Coexister

I am a DSer 3 years out. Carbs do the gas and foul smell for me. So bread, rice, potatoes, Beans, sugar, chips - I will get gas that sounds like a herd of buffalo are coming through. Everyone is different. Some people get wicked diarrhea from certain foods. I did not have any food issues (lucky I guess). Dairy can do it, carbs definitely do it, and certain chemicals can do it. Curb your carbs and see if the gas doesn't die down.
Smelly BMs - part of that is the food you eat. If you stay close to clean Protein, Protein powders, a little veggies, a lot of clean fat (you need to eat 5 times the fat as a normal person), your smell and gas will subside. By clean, I mean eat from the perimeter of your grocery store – your food should not be coming out of a box.
If it doesn't get better, get a script from your doctor for an antibiotic to knock down some of the colon bacteria (and definitely stop eating carbs because that is what is feeding the colon bacteria).
Even when you eat cleanly, you will have smelling BMs. Half of what you eat isn’t getting digested. It is sitting in your guts at 100 degrees in a Soup of bacteria all the way through your intestines for 24-72 hours. So you are releasing fermented, bacteria soaked undigested food at the other end.
I’ve used all the poo products and the one I use at work is called Ozone Spray. It’s the only thing I’ve seen that will kill the odor on contact. It will also suck the oxygen out of your lungs, so spray it and get out. Also keep flushing. Don’t let it sit in the bowl cause it will waft up and start sticking to the walls and mirror (kidding here, but it will start traveling down the hallway and kill small children and pets). My family is disgusted by my bathroom smells, and it will stay in the hallway and bathroom for hours – so keep flushing it down.
It gets better as time goes on. At the 2 yr point, your body will adjust and your bathroom issues will level out.

I am post op bypass 13 months ( surgery was 10/07/2020) ) and am I now drinking alcohol every night . I have gained back a few pounds Like 8 and am scared to death. I feel like I am heading back toward terrible habits and need to regain back control now. I am working with a Psychologist that's not very good for PTSD issues and major depressive disorder. I have got control of that but I have now a new problem= alcohol! A year ago, I would never think of drinking on a week night or much at all but now it's become my new addiction and it leads to me over eating and then the dreaded weight gain. I have now drank every night for the past two months and I can't seem too let it go. This had never been me before as my family is filled with alcoholics and I could never understand it and now I do? It kills pain and drowns out so much. It definitely affects me differently after surgery and takes very little to have any affect at all. I am drunk or affected at sip 3. It is such a great escapism and good lord with Covid and the way of the world all I want to do is escape in a legal way and alcohol is legal. I am on disability and have a lot of pain issues and the doctors and psych's try to say its a lot mental / PTSD/ Stress related but they haven't lived in my body. I have had over 15 surgeries and have had many scars and all kinds of mesh - They don't live this body and don't feel my pain. They tell me I need to learn to live with it. Well hell , I am doing the best I can and alcohol does a great job of dimming that. But I know I need to find a better answer and am looking to my community as I know I can't be alone in my pain or journey. My New Year's resolution is to get back to that person that doesn't drink in response to pain. That learns to deal with it. That get's her weight under control in the meantime. Sending out an SOS to my community and asking for good advice or just shared empathy to know I am not the only one and that we do not travel on this journey alone.

Hi. So sorry you are struggling. Maybe try medical marijuana - sounds like you should qualify with your pain. It helps me with PTSD and depression. But it can bring on hunger, so there is that...
I find that it is difficult to abuse an edible - as far as vice transfer goes.

