Search the Community

I'm seven months out and have had alcohol several times. My surgeon said no alcohol for 6 months, but I had a few glasses of wine at a party at 5 months out. I don't drink on a regular basis, and never more than a few glasses of wine, but I haven't noticed it has a differnet affect than before surgery.

Wow!! Congrats! You look fantastic! Im getting sleeved Dec 11th, I'm 22 currently. How long did it take for you to get back in the swing of things and recover? I heard anywhere from 1-3 weeks, but I'm thinking it may be sooner since I'm younger than most WLS patients. Also, did you have any problems you had to figure out socially after getting the sleeve? (Going out, alcohol, ect)

Hey I resent that! Some of us are still here because we have transferred our food and alcohol addictions to WLS forum addictions. As dysfunctional as they are and as silly and idiotic some threads are, it's like a horrible car crash that I just can't help but stare at. Hello my user name is Kindle and I am addicted to online forums. LOL You and me both. I reckon this obsession keeps me fairly focused on my own situation. .. Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using the BariatricPal App

I used to drink wine. I can't now because it is too acidic and gives me horrific heartburn. I do like a vodka/diet cranberry or diet pomegranate or a whiskey with Coke Zero. Now that it's summer, though? I love a cold beer or three. Sometimes the carbonation is uncomfortable, sometimes it is not. I do have a much better time of it if I pour it in a glass to allow some of the bubbles to some to a head. My doctor cautioned against alcohol for two reasons. First, it's empty calories. Second, people tend to eat more with less inhibition when they are intoxicated -- and usually not making good, healthy choices. Good thing about beer for me? After even one, I can't eat for at least an hour. I'm totally full. Two, I won't eat for several hours. Three, I won't eat for the rest of the day. A bonus? I burp like a sailor and it's quite awesome.

I doubt it would be allergy to the vitamins themselves, but different preparations of vitamins are full of fillers, some with sugars/sweeteners/sugar alcohols, etc.

If I could avoid my cocktails I would start losing weight again, my meals do last me 3-4 hours but they are still a good size meals smaller than regular but definitely not as small as they should be. Alcohol is my weakness as after a long day at work I do enjoy my drink How do we not drink alcohol?

What was your pre-op diet? Mine was low fat, normal food, sticking to around 1000 cals a day. Didn't measure cals and may have had one or two more bowls of muesli than necessary but everything I've eaten has been low fat, zero sugar and no alcohol. I had one meal out on Friday night which didn't exactly meet the low fat requirements but still avoided chips (fries), alcohol and sugar. Thinking about doing a liquid diet (Complan/Soup etc) for the next 4 days leading up to the surgery, just to make up for any deviations on the pre-op and also to cleanse my system.

The beef broth and protein shakes are for the pre-op diet and the 1st week post op. Some people continue to drink the protein shakes to get in the recommended daily protein. I rarely drink the shakes after the 2nd week post-op. I moved onto creamy soups and and a lot of chicken run through my food processor until very very finely chopped. I believe anyone that has 85% of their stomach removed will lose weight. You can't help but lose, if you are limited to 4oz of food every few hours. Now the big question is, where is your hunger coming from? Only you can figure that part out. Is it from emotional eating, boredome, stress, or is it because you have hunger pangs caused by the hormone ghrelin? From my own experience, I knew that my hunger was real (even though I had eaten 2 hours earlier, I'd be hungry again). It wasn't until I talked to my surgeon that he told me that I had an excess of the hormone ghrelin (produced by the stomach). The bigger the stomach, the more of the hormone produced. The surgery stopped my hunger pangs. I have not had that nagging sense of hunger (other than my stomach growling) since surgery 7 weeks ago. And 4 or 5 oz of food keeps me satisfied, whereas before, I could eat 1 lb of steak and know I'd be raiding the fridge in 2 hours. And I don't have any cravings anymore for certain flavors. Whereas before, I'd think about something that would taste good and I couldn't get the thought out of my head until I ate it. Don't get me wrong, you can sabotage yourself after surgery. There are foods, called slider foods, that are calorie dense (ice cream, peanut butter) that pass through the stomach quickly, so it's possible to eat more. And it is possible to just graze all day on snacks that are high in calories. The sleeve gave me the control over my eating that I needed. I really think of it as an addiction that you can't quit and never touch again. Other addictions can be quit and never touched again. But what if a heroine addict, smoker or alcoholic knew they had to take some every day or their body would die? What if they had 75 TV channels that ran commericals for cigarrets every 10 minutes during their favorite programs? Or had reality programs (like the best places to pig out or the food challenges) devoted to the best places to get their fix and showed people taking drugs and loving it? Could they just reduce the amount they took? Ok, rant over. :-)

