Hi I am having the surgery in the near future and just curious as to if anyone has had any experience with drinking soda and its effects and if they drink while they eat.

I am not a huge soda drinker but I occasionally enjoy a diet soda was just wondering if I could ever drink one again?

From the instruction I received at my orientation they said never carbonated drinks as they make the pouch stretch. And drinking while eating pushes the food through the pouch to quickly and you don't keep the fullness feeling.

NO straws either as it brings in to much air and expands the pouch too!

These are lifestyle changes that we have to be able to live with in working with the band.

You can do it--its just a new way of thinking!:biggrin:

I was the biggest diet soda junkie on the planet preop. I gave it up, and am surprised & pleased that I don't miss it at all. I accidentally got a carbonated drink recently (it was a diet limeade; I didn't expect bubbles), and after the two sips it took me to figure out it was fizzy, I thought I was going to explode.

NOT something I'd recommend. And doing it while eating? IMO, that would be sheer idiocy. You're not supposed to drink anything while eating---soda would be killer.

From the instruction I received at my orientation they said never carbonated drinks as they make the pouch stretch. And drinking while eating pushes the food through the pouch to quickly and you don't keep the fullness feeling.

NO straws either as it brings in to much air and expands the pouch too!

Ali is absolutely correct.

I am still in my two weeks pre op and once in a while drinking a diet dr pepper, because it fills me up and stops my stomach from growling. but i know i can give it up (iv done it before) and HAVE to now . I have become a fan of decaffeinated ice tea sweetened with splenda.

btw, my dietician who has the band said that if she is really craving a coke, she will open it early and leave it out until it is flat, then drinks it. I dont like flat soda, so that wont be good for me though.

good luck!

Having just been banded, I will tell you that the gas pains can get crazy! With that in mind, I'm sure you won't want to knowingly put yourself through the pain by drinking soda. If it is the taste that you like, there are popscicles that they make that are soda flavored. I think they are sugar free too.

I have been banded 7 mos and find this to be a very grey area of the surgery. Every surgeon is different but I find it odd this particualr subject as they claim will do damage to your pouch is still different from surgeon to surgeon. In my orientation/class they tell you no carbonation. (I remember as they were having one in the office during my last fill visit and this is the part I walked in on) Although-I was with you that I wasn't a soda addict so to speak but I enojoyed one from time to time. I asked the Dr about it and he said some banded patients simply cannot, it hurts them to drink it, and some patients are just fine with it, it all depends on if the carbonation hurts your tummy going down, but it would not hurt you in any way. I drink maybe one per week if that and I have no trouble, with that said I did not try one untill I was 3 mos out and I have not had any problems. I would strongly suggest discussing with your dr one on one, and waiting quite a while post op if he gives you the ok if you would like . I will tell you somehow the taste changes over those couple of months and it doesn't taste the same after you've been off the carbonation for a while. Good luck to you! :biggrin: