Can We Catch A Break Here? New Study: Weight-Loss Surgery Increases Risk Of Alcohol Addiction

[tanqueray 16]

Saw this on Yahoo and I have to say, it's true for me. I can drink WAAAYYY more than before my surgery and I tend to find myself drinking daily, instead of socially. Need to change that asap, which I will.

"Weight-Loss Surgery Increases Risk of Alcohol Addiction"

Andrew Kahn was only a social drinker before his weight-loss surgery. He never imagined he would develop problems with alcohol because he had bariatric surgery. But he did.

The 61-year-old from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., who had his gastric bypass surgery in 2003, eventually developed alcoholism and was treated at a rehabilitation facility for his addiction.

"I never had any guidance or education about that," said Kahn. "If I was given the choice between being obese and becoming an alcoholic, I would have thought about [my decision] more."

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric surgery estimates that approximately 72 million people are obese in the United States and 200,000 people have bariatric surgery each year.

Kahn's alcohol addiction may not be a unique result of gastric bypass surgery. New research suggests that having Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery, where the size of the stomach is reduced and the intestine is shortened, thus limiting how much a person can eat, can increase the risk of alcohol-use disorders.

The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, adds to mounting evidence of a link between have the popular gastric bypass surgery and the symptoms of alcohol-use disorders.

Before the surgery, the nearly 2000 study participants completed a survey developed by the World Health Organization that is used to identify symptoms of alcohol abuse.

The patients then completed the survey one and two years after their weight-loss surgery. The study found 7 percent of patients who had gastric bypass reported symptoms of alcohol use disorders prior to surgery. The second year after surgery, 10.7 percent of patients were reporting symptoms.

The findings were published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

"There have been previous studies that show there is a change in alcohol sensitivity in gastric bypass," Wendy King, a research assistant professor in the department of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, and the study's lead author.

King's study is the first to show that with this increased sensitivity there is also an increased risk of alcohol use disorders (AUD), the term used to describe alcohol abuse and dependence.

Dr. Mitchell Roslin, a bariatric surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said the link between gastric bypass surgery and increased alcohol use has been attributed before to the shifting addiction theory and that this is false. The shifting addiction theory is that if a person has an impulsive drive to eat and the ability to eat large amounts of food is taken away, then he will shift his addiction to another addictive substance, like drugs or alcohol.

"A gastric bypass patient has a small pouch [for a stomach] so alcohol goes straight into the intestine and is absorbed rapidly," said Roslin. "When it is absorbed rapidly, there is a high peak and rapid fall."

The higher absorption rate makes alcohol more addictive, he added.

Indeed, before his surgery, Kahn would have two drinks, then feel sleepy and go to bed. After the surgery, he said he felt the alcohol would go through his system faster, which allowed him to drink more.

"It wears off so quickly so you can keep going and going," said Kahn.

Gastric bypass is the most commonly performed bariatric surgery in the United States and represents 70 percent of all surgeries performed during the study. Laparoscopic gastric banding, where an adjustable band in placed around a patient's stomach and limits how much food the stomach can hold, did not have an associated risk with increases in alcohol problems.

King said this is to be expected as gastric banding does not change the anatomy and thus the metabolism of alcohol like gastric bypass does.

The study also found that the increase in alcohol-use disorders was not seen until the second post-operative year as opposed to the first year after surgery.

"This emphasizes that continuing education about alcohol use is needed until the second year after surgery. With follow up [patients] need to hear about consumption and what is appropriate," said King.

Dr. Leslie Heinberg, the Director of Behavioral Services for the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute of the Cleveland Clinic, thinks these increases are causes for caution more so than concern. Patients should be educated before their surgery about the changes that will occur in how they will absorb and metabolize alcohol.

"Given that the increased rates of alcohol use disorders post-operatively are equivalent to what is seen in the general population, it shouldn't be a reason to avoid a life-saving procedure," said Heinberg. "Rather, it points to the importance of education, informed consent and continued monitoring."

King said her study highlights one of the risks of the surgery but it is important for patients to take in context all of benefits and risks and work with doctors to determine what is the best option for them.

"Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment we have for obesity. It would be shame if people walked away thinking gastric bypass was a bad procedure based on this [study]," said King.

Andrew Kahn said that he did not have the opportunity to know that alcohol addiction may occur after his surgery and he wants other patients to be informed about these risks. He initially lost over 70 pounds after his surgery, but in the six months he was heavily drinking, he gained 35 of those pounds back and became depressed. He eventually attended a detoxification program and has been sober since 2010.

Kahn said he would not have had an alcohol problem if he did not have gastric bypass. Still, he wouldn't have traded in the surgery if given a second chance.

"Gastric bypass saved my life," he said.

http://news.yahoo.com/weight-loss-surgery-increases-risk-alcohol-addiction-003820087--abc-news-health.html

[DELETE THIS ACCOUNT! 12,703]

Not just alcoholism, but drugs and other addictions as well. The reason is people are simply trading addictions. They can no longer feed their food addiction so they turn to booze or drugs instead.

