men and lower education may be a potential risk factor in women.” CONCLUSIONS Caffeine, and more so, coffee and decaf coffee stimulate gastric acid production. Caffeine and coffee may promote gastroesophageal reflux. Caffeine and coffee are just two of many factors that promote gastric acid production and gastroesophageal reflux. Clinical Implications: For sleeve patients who suffer from gastroesophageal reflux, it is best to avoid caffeine and coffee. For sleeve patients who do not have reflux, I do not see any reason not to enjoy coffee or use caffeine products in moderation. For gastric bypass patients, most surgeons recommend against caffeine and coffee because the acid stimulation that occurs may contribute to the development of anastomotic ulcers. Since there are many other factors involved in the development of these ulcers (alcohol, cigarette smoking and nicotine, and NSAID drugs), it is impossible to know how important the role of coffee and caffeine is. Most surgeons are thus saying avoid coffee and be “better safe than sorry.” REFERENCES Good summary of caffeine and it's effects from Johns Hopkins. About caffeine from Wikipedia About gastroesophageal reflux from Wikipedia SUMMARIES OF MEDICAL JOURNAL ARTICLES Gasrtoenterology. 2007 Jan;132(1):87-95. Epub 2006 Nov 17. Lifestyle factors and risk for symptomatic gastroesophageal reflux in monozygotic twins. Zheng Z, Nordenstedt H, Pedersen NL, Lagergren J, Ye W. Source Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels väg 12A, SE 171-77 Stockholm, Sweden. Abstract BACKGROUND & AIMS: Lifestyle and genetic factors dominate the etiology of gastroesophageal reflux disease. We investigated associations between lifestyle factors and gastroesophageal reflux (GER) symptoms, with and without controlling for genetic predisposition. METHODS: In 1967 and 1973, questionnaires including lifestyle exposures were mailed to twins in the Swedish Twin Registry, and data on GER symptoms were collected by telephone interview during 1998-2002. Two analytic methods were used: external control analysis (4083 twins with GER symptoms and 21,383 controls) and monozygotic co-twin control analysis (869 monozygotic twin pairs discordant for GER symptoms). RESULTS: In the external control analysis, leanness (body mass index [bMI] <20), upper normal weight (BMI 22.5-24.9), overweight (BMI 25-29.9), and obese (BMI > or =30) conferred -19%, 25%, 46%, and 59% increased risk of frequent GER symptoms compared with normal weight (BMI 20-22.4), respectively, among women, whereas no such associations were evident among men. When adjusted for genetic and nongenetic familial factors, these estimates were -28%, 44%, 187%, and 277%, respectively, among men. Frequent smoking rendered a 37% increased risk of frequent GER symptoms among women and 53% among men compared with nonsmokers. Physical activity at work was dose dependently associated with increased risk of frequent GER symptoms, and recreational physical activity decreased this risk. CONCLUSIONS: BMI, tobacco smoking, and physical activity at work appear to be risk factors for frequent GER symptoms, whereas recreational physical activity appears to be beneficial. Association between BMI and frequent GER symptoms among men seems to be attenuated by genetic factors. ________________________________________________________________________________________ J Appl Physiol. 2000 Sep;89(3):1079-85. Gastrointestinal function during exercise: comparison of Water, sports drink, and sports drink with caffeine. Van Nieuwenhoven MA, Brummer RM, Brouns F. Source Department of Gastroenterology, University Hospital, Maastricht, 6202 AZ Maastricht, The Netherlands. m.vannieuwenhoven@hb.unimaas.nl Abstract Caffeine is suspected to affect gastrointestinal function. We therefore investigated whether supplementation of a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution (CES) sports drink with 150 mg/l caffeine leads to alterations in gastrointestinal variables compared with a normal CES and water using a standardized rest-exercise-rest protocol. Ten well-trained subjects underwent a rest-cycling-rest protocol three times. Esophageal motility, gastroesophageal reflux, and intragastric pH were measured by use of a transnasal catheter. Orocecal transit time was measured using breath-H(2) measurements. A sugar absorption test was applied to determine intestinal permeability and glucose absorption. Gastric emptying was measured via the (13)C-acetate breath test. In the postexercise episode, midesophageal pressure was significantly lower in the CES + caffeine trial compared with the water trial (P = 0.017). There were no significant differences between the three drinks for gastric pH and reflux during the preexercise, the cycling, and the postexercise episode, respectively. Gastric emptying, orocecal transit time, and intestinal permeability showed no significant differences between the three trials. However, glucose absorption was significantly increased in the CES + caffeine trial compared with the CES trial (P = 0.017). No significant differences in gastroesophageal reflux, gastric pH, or gastrointestinal transit could be observed between the CES, the CES + caffeine, and the water trials. However, intestinal glucose uptake was increased in the CES + caffeine trial. ___________________________________________________________________ Scand J Gastroenterol Suppl. 