I'm killing it, body fat down below 10 percent, I'm working out at least 4 times a week, am lean and strong. But I've found solace in whiskey. I drink it neat, no mixers. I don't drink during the day, but need to quiet my mind. Good quality whiskey does that, after 35 + years of total sobriety. I'm in Texas, so pot is largely illegal- and the illicit vapes make me paranoid. Crazy thing is I don't wake up with a hang over- I take Pharma sleep meds but am careful about the combo. I did talk to one guy who lost a crazy amount of weight through surgery and told me that heavy alcohol consumption is not uncommon. I was not fixated on food before surgery, but gained a lot during Covid sitting on my ass without serious exercise. I'm now working hard at the gym with a good trainer, and the results have been impressive. But the alcohol is an issue. I don't drive or go out when I drink, I'm home. I'm a high functioning boozer, but still. I hate being dependent on any substance, but I need to turn down the noise in my head. There are some legal CBD outlets in Texas which I can explore. I know the volume of whiskey I'm consuming is not necessary good for long life, but it definitely chills me out. Would love input from others who have had the same experience. Physically I'm in amazing shape, and generally, my mental attitude is quite positive. TIA!

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Can’t wait to hear others helpful responses.

Good luck! Physically you sound amazing!

I live in Europe, where we do think differently about drinking than you do in the States. Having a drink every day does not make you a serious drinker here. My answers may be a little different to your fellow country men. Big hugs for fessing up btw. That takes balls.

But, if you think you need the booze to sleep then its a problem that will only get worse. Quickly. Can you try not drinking for one night on a off duty day, Put clean bedding on your bed. Switch off all phones etc. Have a pamper session. Watch a good movie. Take a book to bed and read until you drop off or if you dont, just lie there, resting.

Get up at your usual time the day after and try and finish your day as usual. No naps. If you think you need a drink buy something you hate and make it into a long drink. Neat alcohol is terrible for your liver and kidneys.

Every week use less and less alcohol in your drink. Find ways to relax. Good sex, yoga, beach holidays, walking holidays

Doctors can prescribe anti alcohol medication that makes you vomit if you have any.

Its so easy to transfer an addiction. Why is it anything addictive, delicious ?

7 hours ago, Deep6 said:

I'm killing it, body fat down below 10 percent, I'm working out at least 4 times a week, am lean and strong. But I've found solace in whiskey. I drink it neat, no mixers. I don't drink during the day, but need to quiet my mind. Good quality whiskey does that, after 35 + years of total sobriety. I'm in Texas, so pot is largely illegal- and the illicit vapes make me paranoid. Crazy thing is I don't wake up with a hang over- I take Pharma sleep meds but am careful about the combo. I did talk to one guy who lost a crazy amount of weight through surgery and told me that heavy alcohol consumption is not uncommon. I was not fixated on food before surgery, but gained a lot during Covid sitting on my ass without serious exercise. I'm now working hard at the gym with a good trainer, and the results have been impressive. But the alcohol is an issue. I don't drive or go out when I drink, I'm home. I'm a high functioning boozer, but still. I hate being dependent on any substance, but I need to turn down the noise in my head. There are some legal CBD outlets in Texas which I can explore. I know the volume of whiskey I'm consuming is not necessary good for long life, but it definitely chills me out. Would love input from others who have had the same experience. Physically I'm in amazing shape, and generally, my mental attitude is quite positive. TIA!

I could have written this post, replacing 'whiskey' with 'cognac.' I drank between half a fifth [375ml] to a fifth [750ml] in one sitting. 100% sleep solution. Since surgery nearly 22 years ago, typically no ill effects in the morning.

I have severe OCD so virutally everthing in my life is a binge episode. If one is good, ten is better. My mind is always spinning.

I know/knew drinking this much this way was not healthy. Then again, not sleeping for days at a time is also not healthy. It's a rock and hard place thing.

The only advice I have is stop trying to deal with this [sleeping] on your own. Get your doctors involved and keep them involved until you have a workable solution. Fixing sleep should remove the 'need' for whiskey to sleep. If it doesn't change get help.

