Ok, so I'm sure this has been asked a thousand times, but I am 5 weeks out and doing fine. Is it silly to have one alcoholic beverage 6 weeks after surgery (not several drinks, just one?) a small vodka and tomato juice is what I would like to try.

thanks.

Shannon, I waited until 2 weekends ago for my first adult beverage. It went down fine. I have no idea if I got tipsy faster than before because I might drink six drinks a year.

I'd be more worried about the tomato juice than the vodka, though. I still can't handle tomato juice at 5 months out. It makes me really gassy.

My doc recommends waiting six months to a year for alcohol. Six weeks might be a tad early for alcohol, so, if you are going to drink, take small sips and wait a few minutes before the next, just like you would do with any new food or liquid.

Good luck!!

Yes it is silly to even consider it. Do not drink any alcohol six weeks out.

I had my first drink at 6 weeks. I got maybe 1/2 a beer down in 2 hours. Now enjoy about 3 beers a week and have been since 3 months.

I had my first drink at 6 weeks. I got maybe 1/2 a beer down in 2 hours. Now enjoy about 3 beers a week and have been since 3 months.

Good for you. Not a good idea however to encourage new sleevers to induldge in foolish behavior because you were able to get away with it.

Good for you. Not a good idea however to encourage new sleevers to induldge in foolish behavior because you were able to get away with it.

Not encouraging just sharing my expirence about drinking half a beer in 2 hours

What does your surgeon's office suggest?

I am coming up on six weeks. My surgeon said it was fine for me to have small amounts of alcohol, and to just take it slow to find my tolerance and most importantly, be sure not to get sick.

I had about two ounces of wine over dinner tonight. Dinner lasted over an hour.

Vodka with some V-8, or even better, Snap E. Tom, is a nice drink for me. I never drank that combination before. I just sip it so slowly.

I feel a slight effect from the alcohol, but it doesn't put me over the edge like it does some people.

Of course, like I always say, call your surgeon's office and see what they say.

Ahhh.. No one knows. Mystery to be solved.

Maybe since your bodies are in a catabolic state your liver has an increased working load due to the fact that its processing and burning up your body's own fats rather just storing them. Alcohol consumption would increase its load and which may cause harm to the liver itself..

From a doctors perspective- Why create a problem too soon

Yay go me

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I tried about 2 oz of wine at 6 weeks out and tolerated it well. I am now at 8 weeks out and enjoy about 3-4 oz of wine every once in a while. Hard liquor, has higher alcohol content will make you a "cheap drunk" as my surgeon would say. A little goes a long way. I tried but it burned too much on the way down, so I don't think I'm ready for it yet. Carbonated alcohol drinks (and non- alcoholic) are also a no-no for at least 6 months. They expand the stomach, and can stretch it. Healing continues for a long time and you don't want to chance a leak. From what others had mentioned on this site, Treat yourself with a small drink when you reach a goal you've set for yourself. Eventually you will be able to have a little more,but, alcohol are empty calories. They can slow down your weight loss. Keep that in mind too.

I love this forum. everyone is going through the same thing, but the stories are all so varied.

I love this forum. everyone is going through the same thing, but the stories are all so varied.

And thanks to each of you for your input.

the stories are as varied as the instruction and opinion of every surgeon. They all have their own opinion, which is right and which is wrong? For me it was all about the weight loss as it pertained to my health. We each have out own path to follow. Myself, I have always loved beer. I haven't had any because I don't do carbonation at all (even at 20 months out) I had a sample of what I thought was flavored water at costco, turned out to be cabonated. I thought I was going to explode after one sip. Everyone is different. Trust in your Dr's instructions unless you have a valid reason not to. In the end, we need to live with our own choices. Choose wisely!

OK ... i think im about to ruin my good rep of working out and being a strick VSG person but here goes..

I have been drinking since about 3 weeks out.. lol.. i know im a horrible person, but when you work at a bar its really hard not to drink. i started of really slow, just trying a sip to see what it would do, cuz honestly i was more curious than anything... Im just under 7 weeks out.. monday will be 7 for me.. And for the past week or two i have been doing shots. now i think im am the exception to the rule... It does ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO ME! Its kinda funny i thought id be a cheap date now, but nope.. i dont get drunk, infact if i have buzz and i don't keep drinking it actually goes away fast now than it did before the sleeve..

I AM NOT ... AND I REPEAT AM NOT CONDONING PEOPLE TO DRINK.. because it will affect a lot of people , and it is empty calories that can seriously hinder your progression of weight loss!

with that said. i am also at the gym 5 days a week and work my butt off to make sure i keep losing weight! but seriously i was actually kinda hoping that i could have one drink and me like.. whooo hooo i don't have to drink anymore..lol.. that is simply not the case!

I would still caution you to be very careful if you decide to drink, the only thing that i get out of it is a gas pain in my left side. lol..

I had two glasses of Riesling wine this past weekend over the course of about 6 hours. For me, nothing happened and i am only 4 weeks out. No ill effects at all. I was able to enjoy the 30th birthday party of one of my friends and not feel like an outsider. Now, i won't be rushing out to stock up on alcohol...but in my opinion one or two drinks on occasion are not a big deal.

Alcohol can irritate the sleeve scar and inhibit healing. Even long post-op, the alcohol can cause problems with the scar. It's best to keep it to a bare minimum.

And yes, the metabolic differences of alcohol post-op are almost entirely due to a lower BMI (there are some concerns with increased pancreatic load during the active loss phase). I went from being able to have... too much alcohol without noticing it much, to being pretty much a lightweight. Since it's all just empty calories and is really bad for you, I don't see a great reason to drink (you can have just as much fun without it as with it, and if you don't make a big deal about it, nobody will even notice or care that you're drinking iced teas instead of Long Island iced teas). Obviously, to each their own, but PLEASE be aware of the "lightweight" effect; I've heard of sleevers getting DUI's or worse due to not realizing just how dramatically their tolerance had changed.

All that being said: drinking alcohol at only six weeks out is very foolish; I'd wait at LEAST six months. Ultimately, however, it's your body and your risk to take.

Just to share my personal experience - not to condone anything - I drank a glass of wine at 8 weeks out. I drank it alternating with sips of water over about 1 hour and it did nothing for me. Now I'm 7 months out and I drink occasionally just like I used to. It affects me the same as it used to. I get buzzed but not any faster than before. I guess I'm the weird one out because I didn't get drop-down drunk on one ounce! But it's not a good idea not only because of the stress on your liver, pancreas or what have you, but because the weeks I drink I don't lose much or any weight.