1999;230:35-9. Coffee and gastrointestinal function: facts and fiction. A review. Boekema PJ, Samsom M, van Berge Henegouwen GP, Smout AJ. Source Dept. of Gastroenterology, University Hospital Utrecht, The Netherlands. Abstract BACKGROUND: Effects of coffee on the gastrointestinal system have been suggested by patients and the lay press, while doctors tend to discourage its consumption in some diseases. METHODS: The literature on the effects of coffee and caffeine on the gastrointestinal system is reviewed with emphasis on gastrointestinal function. RESULTS: Although often mentioned as a cause of dyspeptic symptoms, no association between coffee and dyspepsia is found. Heartburn is the most frequently reported symptom after coffee drinking. It is demonstrated that coffee promotes gastro-oesophageal reflux. Coffee stimulates gastrin release and gastric acid secretion, but studies on the effect on lower oesophageal sphincter pressure yield conflicting results. Coffee also prolongs the adaptive relaxation of the proximal stomach, suggesting that it might slow gastric emptying. However, other studies indicate that coffee does not affect gastric emptying or small bowel transit. Coffee induces cholecystokinin release and gallbladder contraction, which may explain why patients with symptomatic gallstones often avoid drinking coffee. Coffee increases rectosigmoid motor activity within 4 min after ingestion in some people. Its effects on the colon are found to be comparable to those of a 1000 kCal meal. Since coffee contains no calories, and its effects on the gastrointestinal tract cannot be ascribed to its volume load, acidity or osmolality, it must have pharmacological effects. Caffeine cannot solely account for these gastrointestinal effects. CONCLUSIONS: Coffee promotes gastro-oesophageal reflux, but is not associated with dyspepsia. Coffee stimulates gallbladder contraction and colonic motor activity. ________________________________________________________________________________________________ Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 1999 Nov;11(11):1271-6. Effect of coffee on gastro-oesophageal reflux in patients with reflux disease and healthy controls. Boekema PJ, Samsom M, Smout AJ. Source Department of Gastroenterology, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands. pboekema@worldonline.nl Abstract BACKGROUND: Many patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) report that coffee aggravates their symptoms and doctors tend to discourage its use in GORD. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of coffee ingestion on gastro-oesophageal acid reflux. DESIGN: A randomized, controlled, crossover study. PARTICIPANTS: Seven GORD patients and eight healthy subjects. METHODS: After 1 day of coffee abstinence, participants underwent 24-h oesophageal pH and manometric monitoring. At well-defined times, they ingested either 280 ml of regular paper-filtered coffee or 280 ml of warm water. Coffee or water was drunk 1 h after Breakfast, during lunch, 1 h after dinner and after an overnight fast Reflux and oesophageal motility parameters were assessed for the first hour after each coffee or water intake. RESULTS: Coffee had no effect on postprandial acid reflux time or number of reflux episodes, either in GORD patients or in healthy subjects. Coffee increased the percentage acid reflux time only when ingested in the fasting period in the GORD patients (median 2.6, range 0-19.3 versus median 0, range 0-8.3; P = 0.028), but not in the healthy subjects. No effect of coffee on postprandial lower oesophageal sphincter pressure (LOSP), patterns of LOSP associated with reflux episodes or oesophageal contractions was found. CONCLUSION: Coffee has no important effect on gastro-oesophageal acid reflux in GORD patients, and no effect at all in healthy subjects. _______________________________________________________________________ Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 1994 Jun;8(3):283-7. Effect of decaffeination of coffee or tea on gastro-oesophageal reflux. Wendl B, Pfeiffer A, Pehl C, Schmidt T, Kaess H. 2nd Medical Department, München-Bogenhausen Hospital, Germany. Abstract BACKGROUND: Coffee and tea are believed to cause gastro-oesophageal reflux; however, the effects of these beverages and of their major component, caffeine, have not been quantified. The aim of this study was to evaluate gastro-oesophageal reflux induced by coffee and tea before and after a decaffeination process, and to compare it with water and water-containing caffeine. METHODS: Three-hour ambulatory pH-metry was performed on 16 healthy volunteers, who received 300 ml of (i) regular coffee, decaffeinated coffee or tap water (n = 16), (ii) normal tea, decaffeinated tea, tap water, or coffee adapted to normal tea in caffeine concentration (n = 6), and (iii) caffeine-free and caffeine-containing water (n = 8) together with a standardized breakfast. RESULTS: Regular coffee induced a significant (P < 0.05) gastro-oesophageal reflux compared with tap water and normal tea, which were not different from each other. Decaffeination of coffee significantly (P < 0.05) diminished gastro-oesophageal reflux, whereas decaffeination of tea or addition of caffeine to water had no effect. Coffee adapted to normal tea in caffeine concentration significantly (P < 0.05) increased gastro-oesophageal reflux. CONCLUSIONS: Coffee, in contrast to tea, increases gastro-oesophageal reflux, an effect that is less pronounced after decaffeination. Caffeine does not seem to be responsible for gastro-oesophageal reflux which must be attributed to other components of coffee. Dig Dis Sci. 1992 Apr;37(4):558-69. Lower esophageal sphincter pressure, acid secretion, and blood gastrin after coffee consumption. Van Deventer G, Kamemoto E, Kuznicki JT, Heckert DC, Schulte MC. Source Center for Ulcer Research and Education, Los Angeles, California. Abstract This study