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After surgery can you ever drink hard alcoholic drinks again? Or does it have to be completely cut out of your life?

The biggest issue with alcohol is cross-addiction. Work with you doctor and learn about your own habits.

Alcohol is metabolised by the small intestine, but primarily affects the liver. Legally it leaves your system in 5 hours but metabolically 10 hours. Do you really NEED to drink alcohol? Which is more important?

Hey Guys, Can anyone give me some insight on how alcohol reacts when the band is in place? As we all know, the heavier you are, the more you can consume without getting very intoxicated. A martini for me is nothing compared to a thin person drinking the same amount. Does the band make the alcohol more potent....something to be aware of? No serious drinking problem here. I just do not want to be surprised if I decide to have a glass of vino.... Please share your thoughts...... Thanks, Heather

My huband just asked me about alcohol. WE go out alot with friends and drink beers. I had heard abit about this but have been thinking more about food then anything else. I better be prepared to cut it out for awhile and stay home. That is a concept. Stay home and save money. Thanks all for the info.

Why can't you have the party without drinking? If it is that close to your surgery I would have some non alcoholic beverage. You don't know how long it thins your blood and that will put you at risk for a bleed or could possibly even cause a serious issue during surgery. I would say no because we all know that once you start drinking its hard to only have one.

You're totally not alone with this. I can't keep alcohol in the house because if it is there, I will drink it. I really like to relax and not be so stressed. It's not that I'm addicted, it's just because I lack an outlet. I'm really trying to find outlets like playing basketball on an intramural team at U of A and exercise. Sometimes, though, I just want to relax and it's difficult to find an outlet... It kind of feels good to know that I'm not the only one...

Addiction-wise, you've shown very fast symptom substitution---most of us do white-knuckle it quite a bit early on, but avoid turning to alternate destructive behaviors. It really concerns me that you've swapped out addictions so quickly. Was the psych you saw for preop evaluation worth his/her salt? I would get into a professional ASAP to nip this in the bud. There are healthy behaviors you can substitute for the destructive--no need to replace overeating with alcoholism. AA would be a great corollary--but I really think that seeing someone who has good experience dealing with the cross-addictions that can occur as a response to bariatric surgery would be a REALLY good idea

food for thought... To all of you having the "Same Issues" Have you tried going to an AA meeting? I know nobody wants to use the label Alcoholic but if you are experiencing withdrawls and NEED it? Um... I think you need to get some kind of outside support for this. Didnt mean to offend. :wink:

It does not take a long time for your body to become dependent on alcohol. Alcohol is a physically addictive substance. By stopping abruptly, you can die if not properly tapered or detoxed. It can cause tremors, seizures, spike in blood pressure, and many other major medical issues. Please talk to your doctor about this. I do not know how much or how long you have been drinking so I am speaking in general......

Just my PERSONAL opinion but a life with out alcohol is NO life! I had one glass of champagne on my pre surgery diet to toast the New Year at mid night and my liver was fine for surgery. Wednesday will be two weeks from my surgery and I celebrated the end of of surviving my first week back at work (working over 60 hours) with 3 glasses of wine on Saturday. I was down 11 lbs at the dr visit today. could I have been down 12 if I had cut out 270 calories of wine...maybe, but the point is, it wasn't worth it to ME. I have been overweight my entire life and if it takes me 4 years to get to my goal weight that is fine with me. Just because I enjoy alcohol does not mean I am not ready for this surgery. I might not ever get to a size 6 but if I can loose 20 more lbs and keep it off longer than two seconds that will be a miracle as far as I am concerned.

Carbonation doesn't work for me. And my alcohol tolerance is WAAAAY lower than it once was---partly because my food intake is much lower, and partly because I just don't drink much any more. So a very little alcohol goes a very long way for me. Alcohol can impede loss--liquid calories slide in really easily, and can reduce inhibition so that you eat carelessly. For these reasons, my doctor totally vetoes it for the first postop year (when he wants us to completely revamp our habits). Does that mean I haven't had any alcohol? No. I'm 8 months out, and while I have yet to have a whole drink, I do take sips of my husband's drinks when we're out. Hey, a bloody mary is a vegetable! But you can, in fact, make room for it in your life, as long as you are aware of the possible pitfalls.