LouiseC, alcohol = empty calories. Only a person with a hardcore drinking problem would dare sabotage their diet by drinking not one, but TWO glasses of wine! I can't believe you would do this to your body! So irresponsible. And to post it where newly sleeved folks for whom alcohol may pose a bleeding risk can see it? Tsk, tsk, tsk. Really, you should be ashamed of yourself. Now, see how ridiculous that sounds coming from some stranger on an internet message board?

I'm 9 days post-op and have been having a really tough time of it. Hard to get fluids down, hard to drink those stupid Protein shakes. I so miss my Diet Coke - some people smoke, some people do drugs, drink alcohol - I do none of that, I just like my Diet Coke. So today, I took one of my caffeine free Diet Cokes (when home, I always drank caffeine free), opened the bottle to let out some fizz, poured it over ice in a glass, and took small sips. It was like drinking a little glass of heaven. No stomach upset and I feel almost like a normal person again. No caffeine, lost a lot of the carbonation, and when the ice melts down, I'm even getting some extra water! It's amazing how this diet can make a person so miserable at times, but the little things we took for granted before can make a world of difference now with just a little modification (I would chug all fizzy from the bottle ).

Maybe you're not ready. Alcohol was never an issue for me except for tailgating at DMB shows every summer and let me say, after spending a weekend tailgating with 300+ DMB fans, I did great. Had one sip of a drink and decided it wasn't worth it. Your feelings mat change post op. Much like most of us no longer want fast food or junk or even soda. (I was a HUGE diet coke junkie). If you're that concerned about your ability to stay sober at a party to reach your weight loss goals than maybe you should postpone until after graduation

You bet! We are in this together! Woo woo! Tonight when I have my alcohol-free glass of Water after dinner (ye GODS) I will toast you!

I am at 206 this morning... ugh just need to get in my water and stop drinking the alcohol again... I lose SO much when I don't drink... but you're right, we are SO CLOSE!

I am also a newbie. I am also older and don't tolerate much foolishness. I've read the posts from newbies that start a few days pre-op to a few weeks post op about whether they can eat bacon, or had a slice of pizza or say I am going on vacation and can I drink alcohol. I read those posts, shake my head and think, "Why the hell did you have surgery, especially when you are making bad decision so soon after surgery?!!!" I followed the rules post op because I had major surgery and wanted to change my life for the better. Many think of this as a quick fix and it is obvious from their posts. Others haven't addressed their food addiction or food behaviors prior to surgery. Have I been perfect since my surgery, No, but I have been able to stay on the right path based on the guidance given by vets to other members. I appreciate ALL the vets input, responses and tips. I would hate for the vets to leave because your successes, experiences and suggestions have made my journey successful so far. Like others, even though I might not post often, I do read the forum EVERYDAY. I think a FAQ for newbies is a good idea and when somebody asks some of these "stupid" questions, the vet can just post a link to a section of the FAQ that explains what to eat and what not to eat post op and keep on going. Kindle, I would love for you to reconsider your decision to leave. Your postings, along with the other vets, are appreciated by many of us newbies. .

