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

@@pippinleicester - the one thing I have found is that all Bariatric programs are not the same. Even in the same city, different doctors have different protocols.

Can't really speak to caffein because I'm a consumer of- full strength. I did cut back from drinking it all day up until 3-4pm, to drinking a mug-full, mornings. coffee has strong, deep family roots. This is a tough one...

Re: soda

I gave that up pretty much completely, sometime in the 1980's or '90's. Didn't really drink much before that anyway. Mom only bought it for holidays/ special occasions. I used to curse her for that because all my friends had free-flowing soda-access. Now, I thank her.

Besides all the reasons already mentioned, Perhaps THIS will help inspire you to give up nasty soda for good:

- Soda corporations knowingly SACRIFICE PEOPLE'S HEALTH FOR PROFIT! Who knows? Maybe they have an inside deal with the Medical Industry- who view our bodies as COMMODITIES FOR PROFIT. Hey! Your mindless consumption guarantees job-security in both industries. Sweet, eh?

- Soda is 100% LAB-CREATED CHEMICALS INFUSED WITH CARBON DIOXIDE to make bubbly

- Soda has ZERO NUTRITIONAL VALUE

- Colas REMOVE RUST FROM METALS. Now that's some strong chit! Do you really want that in your pipes?

- Colas LEECH Calcium FROM BONES (osteoporosis anyone?)

- Unbelievably high, natural sugar-laden sodas contribute to a myriad of health probs; diabetes, hi-body fat after conversion to glucose--> stored, etc., etc., etc.

- Artificially sweetened sodas have a whole other myriad of health probs.

- They are also 100% LAB CREATED with ZERO NUTRITIONAL VALUE

- Studies show high Aspertame intake causes LESIONS ON THE BRAIN (brain scars).

- Studies also show the Chemicals in pink & yellow packets have been ASSOCIATED WITH A VARIETY OF CANCERS

- Longterm (generational) affect is not fully known. DO YOU WANT YOUR LEGACY TO YOUR FAMILY TO BE SERIOUS HEALTH PROBLEMS PASSED ON GENETICALLY TO YOUR CHILDREN, GRAND-CHILDREN, GREAT-GRAND CHILDREN? 100yrs from now, do you want your family to do a genetic history of health probs, and find the source was YOU?

- Bubbly "flavored" waters are also LAB CREATED with zero nutritional value. Use these in moderation. Most are also artificially sweetened (see above)

These are just a few reasons why I quit sodas about 30yrs ago- way before banding. It was a huge, shocking learning curve for me. I was like; NO THANK YOU!

Fast forward:

I don't drink many carbonated beverages in general, I used to be a big beer-drinker in my 20's & 30's. Now, maybe one in a whole year. When I do drink carbonated beverages, (I like Champagne on New Years or for 'celebrations" to Cheers! and an occasional Hard Apple Cider) I 'flatten' them, not totally, but I like most of the bubbles out so I don't stretch my pouch, burp, fart, etc. much. Either gently shake & unscrew cap on & off a few times, or tap bottle bottom on my hand a few times with cap off (not very noticeable in social settings), or open way before I drink them to release gas.

Good luck! I hope this helps jump you off the soda-train.

As for me, I still have the coffee-work to do. Thanks everyone for your suggestions. I'm paying close attention.

I quit soda 4 -5 years ago when I began trying to eat clean. One thing I am sure of. Soda is legal poison. It has no nutritional value and I simply can no longer afford to ingest it if I want to live healthier.

I would wean off with 1 less serving every couple of days or what you can tolerate. That's what I did before I got pregnant and avoided the headaches and jitters.

I was advised by my NUT three months before my surgery to start weaning myself off coffee by doing half regular/half decaffeinated. Of course I didn't take her advise and continued my 35 year addiction until the day I started my pre op two week diet. Well suffered through the withdrawal for 8 days by mainly staying in my room and away from the general public. Luckily, I had taken a month off work. Between pre op hell and my withdrawal from caffeine and sugar, I'm amazed I'm here to tell about it. I have not returned to regular coffee and don't know if I ever will. I bought the best decaffeinated I could find, but, well, yuck, it doesn't compare. I will add unflavored protein to my decaffeinated on some mornings.

My doc required me to be caffeine free prior to surgery...I tried cold turkey and couldn't do it. I was really surprised at my body's caffeine addiction.

I was a 4-5 cup a day person - I slowly started to cut back, switching to a 1/2 caff/1/1 decaff cup once a day, then twice a day. It took me about 2 weeks to be completely off caffeine. 2 weeks prior to surgery, I was caffeine free and drinking decaf green tea in stead of coffee.

It's not easy, but for me it was very temprorary - I was able to start coffee again around week 4, I think, I just had to pinkie shake with my doctor that I wouldn't go back to my old habits. I now drink 2-3 cups of real coffee per day.

