To All People ABOUT to get banded...

Nykee · April 27, 2005

Well I dont drink pop but I do drink alcohal (like once a month maybe) and its ALOT (alot alot of hard stuff) but I never puke, sooooooooooooo I assume its ok.

I dont PB or get any funny feeling (but i am not that tight yet either)

But is there something in alcohal (like an ingrediant) thats bad for the band.

we deserve real answers about this.. not treated like babies or morans..

porclndoll · April 27, 2005

Hey All

I haven't asked my doctor for proof of anything he has told me...but if the carbonated drinks just pass right thru the band, and settle into the lower part of the stomach, the gas could still build up in the upper part...gas rises...unless, it travles downward ...I can see how it would stretch the pouch.........Anyway, from what I have been told this whole band experience can be different for each patient.

Thanks for all the information guys!

Have a great night!

princess_n_thep · April 28, 2005

carbonations....I completely gave up soda pop and all carbonated drinks 3 weeks before surgery. I was a HUGE Pepsi drinker but I don't miss it at all and actually feel better for not drinking it! I thought it would be harder, but it was a breeze. (smoking is definitely harder habit to break). My doctor said no to carbonation so I don't really care why, I just don't do it. plus, too many people on here have said it causes discomfort and i just avoid the feeling I guess.

As for the NSAID's. I am still not quite sure what exactly it is. What drug in there is bad? Are there prescription meds like that or just over the counter? Is just one time use bad or extended use? (example: having cramps and all a friend has is aleve.. is it bad to take just that once?) I am a fan of Tylenol for any aches and pains. Do sleep aids have NSAID's in them? I need to know what exactly I am looking for!!! (someone help me answer this!!)

Alcohol: I don't drink really anyway. Hate beers and wines. If I am anything it is more a strawberry daquiri type girl. Or Amaretto Sours (yummy!). But maybe once or twice a year at most and not to a drunk phase. However, I have a feeling that being friends with Lisa is going to bring out the freak in me while visiting!!!

As with drinking before/after meals... it is kinda hard for me to control the before factor since because of my job I can't "plan" my meal time. So, if I have been drinking Water like I am supposed to all day long, sometimes I am eating just after drinking Water ("this one is for you Lisa"). As for drinking during... I do order a water with the meal to not get a strange look from the waitress but I don't drink it. Once in a great while I have to take a ultra small sip just to wet my throat but never enough to water anything down. More like a larger swallow of my own spit than a drink. Drinking after... I can have more control about and generally avoid.

Iluvharleys · April 28, 2005

OK I hope I can remember everything he said!

1. Carbonation: Does it cause erosion? Does it stretch the pouch? Or do we avoid it simply because it causes gas pains?

It only stretches the pouch temporily, the problem is that it stretches it enough to make the opening larger therefore you are able to eat more. It cannot cause erosion.

2. Alcohol: Does it cause erosion, or do we avoid it because it's empty calories?

Alcohol does not cause erosion, but can cause problems if your liver/pancreas gets bad that could cause problems with the band in the long run. However, smoking is much worse than the alcohol. It is also because of all the empty calories.

3. Drinking before and after meals: How long to wait after eating? What are their reasons for these rules?

He would like to see two hours after eating to drink, but it is only because they want the food to stay in the pouch longer. If you eat too soon, it will empty your pouch causing you to want to eat sooner.

4. NSAIDs - is there any new information regarding them causing erosion?

Yes, NSAIDS can cause erosion!

5. Slippage: Any information on what causes slippage. I know we are supposed to avoid vomitting, but what if we get a stomach bug? What are the signs/symptoms, etc.

Slippage is caused mostly by wrenching/throwing up pretty hard. That causes the band to turn and flip. That is why it is so important to let your band heal in place really good at the beginning. The signs of slippage are not being able to drink Water or eat without throwing up, being in a lot of pain, or eating and not getting full (not having any restriction and you won't have any signs with this one).

6. What if anything is new in the last 6 months?

They are now using the Vanguard band and think it is a better band. The swedish band is coming out real soon too.

OK, that is what I found out, so it will be interesting to see what anyone else finds out too.

DeLarla · April 28, 2005

Thank you! That makes perfect sense. I'm able to eat much more if I sip a soda. I never drank Pepsi pre-band (everything was diet) but I got into a new Pepsi-at-2:00 habit. I read that one Pepsi a day for a whole year can add 30 pounds. Maybe they were talking about a Big Gulp. Either way, it's a nasty habit.

I like the 2-hour wait rule, also. I stay full all afternoon if I avoid liquids, which is why I pound my Water all morning.

Pea... hold on while I chug Water for you... done. The only thing proven safe so far is Tylenol (as far as OTC pain meds.) NSAIDs are non-steroidal anti-inflammatories like Motrin or Advil. Regular aspirin is bad, also.

Betty, who is your doc? He sound very knowledgeable (unlike some others we all know and love... NOT.)

Iluvharleys · April 28, 2005

I go to Dr. Provost in Dallas, he is really good!

DeLarla · April 28, 2005

Boo hoo, I want my own local doctor. A new band doc could make a killing in Vegas. Maybe I'll post an ad on E-bay for one.

princess_n_thep · April 28, 2005

That might work!! Maybe INAMED would pay you for advertising if you wore pasties and a g string all day and wrote "INAMED" on your tummy????? Hey, that pregnant girl got it for writing on her tummy, something like $50,000!!