Question:
How fast can I drink water?

I know my pouch will only hold about 2oz, but water does slide through quite easily. I have an advantage in that I am already a water drinker...I generally steer clear of juice and haven't drank soda 12 years (my one saving grace in the batle of the bulge). On a good day now (when I am trying), I can drink 160 oz. BUT...I am a fast gulper - that's how I do it. I know I will have to get in my 64 oz/day after surgery WITHOUT drinking fast or gulping. I'll split it into 16 oz portions. QUESTION: How long SHOULD it take to drink 16 oz. ?    — PaulaM (posted on November 6, 2001)

November 6, 2001
Chiming in here! At 6 mos post-op, I can drink 16 oz in about 10-15 minutes, but I still can't drink plain water, I need to mix in about 2-3 oz of juice in order to get my liquids in. Used to be a BIG water drinker, but now it makes me sick, oh well, so now I drink peach or cherry or berry flavored water, it's ok, but I do miss just drinking some plain old cold water! Mmmm!
   — potterylady

November 6, 2001
Be patient, your taste for plain water will return and eventually you'll be able to drink it quite "normally". Have you tried Crystal Light? It comes in lots of terrific flavors.
   — [Anonymous]

November 6, 2001
I am 34 days post op. I was told to drink 6 oz. of liquid every hour and no more than that. It doesn't take me a whole hour usually but I can really only take small sips because gulping, guzzling or even a big sip can make me hurt inside. So I don't have to worry about drinking too fast because my body won't let me. It comes right back up, too if I drink too many of my mini-sips too fast.
   — Jennifer H.

May 13, 2005
A nurse in the hospital told me that if I drank more than 6 oz. of water in an hour, it would stretch my stomach. My doctor said she was wrong. Now that I'm not scared of stretching the pouch, I can take in five or six large gulps at once and be fine, just like pre-op. And I'm only 9 days post-op. So don't worry, if you chug your water pre-op, you most likely will be able to post-op.
   — tornado_ali

May 13, 2005
not only does water run straight thru your pouch, Imaging the stoma about the size of an M&M at the bottom that is just open, and pouring water in. it just runs thru. when I needed a CT scan of my bowels I had to drink 64 oz of water in about and hour, i was sure I couldn't and even made the ER staff call my surgeon group and verify that I couldn't, and they said YES I could, and I did. without puking too!
   — **willow**