When I've been under huge stress, the urge is really intense -- it's a Quest for that initial period of calm and peace that comes with a few sips. But our brains are terribly unhelpful at reminding us of what comes afterwards -- the decline of the calm and peace (which may cause us to keep drinking to regain them), followed by even more depression. And let's say we do keep drinking to try to keep the horrible feelings away... then there's the unbearable hangover that (in my case) will last for nearly 12 hours.
People without alcoholic tendencies try to be helpful and say things like, "take a walk in the sunshine" or "listen to feel-good music" but they don't understand that those activities, while very helpful, don't bring the calm and peace that have quieted our disturbed minds. I think some of us just have different wiring.
So what's the answer? First, I have to absolutely stay away from alcohol and fight the urges by reminding myself of their price. Second, I'm seeing if CDB will help me by allowing me to feel calmer and slowing my racing thoughts. Third, like you, I'm in therapy and my therapist constantly quizzes me about my feelings about alcohol and my current attempt to totally abstain.
The toughest people I know who've given up alcohol say "ride it out" and they actually do push themselves through the bad feelings until their cravings pass. I hope to be one of those people eventually.
But know that there are a lot of us who totally understand and feel your situation.

I am post op bypass 13 months ( surgery was 10/07/2020) ) and am I now drinking alcohol every night . I have gained back a few pounds Like 8 and am scared to death. I feel like I am heading back toward terrible habits and need to regain back control now. I am working with a Psychologist that's not very good for PTSD issues and major depressive disorder. I have got control of that but I have now a new problem= alcohol! A year ago, I would never think of drinking on a week night or much at all but now it's become my new addiction and it leads to me over eating and then the dreaded weight gain. I have now drank every night for the past two months and I can't seem too let it go. This had never been me before as my family is filled with alcoholics and I could never understand it and now I do? It kills pain and drowns out so much. It definitely affects me differently after surgery and takes very little to have any affect at all. I am drunk or affected at sip 3. It is such a great escapism and good lord with Covid and the way of the world all I want to do is escape in a legal way and alcohol is legal. I am on disability and have a lot of pain issues and the doctors and psych's try to say its a lot mental / PTSD/ Stress related but they haven't lived in my body. I have had over 15 surgeries and have had many scars and all kinds of mesh - They don't live this body and don't feel my pain. They tell me I need to learn to live with it. Well hell , I am doing the best I can and alcohol does a great job of dimming that. But I know I need to find a better answer and am looking to my community as I know I can't be alone in my pain or journey. My New Year's resolution is to get back to that person that doesn't drink in response to pain. That learns to deal with it. That get's her weight under control in the meantime. Sending out an SOS to my community and asking for good advice or just shared empathy to know I am not the only one and that we do not travel on this journey alone.

I am post op bypass 13 months ( surgery was 10/07/2020) ) and am I now drinking alcohol every night . I have gained back a few pounds Like 8 and am scared to death. I feel like I am heading back toward terrible habits and need to regain back control now. I am working with a Psychologist that's not very good for PTSD issues and major depressive disorder. I have got control of that but I have now a new problem= alcohol! A year ago, I would never think of drinking on a week night or much at all but now it's become my new addiction and it leads to me over eating and then the dreaded weight gain. I have now drank every night for the past two months and I can't seem too let it go. This had never been me before as my family is filled with alcoholics and I could never understand it and now I do? It kills pain and drowns out so much. It definitely affects me differently after surgery and takes very little to have any affect at all. I am drunk or affected at sip 3. It is such a great escapism and good lord with Covid and the way of the world all I want to do is escape in a legal way and alcohol is legal. I am on disability and have a lot of pain issues and the doctors and psych's try to say its a lot mental / PTSD/ Stress related but they haven't lived in my body. I have had over 15 surgeries and have had many scars and all kinds of mesh - They don't live this body and don't feel my pain. They tell me I need to learn to live with it. Well hell , I am doing the best I can and alcohol does a great job of dimming that. But I know I need to find a better answer and am looking to my community as I know I can't be alone in my pain or journey. My New Year's resolution is to get back to that person that doesn't drink in response to pain. That learns to deal with it. That get's her weight under control in the meantime. Sending out an SOS to my community and asking for good advice or just shared empathy to know I am not the only one and that we do not travel on this journey alone.

