Caffeine

[MamaTo3inNH 100]

Hi everyone! I'm having GB on 1/19, and my surgeon said caffeine impedes healing and isn't allowed for 3-4 months after surgery. I drink 1-2 large mugs of coffee per day, and 1 or 2 servings of caffeinated crystal lite or diet coke (side note: diet coke is RARE - I kicked that addiction a few months ago! I would drink a 2 liter per day!)

Now, I have had days where I didn't get my usual caffeine intake and had horrid headaches. The dietician recommended I start weaning back about a month before surgery. My husband said since I will be on pain killers for about a week, my withdrawal headaches will go unnoticed, and I should enjoy my coffee as long as I can (up til midnight the night before surgery lol)....

Anyone have any insight into this? I have never had to break a habit like this. The diet coke quit was because I know many GB patients can't drink bubbly drinks so I wanted to nip that.

Thanks in advance

[Elode 8,093]

@@MamaTo3inNH Willpower is a heck of a thing! Before my surgery I literally lived on coffee and maybe 16oz of Water for fluids...ridiculous! When I found out I couldn't have it anymore I just quit. No sense in chancing misery while trying to recover. On the plus side if you do get headaches now you can take medicine for it. I thought I would get headaches but I didn't. I don't even miss coffee anymore (unless I see a Starbucks then I kinda do but I just think of the SUGAR) So the choice is yours either way I wish you luck!

[vsgSarah3 351]

Hi! I'm new to this, but wanted to chime in. I'm scheduled for vsg on 3/20/15 and have slowly trying to kick my bad habits. Soda for me was a huge part of my life! I'm talking wake up and drink a coke, go to bed drinking a coke and not to mention all the cokes I drank during the day!!!! I decided to try to kick this addiction prior to my life style change. I started off slow switching from coke to diet. I drank one less coke a week until I only had three a day. Next was subbing one diet for one diet caffeine free until I was fine with all caffeine free. One day I just started getting Water. I have not had soda of any kind in 7 months!

Good luck to you, it's a hard thing to give up but well worth it!

[MamaTo3inNH 100]

Thanks!!

I literally cannot function without my first cup of coffee in the morning. My energy is zilch! My friend was the same way, she had sleeve back in September and said that her energy is through the roof and she can get by just fine without caffeine. I'm really hoping that's the case with me! Once my k-cups are gone I am not buying more (hubby drinks the weak boring stuff I have no interest in LOL)

[bikrchk 1,313]

It took me 6 months to break my caffeine addiction! I used to start out with several large cups of coffee, then drink diet coke like it was Water all day long. I managed to wean off completely starting with half-caf coffee and subbing LaCroix for some of the diet coke, but it was not easy! I had headaches off and on for months. I stayed completely off for the first several months post op, and have returned to a single k-cup of caffeinated coffee in the morning. If I want more coffee, it's Decaf. I don't do any kind of soda at all any more. Bubbles are banned and make me feel icky anyway. Do what you can to get off that stuff now! You don't want to be dealing with kicking that addiction post op.

[Eclectick 129]

I quit Smoking and Caffeine, but Iove my coffee in the morning so I went to Decaf with sugar free hazelnut creamer...still has carbs..but for a teaspoon of it...falls within my required daily intake...although my surgery isn't until Monday 11/24...I am preparing.

On the 10 day pre-op diet right now...getting my Protein shakes, Water and good ole chicken broth..and of course my 1 cup of coffee...

[Chelly 364]

Caffeine is a BIG no, no....

I quit a major Diet Coke habit way before surgery and I am glad I did it before hand because carbonated drinks of any kind are not good for your gastric bypass. So no soda, no sparkling Water, no club soda.

Caffeine acts like a diuretic also.

So get rid of this habit now so your body is clear of it before surgery.

[MamaTo3inNH 100]

I drink tonic Water on the regular for my restless leg syndrome. I guess I will have to start drinking it flat. How do you flatten out a bubbly drink?

[Jonathan Blue 311]

Quit this habit as soon as you can. In general, the more "Bad Habits" you can break before surgery the better. Your husband is correct that the pain meds will help, but the sooner you ween off of the need for caffeine the better. To begin this process just start by switching to the caffeine free versions of the things you love and then eventually find total alternatives. To deal with the withdawl headaches is a pain. To some degree it is just part of the process and one to immerse yourself in.

