Glad I found all of you

Good Morning!  I had RNY in July 2004, lost 99 lbs and then discovered wine!  I've gained 40 of it back and was drinking about a bottle of wine each evening and experiencing black outs 2 to 3 times a week!  Before WLS I didn't have a drinking problem at all......could take it or leave it.  I realized that I had a problem and went cold turkey sober (not easy!)  My son was telling me about a Wall Street Journal article citing a connection between WLS and alcoholism.  Evidently, there is a two pronged approach...first is addiction transference where we trade our addiction to food to alcohol (most of the time wine) and second the physical changes of having our innards rewired causes us to absorb alcohol much more quickly and get a bigger high faster...one person compared it to mainlining alcohol!  That was my experience...man did I love that fast high.  I've been sober for a week now and can honestly say this is the first day I feel human.  My concern is that the medical community is not warning patients of the potential of alcoholism after WLS.  My advice to anyone having RNY is don't drink at all...period!  I've added a link to a website with lots of info on this problem and it includes the Wall Street Journal article.  If I have to have an addiction, I'm going to make it exercise :-;  Also I am a Reiki practitioner...(Reiki is a Japanese energy therapy and is being used in substance abuse centers to help break addictions) and will be performing it on myself twice a day...It is already helping.  Good luck to all of us! http://www.wlscenter.com/ResearchArticles/Intro.htm

Hi all,

This is a much bigger problem than be imagined and I would warn anyone who is considering wls to consider this as one of the con's of the surgery.

To make a long story short I had WLS a RNY in 2002 (age 38) and subsequent surgery for obstruction 6 months post since then no problem.  I lost over 150 lbs and had a baby 4 years post I put on about 40lbs back but have been maintaining a size 12 since birth 2+ years ago.

I drank prior to WLS I always had a few glasses of wine every evening and I told MD and SW this and was told it should not be and issue.  I am here today to tell you that I am now a full blown alcoholic.  I didn't even think of a drink for the first few months but once I started all bets were off. First of all you get drunk real quickly and then there is the transfer of addictions. 

I have been in recovery for 4 years with many relapses and I have met many many others like myself.  This is not just a rare occurance.  I am here to say that there is shame in being morbidly obese but more shame in being an alcoholic.

Please be careful
God Bless

 Oh I hear you, Denise.  I could care less one way or another about wine before WLS.  Sure I would have a glass as a celebration for a holiday or wedding or something but that was really about it. Then, I tried wine for the first time 6 months after post op and found out WOW it is intoxicating and quickly. I noticed I would desire it and it wasn't those holidays or weddings anymore. That really scared me and I don't know why no one ever mentioned it before I had the surgery.  My idea now is just stay away- COMPLETELY.I'm looking forward to reading the WSJ article. Kim M.

Hi Denise.. glad you found us too.  Congratulations on your recognizing the addiction and quitting.  I wish you the best.  For myself.. I drank prior to WLS.. what I consider just paryting with friends.  Stopped for awhile.. but then after WLS, found the wicked poison *vodka for me* again and it started hitting me hard.  Experienced the instant *high* after a couple drinks.. but couldn't stop until I was in a black out 2 hours later.. kept drinking until I usually passed out after 2 more hours.  I came to terms that my body could just not handle it.. and smart enough to know that it is a progressive disease.. so I will never be able to just *drink* like normal people can.  I have had sobriety for 3 months now and I don't miss it at all.  I was able to get help thru AA altho I haven't been to a meeting in a couple weeks now.. but I know they are always there and have always inspired me if I need to return there for support!! hugssss and hope to see you more!! Rhonda

Hi and welcome.  I am glad you found us. From what I can tell, the research on the connection between WLS and alcoholism is just being learned in the medical community.  In grad school I did a lot of research on alcoholism, and never once saw any articles on WLS in any of my research.  I graduate two years ago.   I had my WLS in August, six months ago, and I thank God I found AA and sobriety a long time ago.  I will admit that since giving up sugar, and binge eating, and not having alcohol either, I feel my emotions much more intensely, which is challenging.  That is where my AA meetings and my sponsor come in handy, and helps me deal with everything sober and rationally. Have you been to Alcoholics Anonymous?  You can receive a lot of support there.   Hugs, Trish

Thank you all for the support and encouragement.  No, I haven't been to AA, because for myself, I don't believe my addiction is emotional, I believe it is a direct result of the surgery making alcohol so much more potent to me now.  I am beginning to think of it the same way I think of sugar...POISON to my body.  Of course, I may be wrong about the emotional addiction part, and if I relapse, AA is definitely going to see a visit from me!  I did notice a wonderful thing yesterday.  I have been on Lexapro for about four years for long standing chronic depression.  My little gray cloud was hanging around lately and since I've stopped drinking, I noticed that yesterday my happy happy joy joy is back!  Woo Hoo!  Of course the bottle of Lexapro tells you NOT to drink alcohol while taking this drug, but do any of us listen to that!  I'm wondering if maybe the alcohol was dampening the effect of my anti-depressent.  Something to think about.  Of course being emotionally even and happy again makes it easier to not drink.  Patricia, you are probably right on when you say that this link is just now beginning to come to light.  No doubt we will be hearing more and more about it in the future. 

Denise, I just found this board tonight. 2 weeks ago I started going to an OA meeting ...much like AA but its for overeaters. Its also based on the 12 steps and Im finding lots of help there. I found my local group by going to OA.org. I also would like to say that I have alot of addictions, one being shopping which is causing havock in my marriage(qvc and hsn online) and one being food/ carbs. I dont have the alcohol one yet but then Ive never even had a beer. It runs in my family so I didnt even have a desire to touch the stuff. Im very grateful I didnt too. I now work on a drug and alcohol unit. Im an RN. I just wanted to mention that alcohol is a depressent...so it would make since that it would counter act your anti depressent. Thank God for my LEXAPRO. This has been such an emotional journey for me I dont know where I would have been without it. I just wish I could take 2 a day on those pms days...LOL Lastly,  I am very interested in Reiki,  Can u explain how u do that to yourself or pass along a link with info about it.....Thanks

 

Mariah

Hey Mariah, glad to see you over here. I love it. It's been a huge help for all of us. Congrats on your decision to go to OA. My good buddy from AA is going there as well, he said its been a huge help to him. Talk to you soon, Amber

Hey Amber, Im so glad to see u as well.  You have done an amazing job and I love your latest pic.  You are so beautiful both inside and out.  I hope u continue to keep up with your posts u are such a blessing to me. Mariah

Thanks, Mariah! I feel the same about you. It's all about recovering here and its a cruical part of our lives now, FINALLY. Keep up the good work! Amber