Drinking alcohol post-op

Hello fellow sleevers,

I am posting today to get some insight about when and how your first alcoholic drink went for you after surgery. I will level with all of you, I am 20 years old and most of my social settings and outings involve alcohol in some fashion or another. Yes, I am underaged but lets not kid ourselves haha! I am currently 2 and a half weeks out of my surgery date and I know its early in the process but I would just like a timetable as to when I can expect to be able to drink again. I don't want to be an alcoholic either but just to be able to enjoy the casual rum&coke or beer here and there with friends.

Please no judgements I just wanna learn about other's experiences!

Thank you all in advance!

The best advice I've read here is to start drinking when you want to stop losing and start gaining weight.

Did you ask your surgeon his advice on when you can start drinking alcohol again?  I think that's the best place to get advice for this particular question.

It is empty calories, so I would wait until I finished losing weight. Also I would try my first drink at home and see how you feel about it, before I have one in public. It may effect you differently. In this journey we need to change our mindsets, so I would try and think long term as to what will make you successful. I would say 'special occasion' rather than regular occurrence. I know 2 people who are struggling with the alcohol cross addiction 10 years after the surgery. I have had a few sips since surgery, hesitate to try more...

I wasn't allowed to drink alcohol for the first year - ask your surgeon what his rules are.  It's a good rule of thumb that you can start drinking when you want to stop losing weight.  

Perhaps it might be good to reset your social life?  

Hi SoFloBrandon!

Congrats on makin it to the losers bench! First check with your dr on the drinkin thing. Most will probably tell you not to drink while in weight loss mode, it's the stress on your liver, empty calories, yada, yada, yada. But you being a youngster I can understand about wanting to drink, my friends know I like to drink. Maybe at 6 months out I experimented with having a taste of whiskey at home just to see how my body reacted, no problems but I didn't drink anymore.

Now I'm almost a year out & I was at a retirement party with some friends & tried a drink that had plenty of ginger ale & ice in it & after a few sips felt that **** go right to my head. I stopped right there & sipped on water all night & my drink got so watered down that it tasted a bit nasty.

I only drink on special occasions & even then it's nurse 1 drink all night & sip water for the rest. Hell water looks like vodka, fake it till ya make it! 

Alcohol affects everyone differently, but stay away if you can, maybe once you make it to goal, see how it affects you, but you'll probably won't be able to drink much. Vets can probably give you better answers. 

Thanks for the advice! Yeah I can imagine the tolerance level with my new stomach will be pretty different!

In addition to the issues with alcohol (empty calories, reduced tolerance, etc.), you'll also have to consider the issue of carbonation. Different surgeons have different rules, but a lot of people can't handle the fizz in seltzer or diet soda (or beer).

If you want casual time with friends, you can just as easily have a diet coke (if the carbonation doesn't bother you) or some other diet/sugarfree/whatever nonalcoholic beverage while you have social hour.

Hi soflobrandon, my surgeon allowed me a glass of wine 6 weeks out. BIGGEST REGRET EVER!!! I'm 2 years post op and 30 lbs from goal. Awesome posts, they hit the nail on the head with, drink when your done losing and want to gain. And transfer addiction. Good luck:)

I've not had any surgery but I will tell you that I have a low tolerance to the sugar in alcohol.  If I drink more than 3 drinks I have issues that send me into the bathroom and keep me there the rest of the night.  OK, graphic, but my point is that you're going to be learning a lot of new ways to handle social situations with your new stomach.  Who wants to spend the night in the bathroom because of too much booze, sugar, or carbonation when there's fun to be had with your buddies and the ladies?  Just something to consider.

You can actually get three drinks down?  I'm stunned....half a glass of champagne and the room is spinning!