Carbonation Question -

[DoOver 17]

To those of you who are pre-surgery and just now meeting your surgeons and asking questions, could you please ask about the carbonation issue and report back to us?

If you've read here for a while you know that many people say their surgeon says carbonation stretches the sleeve. You also know that a lot of us who are 6 months plus out think that's nonsense. Not all, just quite a few of us. Now that I'm on the other side, I think it's such nonsense that I might change surgeons if he told me that and seemed to believe it.

On the other hand, I completely understand the "it's bad for you and can lead to other issues...eating too soon after drinking it, craving junk food".

For me, it wasn't relevant. I knew that I would not drink it as much as possible but maybe try it somewhere down the road. I have and it didn't seem to do anything at all to me. In fact, it seemed to substitute for food in terms of satisfaction and I actually tend to eat less on Sunday (the day I have a diet caffeine free coke) because I sip it over an hour and then apply the same wait time for more food as if I'd eaten. And I'm not at all hungry doing this. (I'm one who still experiences hunger.

So this issue is a real curiosity to me. I'm going to ask my surgeon on my next visit but I'm a ways out and it's going to be another 3 months before I see him.

To be exact, I don't want to know your program's line on this. I know they all have a "company line" they share. But I'd love for people to ask 1-on-1 with their surgeon and report back what his specific answer was and if he/she is willing to explain why. I'm really curious about this one. And assuming they say the bubbles do stretch the sleeve, I would love to understand why they think that is when solid food that is larger in scope does not.

Thanks! Now get out there and solve this mystery for me!

[NtvTxn 1,262]

I never did question my surgeon - I can't imagine there is a conspiracy to lie to us all. I mean the ONLY no-no was carbonated drinks. I can live with that, I would have been sad had he said no more pumpkin bread from Star Bucks, he did not. I share a piece with my husband once or twice a week now that I'm at goal. I do know that regular or diet cokes/sodas are not good for us. Report after report tells us this, between that and my doctor, that's good enough for me. This is just my humble opinion.

[Debvzw 48]

My surgeon said to fill a shot class with coke or some other carbonated product and put a balloon it. It will slowly fill up the balloon. So the assumption is it will do the same thing to your sloeeved stomach.

[Khy 16]

Hmm my surgeon said not for a year and then if u can tolerate it... ok

Khy

[marna 0]

carbonation expands the stomach. your stomach is the size of a banana and by drinking soda/beer/carbonated drinks it causes the stomach to stretch. Stretching the band allows you to take in more food. Not a good bingo.

[Rootman 1,101]

My surgeon said to fill a shot class with coke or some other carbonated product and put a balloon it. It will slowly fill up the balloon. So the assumption is it will do the same thing to your sloeeved stomach.

Only a few things missing from this picture, connect a slow moving drain to the bottom of the balloon and a tube with a valve at the top, every time the balloon starts to swell a little open the valve and *burp* the gas out while letting the slow drain dribble the liquid past the balloon. I think you'll find that the soda has little NO effect on the balloon now.

The stomach is NOT a closed system, there are TWO ways out for the gas and it doesn't just sit there and keep expanding it till it stretches your stomach all out.

Drink soda? Can you? - YES, should you ?- MAYBE. If the bubbles bother you then NO, if they don't bother you and drinking sweet soda doesn't prompt you to binge on other sweets then leave it up to your own judgment. If you at ALL doubtful of your control or the sodas effect on you then - NO - DON'T DRINK IT - better safe than sorry.

Sorry, my post isn't officially what the OP asked for but I get really cranky when I hear bad illustrations like this.

[FishingNurse 1,210]

My surgeon that is a family friend of the doctor I work for laughed when I asked him about carbonation streching our stomachs. He said that was ridiculous. He didnt reccomend it when our suture lines were fresh obviously! He said overeating will stretch the sleeve, not carbination that is expelled via burping.

[iegal 460]

Wow, interesting subject.

My surgeon's line is "no." No nutritional value, no redeeming value, a "gateway food" to other old habits before. So at a year plus out, I still have not had a soft drink. Not one sip. As a former addict of diet soda's I am happy to drink other drinks to quench my thirst. I just say "no" too.

Good luck to all of you. I love my sleeve.

[GetInMyBelly 80]

I have acid reflux and carbination without the sleeve already makes me want to vomit. :0/ major heart burn.

[LindaS 316]

I was told it has empty calories, no nutritional value and can be a gateway to other foods/bad habits. It just isn't worth drinking.

Before surgery, I wasn't a big pop/soda drinker, but I would get a craving for Coke. It is the only thing I've ever truly craved.

I know for me, it was one of the things that factored into my originally gaining weight. I had no idea how many calories were in it, and I was drinking it daily. That hasn't been true for me for many years. When I started on my weight loss journey, one of the first things I did was stop drinking pop.

In reviewing my bad eating habits before surgery, I've found that I drank more pop when I was eating more on the run. It seems to be a gateway to bad habits for me. And I figure I can only have so many bad habits. I plan to resume drinking alcohol in the future, so I am willing to give up pop.

[reallyrosy 161]

What about seltzer? No sugar and no artificial sweetners.

[Rootman 1,101]

What about seltzer? No sugar and no artificial sweetners.

Same advice as I gave above, if you can handle the bubbles and it doesn't trip a desire for other sweets then YES in moderation. DIET drinks have NO calories but they typically have a lot of sodium and caffeine, both of which are not good for you in large amounts either.

Just use use your head people and moderate your intake of EVERYTHING.

[thinoneday 445]

I am so with Rootman! cheers man! I will not/have not given up my diet soda in 2 years and ummmm sorry but it surely hasn't affected me any. . . . but well we're all different huh????? do what feels right for you!

[SKCUNNINGHAM 298]

I inadvertently bought some fruity no caloric beverages that were carbonated, and didn't notice until I was drinking on in my car (opened it on the trip). It was uncomfortable for me to drink the bubbly stuff. No matter what my surgeon said (yes or no) I am going to leave the stuff alone.

[SKCUNNINGHAM 298]

I inadvertently bought some fruity no caloric beverages that were carbonated, and didn't notice until I was drinking on in my car (opened it on the trip). It was uncomfortable for me to drink the bubbly stuff. No matter what my surgeon said (yes or no) I am going to leave the stuff alone.