Alcohol?!

[JamieC1028 5]

When did you try alcohol & what is this better choice to drink?! I want to try one tonight!

-Had Gastric Bypass-

[DLCoggin 1,788]

My surgeon said no alcohol for twelve months following surgery (which I followed to the letter). So my first suggestion is to ensure that you are following your doctor's recommendation regarding how long you should wait before having any alcohol. If you're not sure, ask. There is a long list of very good reasons for avoiding alcohol during the healing process which can take quite some time to be completed.

After that, I don't know that there is a better (or worse) choice from a health standpoint. Virtually all alcohol is empty calories with a high sugar content. So from that standpoint, alcohol is alcohol. But if you're subject to dumping related to sugar, tropical drinks (i.e. sweet) such as pina coladas, daiquiris, etc. could result in dumping. I enjoy a glass of wine before dinner and have never had a problem. But it only took one tropical drink to learn that is not a good idea in my case.

When you do take that first drink, keep in mind that your body's reaction to and tolerance for alcohol is dramatically changed by the surgery. Very, very good idea to ensure that first drink is at home. There are many stories of RnY folks being cited for DUI after a single drink. You almost certainly will discover that alcohol will hit you much harder and faster than it did before. The alcohol essentially moves into the small intestine all at once whereas before it moved in stages over a longer period of time because of the pylorus valve.

There is also well documented evidence that the rate of developing alcohol dependence increases substantially following RnY. The importance of drinking in moderation becomes more important than ever following surgery.