2 weeks, 3 days out... can I drink yet?

[gdc 1]

Hi

Need to know if anyone drank when they were approximately 2 weeks+ out from surgery date... (drank .. alcohol)?

What will happen if I do? What damage can it cause? Only my stomach was removed, so I dont think it will have any effect as my liver and everything else is still exactly the same as before...

Im going to a convention and will want to party it up for sure... so wondering if I will be able to drink? Does having a smaller stomach effect how I handle alcohol now?

BTW, i dont really drink beer or wine, I mostly stick to vodka/gin.

[KellyL 173]

All surgeons are different on their post-op guidelines. Alcohol can irritate a newly sleeved tummy and can contribute to dehydration in someone that's not able to getin the minimum water/fluid requirement. I have read numerous people mention alcohol hitting them way harder, so be careful.

[phished10 1]

My surgeon wants his patients to wait 1 yr. I think that's kind of extrme tho. Maybe call the office and ask them

[GreginMI 76]

I don't know about 2 weeks out. I didn't chance it. If you're drinking a carbonated beverage like beer then I would say maybe that would be uncomfortable for you. If it's wine or the such, I'm not sure. My surgeon wanted me to wait for 6 months but I'm 2 months out now and I drink beer about once a week on the weekend. I have zero issues when I drink it, I just don't drink it all the time because of the empty calories aspect that I don't need. I would venture to say it won't hurt you because like you said, we're completely normal except for our tummy being smaller in size. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

[Tiffykins 673]

Just because they didn't touch your liver doesn't mean that it's not going to be affected by your drinking alcohol this early.

Most surgeons have a 3-6 month on alcohol consumption. It's wasted calories, and yes, it will probably hit you faster, and harder because your stomach size is considerably decreased, and transit time is much faster meaning the alcohol will hit your intestines faster. Alcohol, food, liquids, are NOT digested in the stomach, about 85% of digestion occurs in the intestine. So, your stomach has little to do with the processing of alcohol. All our big stomach did was make it easier to take bigger drinks, and it sloshed around in there for a little longer.

Also, something to consider is that during the weight loss phase, you liver is working double time to process everything, and then you're going to throw alcohol into your system. Tasking it even more than before with alcohol. The liver is kind of the like the toxic waste plant of the body, everything we put in there is broken down through the liver, when we're shedding fat, it's got to process all of that, plus the Vitamins, medications we take.

That fresh staple line would probably appreciate you not dumping harsh alcohol products in there. Not to mention the fact that alcohol is a diuretic and can cause dehydration which leads to other issues such as nausea, and vomiting.

Party up all you want once your body recovers. I'm a very social drinker, but I didn't bother with alcohol until I was at goal. If you insist on drinking, I would recommend at least trying it at home, and not indulging in public the first time. Many people report getting drunk very quickly post-op on a small amount of alcohol. Being the life of the party is not being the idiot that gets drunk after 2oz of a gin and tonic and acting like a moron.

[thinoneday 445]

I waited til I was 3 mos out. . . and I love my rum and coke. . . i would suggest waiting cause tummy needs to heal and you could possibly cause an ulcer. . . but the decision is ultimately yours. My doctor didn't want me to drink period, but oh yeah who can do that. . . I'm sure he drinks!

[mamamckinzie 92]

From a purely medical standpoint?......Absolutely NOT! If you had broken your arm and it was in a cast at two weeks would you want to arm wrestle? You are in the very EARLY stages of healing from a MAJOR surgerical procedure. Your stomach is still swollen and trying to recover from trauma. Your liver is in high gear processing all the fat breakdown from a very low caloric diet. The alcohol will go thru your new stomach very quickly and hit your liver hard. After everything you have done to get to this point is "partying" really worth it? Do you have to have a drink in order to have fun? Can't you go and have fun without alcohol? Later after you are all healed you can have a drink in moderation but remember it will never be the same as it was before due to the fact of how hard it will hit your system and quickly raise your blood alcohol level faster than a normal size stomach. I hope you make the right decision.

[irishprincess966 0]

Hi

Need to know if anyone drank when they were approximately 2 weeks+ out from surgery date... (drank .. alcohol)?

What will happen if I do? What damage can it cause? Only my stomach was removed, so I dont think it will have any effect as my liver and everything else is still exactly the same as before...

Im going to a convention and will want to party it up for sure... so wondering if I will be able to drink? Does having a smaller stomach effect how I handle alcohol now?

BTW, i dont really drink beer or wine, I mostly stick to vodka/gin.

My dr told me to wait a year, I waited 3 months (and checked with him first) and have only had wine, since it is lower in carbs and not carbonated. I took a sip of mimosa once and it wrecked my stomach for the rest of the day. Let me tell you that I was no lightweight before the surgery but now a glass of wine puts me under the table. Its actually kind of awesome being a cheap date again. lol. I would check with your doctor before trying anything. At 2 weeks I was still on Clear Liquids and couldnt even imagine putting alcohol in my body. Its better to play it safe and wait at least a few more months and check with your doctor before trying anything because the last thing you want is to disrupt your staple line. Good luck!

[Texasmom65 23]

I'm only 4 weeks out and I would not dare drink at this point. I would be scared of the new staple line, ulcers and possible bleeding. Not to mention all of the above from other posters. If you do drink, please make sure someone you trust is with you and knows about your surgery, in case something happens. Since you will be away from home, be careful. There have been stories on here of people passing out after a couple of drinks. Because if you are not getting in much food/protein at this point, it would be risky.

[RickM 1,747]

As noted by others, stomach healing and irritation is an issue at your early stage, and the alcohol is just empty calories that impede your weight loss. The third major issue is indeed your liver - even though it hasn't been physically touched by the surgery (or maybe it was, but not cut...) the liver is usually not in the best of shape in obese patients to begin with, and the rapid weight loss further taxes the liver by virtue of its' role in metabolising the fat that we're losing so it doesn't need any extra aggravation from alcohol during the period of rapid weight loss. My doc is one of those who is out on the farther end of the scale on booze consumption - none during the 12-18 months of prime weight loss - and for good reason : his other specialty beyond bariatrics is liver tramsplants, and he doesn't want to see any of his bariatric patients coming back to him for a transplant. Take it for what you will.

[kellyw74 258]

I would not advise it!

My dr. says 6 months, but doesn't want us to drink at all! I am 3 months post-op and would not think of drinking a thing until after my 6months.

Be careful whatever you decide.

Kelly

[Janese58 11]

Really?

[gdc 1]

I drank and had no problems... was drinking gin/tonics, screwdrivers and malibu/pineapples all night long - 2 nights a in a row.

I did try a shot of Patron, but only did half at first to test it out and because I cant take the whole shot at once anyways (i dont think, didnt want to chance pain), and that did burn my stomach a bit, so I didnt do the other half. But mixed drinks were just fine...

[Nichelle 21]

Most will say no way, but I'm three months out and I have had a few drinks on the weekends when I've been at the lake and camping and I feel just fine. I have read here that you get a buzz way faster, but I just didn't feel that was true. I thought it may happen so took it slow, but overall the alcohol experience is much similar to the way it was before surgery. I do miss beer though. I can not stomach anything with carbonation. That I do know is very bad. I know I will probably get heat for sharing this I just wanted to be honest because this was a question I was looking for before I had surgery.

[Janese58 11]

I dont even believe this gdc (topic starter) is for real. Who in their right mind would pull such a stunt?