Hi folks. Is sipping through a straw a problem for anyone post-surgery? I'm thinking of protein drinks & liquids.

My nutritionist and the clinic dietitian said (VERY EMPHATICALLY), "No straws! You risk adding too much air to your intake which will risk much burping. Sip slowly from a cup/tumbler or put each sip on a teaspoon and have ONE to TWO teaspoons per minute."

I was told you heese have to wait 6 months after your surgery.

No straws!!! At least for quite a while. Someone just said 6 months and I think that would be about right

After surgery your stomach is a lot smaller than when you went into the hospital. Normally your stomach has a lot of air. Sometimes if you have too much you will feel gas pains and bulch. But after surgery there is no place to store this air. Sipping through a straw only makes the problem worse.

I was told NO STRAWS FOR FOREVER, its a very small thing to give up really and frankly so far it has been worth it.

oh also I was told NO GUM though no timeline was given

It's not much of a problem for me. I did it by accident one time and nothing happened. That's the only time I've done it. I just choose not to use straws.

When it happened, I was like 3 or 4 months post op. I advise against using them though. Especially at that time.

Hw-273
Sw-226
CW-156
GW-130
Size- 4 or 6, Small in sweats. Medium in shirts. depends on how it's cut or made.
Bra Size- 38D

Surgery Date- April 26th, 2017
RNY
"Only those who try will become" FFX

See, my nutritionist is a lot more realistic. We can use straws as long as we sip slowly and don't gulp air like kids tend to do. Gum is fine, because it helps clean your teeth and (if you're impatient like me) it gives you something to do during that 30-minute wait after a meal til you can drink again. I'm almost seven months out and I've used straws almost from the start with no issues. Every doctor/nutritionist is different!

9 hours ago, jhope71 said:

my nutritionist is a lot more realistic

"REALISTIC" is, in this case, a non-objective opinion.

You might favour using straws and prefer to be backed up in your choice by your nutritionist's/clinic's choice of advice BUT this is not the best information for gastric surgery patients post-op.

Long-term experience shows that the vast majority of previous comfort-eaters tend to be 'gulpers' when it comes to consumption of drinks and liquids.

Just because an 'outlier' in advice confirms your preferred choice does not mean that its good advice.

It really is best for most (recovering) obese and overweight people to learn to sip liquids in very small amounts at a low rate of swallows per minute (ideally two or fewer).

Using a straw for the vast majority of people adds extraneous air into the mixture of liquids going into a now smaller stomach pouch.

By all means, drink through a straw if you wish to. Your choice. But it still remains as poor advice for the majority of post bariatric surgery people.

This is not an attack on you or how you will do what suits you. It is merely saying that most people need the best of mainstream advice which works for the great majority of people.

13 hours ago, Rainbow_Warrior said:

You might favour using straws and prefer to be backed up in your choice by your nutritionist's/clinic's choice of advice BUT this is not the best information for gastric surgery patients post-op.

I was told that by a trained professional who is herself a post-op gastric patient, in a nutrition class FOR POST-OP GASTRIC PATIENTS. My nutritionist is not an "outlier," but is a certified professional who works in conjunction with my surgeon, in his own office. I'm sorry it doesn't match your opinion, but it's what we were taught. Besides, I emphasized taking small sips, even with a straw.

See, my nutritionist is a lot more realistic. We can use straws as long as we sip slowly and don't gulp air like kids tend to do. Gum is fine, because it helps clean your teeth and (if you're impatient like me) it gives you something to do during that 30-minute wait after a meal til you can drink again. I'm almost seven months out and I've used straws almost from the start with no issues. Every doctor/nutritionist is different!

I listened to a podcast on bariatrics and it was said there is nothing proving that drinking from a straw introduces more air into your new stomach more than normal drinking does. I've drank from a straw 4 weeks post-op and never had an issue. If I'm totally honest I'd say I had less of an issue. I truly wonder where this initially came about.

Sent from my Moto G Play using BariatricPal mobile app

I'm glad I asked the question because of the varying answers. I am going to a nationally acclaimed hospital and they even said straws were up to us, but it makes sense that they could cause issues. Only one vomit and I'll probably know. 4 days and counting.

I accidentally used a straw, not thinking. I had a cup of water at a diner. Small sips. I was like, OMG! A STRAW, what did I do? It ended up not bothering me. What I did find, is when I was having trouble getting in enough fluids, when I added a straw and took small sips, I drank more. It is advocated to avoid straws. I've made the choice that because 1. they don't bother me, I'm not having issues, 2. I take small sips, 3. I tend to get in more fluids....so, I use them.

If your surgeon's office says don't use them, follow your surgeon's suggestion. Everybody has such a different experience of what will or what won't bother them. I read the boards and see how different we are with what we can or can't tolerate. At 50, I take in as much information as I can, then I parse it out and figure out what works for ME.

As for extra air, i always pace for ten minutes after a meal, to help counter any air issues, but straw wise, it's ended being a non-issue for me. THIS IS A PERSONAL CHOICE FOR ME. Honestly, at the end of the day, you need to do what works for your journey, and what will help you on your path to success. Best of luck!

I started using straws and seem to be ok. I am 7 days post-surgery and feel great or don't quite know what I'm feeling. Hunger doesn't feel like hunger, I haven't been nauseous at all, which is unusual for me. I burp, which hurts, and get hiccups, but otherwise not many issues. Straws haven't been a problem.

I just need to stay mindful that I don't need to eat right now. Stick with my 3 shakes a day and I'm fine. Water, jell-o, tea, etc. in between and no problems.

I hope my brain catches up with my stomach in terms of not wanting/ needing to eat...