I'm 42 and single with no kids. At this stage of my life I wouldn't call myself a "party girl", but I do still on occasion enjoy going out and having drinks and sometimes taking a cab home because it wouldn't be a good idea to drive. It's pretty infrequent now, but something I still enjoy. I realize that this probably won't be the same for me if I have the VSG surgery, but I thought I would ask how it would change.

What are the recommendations you have gotten from your doctors? What are some of your personal experiences? Do you have to wait a certain amount of time after surgery before having any alcohol? Is it something you have to give up forever?

Thanks.

Well, I think we have found that there are various explanations. My nutritionist said 3 months out (or 6, I forgot, lol). When I asked the surgeon directly, he said the staples have to heal but at the same time he said that after that it is just a liquid - albeit a highly caloric liquid.

What I took from that is:

Nutritionist doesn't want us to drink alcohol because it has too many calories (and can possibly lead to unwise eating when tipsy)

Surgeon says that the suture wounds should heal (I assume a tequila shot on my internal raw flesh post-surgery wounds may not be recommended)

Surgeon said that after that it is a simple liquid (not sure about Everclear though, lol)

I had small glasses of white wine about 6 weeks out (the sample glasses from the wineries)

I had a few cocktails around the holidays (about 8 weeks out)

I try to restrict it simply for caloric reasons

I was 3 wks post op. Was out to dinner with my Mister. He is supportive but his favorite line is, I didn't have surgery you did. Lol. So he had about 3 long islands before I broke and sipped off his when he went to men's room. Needless to say I was tipsy by time he returned. Everyone's different. So just be cautious.

I am almost 2 yrs out. Last yr I drank heavily at about 6 months out. I developed a problem but have gotten it under control. I am a party girl and I do love getting drunk. It took me awhile to learn what my limits are. A good buzz versus blackouts. When I go out I usually only drink vodka and cranberry. I can drink about 5 and here and there I have a couple of shots or a beer. The carbonation in beer just doesn't settle and I don't like the taste much so I usually stick with vodka. I am a lightweight so 3-5 of those babies and I am one happy girl. But be warned beer bongs are a no go!! Forgot I was sleeved for a min and damn did I pay for it!! The dependency thing is very common. Before last yr I had only drank about 5 times in 4 yrs. I have gone from 300 lbs to 148 and there were a lot of mental work I had to do in order to get to where I final feel "normal" again.

Iowa girls answer is interesting to read, but when it comes to actual value in choosing a wine to drink, it's kinda bunk. Unless you are injesting right from the barrell of a newly oaked wine, you are't going to get any significant tanic build up to cause you physical harm.

I had to give a friend of mine a call about this subject. She is sleeved. Her answer was that she wished doctors with little to no understanding of the chemical breakdown of a developing wine would quit giving advice to their patients. She has sworn off gving brain surgery hints during wine tours if they'll recripicate.

I'm not going to tell you who this person is because I don't want to out her, but her red wines are always in the top ten produced in the US and cosidered some of the best of the world.

Donn't drink prior to three months while your sleeve is building its encapsulating shell over those staples. Liqour of any kind thins the blood and the last thing you want to do is end up like me with extra blood floating around your body. But once healed, all wines are fine (white and champagne can also have tannins by the way) though champagne should be a treat as it's carbonated.

As my doctor said to me....also practice drinking at home Wine or any liqour will affect you differently after you have the sleeve. You want to know how it effects you so you don't make an arse out of yourself )

At 4 weeks I had 4 glasses of wine. Spent the night dry heaving and diarrhea. Awful. Completely wasted. Now I have one glass. Two if I feel like letting loose and 3 if I want to be wild but never more than 3. Ever.

At 4 weeks I had 4 glasses of wine. Spent the night dry heaving and diarrhea. Awful. Completely wasted. Now I have one glass. Two if I feel like letting loose and 3 if I want to be wild but never more than 3. Ever.

wow jenn.....owie! I'm curious, it sounds like the effect didnt leave your system quickly as they sy it will....or was the duping just all the sugar etc

May have been sugar. Hard to tell.

My husband and I are big wine drinkers. We went on a vacay in April to California and visited many wineries and joined a couple of wine clubs. Need I say more? The wine keeps arriving and I am 3 weeks out from VSG. I weighed 265 and am now 238.2 this morning, in spite of having wine several (at least four times) in the last 2 weeks. Yes, it does affect your weight loss, which I compensate for. I eat mostly protein meals, with a little veg or fruit, and I have not had adverse affects, yet. and Yet is the optimum word here. I have never done things the way that others have, and I probably will not change now that I am 58 years old. However, I think that if you use your head, and you know what you are doing, and are watching your calories and proteins and making sure your are getting in the protein that you need 80% of the time, the 20% left is up to you to do with as you will. Maybe I will change my mind on this, but I have not hit a stall yet. I have lost 27 pounds in three weeks, and maybe I could have lost more, but I am satisfied with my progress. Whatever you do has to feel right to you, as they say "know thyself".

I am pre op but my Dr said 1 year! Did not really give why but I feel if I am ready after several months I will try a beverage here and there. I am an occasional vodka drinker. Which I hear by the bypass people ia the only alcohol they can drink. Guess it depends on the person

I just got back from the doc's office on Monday 12/3, and he said I am cleared for alcohol and basically anything I want to eat that agrees with me, which is everything. I have had a few glasses of wine and I am still losing weight. I don't drink alot though, I have to be up early for work and hate that icky feeling in the morning, so I'm good with my one or two glasses on a Friday or Saturday. I have not had any side effects from the alcohol, I don't get drunk and I don't act weird, I feel the same as I did pre-surgery.

I'm 4 weeks out today and last monday i was talking to my surgeon and asked him and said that i actually could have a drink if i wanted to but the rememeber that alcohol is just empty calories so to be carefull and to also remember that i might get drunk faster now but he said that i actually can do it... Im not a big drinker but thursday i went to visit a friend and she was drinking wine so i had a bit and it was fine but i drank less than 2 ounces.. Yerterday at a party this guy insisted on getting me a drink so i got a vodka and orange juice and had like 2 sips and left it there, i just got it so that he would stop bugging me about not drinking...anyway i had like 2 sips and didnt really want anymore and got really sleepy after that..

It has to do with the tannic acid in the red wine. Iowagirl here on the forum explained it best. My surgeon never gave me a straight answer. He just said to avoid it so I followed his directions. I have lost my taste for most red wines. I'm not sure why, but it just doesn't make me feel "good" like whites do now.

Here's the post where Iowagirl explained. She's made some great posts about acid/stomach issues/pH of certain drinks and even why plain water bothers some of us.

http://www.verticals...1479#entry51479

Interesting. I was a red wine gal pre surgery, but it just didn't agree with me post op. I switched to white and now prefer it as well.