After surgery, once I was approved for coffee, I didn't enjoy it. It would take 45 minutes to drink a cup of coffee. It was frustrating, but like with everything else, it gets better with time.

It's interesting how the attitudes to caffeine in the US are so different from those in the UK. Like Pipinleicester, during my consultations there was no mention of caffeine being an issue. Was warned not to drink sodas but that's for different reasons - the gas, the sugar, chemicals etc etc but luckily I've never liked them so that doesn't affect me.

I'm sure if my surgeon or dietician thought that caffeine could have impeded the healing process they would have said so. I drink regular tea at home and have at least a couple of coffees when I'm out and about. I haven't noticed any ill effects. Also there was some research in recent years that said that all non-alcoholic liquids consumed in a day can count towards your hydration targets, not just pure Water. coffee can be a diuretic, but as long as you replace the liquid if you find yourself peeing a lot, and as long as your pee is straw-coloured, and not too dark, then you should be fine.

However, as Pipinleicester said, I wouldn't dream of encouraging anyone to go against the advice of their medical team.

Thank you for all the input!! I am down to one (large) mug of coffee per day!! I decided to go cold turkey from all caffeine except my morning mug, it was rough but excedrin migraine worked like a miracle! Yesterday I didn't use excedrin migraine I just took one extra strength Tylenol and was good! I'll whittle down my morning mug to half decaf some time next month, maybe after the holidays, and be on decaf by my 1/5 pre-op diet start date!

Thanks for the encouragement everyone!!

I was a HUGE diet coke drinker...especially since I never acquired a taste for coffee, I guess. On the last day before I started my pre-op, I sent a message to my "addiction counselor" that I was partaking of my last Diet Coke...and have not looked back for over 2 years. No carbonated anything.

I drink decaf tea/iced tea mostly. I found a wonderful decaf tea for Keurig called Sweet and Spicy...so good, I don't add ANYTHING to it.

Also to water/tea I add sugar free syrups...vanilla is so good in my tea...love it, they are a fun mix to add flavor to anything...tons of flavors online...World Market carries a good variety as well.

So get some decaf tea/coffee and pick up a bottle of syrup flavoring and have at it!

I was a HUGE diet coke drinker...especially since I never acquired a taste for coffee, I guess. On the last day before I started my pre-op, I sent a message to my "addiction counselor" that I was partaking of my last Diet Coke...and have not looked back for over 2 years. No carbonated anything.

I drink decaf tea/iced tea mostly. I found a wonderful decaf tea for Keurig called Sweet and Spicy...so good, I don't add ANYTHING to it.

Also to water/tea I add sugar free syrups...vanilla is so good in my tea...love it, they are a fun mix to add flavor to anything...tons of flavors online...World Market carries a good variety as well.

So get some decaf tea/coffee and pick up a bottle of syrup flavoring and have at it!

I'm going to look for that sweet and spicy! I have a vue, so the choices are limited because it's still fairly new, but I really like sleepy time - it doesn't make me sleepy when you say flavor syrups, do you mean the various drops that come in tiny bottles, along the lines of crystal lite or Gatorade drops?

• @MamaTo3inNH no not those little things...tho you can use them... you can get a liter bottle of flavoring for about $7 at World Market, probably Amazon and other websites. Home Goods carries some on occasion. I put the vanilla (my favorite) in a small bottle and carry in my purse...much less expensive. It's called Torani, there is also Skinny Girl and a couple other brands...if I remember correctly; Bed, Bath, and Beyond had Skinny Girl... but if you can browse online, you will find more flavors (if you wanted) and probably better pricing...
• Good luck

• @MamaTo3inNH no not those little things...tho you can use them... you can get a liter bottle of flavoring for about $7 at World Market, probably Amazon and other websites. Home Goods carries some on occasion. I put the vanilla (my favorite) in a small bottle and carry in my purse...much less expensive. It's called Torani, there is also Skinny Girl and a couple other brands...if I remember correctly; Bed, Bath, and Beyond had Skinny Girl... but if you can browse online, you will find more flavors (if you wanted) and probably better pricing...
• Good luck

Ok thanks!! I will definitely look

my doc said no caffeine for a month. I made it to that month just fine. after that I just drink 6oz of caffeine on work days and that is all. Had to sleep at work last night, didn't get off until 12:45 in the morning and had to be back at 6:30 so I just bought a double espresso and poured it into a premier Protein vanilla shake (damn good). I feel that I need that little pick me up after these long nights. I also have a 3 week old boy at home too so sleep has been in very short order...

best wishes.

I thought the pain meds would help me with the caffeine headaches and I was SO WRONG!! I was on morphine in the hospital and Percocet after and STILL had caffeine headaches. When I got home I started doing small shots of Mio Energy mixed with water and that was the only way I could kill those awful headaches. Caffeine is considered a drug for a reason!

I waited three months after surgery and started with hot tea. Now it's coffee and/or tea whenever I feel like it. My doctor said coffee or tea is fine.