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I am a lite drinker, I drink vodka maybe once or twice a month and I was wondering if that would be a problem, I didn't want to ask my surgeon because I didn't want him to think I am a drunk lol.

TNT, does the fizzy-ness of the beer effect you as well as the alcohol? I've read on other threads that a lot of bandits have trouble with fizzy drinks. What is the consequence of this? Is it just gas or PBs?

I was pretty much told none after surgery. My doc even went as far as to tell me to find a new alcoholic beverage because I was a bud light kind of girl. However, his nurse (who has been sleeved and is tiny) always has a Sonic drink of soda with her so I thinkit's more or less how tolerable it is to each individual.

Just double check with your surgeon. I would think that as long as you are past the 6 week mark you'll be okay. But be really, really careful. Alcohol is absorbed WAY faster now! It will hit you faster and stronger than it did before! Plus, you won't really be eating much food. Have fun!

I'd recommend checking with your NUT or surgeon. Everybody is different so you want to make sure they're okay with it. Alcohol can be tough on the stomach.

I am 2 months out, and had alcohol for the first time this weekend. I turned 40, and wanted to be able to have a glass of wine....so I did. No problems fortunately.

I'll be a month out of surgery on Tuesday. And I was wondering is it possible to drink a little alcohol? I turned 21 about 6 months ago, and HONESTLY, I'm not a big drinker to begin with, truly. I would just like to sip on a frozen drink throughout the night of the 4th. What do you think?

aspirin, alcohol, sugar, B12 & whey Protein gets absorbed directly from the stomach thru the lining. everything else gets dumped into your small intestines and is absorbed in there.

Transferring of addictions. We go from food to alcohol. Or drugs, or sex. Just something to take it's place.

Its a personal choice for everyone as to what they eat, and with restriction the band will help with how much you eat. If u are happy to take a chance u might put on weight or lose but very slowly before u hit the green zone then u can carry on eating bread/ processed foods or junk foods like pizza . To me its food like that that got most people to the point where they needed a band .. Isnt it like thinking its ok for an alcoholic to have a small drink each day ? Some of you of course will be able to eat some junk food and not have any effects at all, but for others if u are gaining weight and dont want to then u need to change something like your diet or exercise till u can rely on the band a little more . Only a few people are lucky enough to eat everyday food including junk food in smaller portions and still lose weight, but for the most of us those junk and processed foods need to be eliminated from our food intake in order to lose weight .

Here is a June 18th article. Please click on LIKE in corner if you read this. Gastric bypass for weight loss increases alcohol use, study says: Patients who undergo a gastric bypass for weight loss are 30% more likely to develop problems with alcohol. (National Library of Medicine / National Institutes of Health / June 18, 2012) By Thomas H. Maugh II June 18, 2012, 12:11 p.m. A major new study confirms previous sporadic reports that weight-loss surgery increases the risk of alcohol abuse, researchers reported Monday. In the second year after having a gastric bypass, technically known as Roux-en-Y surgery, patients were 30% more likely to have problems controlling their alcohol use, a team reported online in the Journal of the American Medical Assn. and at the annual meeting of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. Previous reports have suggested that alcohol abuse could be a problem following bariatric surgery, but the studies have been small and generally involved collecting data at some point after the procedure. In the new study, a team led by epidemiologist Wendy C. King of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine began studying 2,458 adults before they underwent bariatric surgery at one of 10 hospitals. Of those, 1,945 could be monitored for one to two years after the procedure. The team found that 7.6% of the patients suffered from alcohol-abuse disorders (abuse and dependence) in the year before the surgery. At the end of one year after the procedure, the percentage was about the same, 7.3%. But by the end of the second year, the prevalence of such disorders had climbed to 9.6%, a 30% increase. Virtually all of the increase occurred in patients who had undergone gastric bypass, with no increase among the roughly 30% of patients who had a banding procedure. Some research suggests that the increase in problems arises because the metabolism of alcohol changes after gastric bypass. "Given a standardized quantity of alcohol, patients reach a higher peak alcohol level [in the bloodstream] after surgery compared with case-controls or their pre-operative levels," the team wrote. In other words, bypass patients get drunk faster and with smaller amounts of alcohol. The excessive drinking may be a greater problem for bariatric surgery patients because alcohol abuse can affect Vitamin and mineral status and liver function, which are already potential problems for the surgery patients, King said. She urges clinicians to perform a better job of screening patients for abuse before surgery and to offer counseling to help them combat the problem. ___________________________________________________________________________________________ I love my sleeve and have no regrets.

i dont like alcohol at all, except for a strawberry margarita every month or 2(woohoo !!!!), but 3 months out i had 3 small sips of a margarita during a mexican food dinner, and (TMI ALERT) had to excuse myself to the bathroom where i lost everything............ baddddddddd slime........... i have had a couple of margaritas at home since then with no probs, so im guessing it was the type of tequila that triggered that very fast reaction (cheap resturant type vs good stuff ???) just say' in be careful of when, where, and what you drink as peoples reactions can be different after they're banded. Cheers !!!

