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Smoking and ulcers



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Can someone explain why a bypass patient is more likely to develop an ulcer than a "regular" person if they smoke? I can't figure out the connection. Is it because there's no protective stomach acid anymore? I can only find the "don't smoke" mantras... but all doctors say that. Why is the predisposition higher?

Yes, I will admit I've smoked about 4 packs or so since surgery. I know I'm not supposed to. And at my 6 month I told the doctor's office and they're like "you may get another ulcer" and I was feeling bitchy that day and was like "that's fine because I have leftover Carafate from my last one". I'm a stubborn ****** but I will complain when it bites me in the ass.... at least I'm honest. lol. I'm trying to quit again.

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Always hard to say what will happen after they been up in your guts. My opinion, which is worthless, is its your body.. do what you like. just be ready to accept the consequences if you do.

Most doctors will always err to caution I think.

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I saw yet another patient this week who was 1.5 years post gastric bypass. Lost 150 pounds, and developed an ulcer. I asked one of the GI docs about why it happens and he said that the protective lining is gone and so anything that causes inflammation or irritation of the tissues can lead to an ulcer. This includes alcohol (extremely irritating to tissues) and smoking which increases inflammation. Regular acid reducers cannot reach the area of the ulcer, which is why Carafate is used. Yes, ulcers can heal with the medication, but ulcers can also kill you if they perforate and bleed badly.

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Cigarettes contain many known chemicals and poisons so they affect every organ in the body so of course it will hurt your new stomach....

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Also the bypassed stomach portion can still produce acid in response to the inflammation with no way for medicine to reach it. Not promoting nicotine addiction but switch to Juul, taper off and quit, sometimes it takes 3 attempts. Your body will heal a lot slower while still smoking, reduces oxygen to tissues.

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Also the bypassed stomach portion can still produce acid in response to the inflammation with no way for medicine to reach it. Not promoting nicotine addiction but switch to Juul, taper off and quit, sometimes it takes 3 attempts. Your body will heal a lot slower while still smoking, reduces oxygen to tissues.
I can quit whenever I want cold turkey. Like, I will buy a pack, smoke it, not buy a pack for 4 or 5 months. Decide to buy another pack. That kind of thing. I'll go for a year without smoking or more. Then start again. I dunno. It's just a casual thing I occasionally enjoy, especially on long drives. I don't smoke when I am home... only in my car or out socially (which is rare).

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THEN WHY THE FK waste money and possibly cause problem with your surgery if you say you don't need it?

Why would you do anything to hinder your progress?

You may as well open your wallet and set it alight or at least donate the money to charity?

Good luck

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5 hours ago, Mikeyy said:

THEN WHY THE FK waste money and possibly cause problem with your surgery if you say you don't need it?

Why would you do anything to hinder your progress?

You may as well open your wallet and set it alight or at least donate the money to charity?

Good luck

My question was specifically why bypass patients are more at risk than those that haven't had the surgery. I was trying to understand the science behind that, and not be berated.

Also, cigs are like $3 a pack where I live and with the frequency in which I purchase them, it doesn't exactly break the bank so I don't even understand that last comment.

Edited by mousecat88

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Hey, from what I just Googled, cigarette smoking is also known to make ulcers more prevalent in "regular" people as well. I don't know WHY, but it seems to be bad for all populations. Glad you're trying to quit. I know it's hard!

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

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