@@Kindle - sad to see you go. I'm one of the newbs still trying to get through the insurance dance and get my surgery date. I can't express how much you and so many other vets have helped me from my first post here... LipstickLady, VSGAnn, OKCPirate, Dub, and a whole bunch more I can't think of their handles off the top of my head. I had some misconceptions about what life after sleeve would look like, and y'all cleared it up for me and helped me decide to commit. I've started copying pearls of wisdom from all of you into my notebook and I know it will help me make the best of this opportunity to change my life. So I want to thank all of you so very much for sharing here. I've been on the internet since before it was the internet, and this kind of ebb and flow is fairly normal. That's why even though I'm not a vet I'm 100% in support of a vets only space. I haven't even had the surgery yet, and I'm sick and tired of the multitudes of "why can't I eat a steak in week 2" and "when can I drink alcohol" and "can I smoke weed" posts. I don't even read past the intro for most of them anymore. Not worth the indigestion, frankly. I won't be able to join the vets board for a long while, but I really hope all of you vets get it set up and that it's a good place to give y'all the support and camaraderie you need, and that you guys are still poking around when I rack up the experience to get the golden key.

PrincessErin, you can order virgin drinks that look and taste as good as having alcohol. If you are a beer drinker unfortunately carbonation is bad too. Having one normal drink will make you legally drunk so maybe that is a good thing for some people. My big issue is my diet caffeine free Pepsi, I will truly be mourning that!!!!

Hello marchers! I have been a bad RNYer this past week. I had to go to Punta Cana for work and I fell of the wagon somewhat. Not meeting protein goals, exercise was minimal, I had high fat and high sugar foods. I did not dump on anything which makes me scared that I will go back to bad habits. I drank with some meals and before and after too, sometimes I had a few sips of wine. I also had a high sugar piña colada and other fruity drinks. Before surgery it would take a lot of alcohol to get me buzzed. It seems the same is true after surgery. I didn't have enough alcohol to get me buzzed even once. I also did not get in my vitamins at all and drank soda! I am determined to get back to my good habits starting right now. But again it scares me that I was able to do all that last week with no repercussions. I even lost 5 lbs. I hope everyone else is doing better than me! HW 283. SW265. SD 3/22/13! CW 235

I had my surgery on July 9th at/around 800-900. I was terrified! I had read a lot of horror stories on the pain and discomfort and almost had myself psyched out the night before. Thankfully, after meeting the anesthesiologist (day of surgery), he gave me a Xanax and something for acid reflux. I remember being carted off into the operating room. The sterile smell was unlike no other, and the coldness even worse. Once inside, they moved me onto the operating table. I had 2 nurses helping with my transition as well as my anesthesiologist. I remember the anesthesiologist placing the mask on my face. The feeling of huffing the gas in was nostalgic. I felt light and airy and without a care in the world. I could hear the nurses making the sweetest comments to me for encouragement and well wishes, but obviously could not reply, thank, God! That was the last thing I remember until waking up. Then and only then do I remember being nauseated, which is to be expected. My anesthesiologist brought me an alcohol prep pad and had me inhale deeply. Wouldn't you know it worked!! I do not remember much about being in recovery, but I vaguely remember my family and I being on an elevator going up to my room. Fast forward to around 1pm and I had gotten out of bed, on my own, to use the bathroom... DO NOT DO THIS. Not everyone recovers from anesthesia the same way. This is according to the nurse who busted me and almost scolded me for my own safety; however, after she realized that I was fine, she gave the clearance for me to begin walking. As most others have informed you, WALKING is key! Walk, walk, walk. Every time you walk, walk a little further or for a little while longer. This will help not only with gas, but help to minimize your soreness. One thing that I held onto like a life saver was a pillow! When you begin to walk, use that pillow to press into your stomach. It makes a world of difference. Also, use a pillow to prop you up on your side. I was lucky and had very minimal, if any, gas this time; however, I learned with my gallbladder surgery two years ago that this trick will help move it around as well. sleep in a reclined position, but not straight back. Its unGodly to have to get up from a prone position! With all of this being said, all I was given post op in the hospital was Tylenol and even then I didn't want it. The pain isn't a PAIN, its more of discomfort. I didn't use the hydrocodone I was given once home. Now, that's enough about my surgery day and what I experienced. Here's a list of things to take with you to the hospital: - Wear loose clothing. I wore a pair of comfy sweatpants and a t shirt. Upon discharge I wore the same home and even wore a bra with under wire and had no discomfort; I also wore flip flops with good tread to prevent slipping. You won't want something to have to bend over and put on. - Chapstick - Tooth brush and tooth paste - Travel size shampoo, conditioner, and soap. The hospital does give you their own, but it wasn't the best. Thankfully, I was allowed to shower the next day. This too helps greatly throughout your recovery. A warm shower ALWAYS works wonders - Pillow. Take that thing with you every where you go. Its an aid to get up, down, and to get you walking and make you comfortable on the ride home (place it over your stomach prior to buckling! Hold onto it going over bumps and rough terrain) - Cell phone charger At home recovery: - Pillow - I upgraded to my body pillow. The first few days I used two(stole the hubs') and put one on both sides of myself and slept in a recliner. - Keep Water nearby. Sip. SLOWLY. Do not try to sip too much as you will end up with esophageal spasms and those are the devil.. Seriously! - Do not let anyone force you to eat too quickly. And by eat I'm obviously meaning drink Protein or soups. Your body is healing and right now you should only be worried with water consumption. I also recommend a low sodium, low sugar sport drink for electrolytes! - You know your body so listen to it. If you feel as though you need to have a bowel movement, get some Miralax. This was recommended by my physician and I've used it. Don't wait till it gets too bad. - Your pee will stink... BADLY.. Mine is finally beginning to return to normal, but I have concentrated a lot on water consumption. You should too as this will prevent dehydration. - Us women get thrown curve balls time to time... Be prepared for a yeast infection. Its quite common. Stock up on yogurt! - Walk. Walk a lot! - Don't over do it. You've just had surgery so don't push yourself beyond your means. Be prepared to nap a lot in the week. After week two, I began feeling almost normal. Here I am 20 days post op, back at work, feeling almost like myself. I get tired, but it's nothing unbearable. If I think of more, I will surely post it here. Good luck and best wishes!!!

