Sooo I am over 8.5 months post-op, and want to ask the veterans what their thoughts are on carbonation?

I was a big diet soda and coffee drinker pre WLS and I knew I would never cut coffee out and I've had it since the second week post WLS with no issues, but carbonated drinks is a different story.

My surgeon has encouraged me to eat anything and everything except for diet soda. He has been adamant that I don' take it up again. Another friend who's had WLS and has lost and maintained her weight loss and eats everything has told me that she occasionally drinks diet soda but only started having it 2 years post op and advised against it at this point for me. My brother who's been sleeved for almost 4 years drinks it and is the definition of slim.

I really really like diet soda, and I only want to have a small glass once a weekish, is that so bad? My restriction is fierce so a little loosening up doesn't bother me much. What are your thoughts?

Edited September 1, 20241 yr by Lilia_90

Personally, I have stayed away from it. I was told once I hit a year out, I could slowly try a little every once in a great while but the carbonation really didn't sit well with me. The syrup in the diet soda literally tasted like pure sugar. I was shocked. I couldn't tolerate it. I tried 3 different kinds of diet sodas (luckily my hubby likes them so they didn't go to waste) and the carbonation really bothered me and the taste was too sweet for me. I tried 2 different kinds of carbonated drinks (non sodas) and again, the carbonation bothered me a lot. So I've given it up. I don't need it, anyway. I use to drink a 2 liter per day of soda, so not drinking it really isn't a bad thing, anyway.

I drank it all the time before surgery. My clinic's instructions were to give up carbonated beverages forever, but I tried Diet Coke when I was about two or three years out. I about died - it tasted like a bunch of chemicals! (which it pretty much is). I ended up dumping it - it just wasn't good anymore - it was pretty bad, to be honest. I wasn't used to it any more - it'd been too long since I'd had it. I do drink flavored sparking water now (didn't start that until after the Diet Coke fiasco - so again, 2-3 years after surgery). Some brands are too carbonated for me (which really irritates my stomach), so I have to wait a while for those to flatten out a bit before I can drink them. Other brands I can drink right away since they're not as carbonated.

btw - I don't think carbonation really causes your stomach to stretch out, but it really irritates some people's stomachs (which is why most surgeons will tell you to avoid it for the first few weeks or months after surgery. After that, some surgeons say it's fine as long as it doesn't irritate your stomach, and other surgeons tell you to give it up permanently)

i started drinking carbonated water (i.e., perrier) around 1-2 months post op and haven't stopped since...it does make me burpy (always had), but i kinda like it lol. alot of the time the burps give me relief from pressure or fullness i often feel.

i started drinking coke zero regularly again around 2-3 years post op. again no issue (that i am aware of at least).

i probably drink at least one glass of coke zero a day. sometimes more, sometimes less, depends on where i am, what im doing, its availability, etc...

but i mean if you dont need to drink diet drinks in particular, and you've gone long without and and can stay away, with minimal angst, i'd suggest just keep staying away, especially if u can do it with little effort. there are lots of studies out there that artificial sweeteners may not be the greatest for you so may as well keep staying away if u can.

just plain carbonated water probably has less to worry about health-wise, tho.

I’m carefully with carbonated drinks (including champagne) because it causes issues with my reflux which I think is one of the reasons surgeons advise to avoid it especially in the period after surgery. I’d given up carbonated drinks years before my surgery because of the hideous reflux hiccups I’d develop. The only ones I drank was soda, tonic or sparkling water and champagne but not often & I’d have to watch how many glasses I had. I still drink these. I have. Sparkling water every day (as an alternative to still water) but I usually try to let it go a little flat and drink it over a couple of hours. Soda & tonic waters are used as mixers only so rarely have them as I don’t drink very often like champagne (maybe once a month I’ll have a glass of something alcoholic & it may not have a carbonated aspect).

Plus the taste (things can taste too sweet & I lost my taste for them a long time ago) & the artificial sweeteners - I try to avoid as many of those as I can.

But you have to work out what you can tolerate: how often & how much of whatever carbonated drinks you prefer.

11 hours ago, Arabesque said:

I’m carefully with carbonated drinks (including champagne) because it causes issues with my reflux which I think is one of the reasons surgeons advise to avoid it especially in the period after surgery. I’d given up carbonated drinks years before my surgery because of the hideous reflux hiccups I’d develop. The only ones I drank was soda, tonic or sparkling Water and champagne but not often & I’d have to watch how many glasses I had. I still drink these. I have. Sparkling water every day (as an alternative to still water) but I usually try to let it go a little flat and drink it over a couple of hours. Soda & tonic waters are used as mixers only so rarely have them as I don’t drink very often like champagne (maybe once a month I’ll have a glass of something alcoholic & it may not have a carbonated aspect).

Plus the taste (things can taste too sweet & I lost my taste for them a long time ago) & the artificial sweeteners - I try to avoid as many of those as I can.

But you have to work out what you can tolerate: how often & how much of whatever carbonated drinks you prefer.

Champagne is one of my favourite drinks @Arabesque. I really don’t want to have to give this up as it’s a special treat for me. I’ve also got 10 bottles of the stuff at home (been collecting for a while) and I don’t want to have to give them away ? Would a champagne swizzle stick be useful as a way of getting rid of the bubbles do you think? Might drop a hint to hubby. He’s tea-total so culling my stock is all on me!