tested the hypothesis that differences in the processing of raw coffee Beans can account for some of the variability in gastric effects of coffee drinking. Coffees were selected to represent several ways that green coffee beans are treated, ie, processing variables. These included instant and ground coffee processing, decaffeination method (ethyl acetate or methylene chloride extraction), instant coffee processing temperature (112 degrees F or 300 degrees F), and steam treatment. Lower esophageal sphincter pressure, acid secretion, and blood gastrin was measured in eight human subjects after they consumed each of the different coffees. Consumption of coffee was followed by a sustained decrease in lower esophageal sphincter pressure (P less than 0.05) except for three of the four coffees treated with ethyl acetate regardless of whether or not they contained caffeine. Caffeinated ground coffee stimulated more acid secretion that did decaf ground coffees (P less than 0.05), but not more than a steam-treated caffeinated coffee. Instant coffees did not differ in acid-stimulating ability. Ground caffeinated coffee resulted in higher blood gastrin levels than other ground coffees (P less than 0.05). Freeze-dried instant coffee also tended toward higher gastrin stimulation. It is concluded that some of the observed variability in gastric response to coffee consumption can be traced to differences in how green coffee beans are processed. __________________________________________________________________________________ JAMA. 1981 Jul 17;246(3):248-50. Gastric acid and gastrin response to decaffeinated coffee and a peptone meal. Feldman EJ, Isenberg JI, Grossman MI. Abstract We compared five graded doses of decaffeinated coffee and a widely used protein test meal (Bacto-peptone) as stimulants of acid secretion (intragastric titration) and gastrin release (radioimmunoassay) in eight healthy men. In each subject, for both acid and gastrin, the sums of the responses to all five doses were greater to decaffeinated coffee than to peptone. The mean +/- SE peak acid output in millimoles per hour was 18.5 +/- 2.9 to decaffeinated coffee and 14.7 +/- 2.7 to peptone, representing 70% and 55%, respectively, of the peak acid output to pentagastrin. The mean +/- SEM peak increment over basal rate in serum gastrin in picograms per milliliter was 84.8 +/- 4.4 to decaffeinated coffee and 44.8 +/- 2.1 to peptone. At equal concentrations, decaffeinated coffee was a more potent stimulant of acid secretion and of gastrin release than peptone. The ingredient(s) of decaffeinated coffee that accounts for its high potency in stimulating acid secretion and gastrin release has not been identified. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Dis Esophagus. 2006;19(3):183-8. Effect of caffeine on lower esophageal sphincter pressure in Thai healthy volunteers. Lohsiriwat S, Puengna N, Leelakusolvong S. Source Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand. sislr@mahidol.ac.th Abstract Caffeine affects many aspects of body function including the gastrointestinal system. A single-blinded experimental study was performed to evaluate the effect of caffeine on lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and esophageal peristaltic contractions in healthy Thai adults. The volunteers were six men and six women aged 19-31 years. Subjects drank 100 mL of water. Five wet swallows were performed 30 min after the drink. The basal LES pressure was continuously measured using esophageal manometric technique. They then consumed another 100 mL of water containing caffeine at the dose of 3.5 mg/kg body weight. The swallows and basal LES pressure monitoring were repeated. The results showed no change in basal LES pressure after a water drink while caffeine consumption significantly lowered the pressure at 10, 15, 20 and 25 min. The mean amplitude of contractions and peristaltic velocity were decreased at the distal esophagus at 3 and 8 cm above LES. The mean duration of contraction was decreased at the distal part but increased at the more proximal esophagus. The heart rate, systolic and diastolic blood pressures were increased significantly at 10-20 min after caffeine ingestion. This study indicated that caffeine 3.5 mg/kg affected esophageal function, resulting in a decrease in basal LES pressure and distal esophageal contraction, which is known to promote the reflux of gastric contents up into the esophagus. N Engl J Med. 1975 Oct 30;293(18):897-9. Gastric acid secretion and lower-esophageal-sphincter pressure in response to coffee and caffeine. Cohen S, Booth GH Jr. Abstract Caffeine stimulates gastric acid secretion and reduces the competence of the lower esophageal sphincter in man. These effects of caffeine have been used as evidence that regular coffee should not be used by patients with peptic-ulcer disease or gastroesophageal reflux. We compared the dose-response relations of caffeine, regular coffee and decaffeinated coffee for gastric acid secretion and sphincter pressure in normal subjects. Decaffeinated coffee gave a maximal acid response of 16.5 +/- 2.6 mEq per hour (mean +/- S.E.M.), which was similar to that of regular coffee, 20.9 +/- 3.6 mEq per hour, both values being higher than that of caffeine, 8.4 +/- 1.3, on a cup-equivalent basis. Sphincter pressure showed minimal changes in response to caffeine, but was significantly increased by both regular and decaffeinated coffee (P less than 0.05). These data suggest that clinical recommendations based upon the known gastrointestinal effects of caffeine may bear little relation to the actual observed actions of coffee or decaffeinated coffee