I am a sugar addict but I am treating it like alcohol,addiction...just like an alcoholic cannot have just one beer, I cannot gave just one candy. So I go day by day. I am on day 41 now. Yes once or twice, I did give in and had a piece of candy bug the next day I started over and go day by day. That is the only way I am able to do this. To reconize that each day is z victory. I am also off of bread , pasta, wheat and rice. One day at a yime, one step at a time. My surgery is July. I Want the change...I want the freedom from sugar. It's a conscience choice, to tell myself not that I can't have it but that I don't want it. Sugar addiction is hard to break but it can be done...one day at a time. If alcoholic's can do it. I can do it!!

Mark: don't give up on yourself. You have just started. I wonder what it would have been like 45 years ago when I was 21 if this had been available. It won't be easy, but with help from some professional in the mental health field who understands eating disorders you will pull through. I can tell from your story that you would probably, probably, I say, be a good candidate for Overeaters Anonymous. It is a 12 step program based on AA for those of us who use food in the why the Alcoholic uses alcohol. You might try a few of those meetings and I bet you will find some support to get you through this initial stage. When it comes to certain foods I loved, I say, I can't have them "one day at a time." Maybe I can have them in moderation at some time in the future but for today I need something healthier. I would definitely stay from cooking videos and cooking shows for a time. Out of sight out of mind. You will make this by letting the band work for you and you work for the band.