I just don't believe on passing the responsibility to someone else. As an individual, it is one's responsibility make better food choices and resist the impulse. It's not someone else's responsibility. I have seen plenty of commercials about healthy foods and getting healthy meals in the mail ready to eat or cook. What has that changed? From what I remember nobody put a gun to my head to make me eat the unhealthy stuff I did and get me to the point where I needed WLS surgery. I'm pretty sure so was the case for everybody else. For alcoholics, not all the PSA in the world is going to make them go to AA and kick the addiction to the curve. They have to hit bottom and have the awareness to realize they have a problem. So it is not on the TV but on the individual's behavior and mental state. Otherwise, there shouldn't be thin people. Sent from my SM-G930R4 using the BariatricPal App

I imagine that it is hard for people to see food given some of the food addictions people have. Not everyone is that way, I have no problem seeing those commercials. They don't entice me to eat. I want a healthier life and I made a commitment to myself to succeed. I don't think it's a bad idea. But should we stop having ads about alcohol because there are alcoholics out there? I have yet to see an ad for AA on TV. Sent from my SM-G930R4 using the BariatricPal App

At a place like a comedy club with a 2 drink minimum, what the heck do I order? Literally everything has alcohol, sugar, caffeine or bubbles, or all of thee above. A seltzer with lime used to be the diet drink to order when "out" but no carbonation so that's out. Hate to pay for a glass of tap Water...

Thank you. I appreciate the kind words. Actually, I'm not such a bad person and I do know a bit about addiction. My only secondary education was in drug/alcohol counseling, psych etc. Not to mention I have a sister who's life has been destroyed by heroin addiction AND, don't forget. I quit smoking 7 months before my band surgery. Been there, done that. Generally, most people I come in contact find me very strong, credible and understanding. Imagine that.. lol

I believe that some foods are addictive. Even foods that don't have proven addictive substances (life caffeine) in them. I've never fallen prey to cigarettes, or caffeine, or alcohol, but certain things, like french fries ruin weeks of dieting for me. First it's the french fries, then the spicy chicken sandwhich, and before I know it, I'm all tired and haven't been cooking healthy food and I'm wanting only to eat more and more fries, and mayo, and anything deep fried with a crust. About smoking bans, I wish we could ban car exhaust. I'm terribly sensitive to it. So is my neighbor. I absolutely avoid traffic. If I go to a store with a 2 ton diesel sitting out front running, I RUN THE OTHER WAY! If I have to drive through tons of traffic to get somewhere, it ruins it, cause I'm sick when I get there, and can't enjoy whatever it is. Evilah

I just looked it up and this is what I found - hope it helps refractory hypertension A condition characterized by BP ≥140/90, or ≥160/90 if > 60 and absent features of 2º HTN, maximal dose of 2+ antihypertensives is being administered, and adequate time has passed to allow the usual antihypertensives to be effective DiffDx Spurious–pseudoHTN, 'white coat' HTN, noncompliance with therapy, presence of exogenous substances that ↑ BP–alcohol, anabolic steroids, caffeine, chlorpromazine, cyclosporine, erythropoietin, MAOIs, nicotine, sympathomimetics, tricyclic antidepressants, cocaine, corticosteroids, NSAIDs, salt; obesity should be controlled

Is it for pain control or recreational? If its the latter you might want to talk to your psyche consult about what you get out of it and if you can get to a place where it isnt really a benefit anymore. I'm not judging either. Ive had to make the same decisions about whether I want to keep alcohol in my life post op. These aren't easy decisions. At least your choice is calorie free!