So the family has been bugging me about my alcohol consumption since Covid started. Full disclosure, prior to the new year, I was drinking as least 2 (sometimes 3, on rare occasions 4) drinks A DAY. Either an espresso martini or red wine.
So to get them off my back, and prove to myself I could do it, I agreed to cut down to no more than one one a day for a month.
I thought this would be a piece of cake, but lol and behold, I ended up non-compliant the first 2 days. Mostly because I “forget” that I am on a mission. So on day 3, I put a sticky note on the vodka bottle when I have a drink to remind me I already had a drink that day….and I tell Mr. so he can remind me at dinner if I absently reach for the wine. Since doing this the past 3 days, it’s been working.
When I quit smoking (again) last year (I had quit for 10+ years, went on a vacay in 2019 where I accepted an offered cigarette, and just like that, I was smoking again). And my quitting attempts last spring was also thwarted by me “forgetting “ that I was trying to quit. So I tossed all my lighters, got rid of my outdoor ashtrays and told EVERYONE I was trying to quit, and asked to remind me if I forget , but not to enforce me (cuz I know that will just piss me off), as I want to make the decisions myself.
I’ve mostly stopped since about April 2021, but I admit I’ve had maybe 10-15 in the past 9-ish months….which is a heck of a lot better than 10-15 A DAY.
Final examples: I log everything I eat. Having a running total of my calories, has a bit of influence on my food choices at the end of the day. I weigh myself every day…so I am aware if my weight starts to move from its happy place. Just a couple other “reminders” for me to keep myself in check.
This approach may not work for everyone, but I seem to have moderate success with it.
Anyway…this was my long winded attempt to suggest you try to find what it is that works for you and what doesn’t (either on your own or with the help of a therapist), and make efforts to implement this knowledge to achieve your goal(s). You may not be perfect, and that’s ok, small changes for the better are better than non at all.
Good Luck! ❤️

I had battled alcohol problems long before WLS also due to PTSD and physical ailments. After WLS I gave up alcohol for a year and a half, but due to a series of crises this year, I began to "drink-medicate" again -- just to escape the terrible feelings of stress, anxiety, fear, and sadness. "It's only a couple of glasses," I'd reason wrongly.
But I had two binge drinking episodes after sudden crises that finally provoked me to give up alcohol altogether. The first caused me to end up in urgent care, with elevated liver enzymes. The second caused me to fall and get a gash across my forehead.
Because I am an atheist, I wouldn't consider AA. But I was directed to an amazing book called "Alcohol Explained: Understand Why You Drink and How to Stop" by William Porter. All I can say is it is absolutely incredible and since I finished the book, I haven't touched alcohol and don't intend to again.
Porter explains what really happens when we drink: the wonderful calming and relief from worries... followed hours later by an increase in anxiety, depression, and hangovers as our brains readjust to the alcohol (which is a toxin). So the vicious cycle begins -- drink to stop the bad feelings... the bad feelings get worse after the drink effects go away... requiring us to drink again... etc. And there's so much more to it, too.
Porter does not believe that alcoholism is a disease (the AA model does) but it is a behavior that can be changed through learning, reframing, and changing behaviors. I can't recommend this book enough.
Lastly, something I should have been thinking about all this time...
Before WLS, my surgeon told me he had only had one patient die after the surgery. The man binge-drank a few times over a three month period and succumbed from alcohol poisoning. His new body couldn't handle the volume of alcohol he used to drink prior to the surgery.
We never think such a thing could happen to us but... now I know.

So sorry to hear you're having these problems. If you haven't seen it already I'd suggest watching Dr Weiner's Youtube video about alcohol use after gastric bypass - the video and the comments are very interesting. Judging by what he says it seems that gastric surgery can trigger alcohol abuse, and that the same amount of alcohol will affect more strongly after surgery.
He suggests that zero alcohol after gastric bypass is the best way - maybe keeping no alcohol at home at all?
You're definitely not alone. I've been teetotal for nearly 35 years - I just wasn't interested in drinking alcohol at all - and I found his video a few months ago because I was trying to work out why all of a sudden after surgery I was craving an alcoholic drink - it's bizarre! The last thing I expected.
But you've already overcome the food addiction and lost loads of weight - you can definitely overcome these cravings. Stay strong - life has been so rubbish with covid, but hopefully we're coming out the other side now.

