pop/pouch stretching/reversal

[KarenH 0]

I am concerned that I may have stretched my pouch (my own fault) by drinking pop daily. I had stopped for 7 months postop and then picked it up again. I simply need the caffeine and do not drink coffee or tea.

I notice that I can consume larger quantities of food. I still have great restriction (I wonder if not too good as I constantly burp after eating for at least 30 minutes) I read one of the threads that talks about band slippage. I never considered that aspect - just pouch stretching.

So, my NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION is to stop this permanently. I just wondered if the pouch will shrink again after a period of time. I certainly hope so!

Happy New Year to all. Thanks for any knowledge you care to share on this. Karen

Lost 50 lbs - put back on 5 this past month. 11 months out from surgery.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

no your pouch won't shrink back sorry! Or at least, not back to the small size you need. You might want to check with your surgeon; he can tell you if it's likely stretched and/or if your band has slipped, and what can be done. If you really have to have caffeine and can't stand coffee or tea then there are pills that have it...

no reason to drink the sodas!

[BigGurlX 0]

How about flat pop if you really need it badly.

[Dino 0]

I drink flat pop when I need a fix. Mostly for a caffine fix I drinl monster coffe drinl no carbination and 50 calories per can.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

The only way to tell if you have dilated your pouch is by a fluoro exam. If you did stretch it then usually they will do an unfill and a majority of the time it will go back into position. You'll be on liquids during this time, doctors suggest anything from 2-6 weeks of liquids and an unfill.

The majority of the time it will go back into position. If not you might need surgery. It's treated very similar to a slip.

If you have dilated your pouch then keep in mind it will be easier to do a 2nd time. But the reality is that you don't know if that is the case or not and the only way to find out is a barium swallow (fluoro).

[flowers 0]

I slipped up and sure felt it. I didnt think that the white grape juice they sell as liquor free bubbly would be the same as soda pop. Drank some during christmas dinner, boy did I feel it. Hopefully that wasnt enough to cause a permanent problem, but Im sure others have slipped up, either by accident or just couldnt say no. Hopefully no damage to your band OP. Just make sure you dont do it any more, you dont want to ruin your band over such a small thing. Drink some coffee or tea? they both have caffeine.

[skhopp 0]

I drink pop frequently and hope I haven't damaged my pouch. One of my New Year's Resolutions is giving up pop (like I should have done 2 years ago).

[Skinny_Jill 36]

I drink Diet Coke daily but much less than before surgery and I only drink it over ice now. The ice dilutes it and it is less carbonated if you let it sit for a few minutes. Usually only 1 a day. I've been checked several times under flouro and I've had no stretching of the pouch. I'm not saying you should drink it but just get checked by your doc to be sure there is no damage. I'm sure you are okay but it is best to know for sure.

Good luck!

[bethm 0]

grrr... one of the most aggravating things on these boards is everyone's doctor has a different plan.

My doctor said avoiding carbonation is a myth. Your stomach is a pretty tough muscle and it's not going to blowup by drinking soda. It's like the poprocks myth imo.

That said I don't drink soda. Diet soda doesn't taste good to me. So I don't really worry about it. I did drink mountain dew prior to surgery and for obvious reasons no longer do that.

It makes sense logically you can stretch your pouch by overindulgence though and there is a 5 day pouch shrinking diet on some website that looked pretty interesting.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

grrr... one of the most aggravating things on these boards is everyone's doctor has a different plan.

My doctor said avoiding carbonation is a myth. Your stomach is a pretty tough muscle and it's not going to blowup by drinking soda. It's like the poprocks myth imo.

That said I don't drink soda. Diet soda doesn't taste good to me. So I don't really worry about it. I did drink mountain dew prior to surgery and for obvious reasons no longer do that.

It makes sense logically you can stretch your pouch by overindulgence though and there is a 5 day pouch shrinking diet on some website that looked pretty interesting.

That's a five day pouch test, it was designed for bypass folks that have indeed stretched out the fundus and stoma of their stomachs with food and soda. But that is a different portion of the stomach than banded people and once it is stretched, it's stretched. There is no going back for a bypass patient.

The 5DPT is designed to get any WLS person back on track. Low carb Protein liquids x2 days, soft Proteins x2 days, and hard Proteins for 1 day.

[bethm 0]

Does that mean the 5 day thing doesn't work for banded? Or vice versa?

I know I'm reading it wrong. lol Looooong day at work.

[HeatherO 7]

Does that mean the 5 day thing doesn't work for banded? Or vice versa?

I know I'm reading it wrong. lol Looooong day at work.

It helps to get both banded and R&Y patients back on track and it definitely gets you back to "feeling" your pouch and renewing your mindset.

[HeatherO 7]

I am concerned that I may have stretched my pouch (my own fault) by drinking pop daily. I had stopped for 7 months postop and then picked it up again. I simply need the caffeine and do not drink coffee or tea.

I notice that I can consume larger quantities of food. I still have great restriction (I wonder if not too good as I constantly burp after eating for at least 30 minutes) I read one of the threads that talks about band slippage. I never considered that aspect - just pouch stretching.

So, my NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION is to stop this permanently. I just wondered if the pouch will shrink again after a period of time. I certainly hope so!

Happy New Year to all. Thanks for any knowledge you care to share on this. Karen

Lost 50 lbs - put back on 5 this past month. 11 months out from surgery.

You really should go back to the doctor and get it checked. If you did stretch it than they might unfill you for a while in hopes of getting it to go back on its own.

[WASaBubbleButt 41]

Does that mean the 5 day thing doesn't work for banded? Or vice versa?

I know I'm reading it wrong. lol Looooong day at work.

There really isn't a pouch shrinking diet. Well, there is but not for bypass folks, it's for banded folks.

If a bypass person stretches their pouch and/or stoma they are history, they can only try various surgical techniques to tighten it up that do not work.

If a banded person dilates their pouch they can have an unfill and go on liquids for a few weeks and usually that will take care of it. If it does not go back into position well enough then they are looking at surgical correction.

The 5DPT is to get you back on track when you are binging on carbs and assorted high calorie foods.

[bethm 0]

I guess what's confusing to me is that I'm a newbie. I don't have any restriction in my band yet. Doc said it's wide open. I do feel hungry but not ravenous. Do I have a pouch to worry about? Or does that happen when I get my first fill?

PS: Sorry I don't mean to hijack your thread! Just curious...