Hi Everyone,

I have been reading these posts for a few weeks and I am still at the undecided stage of whether I want the lapband or not. I have been to the seminar given by the doctor who does the surgery and he said that you must eliminate coffee entirely from your life. I haven't seen anyone talking about coffee so I thought I would ask if anyone else was told this or if anyone still drinks coffee after banding. I would really miss my morning coffee (I drink it black). I have found out my insurance company does cover the surgery and am leaning towards it but I am still a bit reluctant. Thanks for your input in advance.

Hi Everyone,

I have been reading these posts for a few weeks and I am still at the undecided stage of whether I want the lapband or not. I have been to the seminar given by the doctor who does the surgery and he said that you must eliminate coffee entirely from your life. I haven't seen anyone talking about coffee so I thought I would ask if anyone else was told this or if anyone still drinks coffee after banding. I would really miss my morning coffee (I drink it black). I have found out my insurance company does cover the surgery and am leaning towards it but I am still a bit reluctant. Thanks for your input in advance.

i was banded in ireland in june. On the day of the operation two hours after i returned to the ward my surgeon ok'ed it for me to have a mug of coffee , i was never told not to have coffee..

ditto what twinkle-toes said. i drink coffee everyday.

My doctor said no coffee because of the caffeine... he believes that caffeine may be a cause of erosion. Decaf is totally fine, but I was put under strict orders not to consume caffeinated coffee or tea. I've seen other people on the board talk about drinking coffee, so it's one of those "every doctor is different" things.

I stopped drinking it, because I think the theory sounds like it makes sense. I didn't stop until the morning of surgery though, I figured, I'd go through withdrawal on all those wonderful pain meds! It worked like a charm! :-)

Hi Everyone,

I have been reading these posts for a few weeks and I am still at the undecided stage of whether I want the lapband or not. I have been to the seminar given by the doctor who does the surgery and he said that you must eliminate coffee entirely from your life. I haven't seen anyone talking about coffee so I thought I would ask if anyone else was told this or if anyone still drinks coffee after banding. I would really miss my morning coffee (I drink it black). I have found out my insurance company does cover the surgery and am leaning towards it but I am still a bit reluctant. Thanks for your input in advance.

Here are the arguments against coffee:

1. Coffee is a known gastric irritant. Anything that is a gastric irritant could *possibly* contribute to erosion of the Lap-Band into the stomach wall. (This is also why Band patients are told to avoid NSAIDS)

2. Coffee is a diuretic, and most Lap-Band patients have difficulty in getting in enough fluids. If a person is drinking *any* beverage containing caffeine, the diuretic effect of that beverage must be compensated for by additional Fluid intake. (This is one reason why people are told to avoid caffeinated soft-drinks)

3. Coffee is a stimulant due to the caffeine content. Some doctors believe that *any* stimulant will *also* stimulate hunger.

If there are any other arguments against drinking coffee, I am unaware of them.

Doctors have very different opinions on the consumption of different foods after Lap-Band. Your doctor may not agree with one or any of the above reasons, which is why it is always best to ask your doctor.