New addiction after Gastric Bypass...Is it serious?

[WV_Chef 52]

I started my weight loss journey in Sept 2008. Had absolutely NO complications or problems and lost over half my weight in 3-4 months. I weighed 247 on the day of my surgery and quickly plummeted to a sexy 125!! Felt amazing and looked it too! However, 5 years later I had picked up a brand new habit!! I started going out...like to bars...which I had never done in my life ( I was married w/ kids so this wasn't acceptable) anyway, Now, I was divorced and had alot of free time on the weekends. Had a wonderful job, gaining new friends, hobbies etc. However, I also started drinking. Would never have more than 3-4 Captain and Cokes but my god they were delicious to me!! I had never drank before nor did I drink much soda. I quickly found myself drinking on the weekends while out with friends. Long story short, 2 years later I got a DUI !!! The first and ONLY person in my family that drank much less, get arrested. This killed my spirits, and I felt I had let my family down so I swore off alcohol. Fast forward 2 years...no job, new relationship that required a move 3 hrs away from everything I had ever known, only to find he was an alcoholic who was also physically abusive when drunk (strangled me on numerous occasions)...I started drinking again (along with him and only at home) just to get my mind off the fact that I was so far away from my family and other miseries. I am now on my own, doing very well, great job, my own place but have now started drinking wine (a whole bottle of Pink Moscato) a few nights a week. This didn't really start until this past April when I had a full hysterectomy....Thankfully, I have never had a hangover, never get sick and am actually really productive around the house..(which isn't a bad thing) I guess my question is, I have gained about 13 lbs since this time last year ( my job is sitting for 12 hrs 4 days a week) when I am home ( I live alone) I am just sedentary and don't really have any energy to do much of anything ( severely anemic and get Iron infusions every week ) so do you think it is the Wine that is causing the weight gain, the Full hysterectomy, the desk job or just a combination.??? I would really like to stop any further weight gain and any answers would be appreciated.

Edited December 10, 2017 by WV_Chef

[TakingABreak 2,733]

“Do you think it is the Wine that is causing the weight gain, the Full hysterectomy, the desk job or just a combination.??? I would really like to stop any further weight gain and any answers would be appreciated”

Probably all the above. Alcohol is empty calories. But the hysterectomy could DEF be playing a big part. Your body went through a huge change hormonally. A lot of women put on weight after menopause (naturally or w/hysterectomy). As far as your desk job, I have the same problem. I found using a step tracker, like a FitBit was really helpful to keep track of my steps per day. It holds me accountable for sure. I have to spend a lot of time outside work hours to get my steps in.

[It’s All About E 18]

It is probably a combination. I also use a FitBit and make sure I get up for a walk at least hourly at work. My Mom, who also had a hysterectomy and works a desk job, does the same. She also goes up and down a couple of flights of stairs in the office when she takes her walks. You are beautiful! Good Luck!

[Sosewsue61 3,185]

You are beautiful, and congrats on wanting to fix the issues. I think at this point it is deeper than the small weight gain - maybe should get some counseling. Your work might have a program through insurance that could be a starting place. You need coping skills that keep you from destructive behavior, and to learn to be kind to yourself. You need to be able to see the 'red flag' behavior in relationships and not get stuck in that again, maybe even AA or Codependants Anonymous. Or some books by Melody Beattie. Good luck.

[esskay77 785]

This is why the doctors and NUTS say to never drink because it is very common and very easy to replace one addiction with another and apparently alcohol is the biggie and many become alcoholics. I'm not judging you or putting any labels on but I would suggest you find a way to stop drinking altogether. Obviously because it is bad if you can't control it and also because of those pesky calories!!! A whole bottle of anything is not good -- count the carbs and calories in that and add it to the food journal that you are still keeping (I know, you probably aren't but need to get back to) and see if all those fit in to your days' calories, carbs/proteins.

Best of luck to you and keep us posted. We are pulling for you.

[dreamingsmall 1,125]

Hi. You've really had a hard time of it. All those things you describe shows you have incredible strength. I'm so glad to hear you don't have hang overs but I'm worried about your liver. Do you think you'd ever consider an alchaholic anon group ? Or even one to one .? Regarding the weight gain I don't know about hysterectomy. But that bottle of wine would be really effecting your ability to lose weight. How do you feel about cutting down ? What does your future regarding alchahol look like ? Are you wanting to quit or cut down ? Perhaps set your self some goals. But don't beat yourself up if you don't manage to stick to them. You look amazing and hopefully things will improve for you. Sounds like with your personal life your on track. But there will be a lot of wounds left from those things so perhaps that's why the drinking is like a bandade over those wounds. Are you in therapy at all ?

