Does carbonated drinks stretch the pouch temporary or permenently?

Would really love to know the question to that answer.

I do not know the answer to that but I did read recently (and I cannot remember where) that drinking carbonated drink has been determined to cause people to gain their weight back. Either diet or regular drinks and they had not determined why. I was told the carbonation would take up space in your small pouch until the gas moved on. Therefore if you needed the drink, let it sit out and get rid of the carbonation before drinking it. But I had not seen any real scientific studies. Maybe someone else has.

hee hee... question to that answer.... WELP its definitely puzzling. I have heard yes it does and then no it doesnt... I think diet sodas cause hunger cravings based on the phenylalanine (sp) in it. BUT I dont know if it pooches our pouch. I always shake the heck out of my sodas if I drink any to get the carbination to a minimum. Im not a big bubble fan anyways ;) I wish they would have a definite answer to that one! Elizabeth M

Voice of experience here. I drink diet soda and also watch my food intake with a daily log on a fairly regular basis. While I started off with a larger pouch than most (4 ounces) I apparently haven't had the huge growth one might think I would have. In watching comparisons, I can eat about the same amount as many post ops who started with smaller pouches. Might be larger, however, than those who had micro pouches of 1/2 to 1 oz. I started out wondering about all this as well, but at some point I rejected the notion that it would stretch the pouch for a couple of reasons. 1) We have 2 outlets: The stoma and the throat. The gasses escape quickly. 2) Doctors cannot even agree about this. Half think it's a problem, while half don't. That tells me that it's an opinion, not medical science. 3) The thing everyone eventually reads about the profile of a successful patient is hilariously skewed on this fact. I'll paste it at the bottom so everyone can see it, but the point is that they say 58% of successful gastric bypass patients did not consume carbonated beverages. What about the other 42% of *successful* wls patients who DID consume carbonated beverages? And they make a point to state that it doesn't matter if it's regular or diet. I beg to differ. I know some wls patients who drink full on sugared sodas....even some who bring them to the support group and lament their slow loss. You cannot convince me that this carbonation is the same as sugar free. So there is a disparity of 8 percentage points either way. What are the chances those 8 percentage points are the ones who are drinking sugared sodas? 4) My own experience has proven to *me* that this theory doesn't hold merit. I take a drink of soda, it goes down, I burp. Story over. Once the gas is gone, it's gone. Here, for those who haven't read the thing about the Habits of Successful Weight Loss Surgery Patients, is an excerpt from it, so you can see what it says: ______________________________________________________ Successful patients drank water and did not drink carbonated beverages. On the average, patients drank 40-64 oz of water per day: 58% of patients did not drink carbonated beverages of any kind; 55% did not drink juices or sweetened beverages; 53% did not drink caffeinated beverages; and 74% did not drink alcoholic beverages. Carbonated beverages may be detrimental to the long-term success of gastric bypass for the following reasons: Carbonation: When the cold beverage is consumed, it warms and releases gases, distending the stomach pouch. The stretching of the stomach then creates undue stress and subsequently causes stretching of the anastomosis Caloric intake: Many carbonated beverages are high in calories, are low in nutritional value, and contain simple sugars. Not only do they add additional calories with low nutritional value, but they are absorbed quickly into the blood stream, causing a rapid rise in blood sugar, elevated insulin levels, and increased hunger. Caffeine: Many carbonated beverages contain caffeine, an appetite stimulant, which is detrimental to initial weight loss and long-term weight control. ____________________________________________________ I also disagree with the caffeine portion of this statement. First, even if caffeine was an appetite stimulant, the amount of caffeine in a diet soda isn't enough to trigger that. Second, the most recent medical studies show caffeine is an appetite suppressant instead of stimulant. This would be backed up by the diet industry where caffeine is a main ingredient of many diet pills designed to suppress your appetite. Dina

I've heard different things from different surgeons. I can only speak from my own experience... Having even a couple of sips of soda will make my stomach feel like someone has stuck an air hose down my throat and tried to blow me up like a Macy's parade float. I used to be a hard core soda addict. Crack addicts had nothing on me when it came to being hooked. I hate the feeling of carbonation in my tummy so much that I won't go near the stuff. Connie

Well, and my long run-on post failed to take that into consideration, that's for sure! For me I think this is obviously a YMMV type thing. I have felt discomfort with my first time drinking soda when it wasn't flat, but I waited awhile (maybe a couple months) before trying again and was fine. Probably has to do with the size of the pouch initially as well. I know many people who have a hard time drinking liquids...have to take tiny sips. I've always been able to pretty much guzzle, so that probably factors in as well.... Dina

My doctor said never drink another carbonated drink again !! In the 8 months since my surgery I have not had one. I don't want to take the chance of stretching my pouch. Judy

I recently read on another board a message from a woman *pleading* with all who've had wls not to drink carbonated drinks of any kind, as she's had four friends who developed ulcers after drinking soda after wls. I don't know if that's true, but I don't drink soda because it's terribly upsetting to my stomach, even if it's flat. To me, that's a *huge* clue to stay away from it. FWIW, -Marcie 281/187/150 BMI: 49.8/33.1

I just happened to come across an article on msn linking soda consumption to esophageal cancer. Basically, there's no scientific basis for this assertion, but there was one interesting paragraph in the article: Link between GERD and esophageal cancer On the other hand, GI doctors are aware that carbonated beverages like sodas can exacerbate gastroesophageal reflux disease (better known by its acronym GERD), which has been linked to esophageal cancer. The drinks can distend the top part of the stomach, which in turn relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter, a band of muscles that acts as a gatekeeper between the esophagus and the stomach. The LES normally remains shut; when left open, stomach acid can back up the swallowing tube, causing the burning sensation we call heartburn. In severe cases, the acid reflux can cause damage to the lining of the esophagus in a condition known as Barrett's esophagus; in a small number of these patients, Barrett's esophagus progresses to become a cancer. Connie