How long before you can have a glass of wine or martini after surgery? Christmas parties are coming up soon and was wondering if a glass of wine would be a bad thing? I was sleeved November 7th. Not saying right now I would have wine but can you im the future??

Snoozy,

I was sleeved Sept 1st and at 8 weeks out I had a 1/2 glass of wine. It took me three hours to finish it. It didn't feel as good as I hoped. I'll try again at Thanksgiving when I'm 12 weeks out. Lots of sleevers can have beer but they say it takes a while to finish one.

I have a self-imposed rule of waiting at least six months for any alcohol. My surgeon's guide does not address alcohol but says wait at least 2 months for orange and tomato juices because they can cause stomach irritation. I think alcohol in any form would do the same, and possibly be even more irritating because it's usually more acidic and thinner than those juices. So, I picked six months as a good timeline before trying any alcohol.

FYI, I have had both orange and tomato juice in the last couple of weeks and had no problems. Maybe try a sip or two of the alcohol when you're ready and be prepped to switch to something less acidic if needed.

CoffeeBean,

Thanks for the info...

_Lissa,

_{Thank you for responding because there isn't very much info on the alcohol issue}

_Snoozy

I've been on the boards since last December, and I've seen this discussed a few times. One of our most famous losers waited to drink till she was at goal. Some people drink fairly early out without issue. Some people report they get heartburn from alcohol. Some drink beer, some don't drink anything fizzy.

I chose to follow my programs guidelines and not drink for the first six months, which just passed yesterday. I'm now cleared for 1-2 drinks per week, but I haven't had one yet. I plan to start with port because it's festive, lighter in alcohol content, and can be sipped really slowly. And it tastes great when the weather is cold. I'm planning on trying on a couple ounces at home to see how that goes. Many people report liquor hitting them like a freight train after surgery, at least the first few times they tried it, and I don't want any embarrassing public incidents.

Cheers!

Lynda

^{Thanks so much for answering my question about alcohol Lynda...gives me a lot more insight.}

I was Ok'd to have one glass of wine or sangria 3 months post op, the whole team told me nothing Fizzy (sodas, champagne, red bulls etc..) for a whole year and Im sticking by it, I don't miss any of those things at all. I did drink some Hennessy with cranberry with no problem whatsoever. Althought the buzz effect came FAST after one small glass. Drink slow lol.

Yes, drink slowwwwwly!! I have been having wine here and there since a couple months post-op, it's allowed in my program. But it's sometimes a bit hard on my stomach AND I get way worse hangovers than I ever used to, and off a very small amount. But I do have wine at social occasions and just keep it to a minimum for the most part.

I was told I could drink moderately after 3 months (but they prefer I wait until goal). I actually have had a few drinks here & there starting at about 10 weeks out . . . I had a pretty high tolerance pre-op and that doesn't seem to have changed. I was able to drink beer out of a glass (sipping slowly) with no bubble issues, wine is OK but pretty sweet, but I seem to do best with a mixed drink like vodka/soda or vodka/pineapple/cranberry. I went out with friends last weekend and overdid it a little, and my hangover lasted much longer than usual . . . so I think surgery has changed the way my body metabolizes alcohol.