Can Liquids Stretch Your Pouch?

[Allison925 1]

Hi guys! This forum has been wonderful and provided me with so many answers, but I have a new question that I can't find any info on...

I was banded a week ago tomorrow, and have been drinking lots of fluids. At normal meal times I tend to have a bigish glass of diluted apple juice and a small cup of broth (yumm:tired). I feel nice and full afterward, but it just occured to me that I may be stretching out my pouch with so much Fluid at once. I just went and measured, and I'm drinking about 2c of juice, and 1c of broth. That's 3 cups and my pouch is only supposed to hold 1.5 cups!

Anyone have any thoughts? Think I've done any permanent damage?

[JulieNYC 4]

My doc says you can't stretch a pouch with liquids. They don't stay in the pouch long enough. You might get that too full signal if you drink too quickly, but some say that's actually a good thing -- something to try to do to turn your hunger off -- not a bad thing.

My opinion is that your pouch can't hold 3 cups. It's draining before you can drink the full 2 cups. Particularly true since you don't have a fill yet, so your stoma is still large enough for liquid to really drain straight through.

No worries! Congratulations on getting banded and here's to a speedy recovery.

[*susan* 1,709]

I don't think you have anything to worry about. Fluids basically go right through your pouch. That is one of the reasons we are told not to drink with our meals, because the Fluid pushes the food through.

[AZA 0]

My doctor is more conservative and wants his patients to restrict fluids to no more than 1 cup every few hours for the first month after surgery. I personally feel that it's a little extreme but I rather err on the side of caution.:phanvan

[Allison925 1]

Thanks everyone, I appreciate your feedback. I suppose that all in all, what's done is done. Although I have been drinking slowly, I'm going to break up the juice and broth combo and hope that all works out ok. Thanks again!

[mini_me 3]

i am thinking that if you do not feel any discomfort or fullness, then it is not likely that there is any stretching going on. i HAVE definitely had encounters with too much fluids going down at a time...so, it is possible to flood the pouch, but i do not know if the liquid provides enough tension(i guess that is the word) to push the pouch to stretching.

[virginia 0]

I drink alot of fluids.Idrink it really fast, And yeah you do feel really full quick, But i dont believe pou can stretch it or what not ! My favorite drink is Fat free chocolate milk.