Question:
Is drinking coffee post op really that harmful?

Am I the only one out there who HAS to have coffee in the morning as their daily fix? I drink a mug of coffee every morning, probably about 8-10 oz., with Equal and fat-free coffee creamer. Am I really doing my body that much harm? I feel I'd being doing my psyche more harm by not drinking it. I was hoping that the craving would go away post op but it came right back. Love that coffee.    — blank first name B. (posted on December 25, 2001)


December 25, 2001
The way I hear it, coffee is a natural dehydrater to your body and one of the problems post-ops have is getting in enough water or acceptable fluids to adequately hydrate your body. If you become dehydrated you can get very ill. I too miss my coffee, but have stayed away from it since surgery. I did buy some decaf coffee, but I haven\'t had any yet. Ask your Doctor if one cup is okay! You may just have to drink 80 to 100 ounces of water a day instead of the standard 64 ounces recommended by most Doctors.
   — Susan M.

December 25, 2001
Drink at least twice as much EXTRA water as the amount of caffeinated coffee you drink. 10 oz of coffee drink a EXTRA 20 ounces of water on top of the amount of water you normally drink. Early on caffeine is bad for your new pouch too.
   — bob-haller

December 25, 2001
Hi -- I had a lap BPD/DS, so the post-op eating/drinking patterns may be different, but I have coffee pretty regularly. I drink decaf at home but will have regular with cream and sugar/OR EQUAL/SUCRA if they have it... I\'d say I average about 4-6 cups/week (I don\'t necessarily drink it every day). The dehydration hasn\'t been an issue for me and I do get a lot of water and other liquids in. However, I know that caffine can interfere with calcium absorption so I try to avoid it at night (when I take my calcium)... And, I try to drink decaf whenever possible. :) I didn\'t start drinking coffee until about 3 weeks post-op and then I could only average about 1-2 oz. Now, I can have 8-10 oz without any ill effects or anything. I drink it with quite a bit of milk/cream so I get more calcium in! LOL All the best, (lap ds with gallbladder removal/January 25, 2001/preop: 307 lbs/bmi45, now: 194 lbs/bmi 28),
   — Teresa N.

December 25, 2001
i am 8 days open rny post op. my surgeon has been doing bariatric surgery for 30 years. when i asked about coffee i was told...there is no medical evidence that coffee is going to hurt ur pouch so enjoy! i drink about 3/4 of a cup total during the day with just a splash of non dairy flavored creamer. the only prob i have had is when hubby puts a little too much of the creamer in. i know its the sugar in the creamer because i figured out on post op day 3 that anything too sweet/sugary gives me diarreah. on the trip home from arizona i shared some of hubby\'s black coffee while we drove. i cannot live without my coffee. i was raised on coffee. my family\'s cure for everything or extending of hospitality was coffee. it was also our way of ending the day together before bedtime...sitting around the table talking & drinking coffee. my dear sister & i still drink a cup before bed.
   — sheryl titone

December 25, 2001
I drink both decaf and regular. I don\'t let it bother me.
   — Danmark

February 15, 2002
I'm like you,CAN'T FUNCTION WITHOUT COFFEE,but can temporarly do de-caf, which you can do after surgery I understand.A suggestion is to cut back to a cup only,say a week before WLS, and you don't suffer withdrawel and headaches as you would if you were chugging it.It works because I've done that many times.
   — Jean B.

June 14, 2002
Another thought on coffee. The drs. recommend you only drink one cup a day, and the reason is your water intake is to be at a great deal more, some say 64 oz. The reason why limited coffee is because you could get dehydrated if your water consumption is not up there.I continue to drink 2 to three cups a day, but I try to sip water through the day also. Just be careful to not overdo the coffee.
   — Jean B.




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