I am probably the only one who doesn't know this........

Gum sounds like one of those band/bypass issues where they are concerned about it getting stuck in their artificial restriction; I don't recall it ever being an issue in our program, which makes sense as they don't do bands or bypasses.

On the mints, if you count carbs, then you should count them, along with whatever gummie supplements one takes. OTOH, if you don't count carbs, you will have less need for breath mints.

Good to know, thanks for imput! Dee

I was never a gum chewer, but I do suck on sugarfree mints - but like any other sugarfree tihng, be careful and pay attention for signs of gastric upset if you do. I can't handle sugarfree candies like jolly ranchers or lifesavers, but I can do a mint or two a day without getting cramping or diarrhea.

My surgeon expressed no concerns over sugar-free gum chewing (as long as I don't swallow it :-)

I was told no gum at one point due to it triggering more acid when chewing it, and acid is a known possible issue for sleeve patients.

That's what I was afraid of, once told (before surgery) that chewing gum tells the stomach food is coming-when it doesn't, it starts the "hunger pangs". the acid is waiting to digest something, when nothing is eaten, stomachache starts. does this make sense??

Essentially the same version I was told, other than the focus was not on the concern of it triggering us to eat but rather that the triggering of the acid production is hard on our stomachs.

They gave me sugar free peppermint gum in the hospital and said I could chew it whenever I was feeling sick. The peppermint helps move the gas along and soothes the stomach. I chewed it several times a day so I wouldn't throw up and still chew it now when my stomach is feeling a little wacky. I think we're all old enough to not swallow our gum, so that is a ridiculous reason to not have the assistance in soothing our stomachs and keeping our mouths from eating something we shouldn't.