Alcohol & WLS

Recently, I have seen several posts about drinking alcohol on a few different boards.  I'm not going to tell you about cross addiction or weight gain -- I want to tell you that -- If you've had WLS and drink ANY alcohol -- know that you probably are damaging your health.   If someone handed you a glass and said, "here, drink this -- you'll love the taste and the feeling, but it's laced with a small amount of poison."  Would you drink it, over and over again?  please read this excerpt from a paper written by Cynthia Buffington, Ph.D., Director of Research for The Obesity Wellness Center.  I was in the audience when she first delivered her findings in this paper.  I changed my view of WLS and Alcohol forever. "Metabolic changes that occur with massive and rapid weight loss may also increase the clearance of alcohol by a secondary pathway of alcohol metabolism that substantially increases the risk for liver damage while, at the same time, makes an individual more sensitive to the toxic and cancer-promoting effects of pollutants in the air, industrial solvents (such as those in household cleaners), and certain drugs.

Alcohol use can also cause brain damage, a loss of consciousness or even death by reducing the supply of sugar (glucose) to the brain. Muscle, heart, liver and other tissues use fat and sugar (glucose) for fuel. The brain, however, needs sugar to function. To avoid a depletion of sugar, the body stores sugar in the form of glycogen. Glycogen stores, however, can be depleted in a short period of time with prolonged work or exercise, fasting or a diet low in carbohydrate. Furthermore, alcohol reduces the process that allows sugar to be stored as glycogen.

The bariatric patient, particularly in the rapid weight loss period and if on a low carbohydrate diet, may have low amounts of stored sugar (glycogen). Drinking alcohol could deplete those stores and cause blood sugar levels to decline. The body, however, has another mechanism to maintain appropriate amounts of sugar in the body. This process is known as gluconeogenesis and is a chemical pathway that converts certain components of protein, lactic acid and other substances into sugar. However, alcohol reduces the production of sugar by this process and can, thereby, cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)."

Read the full article on this subject by clicking here. http://www.wlscenter.com/UseOfAlcohol.htm PLEASE -- DON"T CONSUME ALCOHOL IF YOU HAVE HAD WLS.

Thank you for your post!! Its definetly an eye opener for me.Debra

I do agree, and think that we really have to look at the whole picture with wls. There are new variables in our newly designed systems, and we have to listen to warnings about them!

Well....I guess there are degrees of everything. I consume an occational glass of wine or beer and have no issues with it. I do not feel 'drunk' any differently than preop. I've actually read this article before and will add that many of the effects of alcohol discussed here are the same effects as those to people who have not had WLS. If you read the metobolic effects of coffee on your body you'd probably not drink that either :-)) I am neither an advocate or against alcohol consumption post-op....just presenting a different view.

Sandy, I agree that these same effects apply to folks who have never had WLS.  However, for WLS folks the effects are more rapid because of our livers are already taxed processing all the excess fat and toxins in that fat.  Even for those years out, your body functions have changed because of WLS.   Why chance it? 

Thanks for sharing!!!  I have a friend who started to drink 6 months post op and she is now 15 months post op and she is battling low blood sugar issues!  hhhmmmmm, coincidence?!?!?  I think NOT!  (ps....I've tried to tell her that her daily drinking will ruin her health) Hugs!

Thank you for the article. I was never fond of alcohol and my surgeon doesnt promote drinking post op so I decided "never" again was no hardship for me.  Since surgery I have known several people who almost died from drinking post wls. The issues they had were not normal to non wls people so its not always a matter of "well alcohol CAN be bad for anyone" I personally am an advocate of reduced alcohol consumption post op if one cant obstain forever, though I think abstinance is always best.  Would you cross post this to the RNY forum too? If people are going to drink post op, the very least they can have is knowledge of what they are doing. This way the people who dont like alcohol enough to take any additional risks can order virgins and enjoy it just as well :) HUGS PK

PK, I would cross post to another forum if I knew how.  I'm not very computer savy.  Please feel free to or to copy my post.   Cathy

Ok, now I feel crappy and guilty. No harm meant. I totally agree with the post. But I've *gasp* consumed alcohol.  I don't drink often in fact, TRULY rarely. On my birthday last year I had a (1) drink. Over the summer, I tried an exellant glass of wine (and got sloshed****rtainly cook with winde, but most of the alcohols burn off when you're cooking with it.  I even plan on drinking over this upcoming birthday. It makes me feel like a fraud. But what to do. I got this surgery so I could live and enjoy my life. Living involves taking a few risks. Like.. riding the roller coaster.  I know I've nothing to worry about here.. three times a year drinking is something I seriously doubt will harm me.. but darnit.. now I'm almost guilted into talking things over with my doc (my surgen has retired). And making sure I shouldn't 86 the alcohol entirely.

I'm not trying to guilt anyone into anything.  I just want to make sure we all have the facts to make informed decisions about our health and life.  I too cook with alcohol products and on a rareeeee occassion had a sip of something alcoholic at a celebration.   I am no saint, I have "gasp" had a cookie (or 2).  I ate them with the knowledge that I could gain weight, dump, or both.  Nowhere in that knowledge base was -- I could make myself vulnerable to liver disease or certain types of cancers.  This is what you risk when you combine WLS and alcohol if Dr. Buffington's research is correct.   Point to ponder:  Dr. Buffington had no financial incentive to do the research on WLS and Alcohol (no anti-alcohol lobby was paying her to support her findings) so, unless her rearch was faulty she is correct. I had WLS because I wanted to take back control of my health and live a "normal" life.  I just define  "Normal" differently now.