Beer

[sean72977 43]

Anyone drink beer after having sleeve? It's way too early for me I'm just a couple weeks post op. I'm not a huge drinker but do enjoy it socially. I like craft brews. Don't really like wine and not really into booze. Hoping to be able to enjoy a few in the future... Anyone?

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[tony031469 81]

I was a huge beer drinker pre op. I'm now almost 3 months post op and I haven't had any beer since I was told by my nutritionist and doctor that I couldn't have it anymore because of the carbonation.

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[sean72977 43]

I was a huge beer drinker pre op. I'm now almost 3 months post op and I haven't had any beer since I was told by my nutritionist and doctor that I couldn't have it anymore because of the carbonation.

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Yea I heard something about carbonation..what is it? Fills you?

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[malvarez1210 9]

Carbonation stretches the sleeve. Stay away from it, sodas, Icees, Perrier Water, etc.

[FrankyG 1,450]

Carbonation stretches the sleeve. Stay away from it, sodas, Icees, Perrier Water, etc.

No it doesn't. Nothing stretches the sleeve. The stretchy part of your stomach is gone. It will eventually relax somewhat as the months go by, but it will never stretch out to the size of the old stomach, and you'd have to eat a seriously insane amount of food to hurt your stomach's size (and you'd feel sick and be throwing up way before that happened). Gas build up will not cause the stomach to stretch; it causes burping and a feeling of being very uncomfortable until the gas is absorbed.

There are probably hundreds of threads on here discussing drinking alcohol. So you might want to search around to get some older opinions as well.

Carbonation (soda and beer both have it) is a hot topic - some can't handle the bubbles after surgery as it makes them very uncomfortable and can cause pain from the trapped gas. And alcohol of all types will hit you MUCH harder since you have little stomach to filter it so drinking can be a bit unnerving after surgery.

But mostly, drinking is empty calories and beer especially is very high carb, so it's discouraged. There's a reason they call that spare tire guys get a "beer belly" you know?

What did your doctor tell you? Because that's the voice you most want to listen to regarding your own health and well being.

Edited June 5, 2016 by FrankiesGirl

[malvarez1210 9]

I was told by my doctor that it does stretch the sleeve, beer, soda, etc. It's not that I heard it on some blog or group chat, it was various doctors.

I guess there's two sides to this topic.

[sean72977 43]

Carbonation stretches the sleeve. Stay away from it, sodas, Icees, Perrier Water, etc.

No it doesn't. Nothing stretches the sleeve. The stretchy part of your stomach is gone. It will eventually relax somewhat as the months go by, but it will never stretch out to the size of the old stomach, and you'd have to eat a seriously insane amount of food to hurt your stomach's size (and you'd feel sick and be throwing up way before that happened). Gas build up will not cause the stomach to stretch; it causes burping and a feeling of being very uncomfortable until the gas is absorbed.

There are probably hundreds of threads on here discussing drinking alcohol. So you might want to search around to get some older opinions as well.

Carbonation (soda and beer both have it) is a hot topic - some can't handle the bubbles after surgery as it makes them very uncomfortable and can cause pain from the trapped gas. And alcohol of all types will hit you MUCH harder since you have little stomach to filter it so drinking can be a bit unnerving after surgery.

But mostly, drinking is empty calories and beer especially is very high carb, so it's discouraged. There's a reason they call that spare tire guys get a "beer belly" you know?

What did your doctor tell you? Because that's the voice you most want to listen to regarding your own health and well being.

Thanks, dr. Advised against it due to carbonation. But I suspect they say that partially because drinking is not great for you. I am not near that point yet but I will probably have a couple socially. ..not often at all.....and see how I do.

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[FrankyG 1,450]

I was told by my doctor that it does stretch the sleeve, beer, soda, etc. It's not that I heard it on some blog or group chat, it was various doctors.

I guess there's two sides to this topic.

This is absolutely just me saying this, and I'm definitely some random stranger on the interwebs, but what I was told and my research has born out is that the whole "if I do X, I could stretch my sleeve" stuff is complete BS.

My doctor is a nationally certified training doctor for bariatric surgery. He said that many doctors use scare tactics on their patients that they feel won't listen to actual logic/facts like "your stomach will not stretch out if you overeat/drink soda/whatever, but you shouldn't do it" because all most people hear is that it is okay to do whatever (it's not, but mostly folks don't listen or they don't take to heart what the doc is actually saying most of the time).

