Ok...I am 10 days post op and I have a dumb question. How do you drink without getting air in. I have sat here trying to figure out how to do this. Anyone can you explain it to me.

This is my way. I take a decent drink of water, but only swallow a little at a time. It takes a little pratcice because you can forge and swallow it all at once.

I myself have no problem drinking as fast as I want. I can drink as fast and just like I always have.

Someone posted (and please forgive me because I don't remember who) that they would exhale completely, tilt their head back slightly and then swallow.

I actually did this for my last fill so that I wouldn't burp so much that they would say they had to take some back out. I am nice and snug now

Thanks for the advice. I will surely try these tricks. The reason I asked is because in my Dieticians instructions they indicated not to drink to fast, to sip so that you do not inhale air because you could get additional gas.

Yesterday, I was hungry in the afternoon and out without my Protein shake and kept drinking Water. Well, in about 2.25 hours I had drunk 32 oz. of water and became so full and my stomach hurt like crazy but I was still hungry (weird Huh). Today, I re-read the material and found that they had recommended that I do not drink more than 8 oz in one hour. So I followed their directions for today and felt much better and did not feel as hungry. It's funny how you think you know what you are suppose to do until something happens and you re-read the instructions to see how far off you really have been.

I think the other problem is not knowing when I was full because I was still full of gas. Today, was the first day for a BM and boy I felt 100 x better after that (something to say about being full of @#$%). It's amazing what Gas can do for your system that I why I wanted to address getting less gas into my system by drinking.

Thanks guys...you're the best!

I just had to laugh at your comment about the bm. Glad I'm not the only one who went along time without #2. I was banded on 11/5 one day ahead of you and finally got mine on Tuesday!!

I do find if I take too big of a gulp of Water it hurts going down, so then it's back to sip, sip, sip.

Here's to a great BM!!

Isn't it refreshing. I was worried that I was going to blow the roof off the house when everything started moving. That got a laugh out of my kids. They were like yeah! lets see it.

I can totally relate I was miserable forever after I was banded.

My kids, too, are obsessed with pooh. It's all funny to them.

Ok...so I have a dumb question.....are we ever going to be able to drink through straws again? was that just a post surgery thing or a forever thing. I find I'm missing my straws...Stupid I know!! Also, I don't seem to have any issues drinking fast, is that because I haven't been filled yet?

Ok...so I have a dumb question.....are we ever going to be able to drink through straws again? was that just a post surgery thing or a forever thing. I find I'm missing my straws...Stupid I know!! Also, I don't seem to have any issues drinking fast, is that because I haven't been filled yet?

not a stupid question at all. My doc says no straws . In fact I had to ask the same question because I could not remember what he said. He said no straws ever again . They can put air into your stomach.

I dont have any issues drinking fast either. I know some people that say they cant gulp Water or chug anymore, I Can if I wanted. you just have to watch it and take small sips. I actually stopped drinking from a straw before banding because I found that i drank MORE and faster when I did use one.

So just work on the drinking it comes with practice.

Good luck

Mindy

I kinda of figured out how to do it. First, you take a sip, keep in your mouth, blow air out your nose and swallow. I feel like this is a whole new world. I wasn't a straw user before so that wasn't to hard but this swallowing air stuff has affected me with the bloated feeling. However, since initiating this way of swallowing it has been much better. Weird but better.

<img src="http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/confused.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Confused" smilieid="11" class="inlineimg" /> NO STRAWS?!?!?!?! ok i have been banded for 8mths and have never heard this rule...... I always use straws and never seem to have a problem.. And in my case it helps me to drink things slower as opposed to drinking regularly where i gulp things down...<img src="http://www.LapBandTalk.com/images/smilies/ranger.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Ranger" smilieid="301" class="inlineimg" /> but then again every surgeon has their own rules... and just follow what they recommend.. but i just found it a bit odd.

My docs premise behind it is that drinking from a straw can but air in your stomach and or stoma and cause it to stretch . doing it over time is how this can happen .

HTH

mindy

Wow, so many ways to drink water! LOL

Hollyberries - I can so relate to re-reading and re-reading the literature. I keep going back to it and seem to find something new everytime. It's a pretty steep learning curve, especially the first week or so. But I don't think I've screwed up too badly yet!

I find I get a bit of pain once in a while while drinking Water as well and it seems like captured air (gas bubbles). I know it's not due to food since my stomach is pretty much one continuous rumbling empty entity at the moment!

Yeah, My surgeon said NO STRAWS. I'm being very careful and following all the rules to a T, but not with the straw thing. I find that i will forget to drink if I can't just lean down and sip through a straw, especially now that I'm back to work. I got travel Water bottles with the straws, I stick straws in my Protein shake cartons. But the straws help me sip slowly and get all my liquids in (which I struggle with). I used to Gulp water out of bottles.

I am aware of the gas and do feel that I may be getting too much air, so I'm trying to be very careful and aware of the air.

Maybe i'm being stubborn and need to give them up. I do still get gas, normal I think though. I'll check with the Dr. again on my first fill date 12/12.

Thanks for everyone sharing their no air tricks...

I do burp and fight back hiccups alot. Damnit! must be the straws.