Alcoholism after surgery

Is anyone else having trouble handling alcohol after surgery?

I didn't try alcohol for 5 years after WLS. I was at a wedding and randomly had a glass of red wine. No negative reaction.

You are not alone if you are having this issue.  It is a very common cross-addiction and from what I have read, many people who had no issues with alcohol find themselves having a problem after WLS.  There is a group on here of very supportive people.  I cannot find the link, but hopefully one of the vets who has more information about this will chime in and add a link for you.

If you are having a problem, I sincerely hope that you find the help and support you need very quickly.  ::hugs::

Here is the link to Crossing to Transfer Addictions Group

Good Luck :)

Hi I had surgery in 2013 but I had this issue as well. One of things I did is stop buying alcohol altogether and stopped asking for it at resturants. I have now noticed that I don't crave it as much. However what I did notice is that I started shopping to much so I had to break this habit. I started leaving credit cards at home. You're not alone with this issue if you need counseling don't be embarassed, its trading one addiction for another. I wish they would have talked to me about this before surgery. At one point I thought I was crazy until other people started saying the same problem. Talk to a friend if you have to its one thing that helped me.   

Cross addictions are common. I have two friends who became alcoholics post op. Very hard to watch. One is "recovered" and one is trying. There is no shame in struggling - we all struggle with different things. There is a lot o help out there and it takes many forms. Keep trying until you find the solution that works for you. The fact that you recognize this and are asking the question is huge! Good for you! Hang in there and good luck!

no troubles. but i never had troubles before, either. if you're experiencing some just use the traditional methods of treatment imo. wls does not cause addiction or make a person drink. addiction is either already there, or will develop according to behaviors with drink or drugs

myself? i don't drink because i never have and don't like the taste or lasting effects. but on rare occasion when i do drink, especially hard stuff, it hits fast and....hard. kinda fun, actually. but not for me. 

Anyone who has struggled with food and/or addiction prior to WLS, is at risk of developing a substitute, or transfer addiction. It's not a myth .. it's real and can be dangerous, alcohol isn't the only cross addiction that can develop but it's the most common one. 

I never had a problem with alcoholism. And now...I am at least 11-12 years post-op. I have lost 228 pounds and I do have a serious problem with alcohol. It may be exactly what the previous post said about it being an underlying problem before surgery. Maybe just addiction transference. I'm not sure but I highly encourage everybody both pre and post-op...just be aware. There are several forms of media (Oprah for one) who have drawn that particular conclusion. Just according to statistics alone. An alarming number of people who have had WLS truly do become alcoholics. Not everybody...but me for sure. Best of luck in your journey.

I never had a problem with alcoholism. And now...I am at least 11-12 years post-op. I have lost 228 pounds and I do have a serious problem with alcohol. It may be exactly what the previous post said about it being an underlying problem before surgery. Maybe just addiction transference. I'm not sure but I highly encourage everybody both pre and post-op...just be aware. There are several forms of media (Oprah for one) who have drawn that particular conclusion. Just according to statistics alone. An alarming number of people who have had WLS truly do become alcoholics. Not everybody...but me for sure. Best of luck in your journey.