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[sydneyjonno 18]

Yep it's serious, I can be so easy to switch one addiction for another and alcohol is an easy one to switch to. It's readily available, easy to get down ie liquids go straight down, there is some research out there saying that WLS patients get to feel the effects of alcohol sooner / more intensely than non WLS peope bbcause of the changes made to our digestive system.

This has been a really big issue for me and has caused me a significant amount of heartache, suffering, pain and depression. I never thought I would talk about it openly but hey, I this is a support group. I might start a new thread tomorrow and tell you guys about my true story and see how I feel getting it off my chest and to see what help I can get and understand if there are people out there who have been through or are going through similar things as me who I can help to learn from me and my mistakes.

OK post tomorrow when I have more time on my hands.

Sorry WV Chef, not wanting to detract from your story or questions. You seem to have experienced similar issue to me regarding the increased alcohol intake. You do loo amazing though and I hope you're proud of your achievements. You're obviously one strong lady! Please feel free to PVT me if you want to talk about ongoing booze issues post op or anything else :-)

Thanks guys,

John

[dreamingsmall 1,125]

Yep it's serious, I can be so easy to switch one addiction for another and alcohol is an easy one to switch to. It's readily available, easy to get down ie liquids go straight down, there is some research out there saying that WLS patients get to feel the effects of alcohol sooner / more intensely than non WLS peope bbcause of the changes made to our digestive system.
This has been a really big issue for me and has caused me a significant amount of heartache, suffering, pain and depression. I never thought I would talk about it openly but hey, I this is a support group. I might start a new thread tomorrow and tell you guys about my true story and see how I feel getting it off my chest and to see what help I can get and understand if there are people out there who have been through or are going through similar things as me who I can help to learn from me and my mistakes.
OK post tomorrow when I have more time on my hands.
Sorry WV Chef, not wanting to detract from your story or questions. You seem to have experienced similar issue to me regarding the increased alcohol intake. You do loo amazing though and I hope you're proud of your achievements. You're obviously one strong lady! Please feel free to PVT me if you want to talk about ongoing booze issues post op or anything else :-)
Thanks guys,
John

Hi there John. We are all here to listen if you need to talk.

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[Introversion 1,876]

The original poster of this thread has slipped into cross addiction, a.k.a. addiction transference.

Cross addiction is a widespread occurrence in the bariatric surgery community. Now that they cannot overeat, many weight loss surgery patients pick up another addiction (e.g. alcoholism, thrill seeking, shopping, smoking, gambling, risky sex, gaming).

Basically, bariatric surgeons alter our stomachs, not our brains. Thus, people who misused food still have addicted brains and personalities after bariatric surgery. Only professional help can sufficiently address one's addictive tendencies.

Wine certainly results in weight regain, especially with the quantities described, due to empty non-nutritive calories. In combination with a sedentary life, it's a perfect recipe for regain.

[JohnnyCakes 593]

8 hours ago, WV_Chef said:

I started my weight loss journey in Sept 2008. Had absolutely NO complications or problems and lost over half my weight in 3-4 months. I weighed 247 on the day of my surgery and quickly plummeted to a sexy 125!! Felt amazing and looked it too! However, 5 years later I had picked up a brand new habit!! I started going out...like to bars...which I had never done in my life ( I was married w/ kids so this wasn't acceptable) anyway, Now, I was divorced and had alot of free time on the weekends. Had a wonderful job, gaining new friends, hobbies etc. However, I also started drinking. Would never have more than 3-4 Captain and Cokes but my god they were delicious to me!! I had never drank before nor did I drink much soda. I quickly found myself drinking on the weekends while out with friends. Long story short, 2 years later I got a DUI !!! The first and ONLY person in my family that drank much less, get arrested. This killed my spirits, and I felt I had let my family down so I swore off alcohol. Fast forward 2 years...no job, new relationship that required a move 3 hrs away from everything I had ever known, only to find he was an alcoholic who was also physically abusive when drunk (strangled me on numerous occasions)...I started drinking again (along with him and only at home) just to get my mind off the fact that I was so far away from my family and other miseries. I am now on my own, doing very well, great job, my own place but have now started drinking wine (a whole bottle of Pink Moscato) a few nights a week. This didn't really start until this past April when I had a full hysterectomy....Thankfully, I have never had a hangover, never get sick and am actually really productive around the house..(which isn't a bad thing) I guess my question is, I have gained about 13 lbs since this time last year ( my job is sitting for 12 hrs 4 days a week) when I am home ( I live alone) I am just sedentary and don't really have any energy to do much of anything ( severely anemic and get Iron infusions every week ) so do you think it is the Wine that is causing the weight gain, the Full hysterectomy, the desk job or just a combination.??? I would really like to stop any further weight gain and any answers would be appreciated.

a few issues to unpack here -

1 - to answer your question, i think the hysterectomy is the primary culprit for your recent weight gain. because it's known to do that, AND because you've been drinking this whole time up til now without gaining.

