Post Surgery Alcohol Use :(

[Aimee480 12]

I am making this post because I need to come clean.

Prior to surgery I would drink nearly every evening, a glass or two of wine or a couple of beers a night. Did I feel I had a problem??? - Maybe, but I would rationalize it by telling myself I could go days at a time without drinking, so it could not be a problem.

During my pre-op stage I did not touch alcohol, nor did I even want a drink. Post surgery, I did fine for a month... Then, I thought, I want to try a glass of wine. I did and one glass was all I needed. But the next day there was still that wine left, so I rationalized drinking again by saying I did fine the night before might as well have another glass.

A week later I have rationalized my way into having a glass to a glass and a half of wine nearly every night. I see an old habit returning and I don't want it back.

I poured out the remaining wine and am making this posting to come clean about my error.

For those of you who might be like me (a regular alcohol user pre-surgery) and want to have drink post surgery.... Please don't. It could be slippery slope into letting other impulsive negative behaviors back into your life.

Yes - I know there are people who can have a drink with no problem post surgery. I am just admitting I am not one and I started to slide down the slippery slope into old unhealthy behaviors.

[Bypassjourney 88]

Its great you are seeing the issue and putting a stop to it. I don't drink alcohol but we all have some sort of vice that we must let go of. Mine is sweets. Hang in there and keep putting one foot in front of the other one day at a time.

[chad2rad 491]

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[ALIGAYLE 20]

I think this may be my biggest fear....tranferring my addiction to food over to alchohol.

[Bypassjourney 88]

My primary care doctor told me that there is a very high percentage of bariatric patients who become addicted to alcohol after surgery. He said that basically one drink for us has the same intensity of five drinks for someone without the surgery and that it is easy to become dependent on that. I don't know if he has any studies to back that up. But it seems to make sense to me.

[Minckle 87]

Alcohol use is exactly why Carnie Wilson re-gained her weight after her bypass. She was supposedly up to 10 mimosas a day! You've taken a brave step by admitting it on here. I know you don't want to waste all your pain and hard work. We are here for you whenever you feel the temptation!

[lessofmeismore 1,405]

There is a great urge to drink for some reason, I think for me it is to fill the void. But I haven't done it and I'm pretty sure I won't... I don't like that my mind thinks about it.

[Lissa 2,631]

I was told that I would for sure become an alcoholic after surgery during my pre-op psyche visit. Here I am at 10.5 months out and, while I do drink alcohol sometimes, I'm not an alcoholic. I am working very hard to transfer my addiction to exercise instead!

[petite-size-me! 70]

I'm only 3 weeks post op and not nearly ready for a drink but I had the same, I could have had an issue pre surgery or I could have been normal... I have decided post surgery I will not drink at home.

1 drink at a restaurant or a friends party is cool, but 1 glass of red every night (which I used to do 1-3 glasses most evenings) is too much calorie wise and I'm not slipping down that slope.

I didn't know Wilson gained her weight back I don't watch tv much and don't read gossip mags..

Exercise is a great addiction! Love the endorphin rush!

[Aimee480 12]

Good to know I am not alone with this.

I SO wanted some wine yesterday evening, but I knew it would only make me feel yucky and mad at myself. Which would lead me into negative self talk and on and on with the negative behaviors.

Amazing how physiological ALL of this is..... The food, the drinking, self talk.

I just want to BE....

[thinoneday 445]

It's amazing how this surgery has made drinking alcohol so much easier. . . you can get a buzz on 1 glass. . . i drank before surgery, but AFTER surgery I was really drinking. . . i was drinking 1 glass every other day. . . 1 glass consisted of 6 oz rum and 2 oz coke. . . 1 glass. . . my one glass was really 6 glasses. I'd go through a big bottle of rum a week. . . finally my husband brought it up to me that i was drinking A LOT. . . of course I got all sensative and stupid about it, but that made me realize that that is exactly what alcholics do. . . they deny it and rationalize everything. . . so I just stopped dead in my tracks. . . no i didn't get rid of all the alchol in the house, it stays there in the liquor cabinet because I have to be strong enough NOT to go and get any. . . so far so good and it's been 3 months + . . . I've not even had a craving. . . but be careful out there. . . this could be your worst nightmare come true. . . . good luck to all

[ATeam 38]

I am struggling with this right now as well, and I believe my dad who is also a VSG'er is too. I can easily do a bottle of wine by myself and want to- often. Don't know how to stop it.

[SpecialK1960 252]

I was a huge beer drinker prior to surgery. I even had a few up until midnight the night before surgery - Hey, it is a clear liquid and I had a 2 pm surgery time the next day. I know that I was drinking too much. I would have 2-3 tall beers (4-6 12 ounce beers) almost every night - and sometimes more on weekends. That is 40-50 beers a week. It played a huge role in my making the decision to sleeve.

Since surgery I have done great. I have sipped one beer, and it did not do all that much for me. I am 5 weeks out and have not had a beer. I still hang out at a sports bar 2-3 nights a week and on the weekends. I just have tea. Not quite the same, but I have been able to not drink and still maintain my sports bar lifestyle. No flack from anyone, but I am a regular. It's funny but a regular in a bar can get drunk and obnoxious and no one says anything. Well, guess what if you are a regular, you can drink tea and no one says anything either.

Good luck to all that are having trouble. i was worried that I would not be able to do it - but I have. I hope any one struggling can find the strength to get through it. I am so happy to be losing weight that I am using it as a motivation not to drink. In fact my bartender yesterday made me stand up, so she could get a look at how much weight I have lost. Felt great! And ordered another tea.

[GreginMI 76]

I drink beer all the time and still managed to lose 120 lbs in a year and maintain that. I do eat healthy and not a lot, though. I save my calories for my beer! Every person is different. Beer is my one vice.

[Raven21 121]

Stay strong!