Question:
how will alcohol effect me?

Someone told me that after her surgery a half of beer got her drunk?? True of false? thanks    — [Anonymous] (posted on February 1, 2002)


February 1, 2002
I will preface this by saying, I don't drink often! I had an open RNY about 20 months ago. The ONE time I tried to drink an entire margarita (~8 oz) it really did get me tipsy! I have found, though, that the alcohol doesn't affect me quite as strongly now that I am further out from surgery. One or two glasses of wine is more than enough for me.
   — Lisa P.

February 1, 2002
Alcohal effects you quickly. I drink a few drinks a month. About half of one and I feel it pretty good. You metabolize it fast, so then the drunk feeling goes away fast, too. I still won't drive after drinking, I see no reason to take dumb risks. ALso, I have heard that it can be harder on your liver post-op, so don't overdo it too often.
   — M. A. B.

February 1, 2002
I am six months post op. I noticed that I get queasy with alcohol very fast. I can't drink enough of it to even get a buzz. I was never really a drinker before, but even less now.
   — Dawn H.

February 1, 2002
I went back home to Visit at 6 weeks Postop. I used to drink quite a bit, and so do my friends. So of course 2 nights in a row we had to go to the bar. I had been craving a beer since week 1 anyway, so I figured what could it hurt. I hadn't drank before that since October. I had 5 beers the first night cut with Tomato juice, and salt to cut down the bubbles. It was devine. It took me all of 8 hours to drink those 5 beers. I also drank a glass of water in between beers 3, and 4 so I didn't get dehydrated. I did not even get buzzed. I did the same thing the next net with the same results. no Buzz. but that is okay, I wanted it mainly for the taste anyway. the thing is, I gained weight back. Only a few pounds, but I had been struggling with a Plateu anyway, so it did not help my frustration levels any. Just keep that in mind if you do decide to drink
   — sbinkerd1

February 1, 2002
I'm not much of a fan of alcohol, but when I went home for the holidays at 7 weeks post-op, everyone was having a glass of red wine. So I decided to give it a whirl to see how it would affect me. I drank a half glass and was feeling quite light headed. I didn't drink anymore in fear of it affecting me more intensely. That has been my only experience. Maybe it hit me pretty hard because I was only 7 weeks out. Cheers!
   — Cheri M.

February 1, 2002
I am almost 11 weeks out - LAP RNY - and I have started experimenting. I had to Malibu rum and pineapple juice drinks about two weeks ago and I didn't even get a buzz, no hang over, no problems. The following week I had two glasses of white zinfandel - SLIGHT buzz, no hang over, no sickness. Two days ago I had 4 glasses of white zinfandel and was definitely buzzed but not drunk. No I don't plan to make this drinking schedule a regular habit, just had a lot of events these past couple weeks.
   — [Anonymous]

February 2, 2002
The first time I had a glass of wine after surgery, it seemed to affect me much more than before surgery. I only had one glass and it took me 2 hours to drink it. Occasionaly, since then, I will have a glass of wine with dinner and it does not seem to affect me any different. I also had a beer once after surgery and I thought the bubbles would hurt but that beer went down great and tasted so good!
   — Elizabeth C.

February 5, 2002
I just had to answer this question! Let me start by saying that I'm Russian and before surgery I could get those vodka screwdrivers down, maybe 4 or 5 no problem. Now, post-op (I'm 9 months post) ONLY 2 SIPS GETS ME DRUNK!!!!! And I feel like poop when I get drunk like that - dizziness with nausea, unsteady on my feet, act like a bimbo, slurred speach, then finally I'm out cold, snoring away. I almost got addicted to alcohol at one point in my life (long pre-op) when I was going through some severe anxiety. But I managed to get myself out of that. I stuck to social drinking. Among Russians, it's an insult to not have a drink when offered. Of course now I tell them to get lost; I have a medical condition. It's not very pleasant for me to get drunk now and I avoid it. I also want to mention that sometimes post-ops have a hard time dealing with no longer being able to eat the quantities of foods they used to love, and they find something else, like alcohol, to replace the food. This is what I tried (of course NOT immediately post-op; I was probably 6 months post-op before I had my first sip of alcohol) and found the alcohol wasn't very nice. There are other ways of dealing with the cravings for food such as exercise where you get those feel-good endorphins going through your system.
   — lalasmommy

February 6, 2002
I have to admit that I go out with friends almost every weekend and drink socially. I had RNY surgery a year ago and have lost 135 pounds (20lbs from goal) and have not really noticed alcohol affecting me any differently than before surgery. I was scared from reading many people's posts that it may hit me harder but that hasn't really been the case. Although I may already be at goal had I not drank on the weekends, I have had so much fun this past year that I think it has been a good trade off. So, the moral of this story is, like all aspects of surgery, people are affected by it in different ways.
   — Kelli B.




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