Dont do it

If you want more issues then what you have before surgery, dont do it.  I have and know many people who have had RNY, the band and the sleeve, that have exchanged their food intake with alcohol.  ITS NOT GOOD.

I never drank and I have several other people that I know that didnt drink before surgery that do now.  There was never alcohol in my house.  A few years ago, probably 7 years out I had a drink, I thought wow, this makes me feel great, and I had another and another.....No I wouldnt call myself an alcoholic, I call it what happened to me after this surgery, because like I said I never drank before.  Yes, I blame the RNY for many things, like I never needed glasses, they tell me because I lost alot of weight that there is fat in your brain and when the shrinks your eyes shift, therefore you need glasses, I dont sleep, I have panic attacks, that I never had before, I had a nervous break down that I never had before,  and I blame this surgery for it. I now have a low white blood count that I never had before surgery.  No Dr can explain it, but I CAN.  ALL these issues came after about 6 years out.

I am writing Dr. Phil on this, and I hope that he will get me on his show so that I can warn people about this surgery!

I haven't had the surgery yet, but your alcoholism is pretty easily explained by transfer addiction. It's a well known phenomenon for people who have the surgery, as it is for anyone who basically trades in one addiction for another.

I dont think anyone is understanding, its not alcoholism.

If it is not alcoholism then what is it?  Can you just stop drinking?  If yes - why haven't you?  There is no time like present. 

My ex is an alcoholic. He drinks because he likes how alcohol makes him feel.  And he drinks every day.. At least he used to when we were together. 

He did not want to stop because he liked how he felt after drinking... 1-2 beers or 1/2 bottle of vodka.. .. 

Alcohol dependace , either mental or physical = alcoholism.  

For people who tell me they are not dependent - I tell them to just stop for a month... And if it is not a big deal - they know they are ok... But if it is hard, (and only you would know that) and you make excuses why you keep drinking - you have dependency.  

I hope you get help. 

I am so sorry that you have had issues since surgery. My surgeon and most warn now there is a very real risk of transfer addiction to alcohol. You switched your drug of choice from food to alcohol. Your surgery did not cause that as it was not the one that brought itself in your house! That is why working with a counselor to sort out the head issues is so important. We have to learn new ways to deal with the stresses of life if we want to succeed. I have worn glasses my whole life and would much wear them than die from the complications of diabetes that I had before my surgery. My diabetes,my high cholesterol and high blood pressure have all resolved since my surgery 41 months ago and I am thankful every day for my surgery. I can now live life and have fun with others instead of sitting at home isolated and by myself. I hope you can get the help you need to feel better about yourself and about your journey. Keep us posted please!

When I had my surgery, and my consults, and my waiting period which was a year of all that, there was things I had to so before I could have the surgery, I didnt go into blindly.  But, NOTHING was ever said about what could happen or would happen. I call my Surgeons office and asked them about this and they said there has never been a problem, now they either lied to me or to themselves because I know several people who have done just as I have.  Like I said, I never drank before, and its not that I want to know, if I could have one and be done that would be great, but its not how it goes, its finish the bottle because thats what we do.  

Also, I was never addicted to food, I was never full, I didnt eat because of depression, or any other reason,  I just think we need to look at this surgery as a reality that there are other ways to lose the weight, if I could reverse what has been done, I WOULD.

Also, I was never addicted to food, I was never full, I didnt eat because of depression, or any other reason

Wondering why (and how) you ended up big enough to have surgery if you didn't have a problem with food?

This is called trasnfer addiction and I was warned repeatedly by my doctor not to drink after surgery.  I'm sorry you fell into this trap, but I have had ample warning and have come into this with my eyes wide open.  Get yourself into therapy, join AA and OA and stop blaming the surgery for your alcoholism.  I hope you get it all worked out.

I didnt transfer one for another, I wouldnt call this an addiction, your brain changes, everything changes.    Again I wouldnt do it and have talked many out of it.

You didn't transfer your food addiction to alcohol?  Then how did you get fat enough to need surgery?  

I WOULD do it again.  I didn't and won't become an alcoholic, and I think it's a shame that you would talk people out of a lifesaving surgery because you didn't prepare and didn't take the steps necessary to stay away from this.  When I had surgery my surgeon made me sign a contract stating that I would NEVER drink again, that's how serious alcohol transfer addiction is.  Stop blaming surgery and look at yourself for the problem.