12 hours ago, MrsFitz said:

Champagne is one of my favourite drinks @Arabesque. I really don’t want to have to give this up as it’s a special treat for me. I’ve also got 10 bottles of the stuff at home (been collecting for a while) and I don’t want to have to give them away ? Would a champagne swizzle stick be useful as a way of getting rid of the bubbles do you think? Might drop a hint to hubby. He’s tea-total so culling my stock is all on me!

I drink it slowly & only have one glass so the bubbles aren’t as great an issue plus the bubbles are smaller & more refined in good champagne. It does mean I can’t open a bottle to drink at home myself. I don’t mind as I’m not drawn as much to alcohol as I once was but I do know what you mean by having a nice supply of bottles. Never know when you have to go somewhere or if someone pops in. I introduced my girlfriends to the joy of real champagne some years ago and now there’s never ordinary sparkling for us anymore. I say quality over quantity now.

Don’t know about using a swizzle as part of the joy of champagne is the bubbles.

What are your favourites champagnes? My go to is Mumm but I enjoy Veuve in summer don’t mind a Moet or Bolly and have three bottles of Dom in my fridge I’m saving (not sure what for though).

4 hours ago, Arabesque said:

I drink it slowly & only have one glass so the bubbles aren’t as great an issue plus the bubbles are smaller & more refined in good champagne. It does mean I can’t open a bottle to drink at home myself. I don’t mind as I’m not drawn as much to alcohol as I once was but I do know what you mean by having a nice supply of bottles. Never know when you have to go somewhere or if someone pops in. I introduced my girlfriends to the joy of real champagne some years ago and now there’s never ordinary sparkling for us anymore. I say quality over quantity now.

Don’t know about using a swizzle as part of the joy of champagne is the bubbles.

What are your favourites champagnes? My go to is Mumm but I enjoy Veuve in summer don’t mind a Moet or Bolly and have three bottles of Dom in my fridge I’m saving (not sure what for though).

Favourite champagne? I think top of my list is Perrier Jouet. I have a couple of bottles of Grand Cru and one Belle Epoch (very pretty flowers on the bottle!) I also have 4 2012 vintage Veuve Cliquot, a non-vintage Veuve plus 2 Laurent Perrier. I use a Mumm champagne stopper when I’ve opened a bottle and it really does keep the fizz in! I always take it on holiday with us as I like to have a glass of champagne on the sat on the hotel balcony on an evening before me and hubby go out. It’s just one of those little things that hubby insists on. It means a lot to us and I would be a bit miffed if I had to say goodbye forever to that ☹️

I introduced my daughter-in-law to the joys of champagne too!

I love champagne too, my Mum and I used to buy boxes of it (and red wine) each year on driving holidays to France.

I have a bottle of Veuve in my fridge just begging to be opened and some bottles of cremant but they will have to keep waiting until I have someone visit to help share it with.

Even cava be nice, my Mum and I would have cases of it in our homes and it meant we could always offer a glass or six to visitors. I ended up bringing four boxes (24 bottles) on the plane in my luggage to give my Mum in April and June ?? I had a few sips of cava at a party in June, tasted lovely but I could only do a couple of sips before it was too sweet for me so I went on to a bottle of red instead ?

I find Cava sweet too. I don’t think I’ve had Cremant ? I’ve always wanted to do a tour of the Champagne region and visit some of the wineries but that will have to wait for a while I think! I’m impressed that you managed 24 bottles in your luggage, that shows commitment to the cause ??

13 minutes ago, MrsFitz said:

I find Cava sweet too. I don’t think I’ve had Cremant ? I’ve always wanted to do a tour of the Champagne region and visit some of the wineries but that will have to wait for a while I think! I’m impressed that you managed 24 bottles in your luggage, that shows commitment to the cause ??

I am sure the baggage handlers loved me 12 bottles in April and 12 bottles in June.

Cremant is compulsory here, apparently you are not a good neighbourg/host if you don't have a glass to offer.

I was out for dinner on Thursday and my friend sent her glass of Mumm back and told them she could clearly see by the slow carbonation and taste it was the end of the bottle and she wanted a fresh bottle opened. If it were me I would have just drunk it

Edited September 3, 20241 yr by FifiLux

Haaaa hello fellow champagne drinkers! ? Veuve Cliquot all the way here. But I wouldn't say no to any of the others

Sorry we've gone off piste a little. I have drunk carbonated drinks from very early post op. I don't *think* it made a difference to my rate of loss or to anything actually. But I was never told to avoid them. Although - full disclosure - I have regained 12lbs from my lowest weight at the start of this year, so maybe I'm not the poster girl for carbonation!

2 hours ago, FifiLux said:

I am sure the baggage handlers loved me 12 bottles in April and 12 bottles in June.

Cremant is compulsory here, apparently you are not a good neighbourg/host if you don't have a glass to offer.

I was out for dinner on Thursday and my friend sent her glass of Mumm back and told them she could clearly see by the slow carbonation and taste it was the end of the bottle and she wanted a fresh bottle opened. If it were me I would have just drunk it

I would have drunk the glass of Mumm too…fair lay for your friend recognising the signs though, I’m impressed by that! ???

5 hours ago, MrsFitz said:

fair lay for your friend

Does this mean the same thing as when those of us in the South say "good on ya" and we mean good job or nicely done?

Glad to know there are so many champagne lovers here. We need a champagne party to share the joy. ?????

8 hours ago, SleeveToBypass2023 said:

Does this mean the same thing as when those of us in the South say "good on ya" and we mean good job or nicely done?

Yes "Fair Play"