Alcohol - can i drink any???
Rosemary on 7/21/07 5:54 am - Long Island, NY
Here is all the info I have so you can make th bet decision for YOU!
This is something you will undoubtedly get many answers on, ask your surgeon, do not be embarrassed please for your health!!! also why do you HAVE to HAVE a drink? Just curious…. In our program they recommend avoiding alcohol for 1 yr postop. (The reasons: alcohol is a gastric irritant, can add to dehydration, empty/non-nutrative calories stalling wt loss/assisting in possible regain, risk of dumping as many alcohols or mixed drinks are HIGH in sugar, others are carbonated (beer/champagne) so they ask us to void that as well, risk of intoxication could be higher sooner due to rapid absorbtion, the alcohol may loosen one up to eat foods they normally wouldn't, it can interfere with vitamin/mineral absorbtion also which we are already at risk for deficiencies in B12, thiamine, vit A, zinc, magnesium... etc...and finally we are taxing our already most likely 'fatty' livers with the rapid wt loss, risk of cirrhosis is greater early on), so 'I' haven't tried alcohol in my 5 yrs postop, but it never was a big issue or deal for me preop, what I liked was a daquiri or pinacolada, neither would I try postop due to the sugar content in mixes. Now there are lo carb mixes out there. I'd keep from sweet wines (like white zin, trying dryer white wine perhaps first), I'd skip beer due to carbonation. I agree the sugar in a drink such as you describe compounded w/ alcohol sugar may of made the a 'dumping', but the headache may just be your bodies NEW way of a hangover I suppose after alcohol, trying different kinds may make the h/a less or you may experience it with any form. I wish you well in whatever you decide! I have a friend 10 yr postop, she cant stomach any liquor, she gets immediate red face, flushed feeling and severe headache. Of course there are people who drink early on and OFTEN! (one reason I started an OSSG ADDICTIONS group!) many many post wlsers trade addictions! (*I am not saying this is you, I am just stating a fact)......
CAN DO ANYTHING YOU CHOSE, alcohol is a choice…Make an educated and informed one for you. BUT IMHO at 6 mo out ‘I’ wouldn’t dare touch the possible slippery slope!! more than wt loss issues switching addictions is so easy and happens so commonly (I started a group for it OSSG ADDICTIONS on yahoo!)
Bariatric times just had 2 great articles on wls/alcohol, once they are avail on the site I’d LOOK AT Perspective:
Alcohol and the Gastric Bypass Patient
- by Cynthia K. Buffington, PhD http://bariatrictimes.com/displayArticle.cfm?articleID=article273
Patient Perspective: My Battle with Alcohol After Bariatric Surgery - by Patty Worrells
http://www.bariatrictimes.com/displayArticle.cfm?articleID=a rticle276
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Alcohol Metabolism Changes After Bariatric Surgery
Norra MacReady June 15, 2007 — Findings from a new study support what many patients have long suspected: that bariatric surgery changes their response to alcohol. http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/558345_print
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Popular Weight Loss Procedure Could Lead to Addiction
May 21, 2007 04:22 PM EDT
http://www.wsfa.com/global/story.asp?s=6546994&ClientType=Printable
Recommendations on the Use of Alcohol After Surgery
http://www.beyondchange-obesity.com/obesityResearch/precautionsWithAlcohol.html
Caution When Using Alcohol after Bariatric Surgery By Cynthia Buffington, Ph.D.
http://www.barimd.com/myNewsletterPage.php?pageNo=5&practiceId=7
Alcohol Use in the Bariatric Patient
Cynthia Buffington, Ph.D. in Silhouette
http://www.bbvitamins.com/research_Article_5.aspx
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Alcoholism Following Weight Loss Surgery
http://www.wlscenter.com/NLArchive/may_1_2006.htm
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After weight-loss surgery, some find new addictions
http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/0718wsj-addiction-transfer18-ON.html#
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From BSCIs
e-Newsletter October 31st, 2006
Addiction and Weight Loss Surgery: A Social Worker's Perspective
By Katie Jay, MSW; Director, National Association for Weight Loss Surgery
Here's a typical scenario. At her sister's wedding, Fiona, who had never been a big drinker, decided to try her first taste of alcohol after weight loss surgery (WLS). She had waited 11 months after surgery, had lost 115 pounds so far, and wasn't going to deny herself a glass of champagne on such an important day. And wow, did she enjoy that champagne! She sipped on a small drink, got a nice buzz, and laughed the evening away. No big deal.