So they say things like "you'll stretch your stomach or cause a leak or kill yourself if you do X!!" hoping that the patient actually listens to them and doesn't do things that are discouraged. Scare tactics work, because most people unfortunately do not listen to doctors' advice unless they think it will seriously harm or kill them. All you have to do to prove that point is check out the numerous threads on here about never drinking with a straw because according to my doctor it can cause a leak/blow up your stomach/you will DIE...AAAAAAHHHHH! panic crap. A straw. Seriously. (granted, this is anecdotal evidence, but still)

Carbonation is just gas. Gas can cause discomfort. If the gas gets bad enough, it can cause you pain and you'll probably feel bad and want to burp or take some gas pills and feel bad for a while. But it is biologically impossible once you are healed for it to stretch out your stomach from drinking a few sodas of beers.

Which is not to say you should do this, just pointing out the logic fail there.

What will likely happen is a person develops a tolerance for the carbonation and starts drinking regularly again? They'll be introducing lots of carbs, sugar, high calories, and caffeine in the case of sodas, and a fast ticket to dehydration (since both alcohol and soda can dehydrate a person easily). And you're wasting precious stomach space on empty, addictive junk basically. So yes, you shouldn't drink them, but not because you will cause serious damage; because they are not good for you. And if the doctor just told you that, it would be much easier for a person to ignore their "advice." Which is why some resort to scare tactics.

So totally understand if you steer clear of them based off of what your doctor told you, but other doctors do actually say differently regarding the reasoning behind avoiding things like carbonation... and often differ on other hot button issues as well. And it never hurts to be aware of some doctors using scare tactics to keep their patients in line one way or another.

[FocusOnMeNow 599]

I'm 9 months out and want to stress that you should follow doctors advice especially while your stomach is really still healing. What I can tell you is that at 9 months I got some beer poured it in a glass and let the head evaporate and then had a sip and it was not too bad. Ironically also had a sip of Diet Coke and did NOT like the feeling of the fizz. This coming from someone who drank like 3 a day pre op. I'm not sure if it's because the bubbles in beer are naturally occurring or what? Anyway I won't be having too much of either in the near future.

[Read2016 658]

The surgery is about improving your quality of life... If having a social beer is your thing, when the time is right why not see if your sleeve can tolerate it... We all want to follow the rules but we need to adapt them to our lifestyle... If we feel deprived of everything we not going to have life long success.

"We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them"

Einstein

[Dub 9,922]

I was a lover of beer when I was pre-op.

It's part of what made me so damn big. I loved it. We have a couple of new beer specialty shops 2-3 miles from my house. They pour you a growler of all sorts of high end suds. I would enjoy it while grilling, fishing, etc.

That being said......I've not had a beer in the last 14 months and I'm 7+ months post-op.

I don't miss it and I sure as hell don't want to drink calories at that level ever again. It's too easy for those calories to really add up.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

Carbonation stretches the sleeve. Stay away from it, sodas, Icees, Perrier Water, etc.

No. Nope. No.

Air in any form does not stretch the sleeve.

[dashofsunshine 875]

Will it stretch your sleeve? Nope.

Is it empty calories? Yep.

Will it cause discomfort? Maybe.

I was never a beer drinker before, so I'm not now. I have had a few sips of my husbands dark beer (less carbonation) on 2 occasions. I'm 18 months post op, and I'm able to handle light carbonation, but nothing super bubbly. There is one specific type of seltzer - Spindrift - that has less carbonation than others, and I drink it. La Croix still kills me, unfortunately.

That being said, the only calories I drink now are 1) 2 tablespoons of Creamer in my one cup of coffee in the morning, and 2) dry white or red wine, a glass or two on the weekends.

You're an adult and we can't tell you what you can and cannot do, so to answer your question - you will probably eventually be able to have a beer again, sure. And it won't stretch your stomach. But it IS a slippery slope, so just...hold yourself accountable.

[LipstickLady 25,682]

I used to drink wine. I can't now because it is too acidic and gives me horrific heartburn.

I do like a vodka/diet cranberry or diet pomegranate or a whiskey with Coke Zero. Now that it's summer, though? I love a cold beer or three. Sometimes the carbonation is uncomfortable, sometimes it is not. I do have a much better time of it if I pour it in a glass to allow some of the bubbles to some to a head.

My doctor cautioned against alcohol for two reasons. First, it's empty calories. Second, people tend to eat more with less inhibition when they are intoxicated -- and usually not making good, healthy choices. Good thing about beer for me? After even one, I can't eat for at least an hour. I'm totally full. Two, I won't eat for several hours. Three, I won't eat for the rest of the day.

A bonus? I burp like a sailor and it's quite awesome.

[P7rancher 27]

LipStickLady very well said. Let's don't lose our sense of humor and in the end we all want happiness. If that's an occasional vodka cranberry lite then so be it. Salut!!!!!