My heart goes out to you. Please find a new better counselor that'll help you and keep regular two week appointments or something to stay in check. Check with your insurance plan to see if they cover addiction recovery programs. I suffer from Clinical Depression and Anxiety Disorder, so I know about using food to mask/treat my problems and while that's not alcohol like you're talking about (I don't drink) it's a similar "addiction" and coping mechanism. I take antidepressants and participate in regular counseling.

unfortunately, transfer addiction after WLS isn't all that uncommon - some people substitute one addiction (in our case, food) for another. I agree with GradyCat - I'd try to find a therapist who deals with these issues (PTSD and depression - and now, addiction issues). I'm so sorry you're going through this!!

First of all, I am so, SO proud of you for naming it out loud and asking for help. That is the biggest, hardest step and you did it! You need to know your feelings are completely valid. Trauma, chronic pain, massive weight loss - those are all HUGE things to deal with and everything you're feeling is normal. If your current therapist isn't helping, it may be time to look for a new one. You can try PsychologyToday. com or call your insurance for a list of in-network providers and see who might specialize in PTSD and disordered eating/addiction. Transfer addiction is a real thing, it happens to a lot of bariatric patients, and you are not alone. Do you have any hobbies or past times you enjoy? Are you engaging in those or other forms of regular self care? If not, maybe try and work in some of those things. You deserve to have rest and downtime, but getting it via alcohol won't serve you in the long-term. You are worthy of health and happiness and taking small steps that align to those will make all the difference in the world. We are cheering you on.

I walked away from cigarettes November of 2016 then booze a few months later. I was already over 300 lbs and I knew I had to start somewhere. I've been reading up on addiction transfer and it's real.
This is not specific to the subject but might help get you started:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19033853-the-emotional-first-aid-kit?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=Ubhhurkvj4&rank=2
I'm also still fighting with what I call the "munchie monster" and I'm still working through my childhood traumas.
I'm also re-reading Atomic Habits by James Clear and trying to incorporate little changes in my daily routine to ensure these habits and/or rituals become second nature.
Alcohol destroyed my dad as it has many others. I hope you can find away to address what's really going on and start walking down a healthier path.
I'm here to vent to or talk to if you need .

I would agree with what everyone has said about finding a different therapist. It can take a few tries to find someone who is a good fit. Don't feel bad about switching therapists; that is something they are used to and the will not be offended.
You could also try a support group for alcohol use. Many people use AA, but there are probably others if AA is not your cup of tea.
Try to take it one day at a time, can you go today without a drink? If you find yourself wanting a drink, can you distract yourself with a walk or an exercise video or a hot bath or shower?
Good luck!

I've worked briefly with a therapist and I'm currently looking for another as well. The program I was part of no longer "saw the benefit" of using the therapy folks they were using so it was going to be all out of pocket. I know for sure I could use some help navigating the real reasons behind my addictive behavior.

I’m so sorry - I’ve heard this is not uncommon. I would seek therapy ASAP to try to work out why your an addict at all. I know we all have childhood trauma and I’ve been work through mine. It isn’t easy but every day is a bit better. The first step is admitting you have an issue - you have already done that so that’s great! I wish you only the best life has to offer you.

I am post op bypass 13 months ( surgery was 10/07/2020) ) and am I now drinking alcohol every night . I have gained back a few pounds Like 8 and am scared to death. I feel like I am heading back toward terrible habits and need to regain back control now. I am working with a Psychologist that's not very good for PTSD issues and major depressive disorder. I have got control of that but I have now a new problem= alcohol! A year ago, I would never think of drinking on a week night or much at all but now it's become my new addiction and it leads to me over eating and then the dreaded weight gain. I have now drank every night for the past two months and I can't seem too let it go. This had never been me before as my family is filled with alcoholics and I could never understand it and now I do? It kills pain and drowns out so much. It definitely affects me differently after surgery and takes very little to have any affect at all. I am drunk or affected at sip 3. It is such a great escapism and good lord with Covid and the way of the world all I want to do is escape in a legal way and alcohol is legal. I am on disability and have a lot of pain issues and the doctors and psych's try to say its a lot mental / PTSD/ Stress related but they haven't lived in my body. I have had over 15 surgeries and have had many scars and all kinds of mesh - They don't live this body and don't feel my pain. They tell me I need to learn to live with it. Well hell , I am doing the best I can and alcohol does a great job of dimming that. But I know I need to find a better answer and am looking to my community as I know I can't be alone in my pain or journey. My New Year's resolution is to get back to that person that doesn't drink in response to pain. That learns to deal with it. That get's her weight under control in the meantime. Sending out an SOS to my community and asking for good advice or just shared empathy to know I am not the only one and that we do not travel on this journey alone.

