Hi everybody I'm 3 1/2 months out and having hard time drinking plain water and NOW have problems with hemorrhoids do to chronic constipation. I do good drinking powerade zero but I'm scared of the all the sugar and the chemicals! I'm very desperate I don't know what to do? I guess I will have to drink whatever so I can stay regular right?????

Hi everybody I'm 3 1/2 months out and having hard time drinking plain water and NOW have problems with hemorrhoids do to chronic constipation. I do good drinking powerade zero but I'm scared of the all the sugar and the chemicals! I'm very desperate I don't know what to do? I guess I will have to drink whatever so I can stay regular right?????

Let me first recommend Miralax daily to keep you regular. I have been using it for 7 mos. it's a miracle worker. Lol

Second, it is very common to not like plain water after VSG. I add stevia sweetened flavoring to my water. It's found near Crystal Light in the grocery store. There are some great flavors. Try them.

I couldn't drink plain Water till about 4 months out. In the meantime I drank lots of Herbal tea (either hot or iced), diluted fruit juices, diluted Lifewater, water flavored with Mio, Dasani and crystal light flavor drops, decaf coffee (again, both hot and iced). I also got 1/2 my Fluid requirements from Protein smoothies.

What are you taking for your constipation? After my 2 month bout of diarrhea from a C. diff infection, I have assumed very hard poo which only passes every 2-3 days. I add either Suprafiber or Metamucil and benefiber to my protein smoothie every day. I also try to eat whole grains bars, Beans and other foods with lots of Fiber. Kashi Go Lean has a Cereal variety that has 13g protein and 10g insoluble protein per cup. I often have 1/2 cup of this mixed in plain Greek yogurt as a snack. All of the fiber has helped make things passable, but if I haven't gone by the second day, I take Milk of Magnesia that night and I always have a BM the next morning.

Hi there! I am only 2 weeks post op but I have always disliked plain water as well. I do the Vitamin Zero water......lots of favors to choose and most of them do not have sugars. Give it a try you might like it. Be careful of the off brands they have added sugars for some reason.

OR water enhancers work well...sugar free of course

Im also 3 1/2 months out. Plain water is finally working for me. It just took time. Im taking a stool softener every day which has helped me stay regular.

This happened to me about three months out!!!! I've thought it was just me so it's good to know it's not!!! I drink a lot if power ade and gator ade but need the water!!! Thank you all and I LOVE this place!!! Deb

You could try SMOOTH MOVE teas. They come in a variety of flavors and could resolve both problems for you. I found some online at http://traditionalmedicinals.com/products/ Smooth Move Teas are herbal and decaffinated and works like a diuretic. If you are having a log jam with your bowel movements, you can drink this at bedtime and should have a breakthrough by morning. There are 60 (sixty) flavors of this stuff.

How about making some nice organic Sun Tea.

Take a gallon of spring Water and poke a few organic green tea (or other uncafinated) tea bags through the top and submerge in the water. Put it on a sunny windowsill for 24 hours or so and then refrigerate. It's mild and naturally sweet. You can squeeze in a little fresh lemon or orange juice and even muddle in some fresh raspberries or strawberries.

How about making some nice organic Sun Tea.

Take a gallon of spring Water and poke a few organic green tea (or other uncafinated) tea bags through the top and submerge in the water. Put it on a sunny windowsill for 24 hours or so and then refrigerate. It's mild and naturally sweet. You can squeeze in a little fresh lemon or orange juice and even muddle in some fresh raspberries or strawberries.

According to a local tea master, sun tea is a petri dish (confirmation here: http://www.snopes.com/food/prepare/suntea.asp) Please brew teas and infusions. Don't leave it sitting out in the sun.

Im also 3 1/2 months out. Plain water is finally working for me. It just took time. Im taking a stool softener every day which has helped me stay regular.

My sister take this Aloe Vera gel pills and they work wonders for her but I don't want to depend on a pill for me to have a BM! But I might try them because I don't want to be constipated ever again! I hope that I can drink plain water again! Thank you everybody for your suggestions and all your help!

I couldn't drink plain water till about two weeks ago (~ 3 months out) and my NUT had recommended I drink fruit infused water. For me, it was the best thing ever since I can't stand crystal lights etc. Here is a link to some of the recipes: http://www.fruitinfusedwater.com. My favorite was strawberry, mint and lemon. The good news is your taste for water will eventually come back. One difference I noticed in my case though is I drink better when using a straw. Good luck.

It's the surface tension of water kind of backs it up in the sleeve too. I had the same problem. If you mix with other things like dilute with Gatorade or duet snapple (my choice) it is easier to drink. Also drink room temp lowers surface tension. If I did not switch to diluting with ice tea and Gatorade in first weeks I would have dehydrated.

There are lots of great suggestions here. One thing I wanted to mention is to try varying the temperature of your liquids. In my earlier days I did much better with warm or hot liquids. So I drank lots of teas and occasionally a cup of broth as a change from all the artificially sweetened drinks. I see others who find icey cold works for them. Even popsicles count toward your liquid total. Keep trying different things till you find what works for you and then be prepared to change again. This summer I am back to drinking more Water and I still like it better with no ice. I also add generic benefiber to my morning Protein shake.

I add about an oz to an oz and a half of unsweetened real cranberry juice or apple juice to my 48 oz cup of ice water. It's just enough to flavor my water without the added calories. Plus, cranberry juice is really good for your kidneys and urinary system. Though, I doubt I drinking enough to make a difference! Lol

Don't be afraid to add a little flavor to your water. Experiment and find what works for you. I wouldn't recommend drinking just the sugar free Gatorade and vitamin waters....your body needs real water. You'll find your magic combination :0)

Have you tried slushies made at home? crushed ice with your fave flavouring? could even just be a strawberry, texturally would that be easier? Im not sleeved yet just part of my post op plan if i can't tolerate plain Water.