I ask this becuase I work in an office with people who got this procedure done years before I did and I see them on occasion drinking soda. I understand that the carbonation can inflate your stomach and cause a lot of pressure, so how are these people able to do it?

No, just the carbonated water in the soft drink.... :-)

They need a fill? They've learned to manipulate the band, or have decided they don't care whether they expand their band or not?

I sadly resigned myself to the loss of my beloved Diet Pepsi four months before my surgery. I went from 4 a day to one a month. I'll miss the one, but it's not worth it to me to try.

So you can actually expand your band from drinking carbonates? I guess that explains why they don't seem to have lost much more weight this past year.

There seems to be mixed opinions among the medical profession as to whether carbonation can stretch the pouch. However, even if there is a chance do you relaly want to risk it? That said I spent about 3mo drinking diet coke this last year while banded and can tell you that I only got by with it because I didn't have enough restriction. When I am restricted just the tiniest bit of accident carbonation consumption leads to serious discomfort, not worth it. So when I got my last fill I knew it was bye bye soda for me.

Dr. Curry who takes care of complications on this site is my doc and we will tell you that there is no definite proof of this harming our bands. That your stomach is a muscle and it will not affect it and he says we can have them if we want but I just could care less about them he just says the caffiene is not good because it triggers hunger. Just according to your doctor but they've showed me were there is no proof so if I did want one it wouldn't worry me a bit, I just don't want one. I am self pay too and have over 16,000.00 invested so I wouldn't do anything to mess mine up but I trust my surgeon 100 %.

My doctor prefers you not drink soda, but the nutritionist said to wait at least 6-8 weeks before trying. And to let some of the fizz out of the soda.

I have had a soda addiction for years (specifically coke) and I am hoping that this 8 weeks or so w/out soda will kill my want for it. I was just banded on 2/20 and so far I haven't really thought about soda.

I think its as my Doctor put it, "Not a good idea". I really missed diet coke,

and have tried it a couple of times. The agony afterwards just was not worth it. I still drink it, and I know it sounds nasty, but I open it let it sit in the fridg untill the next day, and drink it flat. Its really not bad as long as its really cold.

2 years post op.

totally at goal!

210 pounds lost.

Life is good!

My Dr said "NO NO NO NO NO" to soda and actuallu told me before I was banded if I couldn't quit to tell him because he wasn't going to waste his time banding me. I have learned to live without it. It was hard. Some days I literally would drink a 12 pack of Coke!

I did try it once and truly truly regretted it. If I am desperate, I do frozen coke but just a SMALL one!

I've not been banded yet, so I don't speak from that perspective, but I have been trying to give up my diet cokes because the caffeine in them makes me hungry and cranky. So I've just searched out for a substitute I enjoy just as much! I can now say that I am officially addicted to raspberry iced tea (caffeine free)! Since I found that, I know that I will have NO problem giving up the carbonated drinks.

Keep searching and you'll probably soon find a flavor of Crystal Lite or tea that you love, too. Carbonated drinks will be a distant memory...and your body will thank you for it.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I drink carbonated beverages almost every day. I try to stick with diet, but sneak in regular sodas to give me the sugar that I feel that I need. I figure that if I work my butt off in the gym to burn 700 calories, I deserve a regular soda Anyway, after the first 6 weeks after being banded, my doctor says soda is fine. I think you are to avoid it for a day or two after fills too, but I never have.