Fiona didn't realize that gastric bypass patients will get drunker quicker and have higher blood alcohol levels after drinking smaller quantities of alcohol than people who have not had weight loss surgery. Fiona Rekindles the "Pleasure" of a Mood-Altering Activity
After WLS, Fiona had done a pretty good job of changing her eating habits. She almost completely avoided sugar and ate mostly protein and veggies. She loved her success, but there was a part of her who missed indulging in food. When she tried the champagne, she felt self indulgent and relaxed in a way she hadn't in a long time (in about 11 months, actually).
The following week when Fiona was grocery shopping she decided to pick up a bottle of wine. It would be great to have a small glass before dinner sometimes, she thought. She poured herself a small glass when she got home from the store just to find out how it tasted and to quietly enjoy another little buzz. Over time, Fiona began to sneak wine during the day. She hid it when her husband commented on her consumption. The behavior of wanting something forbidden, getting it, hiding it, and consuming it in private was so familiar to Fiona from her days of overeating that it was almost a relief to sneak the wine -- and she slowly built up the quantity she was drinking. Thankfully, Fiona was participating in group therapy with a social worker who specialized in weight loss surgery at the time. When one of the other group members shared about getting into a car accident and being arrested for driving drunk, Fiona felt uncomfortable. She had driven to pick up her son from soccer the prior evening after she had a small glass of wine. At the time she knew she was tipsy. Still, she poured herself more wine when she got home from group and drank it in the basement playroom, because her husband almost never went down there. Fiona didn't have to get arrested for drunk driving to really "get" that she had a problem. Everything came to a head when her son found an empty wine bottle in his toy box in the basement, while Fiona had another mother and son over for a play date. Fiona was completely humiliated. Embarrassed and ashamed, Fiona called her therapist to talk about what happened, and the therapist referred her to a social worker who specializes in substance abuse. With the help of the therapist and a support group for substance abusers, Fiona was able to get on the road to recovery quickly.
But, why did Fiona Turn into an Alcoholic Overnight? Fiona simply switched one addiction for another. It's not uncommon for a person who gives up one addictive behavior to pick up another addictive behavior. Fiona had quit using food as a soothing substance in her life. The alcohol came in and filled that void. Switching addictions is also demonstrated when a person develops an unhealthy relationship with eating and exercise following weight loss surgery. Exercise can become a way to compensate for overeating, and can turn into what is called exercise bulimia. It's not bad to exercise as part of a plan to control one's weight. But if the overeating becomes excessive, and then the exercise becomes obsessive -- that's a problem. Your physical health can be threatened -- not to mention your peace of mind.
The other common addiction people switch to is spending. Many weight loss surgery patients get such a kick out of shopping for new clothes they get a little carried away - and then they get hooked. Having been so burdened by obesity in the past, weight loss surgery patients begin to leave the house more, because they're now physically able to, and they shop more frequently. Shopping can morph into a mood-changing activity, and hence, an addiction. What Can People Do in Fiona's Situation?
Several steps can be taken to address the experience of switching addictions: 1. Identify your addiction(s) and the extent to which it is (they are) ruling your life. 2. Educate yourself about a particular addiction by doing research and talking to professionals who have knowledge and experience in that area. 3. Seek out a knowledgeable social worker if you are unable to control your addictive behavior on your own. 4. Join a support group that addresses your specific addiction, such as overeaters anonymous, alcoholics anonymous, debtors anonymous, etc. Remember, addictions are very common and nothing to be ashamed of. But, they are hard to get rid of in isolation. Get help if you are struggling. And keep in mind any addictions left untreated absolutely will take over your life.