Pasta with sauce? Have done, sometimes gives me trouble, but usually I kind of know how the day is going and know whether or not to even try. Extra sauce please. Lasagna? Same as above. Mac n cheese? Same as above. This was my first 'soft food' after mushies. I over cooked the noodles a bit, made it nice n' saucy. Yummy. Grits? Haven't tried. Oatmeal? Works well. I make it more moist, usually with milk. Cucumbers? Yummy! Bananas? Kinda 'sticky'. Half a nanner will last me a good long time. Especially with peanut butter! Grilled cheese sandwich? Sammiches are tough. Gooey cheese can be tough. On the right day if the planets are in proper alignment, I could eat a grilled cheese sammich. Oysters as in fresh? Haven't tried. Sushi? Oh yes. I love getting "sushi bowls" where the fish n' stuff is on top of a bowl of rice, instead of in the nigiri pieces. I can do some rolls, but usually take the seaweed off. I've been told you can ask them to make the rolls with rice paper, which disolves on your tongue, but I haven't tried this. Rice? Sometimes. Shrimp as in cocktail? Shrimps are iffy. Usually fresh shrimp is not a problem, but frozen shrimps are a bit tougher, and can cause issues. Celery? Haven't had any that wasn't in soup or something. French fries? French fries will ruin my meal if I have them. Sometimes after I've eaten my meal, I can eat a couple fries without a problem, but trying to have anything after eating them is dangerous. Fake crab meat? Nummy. Corn on the cob? I think I've had this once since banding, and I did not have a problem. Chili with Beans? All the time. Enchilada? I have had a couple. Tortilla's slip me up alot, so I don't have them often, but every now and then (again, planets in proper alignment) I don't have an issue. The enchiladas cooked in the sauce seem to be fine though. Have you ever slipped up and had champagne? What happened? What could happen? I was not told to not drink carbonation. I drink diet soda at times, and yes, have had carbonated alcoholic beverages. Carbonation does sometimes bother me if my tummy is tight, but I know if it's gonna be a problem within the first couple of sips, and if I stop there, I don't have a problem. The only thing you need to remember about alcohol is empty cals. But the occassional 'slip up' shouldn't be a problem. None of my advice is to be taken in the place of a medical professional's advice (unless you decide to, but then that's on you )

