precautions when using alcohol after bariatric surgery

12/2/2004 JUST WANT TO WARN ALL TO BE CAREFUL WITH ALCOHOL. I AM NOT A PERSON THAT DRINKS, BUT IN FEB. OF 04, I DID HAVE TWO DRINKS AND NOW FIGHTING A DWI. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM I HAVE IS THAT THE COURT DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE GASTRIC BYPASS SURGERY AND I CAN NOT FIND ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS. IF ANYONE HAS ANY INFORMATION OR KNOW WHERE TO GET THE INFORMATION PLEASE LET ME KNOW. I CAN NOT BELIEVE 2 DRINKS CAN DO SO MUCH DAMAGE. BUT THEN AGAIN I HAD NOT EATEN IN OVER 9 HOURS AND HAD JUST PUT IN 34 HOURS OVER TIME IN. ANYWAY I REALLY NEED HELP. TRUST ME I DID NOT DRINK BEFORE AND NOW I WILL NEVER DRINK AGAIN. TO MAKE MATTERS EVEN MORE WEIRD I AM 53 AND HAVE NEVER EVEN HAD A PARKING TICKET! JUST DO NOT DRINK IF YOU HAVE HAD THE BYPASS SURGERY ITS NOT WORTH IT. SOMEHOW THE COURTS NEED TO BE EDUCATED ABOUT THIS SURGERY SO DON'T THINK ONE IS A KOOK WHEN TRYING TO EXPLAIN. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE ABSORBTION AND METABOLIZATION RATE IS. THE BLOOD ALCOHOL LEVELS OF BYPASS PATIENTS VERSES NON SURGICAL PEOPLE. HOW AND WHAT THE ABSORPTION RATE IS. WHY THE ALCOHOL ABSORPTION RATE IS HIGHER FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS HAD THE GASTRIC BY PASS ? THE ANATOMICAL CHANGES IN THE GI TRACT THAT INFLUENCE ALCOHOL ABSORPTION. WHY IS IT MORE SENSITIVE TO THE INTOXICATION EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL BECAUSE OF THE REDUCED CALORIE INTAKE. HOW GLYCOGEN ARE DEPLETED IN SHORT PERIOD OF TIME WITH PROLONGED WORK OR A DIET LOW IN CARBOHYDRATES. HOW ALCOHOL INHIBITS GLUCONGEOGENCSIS AND KETOSIS? PLEASE PRETTY PLEASE IF YOU NOW WHERE ANY INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS PLEASE LET ME KNOW. NO MATTER WHAT I AM ASKING THE JUDGE TO PLEASE LET ME SPEAK TO THE VICTIM PANEL IF I CAN GET ALL THIS INFO TOGETHER. I WANT TO WARN EVERYBODY THAT HAS HAD THE SURGERY OR THAT KNOWS SOMEONE THAT HAS HAD THE SURGERY. THANKS FOR YOUR TIME

I had to reply to this because it happened to me on ONE drink back in 2000 one year after my surgery. I just got my licence back. 2005 your best part of defense if you can afford a toxicologist is to get one and get him to testify on your behalf about the gastric bypass and how everything works, WOW I htought I was the only one. Kimmy

Hi, you might look at the website usbariatric.com..dr. marama in ft. lauderdale, fl....he is a leading expert on the surgery, in fact he had it himself 10 years ago...anyway, they just posted an article about this very topic. you can call them also, just call information. it might help you, but basically we have to understand that alcohol now effects us very differently than before, as does a lot of things, frankly. try to talk to someone there and definitely check out the website.

Hi, I just had to respond because alcohol was the number one thing that I turned to when I couldn't turn to food anymore and let me tell you, it was disastrous! I would develop a completely different personality when I drank to excess. So unlike before when I drank, I was very flirtatious and I would have blackouts every single time. I don't know how my body metabolized the alcohol after my surgery but I could tell there was a definite difference from before so I decided to just stop drinking altogether. I guess the tables turned when my daughter had to call 911 because I was drinking excessively for the third day in a row and I was complaining of stomach pain and throat pain. I don't know if I did any permanent damage to my internal organs or my body in general but stopping drinking was the best thing I did.