2 - gaining 13 (or more) pounds is the least of your concerns. probably the biggest thing in the field of bariatric science right now is the risk of alcohol (and drug) addiction. before i got my surgery, my surgeon stressed to me (rather disturbingly) that alcohol addiction is the ONLY thing that keeps him up at night. it is a huge concern for him. it's so big, that i think it might eventually threaten the viability of the surgery. if the statistics and research keep bearing out what it has been, it's possible that they "outlaw" the surgery.

why? well we all know that alcohol "hits" you harder, and longer. anything that has more dramatic effect is more easily to be abused. however, there's a mystery element going on. a recent study found it's NOT just about our new anatomy. i.e. it's not just that alcohol isn't cushioned by the stomach anymore and dumped right into the intestine. they did a study where they took two groups of rats - one with normal anatomy, and another that had a gastric bypass - and they administered alcohol into these rats intravenously. so they bypassed the entire digestive tract and made the rats equally "drunk" through IV-administered alcohol. they shockingly found that the rats with the gastric bypass ended up significantly more addicted. what does that mean? basically they don't know for sure yet, but there is something about the surgery that increases the susceptibility to addiction and substance abuse. something about the surgery changes the brain to make this the case. which is also the reason that those with gastric bypass get addicted to things like cocaine and heroin. those don't go thru the digestive tract either. this is different from "transfer addiction". that is not what's going on.

so what to do? i'm in the same boat because while i wasn't an alcoholic before surgery, i was getting there. and unfortunately now that i find myself nearing my goal weight, i have started drinking again after a good 5 months off. and yes, i notice it's much stronger and more effective. so i'm worried as well. aside from finding a very sweet person on this website who has partnered up with me to support each other in our addictions (mine being alcohol, hers being a particular food), there's another strategy i'm going to try...

it's called naltrexone. it's a prescription drug that has been found to have profound effects in curbing alcohol abuse. take it once a day and it basically neutralizes the "reward" signal in your brain when exposed to drugs and alcohol. so eventually you can look at a glass of wine and have zero interest in drinking it. more and more physicians are wising up to this powerful tool and prescribing it to their patients (as opposed to just telling them to join AA). i've decided i'm going to make an appt with my doctor and ask for it. i did not go thru this surgery to go from one hell to another. i want to nip it in the bud.

here's an article on how naltrexone can help: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2015/04/the-irrationality-of-alcoholics-anonymous/386255/

[JohnnyCakes 593]

9 minutes ago, Introversion said:

Basically, bariatric surgeons alter our stomachs, not our brains.

actually, it turns out they have.

this is the point of my post and is what the latest research is showing. that by rewiring our digestive tract, they are also rewiring our brains. lots of fascinating reading out there. i'd start by googling "alcohol gastric bypass".

[Msdooloo 102]

Same thing happened to my sister. She went out of control after her lap band with her new sexy figure. She was married with 2 kids and now she's divorced with a 26 year old boyfriend. She went out every night and just changed as a person in general and she drinks all the time. I tried talking sense into her to get a hold of herself but she's stubborn and knows everything. So yes I believe there is a connection there between alcoholism and the surgery

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[Stella S 613]

Agreed. A bottle of wine is a problem. Think about therapy plus join an exercise group. Maybe there make a couple healthy friends. The guilt and abuse added to life changes is a lot of stress It is hard to lose weight when stressed. Try meditation - progressive muscle relaxation - restorative yoga if counseling is not an option. Recently if I have a second alcoholic drink I black out. Way too freaky for me at 3 years out. I added a 1 drink twice a month rule and cautious black outswill enter this too

[Pamela wallace 12]

Prolly hysterectomy,,that's when I gained mine and when I stopped smoking cigs 8 years ago,and alcohol will put weight on ya also hun,congrats on your surgery and your overcomes,I'm new I've not had my surgery yet,waiting on losing 17 pounds to come off before insurance will cover it,I hope you can get to where you want but you look great to me.

[nourishing heather 36]

Get help now! Call your surgeon. Transfer addiction is serious! My program requires complete alcohol abstinence for life!!! It is so common and you need to get sober to take back your life. Best wishes to you! Good job reaching out!

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