Hi - no, dont mind you asking but I've been over it so many times - I'll keep it brief. I don't know why I don't lose weight and yes, 11lbs is about right. I'm pretty stable now. I only know one other bandster like me - she is quite a bit tighter then me but lost about 15lbs and has pretty much given up = she eats spoonfulls of food. I eat well - esp since my unfill (more solids then liquids). I had two unfills - one was because I was stuck on a piece of sushi (stupidly ate it in the am) and was throwing up and so swollen I couldn't keep saliva down. My latest unfill was an attempt by my surgeon to allow me to eat more solids in hopes my body would lose some weight (I was probably too tight and eating a lot of soft and mushie food). I do almost everything right - I eat three very very small meals with minimal or good Protein Snacks. I drink alcohol rarely and gave it up completely for many many months. I exercise regularly and hard. I eat about 1/2 of what I ate before. I gave up on food diaries but have them for over 1 year and have eaten between 600-1500 caloreis and nada. I 'binged' once with the band and I severely overate twice and paid for it. I don't overeat now. I don't eat junk, ice cream or milkshakes. I have had treats but they are very small, controlled, (for example i did have 4 godiva chocloates on Valentines Day) but never touched another one. I have wonderful habits and am slowly breaking my old bad ones. The band has done everything it is suppossed to do for me except I just don't lose weight. I am now looking for a specialist/endocrinologist but may end up waiting until I move later this year and have health insurance again. I am getting one more small fill at the end of the month because I can eat more, I just don't and what the hell a tighter band will at least help with that. The only thing I haven't done is made my band so tight I can't eat and can barely drink which I know MANY others do - I just refuse to live like that although that might work. You will most likely not be like me - never thought this would happen to me - it is a medical mystery I'm sure. This will be my last fill and after the specialist I am totally resigned and accepting of where I am. After two years I will give up and maintain the status quo. You just had surgery and will need fill/fills to lose weight but I'm sure it will happen. Just look around you here - everyone else reports terrific losses - although you will have to work at it. good luck.