"HetKF" posted this a while back, and I found it tonight.... Some great info here. Also: Looking for resources on food addiction. books, there are so many, which ones stand out? I know this sleeve will only be a tool. Never want to gain this weight back! OA and Celebrate Recovery... Know they have helped many ppl. Others? Thx Living to Eat: Do You Have a Food Addiction? By Meghan Vivo Jane sneaks out of the house at midnight and drives six miles to the local 7-Eleven to get a chocolate bar. This has become a nightly ritual. She's gaining weight and feels profoundly ashamed of her lack of self-control. Though she vows to stop this behavior, she can't seem to shake the craving night after night. Jane is a food addict. In many ways, food can closely resemble a drug - caffeine and sugar offer a quick pick-me-up while carbohydrates and comfort foods can help soothe and relax the mind. Some people use food, like drugs, to feel at ease in social situations or to unwind after a long day. If you think about food constantly throughout the day, have compulsive cravings for certain types of foods, or waste more than half of your daily calories binging on unhealthy Snacks, you may be one of the 18 million Americans who suffer from food addiction. What Is Food Addiction? Food addiction, like any other addiction, is a loss of control. Food addicts are preoccupied with thoughts of food, body weight, and body image, and compulsively consume abnormally large amounts of food. Even though they understand the harm caused by their behavior, they just can't stop. Food addicts tend to crave and eat foods that are harmful to their bodies. For example, people with food allergies may crave the foods they are allergic to, while diabetics may crave and overindulge in sugar, despite the adverse effects. Food-aholics generally gorge on fat, salt, and sugar in the form of junk food and sweets. If they are feeling depressed, lonely, or disappointed, they consume large amounts of chips, chocolate, or other comfort foods for a "high." As with most addictions, the high wears off, leaving the person feeling sick, guilty, and even more depressed. Because the addict is out of control, she will repeat the same eating patterns over and over again in an effort to feel better. Compulsive overeaters often eat much more rapidly than normal and hide their shame by eating in secret. Most overeaters are moderately to severely obese, with an average binge eater being 60% overweight. Individuals with binge eating disorders often find that their eating or weight interferes with their relationships, their work, and their self-esteem. Although compulsive overeaters or binge dieters often struggle with food addiction, eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia are also considered types of food addictions. Unlike drug and alcohol addiction, which have been recognized by the medical profession for years, addiction specialists still question whether food can be genuinely addictive. Is the obsession with eating a true addiction, or just a bad habit? Some experts are quite skeptical of putting food in the same category as drugs or alcohol. They argue that people like junk food because it tastes good, not because they are physically incapable of controlling their behavior. Others contend that individuals who abuse substances in excess of need, despite the harm it can cause, are addicts, whether the substance is alcohol, drugs, or food. In some cases, food addicts trying to break the habit claim to experience both physical and emotional withdrawal symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, mood changes, tremors, cramps, and depression. In an animal study at Princeton University, researchers found that after rats binged on sugar, they showed classic signs of withdrawal when the sweets were removed from their diet, which suggests foods like sugar can be addictive. Brain imaging studies conducted by scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's Brookhaven National Laboratory have found that food affects the brain's dopamine systems in much the same way as drugs and alcohol. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of pleasure and reward. When psychiatrist Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, and her colleagues compared brain images of methamphetamine users with obese people, they found both groups had significantly fewer dopamine receptors than healthy people. Moreover, the higher the body mass index, the fewer the dopamine receptors, which may explain why it is so difficult for some people to lose weight and keep it off. Are You a Food Addict? Whether the obsession with food is a true addiction or simply a bad habit, one thing is clear: Your health is on the line. Obesity, psychological disorders, and diabetes are just a few of the health risks associated with compulsive eating. If you're worried that you may have a food addiction, FoodAddicts.org recommends that you answer the following questions: [*]Have you ever wanted to stop eating and found you just couldn't?[*]Do you think about food or your weight constantly?[*]Do you find yourself attempting one diet or food plan after another, with no lasting success?[*]Do you binge and then "get rid of the binge" through vomiting, exercise, laxatives, or other forms of purging?[*]Do you eat differently in private than you do in front of other people?[*]Has a doctor or family member ever approached you with concern about your eating habits or weight?[*]Do you eat large quantities of food at one time?[*]Is your weight problem due to your "nibbling" all day long?[*]Do you eat to escape from your feelings?[*]Do you eat when you're not hungry?[*]Have you ever discarded food, only to retrieve it and eat it later?[*]Do you eat in secret?[*]Do you fast or severely restrict your food intake?[*]Have you ever stolen other people's food?[*]Have you ever hidden food to make sure you have "enough?"[*]Do you feel driven to exercise excessively to control your weight?[*]Do you obsessively calculate the calories you've burned against the calories you've eaten?[*]Do you frequently feel guilty or ashamed about what you've eaten?[*]Are you waiting for your life to begin "when you lose the weight?"[*]Do you feel hopeless about your relationship with food?If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you may have, or be in danger of developing, a food addiction or eating disorder. Although food addiction is not nearly as intense as alcohol and drug addictions, you may need help regaining control of your life. Treating Food Addiction Change is never easy, and overcoming food addiction is no exception. It will require a combination of discipline, healthy eating habits, and exercise. In many ways, treatment of food addiction is similar to drug and alcohol addiction. The first step to recovery is recognizing and accepting the problem, and identifying which foods cause allergic symptoms and cravings. However, unlike drug and alcohol addiction, food addicts can't quit cold turkey. Everyone has to eat. Instead of taking drastic measures, make the following changes gradually, one small step at a time. Reprogram your taste buds. If you eat tons of sugar-laden foods, your taste buds get used to the flavor and you will start craving sweeter and sweeter foods. When buying foods that aren't supposed to be sweet, like Pasta sauce, bread, and crackers, make sure they don't have added sweeteners like fructose, dextrose, and corn syrup. Slowly try to limit sweet or salty foods in favor of fruits and vegetables to restore the sensitivity in your taste buds. Plan your meals. Food addicts often hide food or binge when they are alone. One way around this is to avoid hiding a stash of food in your car, desk, or nightstand. Also, plan out healthy meals in advance, portion out single servings on smaller plates, and eat scheduled meals at the dinner table. If you eat in front of the TV or while talking on the phone, you're more likely to eat large amounts of food without realizing it. Though it may take a few weeks to change your eating patterns, your brain will eventually get used to smaller portions of healthy foods and generate fewer snack-food cravings. Moderate your hunger. People with food addiction tend to take an all-or-nothing approach to dieting, bouncing from ravenous to overstuffed. A useful tool to moderate food consumption is to rate your hunger on a scale of zero to ten, zero being starving and ten being overstuffed, then try to stay between three and five. If you wait until you hit zero, you may not stop eating until you reach ten. Know your weaknesses. Everyone has a list of foods that are hard to turn down. If you can't resist a fine loaf of bread at a restaurant, ask the waiter not to bring the bread basket to your table. If you can't walk past an ice cream parlor without stopping for a scoop or two, take a different route. If you have a habit of eating Cookies or popcorn while watching TV at night, read a book or walk the dog instead. If these tricks don't work, stop buying unhealthy foods at the grocery store. If it's in your kitchen, you're probably going to eat it. Deal with the real issues. Typically a food addict will numb unpleasant feelings with food. If you stop relying on food, you can learn to tackle problems head-on and let yourself feel the sadness, anger, or boredom without using food as a crutch. Find healthy ways to cope. For food addicts, the next salt or sugar fix becomes the dominating force in their life. The best treatment is to find other ways to fill the void, like working out, hiking, going out with friends, or talking to a therapist. Exercise sparks the same pleasure centers of the brain as food, and offers a similar high without the guilt. If you're not physically hungry but you're struggling to resist a craving, brush your teeth, drink Water, leave the house for a few minutes, or choose a healthy substitute like yogurt instead of ice cream or baked chips instead of potato chips. Give yourself a break. The guilt people feel after overeating perpetuates the addiction. They're sad because they ate too much, so they turn to food for solace. Learn to forgive yourself and don't get discouraged by minor setbacks. Food addiction can be a serious problem. Just ask the people who habitually visit the drive-thru at midnight or load up on candy bars on a daily basis. To beat the addiction, sometimes all you need is motivation to change and a few lifestyle modifications. In more severe cases, you may need to seek help from a food addiction group like Overeaters Anonymous, a mental health professional, or an addiction treatment center. In either case, a shift in outlook must occur: Eat to live, don't live to eat.

