Hi everyone! I'm having GB on 1/19, and my surgeon said caffeine impedes healing and isn't allowed for 3-4 months after surgery. I drink 1-2 large mugs of coffee per day, and 1 or 2 servings of caffeinated crystal lite or diet coke (side note: diet coke is RARE - I kicked that addiction a few months ago! I would drink a 2 liter per day!)

Now, I have had days where I didn't get my usual caffeine intake and had horrid headaches. The dietician recommended I start weaning back about a month before surgery. My husband said since I will be on pain killers for about a week, my withdrawal headaches will go unnoticed, and I should enjoy my coffee as long as I can (up til midnight the night before surgery lol)....

Anyone have any insight into this? I have never had to break a habit like this. The diet coke quit was because I know many GB patients can't drink bubbly drinks so I wanted to nip that.

Thanks in advance

And I LOVE peppermint tea!!!

@@MamaTo3inNH you might want to get a few varieties and sample them in case the doc wants you off the tonic water. Not all coconut waters are created equal. Some taste better than others.

I will! I love coconut stuff, but have never tried coconut Water before.

My husband has been considering getting a soda stream, and they have a tonic water mix. I could make it with light bubbles or no bubbles, if he does end up getting it.

Hi everyone! I'm having GB on 1/19, and my surgeon said caffeine impedes healing and isn't allowed for 3-4 months after surgery. I drink 1-2 large mugs of coffee per day, and 1 or 2 servings of caffeinated crystal lite or diet coke (side note: diet coke is RARE - I kicked that addiction a few months ago! I would drink a 2 liter per day!)

Now, I have had days where I didn't get my usual caffeine intake and had horrid headaches. The dietician recommended I start weaning back about a month before surgery. My husband said since I will be on pain killers for about a week, my withdrawal headaches will go unnoticed, and I should enjoy my coffee as long as I can (up til midnight the night before surgery lol)....

Anyone have any insight into this? I have never had to break a habit like this. The diet coke quit was because I know many GB patients can't drink bubbly drinks so I wanted to nip that.

Thanks in advance

I had to kick my coffee to the curb too. I was drinking nearly an entire pot (10-12 c.) every day by 11am or so. That was only a little more than 3 of my favorite coffee mug, so to me it didn't seem like much.

I started 1 month before my surgery..... I started with an empty canister for my coffee. I put in 12 scoops of my regular coffee and 4 decaf scoops. When that was gone (just under a week) I filled it with 10 regular and 6 decaf. Next time 6 regular and 6 decaf. Then 4 regular and 8 decaf, then 2 and 10, and finally all decaf. Like I said it took just about a month. I only had a slight headache the first couple days, but after that I was fine.

I still make coffee everyday. Now that I"m almost 2 weeks post op, I actually allow myself to enjoy at least a half of a regular size coffee cup each morning of decaf before I start all my Protein and such. I just really like the taste of coffee. I've used what I don't drink in the morning and used it in a Protein shake later in the day. Not bad....

Good luck!!

I'm making it my mission to try and find a yummy decaf! I love the flavor. My thing is the caffeine pick me up - I really *do* need it now. But hopefully post surgery my energy will be through the roof and I can never look back at my coffee!

I weaned myself off caffeine one week before surgery. I tried to go cold Turkey but the headache was too much. I cut my consumption in half on the first day the in half again each following day. No headache then.

I weaned myself off caffeine one week before surgery. I tried to go cold Turkey but the headache was too much. I cut my consumption in half on the first day the in half again each following day. No headache then.

Thanks Janice

The other thing I discovered was the less processed food I ate, the more energy I had. I have been trying to eat "clean" for the past 3 years. I probably eat clean 85 -90% of the time. (Fast food pizza fries are my weakness) . Between that and exercise, I found I could wake up most mornings without needing a caffeine pick me up.

I hope I'm the same!!

I do know that caffeine will stretch your pouch so be careful lovely people.

Hi i am from the UK and had my surgery this week.It seems that in the UK the advice on coffee is very different to the USA.I am allowed unlimited coffee and tea,in fact my diet sheet from dietician has a recipe for making a coffee fortified with skimmed milk powder if i find the protein drinks difficult which i do.Would not dream of advising you to go against your doctors advice, but just find the different approach fascinating.pippinleicester

I drink tonic water on the regular for my restless leg syndrome. I guess I will have to start drinking it flat. How do you flatten out a bubbly drink?

This is off the topic of caffeine, but I wanted to offer a suggestion for your RLS. My husband suffers from this, and we heard about a simple trick that has worked wonders for him. Place a bar of unwrapped deodorant soap (don't use Dove or Ivory...it needs to be more scented) underneath the fitted sheet on your bed, right near his legs. Something about the deodorant in the soap really helps calm the legs at night. I heard about this from a friend, and of course I had to Google it to make sure she wasn't joking. She wasn't...there are all kinds of people who swear by this. My husband now swears by it, and even brings a bar of soap with us when we travel...he can't sleep without it now. It's the weirdest thing, but it seems to help.

Lactaid fat free milk with 1tsp instant coffee is my lifesaver! My dietian said it won't kill me if I had one a day but not tell the surgeon.

This is off the topic of caffeine, but I wanted to offer a suggestion for your RLS. My husband suffers from this, and we heard about a simple trick that has worked wonders for him. Place a bar of unwrapped deodorant soap (don't use Dove or Ivory...it needs to be more scented) underneath the fitted sheet on your bed, right near his legs. Something about the deodorant in the soap really helps calm the legs at night. I heard about this from a friend, and of course I had to Google it to make sure she wasn't joking. She wasn't...there are all kinds of people who swear by this. My husband now swears by it, and even brings a bar of soap with us when we travel...he can't sleep without it now. It's the weirdest thing, but it seems to help.

Bizarre!!! Hubby has a very sensitive nose, I wonder if he would be able to smell it. I will absolutely give it a shot, thanks!!!

the day i started my pre op was the last time i had diet soda (2 1/2 years ago)..dont miss it

i also did the decaf during my 2 1/2 week pre op by order of my doctor.....after surgery, he said

i could start again and did the half and half type thing..still do sometimes...i had a big headache for about 4 or 5 days (detoxing) from the soda and used tylenol to aid....it does get better...i agree with the poster who said its mind over matter...i wanted to have WLS to help me lose weight and i did what i had to do to make it happen...i lived on diet soda...but it was something *along with all carbonation* that i had to do..

you can do it..it is hard but it is doable..

good luck to you