It's been 3.5 weeks since I have had a diet coke, and I am frequently day dreaming about having an ice cold can of DC! I was drinking a super big gulp everyday before my VS. I plan to give them up for good, because it is so bad for your health and because research has shown it leads to weight gain. But truly, giving up diet coke is harder than all the other foods I am giving up. Yesterday I went into a 7-11 for my kids, and I felt like an alcoholic walking into a liquor store. And believe me, I am by no means making light of the struggle addicts go through on a daily basis. This is so hard for me!!

@@Psychsnob, I love it! I can't handle diet soda either, but do do a homemade SF and sweetener free tonic water every so often with a hint of sparkle.

The issue with diet coke or any other soda is that it can cause an ulcer in your very small pouch. When you have an ulcer in a regular stomach, they could remove that portion if it won't heal but if you have a very small one, there is nothing for them to do. My brother had Gastric Bypass 10 years ago and started drinking "a little bit" of sodas here and there and then started drinking them pretty regularly. He developed an ulcer in his pouch and had a severe GI bleed. The surgeon told us he was not going to make it, but he did pull through and is doing ok for now. The doctors have told him that the ulcer will always be there and he is in constant danger of another bleed. Believe me, he hasn't touched another soda. It took a few years of getting those little bits in, but it can, and my surgeon assures me, will happen after a period of time. I am also a nurse and I was a diet cokaholic as well but I have now been 3 years without one and I can assure you, I don't miss them now.

I am not preaching, nor am I telling anyone what to do. What you do or do not drink is strictly your own business, just make an informed decision.

I was never a huge pop drinker, but a good, cold Blue Moon.... Oh my God!! Especially during football season. I should have my date soon and I already know that this will be a challenge.

After swimming all day early this week, I stopped at Sonic to get something to drink. Although a Diet Coke slush (Slurpee) sounds like a good choice, it is not. It may not have carbonation, but it is loaded with sugar. The ice they use in their slushes is loaded with sugar. So, even though the diet coke is sugar free, making it into a slush at Sonic is not.

I decided to order a medium sized Diet Limeade. I've never had one before, but I figured it would be a sugar free, lime flavored drink. The first sip was awesomely delicious. But then I realized that it was carbonated with something like Diet Sprite, 7up, or Sierra Mist. No wonder it tasted so good. I decided to drink it very slowly and experienced no negative effects.

Before the limeade, it had been 10 months before I had a soda. I don't know if I will have one anytime soon, but I think it would be smart of me to make soda drinking a very rare event. There are many surgeons that advise against effervescent drinks. However, there were a few times I drank Alka-Seltzer because it was the only thing I had on hand. Before drinking it, I let it sit 30 minutes and stirred every 5 minutes to help the bubbles dissipate.

Most of my Fluid intake comes from Powerade Zero. I don't think I could come close to the recommended fluid intake without it.

@shrinkingmom. THANK YOU for posting about your bother's journey. People need to be aware that the "it didn't have a bad affect on me" attitude is dangerous! It's a progression that happens--sometimes silently--and before you know it, the damage is done. If our surgeons and nuts tell us not to do something, then don't do it! They know things and have studies based on years of experience! The Bariatric association of surgeons say no carbonated beverages!

After swimming all day early this week, I stopped at Sonic to get something to drink. Although a Diet Coke slush (Slurpee) sounds like a good choice, it is not. It may not have carbonation, but it is loaded with sugar. The ice they use in their slushes is loaded with sugar. So, even though the diet coke is sugar free, making it into a slush at Sonic is not.

I decided to order a medium sized Diet Limeade. I've never had one before, but I figured it would be a sugar free, lime flavored drink. The first sip was awesomely delicious. But then I realized that it was carbonated with something like Diet Sprite, 7up, or Sierra Mist. No wonder it tasted so good. I decided to drink it very slowly and experienced no negative effects.

Before the limeade, it had been 10 months before I had a soda. I don't know if I will have one anytime soon, but I think it would be smart of me to make soda drinking a very rare event. There are many surgeons that advise against effervescent drinks. However, there were a few times I drank Alka-Seltzer because it was the only thing I had on hand. Before drinking it, I let it sit 30 minutes and stirred every 5 minutes to help the bubbles dissipate.

Most of my Fluid intake comes from Powerade Zero. I don't think I could come close to the recommended fluid intake without it.

Try Sonic's lemon-lime mint Water. It's refreshing

So, I drink Dt. Pepsi. One 16 oz bottle lasts more than a week and since it goes flat I really don't drink that much. I actually find it helps in digestion.

My NUT said a little bit is ok but only as a once-in-a-while treat. So that's how I work it. Water is my "bae" as the children these days say.

@@maggie409

Yummy! I'll have to try that!

Diet coke may well have caused those ulcers, but carbonation itself cannot and will not do so. Ulcers in stomach lining from soda are largely from the corosive effects of the mass amounts of phosphoric acid in coke. Phosphoric acid is a triprotic strong acid, battery acid is sulfuric, a diprotic. That said, phosphoric acid is one of the few common acids even stronger than battery acid, and we all know how evil that stuff is.

There's a reason that both Coca-cola and PepsiCo have special licenses from the feds to transport their syrups on public roads - they're so hazardous when undiluted that they require hazmat if any of the tanker trucks carrying them spill. The carbonation, however, is not itself the cause of the ulceration. Don't make the mistake of drinking flat soda to avoid the 'evils' of carbonation or so religiously avoiding carbonation that you go thirsty on a hot summer day when sparkling Water is your only option.

Edited July 17, 201511 yr by Smye

A quick clarification: My last post was not in any way shape or form intended to encourage folks to drink soda or other carbonated beverages. We need to follow the advice of our NUTs, and I agree that it's dangerous to drink soda. It's just important to place the blame for the horror stories (which are very real and very useful anecdotes) in the proper place to give context, relevance, and better meaning to them and to, ideally, prevent folks from just drinking flat soda and then being shocked when something terrible happens (the acids in the syrup don't evaporate out with the CO2).

Edited July 17, 201511 yr by Smye

@ WL WARRIOR : before all this sleeve stuff my wife let me invest in a professional Hawaiian shaved ice machine, we were spending too much on sno cones, and Sonic slush, we are a family of 7, I was craving something like Sonic awhile back so I pulled out the machine, shaved some ice and took some Walmart brand of "MIO" it was Grape, I poured it on the ice and oh man it was delicious, I think you can purchase these online at Amazon for under $60.00, mine paid for itself and the syrup halfway through last summer

I was never a big pop drinker, so it was pretty easy to give up. I have had a craving for one a couple of time in the past 2 years, and when I've tried it, it just didn't taste right and wasn't what I think I remembered. It's one area where my taste really has changed.

Lots of interesting stories here! Diet Coke is my drink of choice, but on the whole I don't drink a lot of fizzy drinks... when I do it's Diet Coke, and it's usually just a can a week. I do hope I'll be able to indulge every now and again post-op!

I have mentioned here before that I was definitely addicted to diet cokes. I weened myself before I even started my pre-op diet. I don't miss them anymore mostly because it was something I knew I needed to give up whether I had surgery or not. I wanted to give them up because they are just not good for me. A definite unhealthy habit.

Gave up my Diet Dr. Pepper 3 months before my sleeve surgery. Replaced it with McDonalds Diet Sweet Tea. I am 14 weeks post op. I drank only water and juice for the first 10 weeks, but have been drinking DST again for about a month now. It doesn't have any carbonation, but some have said NO CAFFEINE either. Thoughts???

Edited July 19, 201511 yr by ZoeyBear