I was sleeved Monday, so today is day 3 healing. Trust me, the pain and nausea you go through, you will not even begin to kick around the idea of alcohol. I say take you pain meds and carry a champagne glass of water around. You'll be giddy from not feeling pain and can sip the water and no one will be the wiser

Alcohol is certainly not beneficial in the direct sense of weight loss. I'll say this, though.....I've lost almost 170 pounds and enjoying myself. If that means having some Tito's vodka on the rocks with a splash of cranberry then so be it. I'm going to have fun and enjoy myself. Turning loose and relaxing a bit helps keep me on track. I stay fairly strict on the "Protein first & normally only" eating. On a cruise this week and killing the lobster, shrimp, steak and Breakfast Proteins.....but also having fun. Making sure I get some productive gym time in daily, too.

So I know some will come in here and say "no, stay away!" But I'm not one of them. I'm a traveling salesman and I had my first cocktail about a month post op. Empty calories? Yeah, but we all know that. Stay away from beer, gas pain will hurt and it's like drinking liquid bread. I haven't had wine...but I stick to 3 cocktails since I entertain clients often (and the 4th meal drunken eating has completely stopped for me). Whisky Sours, Long Island's without the coke (tastes like lemonade), and hurricanes are my chosen poisons. Let's be honest though, alcohol can be a slippery slope (transfer addiction). As with everything post-op, moderation is key...if you let history repeat itself and alcohol contributed to your weight gain then the surgery was all for nothing. If that's not an issue...cheers!

My dad could not be anymore against the idea of WLS - and I haven't even told him yet! I was supposed to have surgery five years ago. I was nineteen, in college, financially dependent on my parents, on my dad's health insurance (through his own business, so he was footing the bill for all things medical related). I had talked to my mom about WLS, and she was 110% on board, but I was much, much closer with my mom then my dad. We decided, knowing my dad and how he is, that we wait until all the test were done, insurance approved surgery, and we had a date, before we were to tell my dad. And that blew up in my face. My dad flew off the handle. He demanded to meet with the surgeon, and I humored him, thinking it would help things. It didn't - my dad threatened the surgeon, and 48 hours before surgery, my dad pulled me from the health insurance. My dad is a recovering addict. He struggled with narcotics and alcohol for most of my life. He is currently eight years clean and sober. My mom passed away almost four years ago, so her support is no longer there. I am twenty four now, I do not live at home, have my own insurance through my job, and am financially independent from my dad. I have gained almost 40 pounds since I was supposed to do this five years ago, and that's disheartening, especially since I have a friend who did it a month before I should have, and her progress is incredible! Despite being an adult, and despite having the support of everyone else around me, I know my dad will freak out with the news that this is something I'm planning on doing again. And, despite everything, he's still my dad and I will tell him. It's a struggle though, and something that stresses me out to no end. I'm sorry your dad doesn't seem to be in your corner, but he does seem to be coming from a place of concern (even if his scare tactics are insensitive). We need to do this for us, not for our dads. We have researched, planned, and thought about the decision we are making, and it is not for them. I wish you peace with your decision, and that your dad can find peace with it also.