Alcohol!?

[sirensiren 67]

I've found the question of alcohol consumption and vsg posed before on here, but most of the responses were lectures on empty calories or "I don't even like alcohol since the sleeve"- good for you! But I'm not interested in hearing from non-drinkers or about the empty calories. I have dinner with my European family every week, and wine is a huge part of it.

Can your stomach tolerate alcohol on the sleeve? Is it painful? When in your journey (how many weeks) were you ok to have alcohol?

I have no intention of abusing alcohol, but I would like to have a glass of red wine with my dinner once or twice a week, and occasionally have a vodka martini when I'm out. I do not enjoy sweets or soda, alcohol is my only empty calorie thing I want to enjoy.

I don't mean to sound hostile about people that proudly have not had a drop of alcohol since VSG, I think it's great to abstain from something that can become easily unhealthy. However, I want to have some answers about alcohol and VSG!

[GetInMyBelly 80]

Me too I'd like a glass of red wine on my birthday but am unsure how it will go down just 1 month n several wks after surgery.

[Lozza 0]

HI there Sirensiren,

I am 1 month out and I am allowed the odd glass of vino from this friday (18th November) which will be 36 days after surgery. I am looking forward to it!!!!!! I am living in France...prehaps the rules are different here. I am allowed fizzy drinks (including Champagne!!) from the 6th December. Which works very well with Christmas coming!

I will let you know how my first glass of delicious wine goes down this friday....

Cheers!

[kksinisi 25]

I second that emotion! I was sleeved on November 1st, and really had no intentions of never drinking again. I enjoy my wine, and my occasional bloody mary! I am allowed to drink alcohol 1 month out, but I do think I will just wait until Christmas Eve until I have that first glass of wine, boy am I looking forward to it! I do hope my sleeve will tolerate a little vino!

[luvinitcuzican 8]

So here is the deal with me and Alcohol. I am a drinker...period. Not an abuser but as you it is very cultural for me also. I can pretty much drink as I did before except at way lower amounts/drinks/shots...I am now a size 6. Before surgery I could drink several drinks..or a whole bottle for that matter....NOT NOW! I only drink on the weekends..usually only one night fri or sat. Sometimes I can drink 2 drinks in a couple hours sometimes 3 or 4......pretty much not more than that or I end up dancing on tables! I have also never gotten dumping from the alcohol either...so that is a plus.

Now that being said since I have had surg have I over drank...yes I have, oops my bad, but I am human .....so watch at the beginning.....over doing comes very fast now. Also I did not start drinking again till I was 3 months post op..which was New Years Eve. FYI i am not a judge to anyone......... so many people seem to think that's ok.....FYI...it's not!

[swizzly 901]

I was allowed wine since six weeks post-op (well, alcohol in general, but for me that's mostly just wine). I don't have any problems drinking it, doesn't make my stomach hurt -- but it DOES make me drunk way faster and I get worse hangovers than I ever got before and from far less alcohol. Good luck!

[luvinitcuzican 8]

Oh also....I have never had pain from drinking any kind of alcohol. Fuzzy drinks will give me gas and make we wanna burp and feel full, but I usually drink a bloody Mary or Vodka OJ.

[Tennille P. Elerby 0]

Im 7 mths post opt and alcohol has never been an issue for me. im a social drinker. i have a drink @ least once a week. the only problem i have is that my alcohol absorption rate sucks now. I feel tipsy after a glass of wine. thats the only problem i have ever had with alcohol and my sleeve. so I say have your wine :smile1:

[FishingNurse 1,210]

I am at 3 months out and I drink about 2 to 3 beers or glasses a wine per week and i enjoy it. NO discomfort or side effects.

[sirensiren 67]

All encouraging and great things to hear!

Europe does have a different culture around alcohol, my parents believed that if a wine was very high quality, it was perfectly fine to serve a 12 year old! In the states that's child abuse.

I intend to cautiouslyreintroduce wine at week 6

or so, I don't think alcohol is great on a fresh healing stomach so better to wait til I'm on solids.

[nadoue 158]

_{i was told my doctor to do white wine and i did at 3 months, no side effect besides getting drunk faster}

[Mr.Mike 3]

im 2 1/2 months out ( was told none for a year lol) i had on 2 different days a vodka and cran. drank half of it and was def. buzzing. im a 6'3 259 pound man..lol..half a drink folks lol. never finished em either times either ( had them with a meal however)

i personally think even though i am not a medical professional in anyway if you watch yourself its pretty harmless...

[GetInMyBelly 80]

Anyone took a sip or two of wine on the fourth week?

[mesa 2]

I'm a little over two months out and I had a tequila sunrise only thing I notice is u feel the effects way sooner oh I couldn't drink half

[sirensiren 67]

Reason would stand that if you're drinking infrequently after that crucial 1st month, you'd be OK. I think the problem may come for those who make it a daily habit, because I'm sure it's abrasive on the stomach and (obviously) a bad choice for calories.

My main fear is just the safety of keeping my sleeve healthy and healing, I know you take a while to "truly" recover, and I don't want to disrupt that.

All surgeons seem to have different rules with what you're allowed to put in your stomach. Some restrict certain categories of drugs, some say no carbonated drinks for life, some say it's OK after the first month- I accidentally broke the rules and took a stimulant laxative and was OK yesterday. I'm a little freaked out, but it stands to reason if I had no pain from it I probably didn't do much damage.