Question:
What's the deal with diet soda?

I was wondering why we can't drink diet pepsi or any other kind of diet soda. It seems I can tolerate diet pepsi more then water. Is there a particular reason why us post-op's have to stay away from it. I am almost 3 weeks post-op.    — Peggy D. (posted on April 23, 2002)


April 23, 2002
the caranation in the soda will expand you pouch. We were told to leave it alone for the first 6 months and then we could have it after that. A lot of people find that they don't even like it after the 6 months of being off from it. I drink one every once in a while, but perfer water over anything.
   — livnliter

April 23, 2002
the carbonation will expand my pouch? Say no more. I will definately stay away from diet soda. Thanks for the info.
   — Peggy D.

April 23, 2002
I've done a lot of research on this and I've found that most experts believe the pouch expansion thing is innacurate. Yes, the carbonation can fill your pouch but it doesn't expand it so much that it stretches significantly. Food will stretch your pouch out, too. How do you think you go from eating an ounce to 4-6 ounces at a time? I drink diet soda and lime seltzer water (great way to get in the water without the caffeine or nutrasweet in soda) every day. In order to reduce the carbonation I will open the can or bottle and leave it out for a half hour or so before I begin to drink. Putting soda over ice or stirring it also gets rid of most of the carbonation.
   — PT LawMom

April 23, 2002
I don't think the carbonation will permanently stretch your pouch either, but I think it would probably be pretty uncomfortable, especially in the first few weeks post-op.
   — garw

April 23, 2002
I just read your question again. Another reason not to drink diet Pepsi or diet Coke for that matter is the caffeine. If you're drinking the caffeine-free kind, at least you don't have that working against you.
   — garw

April 23, 2002
I have seen it mentioned on here before that the carbonation is bad for our bones. Something to the effect that the carbonation encourages osteoporosis. You might want to search in the library on this site to find out more.
   — Cheri M.

April 23, 2002
OK, I went to the library and if you plug in carbonation as the search word, you get related questions right away. Particularly the 4th and 5th question have people answering about the carbonation causing the calcium to be pulled from our bones. Read up on it. Good luck
   — Cheri M.

April 25, 2002
Just pour the pop in a glass with 1-3 teapsoons of Splenda (or another sugar sub of your choice). These sugar subs make the pop fuzz up and release carbonation thus making them much easier to drink. Also adding ice helps. So stur in the sugar sub and the ice and pop is NO PROBLEM. Plus it makes it taste sweeter and more like regular. I do this alot.
   — Danmark

April 25, 2002
WhenI eat out, I often take a sip of my hubby's real Coke, or my son's. If it's watered down w/ ice it's ok. ( 3 sips max for me) but if it's really carbonated it hurts my tummy!
   — Cindee A.




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