For me, I could basically out drink a football team before surgery, so I was looking forward to becoming a "cheap date" afterwards. Unfortunately that didn't happen. A couple drink experiments proved I am still pretty "alcohol -proof". It's actually become a motivating factor for me to not even bother to drink alcohol anymore. If I can't get buzzed, what's the point of drinking those empty calories when it has the same effect as drinking water.

I'm sorry that so many are going through the same or similar circumstances. It's really difficult when it comes to family, @hope4momof4, you hit the nail on the head. You feel obligated but are at the same time overburdened. There are many issues that factor in to the family dynamic, and I remember trying to talk with my mom about some of them one time, and she broke down in tears. She doesn't see herself and some of the things she does and says as being hurtful, and quite honestly, I don't think she remembers doing some of them either as alcohol is a big part of their social structure. I'm glad to know that others are dealing with similar issues. I typically don't talk about this kind of thing ever, but it has felt good to let it off my chest a little bit. Please know my thoughts are with all of you who also have family issues and if you ever need to vent I hope I can offer support and an encouraging word!

None whatsoever! I have been embraced and strongly supported by members of OA. I find it an amazing program although I am only at the start of the 4th step and still in alot of emotional pain, (due to ongoing family issues). Although this venue is and continues to be a wonderful source of support, I do not think I would cope well without the support of people with whom I could physically connect with. Since I am dealing with a daughter who is an alcoholic (and an over-eater)-and is in complete, hostile denial, I am going to also look for Alanon meetings to go to as well. Not having food as a crutch really forces me to have to face my reality and I need as much support as I can get. Well put Roseib.

Alcohol is fattening but i don't know of any reason why you can't have a glass of wine.

I tend to agree with your last statement. It is much like an alcoholic being forced to take a look at their behavior/addiction when a drinking buddy takes the step to heal themselves. I think it is all in the delivery. My decision is not for everyone so if I suspected someone was going to react negatively, I didn't point out their flaws; instead I simply said, "your health may not be affected by the added weight but mine is suffering." And in the likely event they follow up with "why don't you do it on your own" you can reply that you have tried and been unsuccessful in the past (I'm assuming here). I would always point out my health problems (diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, arthritis, whatever it is) is only going to get worse. If you do nothing it won't get better. Again, I always make sure to direct everything toward myself and leave them out of it. After all, it is about you. Take care of you! Oh, and it is one of the reasons I limited who I told.

You probably have something in the materials given to you about this, but be aware that we're supposedly a lot more sensitive to alcohol--and for me, I was pretty sensitive to it before! And, of course, it's just empty calories than can blow your eating plan out of the water, so you don't want to drink much or often. All other considerations aside, pot is probably going to be easier on your system than alcohol.

someone posted about this a few days ago - I cant tolerate carbonation so I dont do beer, but bring on the wine, margaritas, comsos, etc. I drink once a week, 2-3 drinks in one night, I know it's empty calories but I would rather drink than have a dessert and I also just don't care - I'm a generally good bandster but I won't give up the alcohol and if that means slower weight loss than so be it.

Did I read correctly? You were having caffeine-free, then switched back to regular, of which you consume 5 cups per day? Is that accurate? Regular tea has 55 milligrams of caffeine per cup. Five cups equals 275 milligrams of caffeine daily. You also said you keep the tea-bag in the cup, so you're getting even more caffeine. coffee has 125-185 milligrams (depending on strength.) So you're consuming the equivalent of 2 pretty strong cups of coffee daily. Addiction is weird. I used to be a coffee & Diet Pepsi addict. It got so out of control that I challenged myself to quit. I quit cold-turkey for about six months. But then I started again. However, once I started up again, my body wasn't able to tolerate the caffeine. Two cups of strong black coffee in one day is enough to raise my blood pressure from all the anxiety the caffeine gives me. I'm not familiar with the sweetener that you're hooked on, but I know that I was hooked on artificial sweeteners as well. During my Diet Pepsi days, I would rather go without than drink a regular sugar Pepsi, because I needed the chemical fix. However, a few months ago I was diagnosed with Sarcoid Disease (Sarkoidosis) which is an autoimmune disease. They found granuolas (or granola or some weird mass) on my lungs. It's one of those diseases that lay dormant, so maybe I'll never get sick again, but maybe it will come back with a vengeance. Nobody knows the exact cause of Sarcoidosis, but I recently read a study that said I could have gotten it from Aspartame (Equal.) As of that day, I decided to use plain old Sugar - tried and true since the beginning of time, and at 41 years old, I finally have an excuse to use the damn stuff guilt-free. However, Donali, I agree. The world is full of ridiculous hypocrisies. Is anyone familiar Alcoholics Anonymous or "AA"? Since AA began, they've given birth to the same meetings for other addictions: Narcotics Anonymous, Gamblers Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, etc. I've gone to many AA & OA meetings. During AA meetings, the "sober" alcoholics suck down packs of cigarettes while drinking pots of coffee and eating piles of candy and sugar goodies (replacing the sugar they crave from the alcohol.) Could you imagine if I sat in an Overeaters Anonymous meeting while drinking a bottle of tequila and snorting a plate of cocaine? Did I just babble all that without making a point?