Just wanted to put this out there for those soon to be surgeries. I've read so much about how bad the gas will be the first few days and the necessity for the Gas-X DISSOLVABLE Strips. You might want to get them ahead of time. They may not be easily found in stores (although Wal-Greens has them). They were about $6.00 per 18pkg, recommended 2-3 at a time. Wal-Mart does not carry them in store(or not in all stores) CVS does not either. Amazon had them listed from about $9 up to $30. Crazy prices. It's been said they are discontinuing them but I suspect they will probably come back at a higher price due to increasing needs due to bariatric surgeries etc...All I could find were the mint flavored but I'll probably need them for fresh breath anyway. I got 4 boxes to be safe....I had to order because our nearest Walgreens is 50 miles away. Trying to make sure I have everything needed for the first week or two. Found that zero Gatorade too. I'm just ready to get this party started. Cooking supper tonight, all I could think of was how I'm going to miss my veggies. Crazy right, ok with giving up alcohol and desserts, I'm going to miss my steamed veggies, cabbage, asparagus. I only have a 24 hr liquid diet but, I'm going to start a week earlier and be diligent the last 3 days. Dr. said no need but this is one time I'm going to go with my gut. I'll abide by his orders afterwards. (smile) Have a great weekend everyone!

My program is very conservative, particularly about alcohol. The transference of addictions was the main concern, as nutritionist, surgeons, psycholologist, and nurses all discussed with me during all stages of this process. I drank maybe a glass of wine a month before surgery, so didn't quite understand what the big deal was. Well after they showed the research during our various meetings...I no longer questioned the importance of being aware of this problem. Combine the research proven issues of addiction, empty calories, stress on the liver after a major surgery, not to mention my new tummy is so small I really don't want to waste space on alcohol...I choose not to go against my program's rules in regards to alcohol. Just not worth it in my opinion. But something I've learned on boards...some people rationalize/loosely interpret their programs rules...so my words or the words of way more experienced/successful others is taken offense to or just ignored anyways no matter how much logic is provided. Folks will do what they want to do period. Again this seems like program recommendations, where is the research you speak of that was presented to you ? I would like to see that.I am a librarian so research is my thing. However, I'm leery of spending my time locating the research for you when a simple Google search using the key words, "alcohol dependence bariatric surgery" returns quite a few results. Seems like this issue is no secret. If I thought it would make a difference & you would use this info in a responsible manner, I'd hop on that research for you. But Something tells me that you are going to do what you want to do anyways. What I don't get is why not save time & take your surgeon's & the many folks on this board's word for it. I mean we can't all be blindly following our programs plans without logic & reason... right?

Thanks for this timely thread Deb! I really need to vent this. My mother-in-law is my saboteur. Yes, I KNOW I am ultimately responsible for me and what goes into my mouth, but putting a drink in front of an alcoholic is just cruel. Likewise, putting a dozen donuts in front of a foodaholic is just as cruel. And mother-in-law is not happy unless a dozen fresh donuts are on the kitchen counter at all times. Fortunately, she lives out-of-state. Unfortunately she comes for extended visits, 4 to 6 weeks. When she is here, she just takes over my kitchen and cooks for us while we're at work. She over cooks and fries everything in lard, the thought just makes me shudder. She doesn't like salads or fresh veges or fruit. She is a junk foodaholic. The most unfair thing? She is tiny! Petite! Her nickname is Peewee! In the past, when she's visited, I've usually been on a diet (story of my life) and I have always been derailed each and every time. Again, yes, I KNOW it is ultimately MY responsibility. Oh and believe me, I make it VERY CLEAR, that I am on a diet and I can't have those things around me. It just doesn't seem to matter to her. I pick her up at the airport tomorrow. I've been doing so well and I am determined not to be derailed this time. I love her, but she IS my food nemesis. Wish me luck.

Try smelling rubbing alcohol when nauseous and when there are smells around the house you don't like. Actually smell it once in a while, even when you are feeling ok. A nurse recommended this at the hospital and it made me feel much better. I still do it if I overeat. Also, as unpleasant as suppositories can be, they worked better for me than pills. I couldn't imagine swallowing a pill and feeling nauseous at the same time. Lastly, at the hospital it was recommended that I sip 3 times out of a 1 ounce cup, but I had to sip 6 times for a week or two. We are not all the same. If all else fails, call your doctor again and speak up. You are your best advocate. Make them listen to you. Be ready to explain exactly how many ounces you have drank in X number of days or hours and everything you are doing to help the process along. Best wishes!

I had my surgery nearly three years ago and have turned into a horrible person. My language is awful and I'm a alcoholic