I am post op bypass 13 months ( surgery was 10/07/2020) ) and am I now drinking alcohol every night . I have gained back a few pounds Like 8 and am scared to death. I feel like I am heading back toward terrible habits and need to regain back control now. I am working with a Psychologist that's not very good for PTSD issues and major depressive disorder. I have got control of that but I have now a new problem= alcohol! A year ago, I would never think of drinking on a week night or much at all but now it's become my new addiction and it leads to me over eating and then the dreaded weight gain. I have now drank every night for the past two months and I can't seem too let it go. This had never been me before as my family is filled with alcoholics and I could never understand it and now I do? It kills pain and drowns out so much. It definitely affects me differently after surgery and takes very little to have any affect at all. I am drunk or affected at sip 3. It is such a great escapism and good lord with Covid and the way of the world all I want to do is escape in a legal way and alcohol is legal. I am on disability and have a lot of pain issues and the doctors and psych's try to say its a lot mental / PTSD/ Stress related but they haven't lived in my body. I have had over 15 surgeries and have had many scars and all kinds of mesh - They don't live this body and don't feel my pain. They tell me I need to learn to live with it. Well hell , I am doing the best I can and alcohol does a great job of dimming that. But I know I need to find a better answer and am looking to my community as I know I can't be alone in my pain or journey. My New Year's resolution is to get back to that person that doesn't drink in response to pain. That learns to deal with it. That get's her weight under control in the meantime. Sending out an SOS to my community and asking for good advice or just shared empathy to know I am not the only one and that we do not travel on this journey alone.

I haven't reached goal weight either and had some gain - 6lbs. But not giving up and getting back on the wagon and going to get it right Still happy where I am as same clothes fit with the small gain. I know I can do this and am going to work hard to get it together.

Ah, its nice to see ppl checking back on this thread. Its been over a year and I ve had my ups and downs like everyone. Had started a new job and the stress caused me to eat badly for 3 weeks. But I went back to my food plan after. Every time I messed up I always went back to the plan.
I wish I could do more for my diet and exercise , develop good life long eating habits....
I havent reached my goal weight yet and weight loss is real slow now. Hopefully by the start of 2022 I'll have implemented some changes to kick start the weight loss again.

Take care everyone.

Yes, I am losing weight and has a weight loss goal set for both times for the same goal and did use the same doctor as he was already familiar with my body. I have lost a total of 103 lbs and have 8lbs to go to reach my goal. My starting weight in 2018 was 256 and I am currently at 153 and am 5'5. 145 is my goal as I have a large bone frame and look perfect at 145. Previous to my revision I only got down to 173 so I have lost 20 lbs with this revision in all since Oct 7th.

I am a little over 4 months out from my revision and close to goal. At first I was scared that the revision wasn't going to work because it didn't feel like I had the same restrictions as I did with the sleeve and I am able to eat things I couldn't with the sleeve> With the sleeve I felt more restriction but as I heal more I feel it more and things have been moving along great and I am pleased with my weight loss. It is slower as I am so close to goal (only about 4 more to go) and I had my revision per reflux. So happy to have the reflux and GERD cured and am having no problems whatsoever in that area. I am happy with my revision and growing to love it more every day! I still walk 30 minutes and log my food daily. I focus on maintaining Water and Protein levels as I notice this is what makes the scale move for me! Good luck! You are going to do great!

How are you doing now that is has been over a week?

Highly.recommended:

I'd call the insurance company and just ask them. Then you'll get it straight from the horse's mouth.