great topic. Seems I am not alone in the bad childhood department. To keep it short, my was diagnosed skitso when I was a baby. Dad was a drug addict, alcoholic grandparents raised me, Dad wasnt really around. I started gaining weight after quitting smoking pot 6 years ago. It was my medication. I replaced it with food and now here I am 100 lbs later. Time to do some work, mentally and physically.

While cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, and all-cause mortality risk is reduced after gastric bypass, the following "cons" were also revealed in a 2018 European study*: . -gallstone and gallbladder disease -gastrointestinal ulcer / reflux -bowel obstruction -abdominal pain -anemia -malnutrition -psychiatric diagnoses -alcohol abuse . *some of these conditions are short-term complications . https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-10/d-nsr092818.php

Sooner or later you'll find yourself in a situation where you have little or no control over the food served. That doesn't mean you have to abandon all your band eating skills or go hungry. The key is to have plans, even for unpredictable situations. Social eating poses all kinds of challenges to the bariatric post-op. How to resist the dessert cart? How to refuse an extra helping of potatoes that Mom mashed especially for you (with just a little gravy)? How to chat with nine people and still concentrate on taking tiny bites? One recommendation applies to all social eating situations: do not experiment with new foods. You don't know how well they'll go down and you don't want to disgrace yourself in public. This has been a challenge for me because I love to try new foods, especially when I travel, but taking food risks in public is just not worth the potential pain and embarrassment. How easily you can pull off social eating will depend in part on whether your hosts or fellow guests know about your weight loss surgery (a topic worthy of an article of its own, so stay tuned). Sometimes I think my new eating habits are harder on my friends than they are on me. For example, a few months ago I went out to lunch with a group of women, including a friend (we'll call her Kathy) who knew me when I was fat and knows I had weight loss surgery. This was not the first time I had dined with Kathy since my surgery, so I was a bit surprised to realize that she was studying me as I ate. "Is there a problem?" I said. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't stare," she answered, "But I just can't get over the way you eat now." "Isn't it great?" I said with hearty enthusiasm. "Um, yeah, I guess so." There was an awkward pause. Then she rallied and said, "So how many dogs did you say you have now?" I have survived many post-op social eating occasions with acquaintances who don't know about my weight loss surgery (and I'd rather keep it that way). Most of them keep their opinions about my eating (if they even notice it) to themselves. Sometimes they ask, "Don't you like the food?" (I answer honestly, yes or no), or "Are you diabetic?" (yes), or "Are you allergic to nuts? (no). Sometimes I have to use Kathy's change-the-subject method of getting out of an awkward moment (asking the hostess for the recipe, or a portion of dessert to take home, works well as both a compliment and a distraction). Advance planning is crucial for successful social eating. Try to find out what will be served and decide what you'll eat. Eat something before you leave home, because the old advice to save your calories for the party is risky business for a post-op. Imagine how irresistible the buffet table is going to look if you haven't eaten for 10 hours. You're not just risking extra calories at that point - you're risking a stuck episode, a productive burp (regurgitation), or sliming - because you're too hungry to eat carefully. If at all possible, bring some food that you can eat and share with the other guests (tell the host or hostess you're going to do this or it might get whisked away and stashed in the refrigerator). If you know alcohol is going to be served, bring a pitcher of a non-alcoholic beverage you like and announce that you thought everybody might like to try your special punch or fruit tea or whatever it is. Stand-up can be easier than sit-down affairs because everyone is busy balancing a plate, cutlery, beverage and conversation and it's easier to sneak off and ditch the food without being seen. At sit-down meals, I'll grab my plate and a neighbor's (making sure it's empty first, of course) and head for the kitchen saying, "Do let me help clear the table" or "Can I get you anything while I'm up?" (that's hard to pull off in a restaurant, though). Speaking of stand-up affairs, finger food is a terrible idea for bandsters. Human teeth are just not designed to take a small enough bite of anything solid enough to be held in the fingers, so proceed with caution. Whether you're standing up or sitting down, cutting up your food into tiny pieces and occasionally moving it around your plate with your fork are good ways to camouflage your spare post-op eating style. And one last piece of advice: please do not give your uneaten food to your host's dog (or cat, or potted plant), no matter how hungry the dog claims he is. You have no way of knowing if the food is even safe for the dog. My dogs are four-legged garbage cans, and they have even worse judgment about food than I do!