Good luck,

Tek

*raises hand*

warning: this may get long....

now, for me, replace 'whiskey' and 'cognac' with Vodka Sodas or Red Wine or Espresso Martinis.

i looked it up and according to North American AND European "standards" i would be considered an alcoholic in North America, as well as partaking in "harmful and hazardous" drinking if I were in Europe, based on my average daily alcohol consumption.

I started drinking regularly during Covid, and basically never stopped. I too, consider myself a high-functioning alcoholic...i don't get black out drunk, i dont drink and drive, operate heavy machinery while under the influence, make bad decisions that would harm or embarass myself or others, etc. etc.

since surgery i get affected much quicker, and on a lot less than pre-surgery. i'm pretty tipsy just after a single drink...legitimately drunk after 2. BUT.....i sober up really quickly too. the alcoholic buzz lasts me maybe 30-45 mins tops. then it's like i didn't drink a drop....which probably contributes to why i drink the amounts that i do.

i am a boredom and social drinker (i.e,. i don't need it to sleep...i am a lifelong insomniac and need very little sleep all my life anyway *shrug*). so if i am busy doing stuff during waking hours that doesn't involve food, friends and sitting around, then i wont drink. i also have a chip on my shoulder, so often when somebody (i.e., Mr. or the Kid) challenges me that i couldn't stop drinking, I totally would just to prove him wrong. I've probably gone cold turkey 9-10 times for about a month each time in the past 5 years just to be right. Mind you, i never actually STOPPED for good, so maybe HE's right, ha.

As for my current state of health, I am probably in the best shape in my adult life. I have maintained below goal weight since reaching it at 7 months post op. I am 5'2", 52 yr old woman, and this morning weighed 115.8 lbs. My body fat percentage hovers between 18-20% All my labs since surgery have been satisfactory, the last one being last fall. I don't take any medication any more (i used to take blood pressure and cholesterol and adhd meds). but I do have to take pesky PPIs i continue to need to keep my reflux under control. I have endless amounts of energy, bad moods and bitchiness are a rarity now, i am patient, calm, less stressed since losing the weight.

I exercise (yoga, pilates, running, rock climbing) 20+ hours a week. I also dabble with swimming, hiking, volleyball, and dance for funsies. I consume over 2300+ calories a day so i'm definitely not starving myself (mind you, 400-500 cals are from alcohol...)

soooo....sometimes i feel like i SHOULD worry about the amount of alcohol i drink, but really, if i'm honest, i don't, really. but if/when i do i feel like its becoming a problem, I can re-evaluate then (though this probably sounds like the alcoholic's battle-cry, no? ha!)

p.s. may be worth noting here (not sure why) that i am also an ex-smoker at the moment. i smoked for 20 years, then quit cold-turkey for 10 yrs, then took it up again for 4 years, then quit cold turkey again last summer (am currently 14 months smoke free this time around, yay, me!).

p.p.s. DISCLAIMER: i am in no way advocating nor opposing my M.O. to drinking to anyone who reads this. I am merely describing my own experiences. take or leave from it what you will ❤️

...and scene. lol.

Edited September 18, 20241 yr by ms.sss

Well, I guess I'm not alone in this. Thanks to each of you for your thoughtful responses. Yes, it is mainly to get to sleep, but also to bring the brain down to normal ticking- I'm a wound up person, always was, when I worked a career I was a demon. Now retired but still, that tighter than a spring quality is part of me--

and yes, addictions are transferable for sure. I've been honest w/ my docs about it. They don't see harm in a couple drinks, generally. And yep, with the bypass surgery, the line between nice buzz and blitzed is a fine line--that much I learned pretty fast.

Crazy thing is, I don't really have demons haunting me. Life is generally good. Sure, there's the usual life stresses but my life in general has never been richer (in quality).

Thank you, my fellow/colleagues in this adventure.

GLP-1 receptor agonists are now being studied for alcohol use disorder so that maybe an option for our population.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/08/28/1194526119/ozempic-wegovy-drinking-alcohol-cravings-semaglutide

https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/news-events/research-update/semaglutide-shows-promise-potential-alcohol-use-disorder-medication

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10371247/

Definitely not alone in this I think alot of us end up in the same place we just don’t talk about it enough.

