Question:
Drinking

I have several questions regarding drinking ... not alcohol, but water and other things. Do you know how long it takes for liquid to go from your mouth, into the tummy and through ... Like if I drank 2 ounces of water - how long until my tummy had no water in it? Another question - I've been craving 7-UP lately. Diet of course. Am I doing myself any long term damage by indulging - I usually take it into my mouth in small sips and let the carbonation kind of die down and then swallow. I probably drink about 1/2 can and then that's it. I don't want to ruin myself - but for whatever reason I've NEEDED that the last couple days. ONE Last drinking question - if we were not to wait the full 30 minutes-45 minutes after we eat, does the liquid harm us? Does it push the food through the stomach faster by diluting it? What damage could this do? Thanks for "listening" ... if you got this far! I'm sorry for the length - but these are very real concerns of mine.    — Allee Z. (posted on October 8, 2003)

October 8, 2003
Allee--you asked this same question 30 questions ago. I doubt that the opinions of members here will be any different now than they were this morning. You seem very concerned about caronation and drinking soon after eating. I suggest that you discuss this with a professional--a dietitian or your doc. Our opinions are just that, and if you keep asking the question hoping for different answers, you are only going to become more confused.
   — Vespa R.

October 9, 2003
I dont know why you want 7 up but thanks for saying that, you reminded me I had a diet vanilla pepsi in the kitchen. If we dont wait the full 30 min to drink after a meal, water or anything else will push the food thru too fast and we will be hungry again too soon or so my dr said. If i get a food stuck by not chewing enough, I drink a sip of diet pop and it moves the food down. also if the food doesnt stay a little while then we dont get any of the nutrients we may get if it stays longer. I asked my dr the reason and that is what he said.
   — [Deactivated Member]

October 10, 2003
As far as how fast does the liquid move through....well, pour yourself some water through a funnel that has about 1/2 inch opening at the bottom. Obviously, if you pour too fast you can overflow the funnel. Well, your new tunmmy works about the same way. If you drink too fast, water will start backing up your eshophagus....but, no damage done...it just doesn't feel so great. As far as the diet 7up...well, I personally wouldn't do it, but hey, we're all different. Besides, there are as many opinions on pop out there as there are surgeons. So, as long as you don't make yourself miserable with the carbonation...why not once in a while. Now, drinking soon after eating is a different story. See, a 'normal' stomach has a valve on the bottom of it (that your new stomach doesn't have) that does a 'controlled release' for about 11/2 hours after you eat, only allowing particles smaller than about 3mm to pass through. The rest of the food continues to 'churn' and be digested by the acids in your stomach. During this process, the food keeps getting pushed up to the top of the stomach...which is where the brain gets it's "full" signal from. After that 90 minutes, or so, have passed, the valve then opens and dumps everything that remains into the intestines. Anyway, now that you've had surgery, food will only stay in your pouch for a limited time before it moves through on it's own...no water added. It is important that it stay there as long as possible though. See, it's the food sitting up against the top of your pouch (the original top of the stomach) that tells your brain that you have eaten. Now, if you go and drink with your meals then the food just keeps getting pushed through and your brain never thinks you've eaten anything. This is a bit over simplified but does it make sense? Of course, at this stage it might not really matter much if you don't get hungry yet....but it will matter down the road when you become hungry again. So, you might as well get used to the not drinking after meals now so you don't face being hungry all day down the road. Another thing I would suggest is doing a library or web search on Pouch Rules For Dummies, and read through it...there is some helpful information on short and long term pouch care. Good luck to you.
   — eaamc