[banditalovely 25]

the article specifically talks about how it is not just changing of addictions (although my therapist has mentioned this to me before as a word of caution towards my drinking and other "addictive" habits). It says that it is due to alcohol processing in bypass patients that isn't the same in lapbanders since we still have our whole stomach. however as banders, our decreased food intake does allow alcohol to be more potent in the blood stream and thus have more effects on us than pre-surgery.

i would suggest trying medatation when you feel like drinking alone. i know it sounds corny but sometimes you just need to have some reflecitve time to clear your head instead of using alcohol to do it. there are lots of guided tapes and i bet you could find something on youtube to help you medatate. i usually meditate about exercise. i know it is dumb but actually it has been said it helps you release endorphins. maybe those endorphins will be the "bump" you need to get past the alcohol craving. even if you can just stop yourself from drinking a couple times a week you are on a better track.

i have lots of trouble with using alcohol and food as a crutch. if you find something else that works please share!!

[hopetolose 192]

Im a shopaholic now. Not really, but sometimes it feels like it. But you gotta figure I have to buy a whole new wardrobe now... I have pretty much stopped drinking since my surgery (maybe 5 in the last year). And haven't done any kind of drugs since I was about 20. And I don't smoke and I stopped carbonation drinks. So I only have shopping left as a bad vise. I'll take it!!!

[1shauna1 129]

I do, but it's not because I'm replacing a food addiction with an alcohol addiction (food addiction is definitely still there!). It's because of a few reasons - now I live alone & a couple of nights a week I like to have some wine; sometimes if I've been having a stuck day I find it helps ease my band a bit. Those are the main ones. I do think I feel the effects a bit sooner than before, but probably only because I've probably been stuck most of the day so haven't eaten much & want to be able to eat at dinner (granted, it can lead to over-eating sadly).

[Karen12345 61]

What a great topic. I've been banded 2 1/2 years and been thru it all. I went for a period of months drinking daily but I stopped losing weight so I stopped that. I've lost 170 lbs and just got my abdominoplasty a month ago. They gave me oxycodone and I really think I started to abuse those so I stopped. I've gone thru 6 wardrobes in 2 years so the shopping thing almost feels like a chore now.

I like to meditate like someone mentioned earlier. That's been the biggest help in changing my compulsions. But the food compulsion is definitely still there!

Sent from my iPad using LapBandTalk

[DeAna N 229]

Yes just saw this but the study is for RNY(bypass surgery) s the study wasn't about using other vice because of food addiction( which is still common hence the requirement for the Psych evaluation) but bypass patient. Get a quick high because it is pushed to the small intestines really fast were is is absorb very quickly I think my temptation would be the shopping I already enjoy it(too much) sk I already put things in place to keep that in check

[Boniluuu 25]

If you have an addictive personality then you will pick another addiction that is with anything.

[lassie 247]

Im a shopaholic now. Not really, but sometimes it feels like it. But you gotta figure I have to buy a whole new wardrobe now... I have pretty much stopped drinking since my surgery (maybe 5 in the last year). And haven't done any kind of drugs since I was about 20. And I don't smoke and I stopped carbonation drinks. So I only have shopping left as a bad vise. I'll take it!!!

good for you

[ITALIANGAL 0]

While some addicts trade one addiction for another, it is not true in all cases. It is likely that people who have had WLS are more sensitive to the effects of alcohol.

I used to abuse alcohol as well as food prior to gastric band. Now I have had to reduce my alcohol intake as well as food and I'm managing fine with laying off the drinks. I still do want a glass of wine now and then, but I don't drink a bottle of wine every night - thank God!

[shues138 35]

I think most addicts will trade one addiction for another. I have two (well three) examples. The first, a friend of mine moved to San Diego and got addicted to snorting Crystal Meth. When she came back to the east coast, she wasn't able to access it as easily as she did when she lived out west (it was so bad she was fedexing money to her dealer and of course no drugs would come back) so she started drinking a lot. It was so bad, her husband almost put her into rehab for alcoholism. Another friend of mine was addicted to cocaine, had to give it up because it was costing her her life and her family (her daughter was taken away from her by her ex-husband) she cleaned up her act and then got addicted to smoking angel dust, which she is still doing to this day.

I think if someone has an innate addictive personality you do end up "switching" for me (the third example) the itch will always be there to eat crappy food, but I feel like my new addiction now is buying clothes. I'm an online shopping fool! It's such a great rush, but after you feel bad. The other day i went to Victoria's Secret was fitted for bras and bought about $500 worth, the minute I left the mall I thought to myself "wtf I'm just going to have to get new ones in six months!" but then the other side of me goes "hey it's $500 you can't take that money with you when you're dead"

[artvan35 7]

This is something to grab attention. My psychologist who did my pre op eval is a leader in mental health for bariatric patients. We spoke about this prior and it really is not a major issue. Yes there is the exception to everything. Just like some patients put back on even more weight after lap band.

Scientific articles published by yahoo are edited to sound good. You need to read the entire article and how the study was done.

[easyover 1]

Since getting the band 2 yrs ago I now can only handle a 2 drink maximum. I get drunk very easily but more importantly I act way different than the past. With the lapband there doesn't seem to have the sensation you're getting tipsy - it just hits you & by then it's too late! I noticed it happened to my brother also after he got his lapband. Have to be very careful drinking now.

[ITALIANGAL 0]

I have the same problem. I used to drink 4-5 glasses of white a night easy. The other evening I went to a cocktail party. Had two glasses of Chardonnay and then wham - I was smashed.