Katie Jay, MSW, is the Director of the National Association for Weight Loss Surgery (www.nawls.com) and is author of the courageous book, Dying to Change: My Really Heavy Life Story, How Weight Loss Surgery Gave Me Hope for Living.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jun 18, 2007 9:57 PM EDT Alcohol Stronger After Obesity Surgery By SUDHIN THANAWALA, Associated Press Writer -- People who had obesity surgery got drunk after just one glass of red wine, researchers reported in a small study that was inspired by an episode on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." "A lot of people think they can have one glass of wine and be OK," said Dr. John Morton, assistant professor of surgery at Stanford University Medical Center, who is the study's lead author. "The concern here is they really can't."Morton has performed more than 1,000 gastric bypass, or stomach stapling, surgeries. He said he routinely warns his patients about drinking alcohol, but it wasn't until Winfrey discussed the issue on her show last October that the public really took notice. He said questions poured in. "I didn't find a whole lot in the literature, so that prompted the study," he said. The research team gave 36 men and women - 19 who had obesity surgery and 17 who did not - five ounces of red wine each to drink in 15 minutes. Using a breathalyzer, their alcohol levels were measured every five minutes until it returned to zero. More than 70 percent of the surgery patient**** a blood-alcohol level of 0.08 percent, which qualifies as legally intoxicated in California, and two reached levels above 0.15, Morton said. By contrast, most of the control group had levels below 0.05 percent, the study reported.Researchers also found that obesity patients took longer to sober up. After matching the control group with the patient group for age, gender and weight, they found the patients took 108 minutes on average to return to a zero blood-alcohol level versus 72 minutes for the control group.Morton said the obesity surgery patients don't produce as much of an enzyme that breaks down alcohol because their stomachs are smaller. Also, the alcohol passes to their small intestine faster, speeding up absorption, he said. The findings, which were presented recently at a meeting of bariatric surgeons, highlight an important warning for obesity patients: "Never have more than a couple of glasses in a single sitting, and don't drive afterward," Morton said. Meg Semrau, a nurse coordinator of Stanford's bariatric program who had gastric bypass surgery herself more than three years ago, said she noticed her tolerance for alcohol was lower after surgery. "I literally feel it within a couple of sips now," she said. "Flushing in the face, a kind of disequilibrium." While some experts took issue with the study's size and methodology, they said it basically confirmed what they had suspected for some time: People who have gastric bypass surgery are more sensitive to alcohol. Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom, director of the weight management center at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, said Morton's results support alcohol warnings normally given to gastric bypass patients. However, she called drinking five ounces of wine in 15 minutes an "artificial" test. No one - let alone bariatric surgery patients - would be advised to drink that amount of alcohol so quickly, she said. In fact, Fernstrom said patients are discouraged from drinking alcohol because it is a "waste of calories." "Alcohol is not part of a healthful diet for gastric bypass surgery patients," she said. "If this is a pleasant part of life to certain people on special occasions, it must be monitored and discussed with their surgeon." Hope you discover something that works for you! Make an educated and informed decision….
Jamie Ellis RN MS NPP
100cm proximal Lap RNY 10/9/02 Dr. Singh Albany, NY
320(preop)/163(lowest)/185(current) 5'9'' (lost 45# before surgery)
Plastics 6/9/04 & 11/11/2005 Dr. King www.albanyplasticsurgeons.com
http://www.obesityhelp.com/member/jamiecatlady5/
"Being happy doesn't mean everything's perfect, it just means you've decided to see beyond the imperfections!"
In any event, this is a question that you should be asking your surgeon/nut. Believe me, they've heard every question. Some docs say no alcohol ever. Mine says to avoid it, but once in a while a glass (or less) of wine is o.k. People who have previously enjoyed wine say that post-wls, one or two sips can make them feel drunk, so they NEVER drink & drive.
I'd rather spend my calories on a permitted food that I enjoy. (Can't wait for sushi!)