On 9/19/2024 at 7:19 PM, GreenTealael said:

GLP-1 receptor agonists are now being studied for alcohol use disorder so that maybe an option for our population.

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2023/08/28/1194526119/ozempic-wegovy-drinking-alcohol-cravings-semaglutide

https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/news-events/research-update/semaglutide-shows-promise-potential-alcohol-use-disorder-medication

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10371247/

Oh this is VERY interesting thank you for sharing @GreenTealael!

I have loads of friends on these drugs who tell me that along with losing interest in food they lose interest in alcohol. And this is in Ireland, where alcohol is THE social lubricant. Does not compute. Many people even on strict diets will include a 'beer allowance', LOL.

Seems there might be a place for these drugs in managing alcohol dependence post physical WLS. Watch this space?

5 hours ago, Spinoza said:

Oh this is VERY interesting thank you for sharing @GreenTealael!

I have loads of friends on these drugs who tell me that along with losing interest in food they lose interest in alcohol. And this is in Ireland, where alcohol is THE social lubricant. Does not compute. Many people even on strict diets will include a 'beer allowance', LOL.

Seems there might be a place for these drugs in managing alcohol dependence post physical WLS. Watch this space?

Omg. My friend who is on them literally JUST told me on her way home from her date she has 1.5 glasses of wine and her stomach is hurting. I wonder if it’s that med.

I used to start with just a glass of wine to unwind before bed, and it slowly turned into two bottles or sometimes even half a bottle of whiskey. It seemed harmless at first, but I could see where it was heading. For anyone in that situation, places like UK rehab clinics Abbeycare offer real support to help you break the cycle before it gets out of hand. I know that it’s easy for one glass to become a regular habit, so having somewhere to turn can be a real help if things start to slip.

Edited October 12, 20241 yr by Lovesteks

I had a pretty nasty bout of blood in my stool which put me in the emergency room- I had lost a lot of blood. When the finally got the endoscopy done two days later- no active bleed. But it was depressing to say the least, and I'm no youngster at 70 years.

So, I decided to stop alcohol. I've done it before- I was sober for about 35 years before I resumed drinking and went from 1-100 pretty fast. I know I'm an addictive personality, I found a program- outpatient intensive that will accept me-the real trick with this is what is called "after-care." I was never much for AA, but found groups where people can give feedback or respond to be extremely helpful. That will happen as p/o this program but it is short term and I've asked about aftercare options following the "intensive."

I think my life will be better without the booze- it certainly was most of my adult life-- I got careless, figured WTF, and wanted something to calm me down. I don't like pot, it makes me paranoid.

I used to drink tons of fizzy water. Can't really do carbonated drinks post surgery , I do stay hydrated and use sugar free electrolyte powder in my thermos. (Doesn't everybody have a thermos these days that they carry around? Sure seems like it). Anyway, the best path for me is the simple- abstinence and getting back to a mentality where a drink is out of the question. I gather than gastric bypass patients may be prone to shifting addictions but I already knew this was an issue for me before the surgery. Still working out at the gym-a life saver and seeing a "shrink" have both also helped, as has my internist. I'm hardly a moralist about this- if you can handle drink, fine. It's obvious that I'm in that cohort that cannot.

Thanks for listening and for the feedback here. Happy this year to all.

Edited January 1, 20251 yr by Deep6

Hiii I am 2mnths vsg post op the struggle is real

I can relate to how habits like having a drink in the evening can sneak up on you, especially after a major life change or tough period. For me, what started as a way to relax and reward myself at the end of the day turned into something I worried was getting out of control, especially when it became nightly. When I realized I was using it to quiet my mind more than anything, I started looking at different support options and also leaned on some local group therapy for accountability. I actually learned about some places in the UK that specialise in this kind of situation, like the Abbeycare Foundation (official site), which offers multiple treatment paths and aftercare support. It’s worth checking out if you want something tailored and private, especially when you’re ready to take steps beyond just talking to your doc.

Edited October 20, 2025Oct 20 by TexasHeathen