How many of you all follow the "No drinking from a straw" rule? I'm asking because basically i'm a slob and spill my drink down my front 80% of the time. I love straws and want to use them... and they don't give me additional gas yet... so is the rule just because of extra gas or is it really bad?

Just wondering your opinion because I'm a mess here!

I've never actually heard of that rule. I find that straws help me sip easier - I tend to gulp from cups.

I did at first mostly out of fear. Then I asked why they told me that, because I swallow a lot of air when I drink out of cups and bottles.

My surgeon's nurse told me that we're not supposed to drink from straws so that we don't drink a lot of Fluid, fast AND so that we don't swallow a lot of air.

I think we each have our own techniques that we use with straws and because I'm not a gulper by nature, I use a straw. I sip a little, hold it for a brief second in my mouth then swallow it down. Less air, reasonable amounts. No sucking over and over, I'd choke. That's me. You have to know you.

For me the tighter I got with my fills the more gas I produced when I drank from a straw.

I was not given that rule, and I find that I actually swallow less air when I drink from a straw, and I'm able to drink faster, so I get more liquids in. Drinking faster is okay when you are healed, but if you are still healing just after surgery you probably shouldn't do it.

I wondered about this too. I like to drink through a straw, it's just easier. Hmmmmm.

To put a positive spin on the loss of my precious straws, drinking through a straw will eventually give you wrinkles around your mouth - kinda like smoker's get (but probably not as bad because there's no toxic smoke wrecking your skin!). At least I won't have to worry about that anymore.

See I don't feel like I take in more air from the straw but maybe it's because I don't gulp and gulp though it. I just sip also. I espcially like my protein drinks from a straw since I use Atkins and they are in nasty metel cans. I put them in a cup sometimes but a straw is easier.