I am in the pre-op stage. And i was wondering how does the Lap Band affect drinking. I will be 21 after I get my surgery, and 21st birthday means drinking! :-D so how do i combine these two safely. I dont drink and dont plan to drink alot, except special occasions, like my bday!

My doctor allows some alchol with limits - no beer it is carbonated - wine and mixed drinks with no sugar mixers or carbonated mixers- Carbonated drinks can make you very uncomfortable - and remmebr you are eating less so the effects of alchol will hit you very very quickly

I'm not banded yet either, but for a good drink without carbonation, is cranberry and vodka.

thanks! this is exactly what i wanted to know, what to drink and how alcohol effects u after.

My doctor allows some alchol with limits - no beer it is carbonated - wine and mixed drinks with no sugar mixers or carbonated mixers- Carbonated drinks can make you very uncomfortable - and remmebr you are eating less so the effects of alchol will hit you very very quickly

ok great, ill have to try that after

I'm not banded yet either, but for a good drink without carbonation, is cranberry and vodka.

Ive had the band for about 5-6 weeks now. Ive had 2 nights since where I drank and just stuck with wine. I did do a tequila shot once. Didnt have any issues- no vomitting, and it didn''t stall my weight loss either. So i think in moderation its fine. Just stay away from mixed drinks with added sugar!

Definatly stay away from carbinated beverages I have learned though after a few months you will become a light weight at drinking so know your limits. Every now and then I'll have a wisky and flat dr. Pepper and that will give me the desired affect of drinking. But, something else to keep in mind is that your body converts alcohol into suger, so definatly count it as an ordinary soda.

Best of luck and have fun on your birthday.

Just don't drink so much you start to vomit. Vomiting can cause band slipping and swelling. Happy 21st!

I just turned 21 in February and was banded on January 10, 2011. I personally have not been able to drink beer -- it's too heavy and carbonated. I stick with either wine or vodka whenever I have an occasional drink. If you're just starting your weight loss journey I would be careful since there is a load of sugar in alcohol and mixed drinks. Your body is going through a lot of changes physiologically and you basically need to learn how to live life all over again. I wish you the best of luck !

I was warned by my psychologist that drinking at night before bedtime was dangerous because of possible reflux aspiration into lungs which could cause death. She must have meant if I drank a large amount and went to bed drunk. I never do that but she is intense and likes to scare people. Because of this warning I have just had one glass of wine one time early in the evening...no problem.

If you like margaritas, skinny girl cocktails has a good one. It's got like 600 calories in the whole bottle (but don't drink the whole bottle in one night! Lol). She has a bunch of other things like sangria and a few wines. But bars probably don't have it, so if you are going to a house party or something you can bring your own!

You might actually need to play it on the safer side rather than the '21 shots' side if you don't know your limits at all yet.

Puking can be a bit more damaging with the lapband than without.

From what you said though, you don't really sound like you're that into heavy partying and would probably be satisfied with a few drinks, so you shouldn't be too bad off.

If you're not the type to even get drunk (you just want to get tipsy), then carbonation would be the most major issue. It's easy to work around that for mixed drinks. And don't drink Smirnoff Ice.

Crystal light is a great mixer with Vodka.

Crystal light is a great mixer with Vodka.

have you tried the mocktail mixes with vodka? I've been wondering if that tastes good but haven't tried it.

I was banded a day before my 21st birthday so I know the feeling of wanting to drink right away. I also wanted to celebrate my 21st bday partying and drinking but instead i was in bed recovering. But I did attempt to drink like 3 months after surgery and let me tell you the truth, that was the first time I ever got drunk. I guess since i was eating less and on liquids I would get drunk so fast with just one cup!. Besides that the best way to drink with out the calories is to drink straight vodka or tequila. No chasers!