To help you deal with the headaches, start with taking Alieve for the first week as needed or Advil Migraine. These medications have a small amount of caffeine added. After that first week then switch to Tylenol as needed for headaches. I know this sucks but it will definitely get better.

Another reason to kick the habit for good is that caffeine leads to dehydration. With dehydration always being a concern post surgery, it is best to just avoid the stuff. You don't want to wind up in the hospital needing an IV because you weren't able to intake enough fluids or those that you took in had the caffeine and dehydrated you. A little caffeine eventually is probably more than acceptable.

It is honestly just a better safe than sorry scenario.

If you have any other questions or need anything at all, please let me know. You can contact me through the links below my name.

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

I went cold turkey on sodas and coffee 4 years ago. Truth is I was got sick with facial shingles and was so sick all I ate was progresso vegetable Soup and cracker around the clock for 2 mths.

I took advantage of that to stop drinking sodas forever. I have gone back to coffee but only have it occasionally. I am no longer dependent on it so no PM headaches for me. I would work on weaning now. The tension headache from caffeine withdrawal is different than the physical pain from the surgery. You also want to be able to get up and start walking ASAP and if you are too doped up post op you may not be able to do that.

Start now by cutting your reg coffee with Decaf and gradually reducing the real coffee and increasing the decaf. One of the things I think makes it hard for people to drink plain Water is that things soda train our palettes to craves sweets.

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

I drink tonic Water on the regular for my restless leg syndrome. I guess I will have to start drinking it flat. How do you flatten out a bubbly drink?

What does tonic water do for restless leg syndrome?

[MamaTo3inNH 100]

Yeah yeah I know. I need to find a Decaf I like.

[MamaTo3inNH 100]

What does tonic Water do for restless leg syndrome?

Something about the quinine in it, I'm not sure how it works. And it works for some but not others. Google it! It's a miracle for me. I keep a few 1 liter bottles on hand and when in having an attack I sip it throughout the day and nite. I have RLS for 5-10 days then it gues away for a few months. Also eating a banana before bed helps

[MamaTo3inNH 100]

I went cold turkey on sodas and coffee 4 years ago. Truth is I was got sick with facial shingles and was so sick all I ate was progresso vegetable Soup and cracker around the clock for 2 mths.

I took advantage of that to stop drinking sodas forever. I have gone back to coffee but only have it occasionally. I am no longer dependent on it so no PM headaches for me. I would work on weaning now. The tension headache from caffeine withdrawal is different than the physical pain from the surgery. You also want to be able to get up and start walking ASAP and if you are too doped up post op you may not be able to do that.

Start now by cutting your reg coffee with Decaf and gradually reducing the real coffee and increasing the decaf. One of the things I think makes it hard for people to drink plain Water is that things soda train our palettes to craves sweets.

Funny you mention facial shingles (not haha funny...) I just saw an ad for shingles vaccine today and tge lady they showed had facial shingles. I never knew you could get it there - I always thought it was on the body. Hubby had it, and was in excruciating pain. His was on his side though, I can't imagine having it on the face

[BLERDgirl 6,417]

Yeah yeah I know. I need to find a Decaf I like.

I think they are all horrid. I switched to herbal tea instead. My favorite is a strongly brewed peppermint.

Something about the quinine in it, I'm not sure how it works. And it works for some but not others. Google it! It's a miracle for me. I keep a few 1 liter bottles on hand and when in having an attack I sip it throughout the day and nite. I have RLS for 5-10 days then it gues away for a few months. Also eating a banana before bed helps

Can you do the bananas alone? Would coconut Water help?

Funny you mention facial shingles (not haha funny...) I just saw an ad for shingles vaccine today and tge lady they showed had facial shingles. I never knew you could get it there - I always thought it was on the body. Hubby had it, and was in excruciating pain. His was on his side though, I can't imagine having it on the face

That commercial was being kind. Half my face was one big scab. It went from about mid lip right up to my eye which was swollen shut. My nose looked like a puppy dog. I had scabs inside my mouth, in my scalp and in my ear. It's always only on one side of the face so it was only my left side. You have to see the eye doctor because if they get into your eye they can cause blindness. I still have residual nerve damage. My left nostril doesn't work and I have trigeminal neuralgia on the left side of my face and dental sensitivity on my teeth on tat side. I wouldn't wish shingles on my worst enemy.