I have surgery on Monday the 25th. I have been on pre-op diet for two weeks. I knew I was a strong person, but just didn't know how strong. We spent a week at the beach this past week. Let me tell you...it was hard!! This was the first time on vacation where there were no alcoholic beverages or sodas consumed. I had to watch everyone else indulge in processed junk foods that are so good on the beach! I kept strong and reminded myself of the big picture. Now I must push thru tomorrow because I will only be allowed jello and broth.

Thanks M2G. It helps to know what others think & their personal experiences. I plan on following Dr's orders as well, and wait a year. It doesn't bother me unless I'm with a group of friends. I can say I had a half pitcher of Crystal Light Margaritas (no alcohol) at my cookout yesterday & it was FA-BU-lous!!!

I am a bit unusual because my surgeon's orders were NO DRINKING for one year post-op. And I actually followed that rule. (Broken others, but this one was not hard for me...lol.) So my sleeve was 10-22-10 and on 10-31-11 I had my first drink (at a Halloween party.) So I probably drink about once a month or less, and yes it does it hard and fast, so beware, the tiny tummy doesn't need much alcohol!! About transfer addiction, I guess I can understand it but certainly it seems like something that if you feel predisposed towards something, then there is always help to combat that also. We all make choices, and sometimes the choice is asking for help.

Yes, it is posible to drink too much water, just like alcohol. There even is an illness called Diabetes Insipidous that is related to drinking too much water. Hope that helps.

My first fill (.50 cc) on May 23rd wasn't painful at all! It also didn't offer much restriction. I did notice that my band was tighter in the morning and I could eat about 10-20% less than before, but still a lot of food and still hungry between meals. My nurse measured what I already had and discovered I had 3 cc with surgery and she added .5, so then I had 3.5 cc. I went for my second fill June 11th and it was faster and easier this time and she gave me 1 cc and told me most people "green zone" within 3-5 fills. Now with 4.5 cc after 2 fills I know that there is something inside of me lol I can eat only a happy meal sized portion now and have to wait an hour or so to eat in the morning. I haven't lost more weight yet, though, because of poor decisions like actual happy meals and alcohol and Sobe drinks. My short term goal is to lose 15 lbs and be at 170 by August 1st. Hopefully ill have another fill soon!

Atkins bars are very low carb. Like 3 carbs per bar. They look like they are high, but what you need to look at is net carbs. The other stuff is stuff like fiber, sugar alcohol, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, and Glycerine, which have little to no impact on a diet. I learned this from doing the Atkins diet so many time. BTW, they taste good too..

I hope not. I drink coffee by the gallon. Yeah I know its not good but it sure beats the alcohol habit which I did give up which I used to drink by the gallon too. That's for another thread sometime though.

I've heard it's best to reintroduce alcohol at home as well because some of us will not react well with the new sleeve. I've heard it's common to get drunk off of just a few sips, or get flush and sweaty from the sugar alcohols. Sorry, can't speak from experience -- I don't care much for alcohol so not sure when, if ever, I'll try it again. But women in my support group talk about alcohol ALL THE TIME. Also, remember to count those (empty) calories! Red wine is the best, and measure. Most of us Americans "think" we know a glass of wine, but really the way we pour is more like 2-3 glasses (well over 8-10oz). But yes, please wait at least 6 weeks to 3 months!

I didn't attempt alcohol until about 3mos post op but I was told to avoid it for a year. That said, I probably wouldn't attempt it so soon after surgery, but its your body so if you do decide to drink, just listen to your body. I definitely wouldn't attempt anything harder than a glass of wine.

Good luck to you. Not drinking alcohol is going to be a big thing. The thing about shrinking your liver is the most important part and of course, concerts, parties usually have alcohol involved. If you can get away with not drinking the alcohol, make sure you get your shakes in and drink a lot of Water. If it becomes hard, then head h ome. I do know that I was only allowed 3 shakes a day and it did something to my belly and I used the washroom a lot. It's also the time that I learned a valuable lesson and that's to never trust a fart. I locked myself in the house for 2 weeks and I exercised a whole lot. I wish I would have gone and done a few fun things, so I hope you enjoy yourself.

Have a cup of coffee and enjoy it! Straws are the only way i can drink slowly. When i try to drink out of a cup, i always drink too much and it hurts. Straws help me measure each sip. I don't even think about it anymore. In time, try a couple fries. I bet you will think they are nasty. All i can taste is grease and they leave a funky film on my tongue. Alcohol...sure, but be careful. I get tipsy on just a few sips. You will find you can eat normal...just smaller amounts. Your probably just in your freak out, "this crap sucks" phase. It gets soooo much better!!!

I was a major food addict and I'm sure I still am. I think of it like being a recovering alcoholic, I stay away from triggers because I know I'm just one bite from falling off the wagon if I don't. It can be managed but the key is realizing the problem is in your head, not your stomach, so the band can't and won't fix it.

It seemed like the article only showed about a 3% increase in alcohol related addictions in its study population after two years (about 7% of people who started the survey already had issues, and the total at end of two years was 10% ish).