Well, first of all thank you greatly for bringing this subject up on this forum. From my perspective I can tell you that because of the surgery I do NOT believe it is a "blip." Obviously you felt strong enough about the issue to reach out to others for support and with that being said please allow me to tell you my journey, where I'm currently at with alcohol, and what measures I am taking going forward to help myself. I was sleeved 04/25/2013 and to be very honest, I had my first drink on 05/31/2013. I believed that because it was my "birthday" and I hadn't had a drink in 6 weeks, I was somehow justified. I can also tell you that prior to surgery I was a big social binge drinker however I also justified my actions then on the premise that it was only on the weekends and not during the week. Prior to surgery when I completed my required psychological evaluation, the Therapist was very clear with me in telling me that weight loss surgery patients are at an extremely high risk for alcoholism. Yes, I do believe this can be from basically swapping out your eating addiction however I also will tell you its more than likely due to some type of trauma that has happened in your life. I am now approximately 9 months out from surgery and I can tell you that my current alcohol consumption is spiraling out of control. I reached my goal weight at 6 months out and all but told myself I could keep drinking and it wouldn't hurt me much; that was and is a lie. Once your sleeved, alcohol not only has greater drunkenness effects on you, but also quicker damage happens to your liver and memory. I have now begun seeing a therapist on a weekly basis and I believe this is key. Talking about any level of addictions and or relationship struggles after surgery is HUGE! Most of us were NOT mentally prepared to take on this extreme life change and it is vitally important to talk through things with a professional. In the event you or anyone else on here can resonate with any of my entry here, please carefully seek out a therapist immediately. Do NOT wait like I did and then things become magnified. Thanks for allowing me to contribute.

I waited a month before I had any alcohol.

Hi everyone! Here's a new twist on an old subject matter - a bad breakup. I was happy, healthy, losing weight and working out. I had lost a solid 67 lbs since my June 14 surgery, had a great boyfriend and was really doing well. Then, on December 26, my BF and I broke up. It was sudden and I was absolutely blindsided. I moved out of his apartment and moved in with my bestie and her husband in CT, away from my job (which I lost), my neighborhood, everything that I know. The old Diane would be drowning her sorrows in Ben and Jerry's, crying and eating. The new Diane? She can't do that. She can't even eat ice cream because post surgery, she is lactose intolerant. She can't eat chips and dip, or go to McDonalds and get fries and a shake, she can't eat a lot of sweets, she can't drown her sorrows in food, she can't eat her emotions. And, she can't drink alcohol, because she's a freaking lightweight again, like a 14 year old girl at her first kegger. Damn it. But here's the good thing - the new Diane went to the gym and decided to get serious about working out. She is pushing herself harder than ever. She goes for an hour a day and REALLY works out, climbs the Stair Mill, takes a class, does 200 squats in the evening, does a lot of cardio. Why? Because she's in pain and needs to channel that pain somehow and also because SHE CANNOT EAT HER FEELINGS. Why am I telling you this? Because I want you all to know how your relationship with food will change once you have this surgery. You learn to channel your emotions differently, you learn that food is not always the answer, you learn that alcohol won't solve your problems. Food and drink change post surgery. You have to learn to deal with your emotions instead of running to your comfort food or drink. And it sucks. It sucks big time. Instead of gaining the post breakup 10 lbs that I normally do, I've lost 10 pounds. Maybe too much for me to lose in a couple of weeks. I had no appetite and I struggled to eat. But better to lose than to gain, to overeat, to push my stomach to full over and over again. I couldn't do it. So I'm now 20 lbs to goal instead of 30, and I've lost 218 lbs too (that's how much my BF weighed). He was a good guy and I will miss him, but things happen for a reason. And this was a good lesson for me to learn.. how to deal with strong emotions without the comfort of food. I think we all know that food isn't always our friend. We need it, but we don't need to be dependent upon it to get through some tough times. I am still crushed and hurt, and I miss him, but I really don't miss the food hangover that goes along with a bad breakup. Silver linings....

