Hi - was wondering - after the 2 week pre op and surgrey - will I ever be able to HAVE soda again????? I think that is my main downfall.........maybe once is a small while have one or the 100 cal ones - or even like a Coke Zero????

Are you sitting down?

My surgeon wants us to wait 6 months before drinking anything carbonated or alcoholic.

I'm dying for a diet coke right now - just one...but I just keep Water and ice tea-ing it.

I believe its not the calories in the soda its the carbonation of the soda thats no good with band

OMG:eek::eek: Thanks for asking me to sit, or I would have fallen off the chair.....oh boy - it's ok - I can do it, I can do it..I can do it:unsure::thumbup:

Believe me - I'm right there with ya!

We're going on vacation in August - that will be 6 months post surgery and I'll be excited to have a margarita and a diet coke!

My doctor suggested 4 weeks without soda. The reason why soda is because the carbonation may not agree with you, and also because regular soda is just empty calories. Also, finally some say that artificial sweeteners are bad for you.

Wow! 6 months... I"m still trying to get over the fact that I"m gonna be on a liquid diet 2 weeks prior to my surgery and then for some time after it! I better drop a load of weight my first month...

PS - I drink one dr. pepper a day and I don't know what I'm going to do... :thumbup:

ok - I am so with you - I thought 2 weeks pre op was going to be hard - if I have to go 6 months with no soda - I don't know what I will do - by not drinking soda - I should lose a thousand lbs from that - ha ha

We can do it!!!

Don't be to worried. You may find that after the surgery you may not even like the taste of soda. I was a coke a holic and after the surgery i couldn't even stand the taste of soda. I'm a year and a half out now and can drink about a half can of cherry coke or dr pepper a day. The carbonation is a pain. It can really hurt and you may not want a pop.

I was told by my surgeon that the reason for them not wanting you to drink carbonated drinks is because of the gas they can cause in the pouch that the band creates. If you create to much gas from the carbonated drinks over time it can stretch the pouch and even cause the band to slip. The nutritionalist that I had to see told me that I could have a soda now and then but to try to open it and leave it out for a few mins or even stir it a little before I drink it so that it is not so bubbly.

Hope that helps!

Edited April 16, 201016 yr by banded2010

Boy am I glad that I gave up soda a long time, or I'd be in the same boat as you ladies!! My downfall is that I absolutely HATE the aftertaste of diet drinks and sweeteners! I drink Lipton's Green tea w/citrus, and that has been hard to give up, and I am wayyyyyy preband!

I would be scared to drink soda from what I've heard about the gas pains you can get, and also by the idea that it can stretch my pouch and casue the band to slip.

My doc says no more soda, period! He said the carbonation in the soda can stretch out your pouch. So from here on out, I am soda free!!

Oh boy - this is like losing a really good friend :thumbup: Since I know soda isn't good for me, this will just be part of my

journey:biggrin: thanks for all the post and for prepping me for this:thumbup:

It seems the answer to this question is as varied as pre-op diets and the surgeons who prescribe them.

Ask YOUR doc what the rules are for soda to be certain.

That said , I sip soda and beer from time to time. Often times, it just gives me hiccups and makes me more uncomfortable than it is worth (to me).

So, that has led to some wasted $$ on soda. The beer, not so much, DH is always willing to finish them off for me, such a sweetie he is!

I do still like the taste of soda, but if I have it, I just sip it.

My surgeon said that the chemicals in diet soda actually trigger hunger in the body. Thinking of that helped me to take a pass on them. Plus, I'd usually have sodas only with meals, so that made it easier for me to let them go.

This is just one of those behavior modifications we need to face with the band. YOU CAN DO IT!! :thumbup: It is sooooo worth it, to be a healthier happier you.

I've heard stories at my support group about the soda bubbling up in the pouch and it backing up into the bronchi branch off....causing immediate choking and caughing.....bad stuff! One woman had the same problem with drinking a really foamy protien drink to quickly. I do not intend to drink soda ever again.

I was a Diet Coke addict. I drank 6-8 per day. I stopped the caffeine six months ago and was not sure I would be able to give up the carbonated drinks as I love the bubbles.

I stopped a month before my surgery. I found that practicing getting in 64 oz of Water did not leave much room for pop.

I was banded last week and I can honestly say I do not miss the pop. At present I cannot even imagine putting something with bubbles in my pouch.

And I feel much better with my water than my pop. My skin is not so dry and I feel well hydrated.

You will get used to it faster than you think.