HELP! On my list it says decaffeinated coffee Pre-Op!! WHY?!?!?! My head is pounding already for a week. The withdrawals from everything else is bad enough. What will happen if I drink a regular black coffee? It even says I can have 1 Oz of skim milk! But HAS to be decaf.

Why is caffeine so bad for you pre-op? And how come I am reading that a lot of people were allowed coffee before and after surgery? Why does mine say decaf specifically???!!!

Each bariatric team has its own rules. Contact your team & ask specifically why no black coffee. Advocate for yourself. If they give you an answer you don't like or understand, challenge them.

Remember that what happens in your home is ultimately up to you.

Good luck! You are not alone.

First sorry that you are having the withdrawals, sucks.

But very important to follow your plan. Have the decaf or no coffee if the temptation is too high. I was allowed decaf but I quit coffee 6 months prior to surgery, after I went on decaf , then regular all under the supervision of my team. But recently I'm back off coffee again to prove it can be done and to see if it makes a difference when it comes to stomach acid and erosion, which seems to be the main concern not the diuretic effect. Consult with your team for clarity and follow your plans for the best possible outcome, which is what everyone really wants.

Safe journey!!!

Edited July 30, 20187 yr by GreenTealael

I did not start the decaf until post op and then went back to regular coffee at 2 weeks post op after clearing it with the nutritionist and PA. The nutritionist said that the diuretic effect of caffeine is the main reason for it since all coffee has acids that bother some people. My husband had to give up coffee several years ago due to GERD but he drinks a variety of hot teas (with caffeine) with honey and has absolutely no problem---he still misses the coffee though.

I would question your team about it.

On 07/30/2018 at 09:16, DaleCruse said:

Each bariatric team has its own rules. Contact your team & ask specifically why no black coffee. Advocate for yourself. If they give you an answer you don't like or understand, challenge them.

Remember that what happens in your home is ultimately up to you.

Good luck! You are not alone.

Thank you! I just contacted my nutritionist. I just want her to explain that to me. At first I thought I’d be able to pull through. But it’s proving to be a hard task.

On 07/30/2018 at 09:19, GreenTealael said:

First sorry that you are having the withdrawals, sucks.

But very important to follow your plan. Have the decaf or no coffee if the temptation is too high. I was allowed decaf but I quit coffee 6 months prior to surgery, after I went on decaf , then regular all under the supervision of my team. But recently I'm back off coffee again to prove it can be done and to see if it makes a difference when it comes to stomach acid and erosion, which seems to be the main concern not the diuretic effect. Consult with your team for clarity and follow your plans for the best possible outcome, which is what everyone really wants.

Safe journey!!!

Thank you! I figured it has something to do with acidity and stomach erosion but wouldn’t decaffeinated coffee have the same effect? I just emailed my nutritionist.

36 minutes ago, E G said:

HELP! On my list it says decaffeinated coffee Pre-Op!! WHY?!?!?! My head is pounding already for a week. The withdrawals from everything else is bad enough. What will happen if I drink a regular black coffee? It even says I can have 1 Oz of skim milk! But HAS to be decaf.

Why is caffeine so bad for you pre-op? And how come I am reading that a lot of people were allowed coffee before and after surgery? Why does mine say decaf specifically???!!!

Yes each surgeon has their own rules they go by. Thankfully I don't have to give up caffeine. I feel for you.

I am not saying go against what you've been told but I doubt it would hurt anything. And even reach out to them and let them know how your feeling and just ask. Wouldn't hurt.

On 07/30/2018 at 09:37, MIZ60 said:

I did not start the decaf until post op and then went back to regular coffee at 2 weeks post op after clearing it with the nutritionist and PA. The nutritionist said that the diuretic effect of caffeine is the main reason for it since all coffee has acids that bother some people. My husband had to give up coffee several years ago due to GERD but he drinks a variety of hot teas (with caffeine) with honey and has absolutely no problem---he still misses the coffee though.

I would question your team about it.

Just emailed my nutritionist. Hopefully she has a good answer for me! The reason I began to question it is because I read a lot of posts saying coffee was allowed by their surgical team. And it confused me a bit. I also read some people were “pre-op” and eating whatever they wanted until the day of the surgery while I’m on a liquid diet. Not questioning the liquid diet because I know exactly why I am on it- “to shrink the liver”. Wondering how some people don’t have to do a liquid diet before.

On 07/30/2018 at 09:47, AshMarie794 said:

Yes each surgeon has their own rules they go by. Thankfully I don't have to give up caffeine. I feel for you.

I am not saying go against what you've been told but I doubt it would hurt anything. And even reach out to them and let them know how your feeling and just ask. Wouldn't hurt.

Yes absolutely. Just reached out a few minutes ago. I am one week away from the big day. One week down in the books. Thanks a lot!

11 minutes ago, E G said:

37 minutes ago, GreenTealael said:

First sorry that you are having the withdrawals, sucks.

But very important to follow your plan. Have the decaf or no coffee if the temptation is too high. I was allowed decaf but I quit coffee 6 months prior to surgery, after I went on decaf , then regular all under the supervision of my team. But recently I'm back off coffee again to prove it can be done and to see if it makes a difference when it comes to stomach acid and erosion, which seems to be the main concern not the diuretic effect. Consult with your team for clarity and follow your plans for the best possible outcome, which is what everyone really wants.

Safe journey!!!

Thank you! I figured it has something to do with acidity and stomach erosion but wouldn’t decaffeinated coffee have the same effect? I just emailed my nutritionist.

I keep reading different research where there are (some conflicting) views that caffeine prompts over production of stomach acid, leading to higher incidents of erosions,and weakening of the lower sphincter. Google it, tons of info in either camp. But ultimately your under the care of your team so consult them for everything.

So to be clear, not just coffee but any caffeinated beverage, but coffee is usually has the highest natural level of caffeine, and I doubt any doctor would suggest anyone stop drinking green tea (second highest natural concentration) simply because of the health benefits associated, but you never know...

Edited July 30, 20187 yr by GreenTealael

Oh man, I feel you! I’m right there with you missing my morning coffee. It helps to know the reason though when you are denying yourself the elixir of life. Besides avoiding that withdrawal headache while you’re also recovering from major surgery, caffeine can also cause delayed wound healing. Coffee is very acidic and can irritate the stomach.

I weened myself off caffeine using iced tea.. it has a lot less caffeine than coffee. When I finally got to post op and couldn’t have any caffeine- I was okay. No awful headache... and I was a highly caffeinated individual going into this. ?

Caffeine is known to bind calcium and can strip calcium from your bones, leading to osteopenia and osteoporosis. To counter this you will need to take significant calcium supplements, and not everyone does. Going decaf is a simpler solution (though not necessarily the preferred one) than taking excess calcium.