Are you suffering from caffeine withdrawal after surgery? Are you wondering whether a sip of coffee would make all your efforts go to waste? For some, the threat of giving up caffeine can be enough to cause hesitation about weight loss surgery, or even decide against it. Is that necessary?

There is great news: probably not! Your surgeon and nutritionist should have the last words, of course, but some experts and many weight loss surgery patients agree that caffeine is okay, with caution.

Arguments against Caffeine

First of all, why wouldn’t caffeine be okay after weight loss surgery? There are a few concerns.

• Caffeine is a known trigger for heartburn and acid reflux, which is already a concern for bariatric patients.
• Caffeine interacts with nutrients and can reduce your body’s absorption of calcium and iron – two nutrients that you are already at risk for deficiency.
• Caffeine may increase your risk for ulcers and/or delay their healing if you get one.

Official Guidelines

The American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS) is a leading organization for weight loss surgery. It suggests avoiding caffeine for the first 30 days after weight loss surgery because your stomach or surgery area is still sensitive. After that, be mindful of getting enough fluids and be sure to avoid high-calorie, sugary sources of caffeine.

Benefits of Caffeine and Coffee

Caffeine does not just energize you and wake you up. It improves mental focus and increases metabolism to burn more calories. It might also improve insulin sensitivity to help lower blood sugar. Long-term, caffeine consumption is linked to:

• Lower risk for Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, and cognitive decline.
• Lower risk for strokes.
• Lower risk of heart disease.

Coffee itself appears to have additional health benefits, beyond those of caffeine.

The Risk of Acid

The main trouble with caffeine is its acidity. The acid can irritate your stomach, particularly at your surgery site when it is trying to heal in the early post-op weeks. The trouble is not just caffeine; coffee itself, as well as cola, is acidic. You can go risk-free with a decaffeinated version of Acid-Free Coffee so you never have to miss your favorite morning brew.

Myth: Caffeinated Beverages Are Dehydrating

The word on the street is that caffeine dehydrates you. Even health professionals often believe this and tell their patients this. The fact is that it simply is not true, at least, not at normal levels of caffeine consumption, such as 250 to 300 mg at a time, or 2 to 3 cups of coffee. Yes, you will lose a little extra water shortly after drinking your caffeine (who isn’t familiar with the extra trip to the bathroom after a cup of coffee?), but your body will compensate by conserving more over the next several hours.

Dehydration is a strong threat to bariatric patients. In fact, ASMBS says it is the most common reason for post-op patients to be readmitted to the hospital. People who mistakenly think caffeine is dehydrating might avoid caffeinated beverages, and make the serious mistake of forgetting to make up for the missed fluid. Don’t make this mistake! Non-caffeinated may be best for hydration, but caffeinated is a close second, and it is a far better choice than hospitalization!

Warning Signs

If your surgeon and nutritionist agree that caffeine is okay, and you do choose to indulge, keep an eye out for some warning signs that you are taking more than is safe.

• Anxiety, restlessness, or jitters.
• Trouble sleeping.
• Headaches.
• Upset stomach.
• Rapid heartbeat.
• Heartburn.

Also, ask your doctor about caffeine if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

Watch the Sugar!

Sugar does not always come to mind when thinking about caffeine, but it is something to be careful of. There is no sugar in coffee, and no sugar in tea. There is even no sugar in unsweetened chocolate, such as 100% dark chocolate or baking cocoa. However, there is absolutely a lot of sugar in many foods and beverages with caffeine, as you can see from the following list (keep in mind that the general goal for sugar is to stay under 25 grams a day, and WLS patients may be aiming for less):

• 26-66 grams: Caramel Mocha
• 9-22 grams: Caffe latte
• 20-50 grams: Hot chocolate
• 22 grams: Iced tea
• 10 grams: 65% dark chocolate
• 27 grams: energy drink

Smart Caffeine Consumption

If you do choose to drink coffee or take caffeine in other forms, such as through tea or energy drinks, you can take steps to stay safe with it.

• Limit caffeine consumption to 250-300 milligrams per day, or the amount in about 3 cups of coffee or 6 cups of tea.
• Do not take caffeine within 6 hours of going to bed.
• Take your calcium, iron, and supplements containing calcium or iron separately from when you consume caffeine.
• Do not use caffeine as a substitute for sleeping enough. Sleep will help you lose more weight not only by promoting energy naturally but also by normalizing hormone levels to reduce hunger and cravings.

Other Cautions with Caffeine

If you depend on caffeine from soft drinks, you might need to find another source. It is not just a question of switching from regular to diet soda to avoid sugar. Carbonated beverages can make you overfull. Taking them regularly can make you less able to feel the effects of your surgery, and you could begin to overeat.

If you are a regular caffeine drinker, do be aware that you will need to at least take a break for about 30 days after surgery. You can wait until your surgery date to give up caffeine, but there’s a caveat. If you are dependent on caffeine, you can suffer withdrawal headaches for a few days when you stop taking caffeine. You might want to quit caffeine before your surgery, instead of waiting until afterward, so you can get over your headaches. That way, you will not have to deal with headaches while dealing with any post-op pain.

Yum...COFFEE! So, I've been uber blessed. Absolutely no heartburn and I get to have my cup of coffee and then some everyday. It's true...caffeine in coffee DOES NOT dehydrate you. I researched that a while back. I do agree to wait on the consumption post op until it's cleared to have some. Anyone worried about acid...cold brews have less acidity as well. ENJOY!

Are artificial sweeteners [Splenda] ok to use in coffee or should I count it just like real sugar