I've never had the band, so I don't know what you're dealing with. A distant relative had a band-to-sleeve revision last year and she's happy. Having heard her story, and on the advice of my surgeon, I went straight for the sleeve. My other option was standard bypass, but that seemed like more life-long maintenance and potential issues to worry about. At first, it's just surgery recovery. A coworker described my post-op diet as "newborn on fast-forward." I think that's pretty accurate. I was on solid foods after 6 weeks, and almost entirely unrestricted by 3 months. At around 5 months out, I started getting hungry again. Not family-bucket-of-KFC hungry, but I-forgot-to-eat-Breakfast hungry. Today, I can eat about two chicken legs and feel very full, and a few cubes of cheese or a dozen almonds is enough to satisfy me for several hours. If I eat too much - even one extra bite - I puke. I can drink as much as I want before a meal. Gulping traps air in my stomach and causes a burp, so I sip or use a straw. More than a sip during or right after a meal makes me feel overfull and causes me to puke. Every food I've tried so far works, but some didn't at first. I don't have trouble with straws. Some do. I haven't tried bubble gum or alcohol.

Well I am home again. I went there on Tuesday afternoon. I cried for about 4 hours. I even signed a right to release paper. i wanted to leave, even if i was doing the right thing. Well they gave me some stuff called methadone to help relieve withdrawal symptoms. I took that Tuesday, wednesday and thursday am. I decided that i was feeling well and refused 6pm methadone and thought i'd see how i felt. Well i was fine the rest of the night, no withdrawal syptoms. So i refused again the next morning. Now even though i refused, i could get it any time i felt i needed it. Well I felt fine, and they let me come home yesterday. I met some amazing people, did LOTS of group meetings and counseling. AA meetings, NA, even attended a CA, which is cocaine anonymous, just to hear the stories of the people there. Amazing the lives people live for so long. It was a heck of an experience. i could have been any of those people who went from pills to alcohol to worse. I will NEVER even touch alcohol again even if it was not my addiction. I missed my kids, but thank God they were fine. Thank God I didnt become worse. I feel very fortunate and I thank you all for your support. I am done with pills. God Bless you all and Thanks again.

It's not a matter of weight loss at this point as much as healing. Your stomach is swollen and irritated right now, alcohol is an irritant. It's not a wise idea at all to be drinking alcohol at this point. I'd call your doc and get his opinion, I'll bet it will be a "no" to alcohol just yet.

"When to start drinking alcohol?" It's not mandatory that you start drinking. :-) But I would advise you to start immediately before the surgeon starts cutting! I know it made me feel less tense. :-P

Whey Isolate Protein is the best quality protein you can get. It's not a matter of taste. Rather, It has more SOLUABLE protein in it & Your body absorbs and metabolizes this type far better than any other. I usually get it from Vitamin World or GNC. I make a concoction-smoothie. Milk based (more protein), I toss the recommended amount of chocolate powder in the blender with Wymanns Wild Blueberries (antioxidants) straight out of the freezer (buy them in the frozen section). To that, I add Colon Cleanser (psyllium husks) to keep things moving along, *Warning! Too much will bind you & be a whole other 'situation' to deal with before you can resume normalcy with your band. I add liquid Collegen to restore/maintain elasticity, L-Glutemen (sp?) for muscle-support, Crushed Flaxseed or flax seed oil for Omega 3's (heart & brain function), liquid L-Carnitine (metabolizes fat), and Milk Thistle (supports weight loss). I take my multi-Vitamins & some hyaluronic acid (keeps joints cushy and skin taught) with the shake. Muscle Milk is good in a pinch too. Muscle Milk has a good array of vitamins & nutrients in it. They sell it pre-mixed at convenience stores with the individual drinks or you can buy it in quantity at the big box stores. They have powder too. Muscle Milk has more alcohol sugars (sweeteners) in it than whey isolate protein but if you really need to gas up quick & grab a quick meal for the road- Muscle Milk works. I always use Protein shakes as a Meal Replacement. Not something you want to gulp all day or suck down with meals as your 'drink". I don't count calories, but these shakes ARE caloric! Protein Bars are good in a pinch too. I like Pure Protein best & buy in bulk at BJ's. Great to keep a couple bars in the purse for those times when you're ravinous and won't get home anytime soon- like when you have to pop & go to work w/ no time to fix a lunch or eat breakfast. The other kind I like are "Supreme"-something found in gas-convenience stores near the candy. They're bigger & feels SO naughty because they taste just like gooey candy bars. When I get the GOTTA HAVE candy/ chocolate, I hit up a small protein bar- guilt free. Best luck in your journey.