Hey Guys,

Can anyone give me some insight on how alcohol reacts when the band is in place? As we all know, the heavier you are, the more you can consume without getting very intoxicated. A martini for me is nothing compared to a thin person drinking the same amount. Does the band make the alcohol more potent....something to be aware of? No serious drinking problem here. I just do not want to be surprised if I decide to have a glass of vino.... Please share your thoughts...... Thanks, Heather

The band doesn't change the alcohol's potency, and we aren't steeply affected like people with malabsorptive procedures are. Just thinking in terms of logic here, maybe there's some difference because you're probably going to have less food in your stomach with the band than without... most people find alcohol is the same for the pre-op as post-op.

My nurse told me that alcohol would have a stronger affect. (Funny, since half a glass of wine puts me to sleep!) Maybe what Wheetsin said is right--it's a bigger deal because you won't ever have a lot in your stomach to absorb the alcohol and slow its release into the bloodstream?

Both are your responses make perfect sense to me. Faster into the bloodstream as well as no food to absorb since we are not suppose to eat with fluids. Thanks Guys, I just enjoy a toddie here and there and do not want to be blind sided when I decide to try a toddy after the band.

What my doctor told was that it would only take 1 shot and 30 seconds to be legally drunk! I guess it will make going out a whole cheaper.

Heather,

I have always been a semi cheap date and i went 9-10 months without a drink, and now, no physical issues but OMG, 1/2 decent drink and i'm done and when I finish the entire thing, call me a cab.

What my doctor told was that it would only take 1 shot and 30 seconds to be legally drunk!

This doesn't even make sense to me. If one shot + 30 seconds didn't get you drink before the band, it shouldn't get you drunk after. Nothing about the absorption of our anatomy has changed. The alcohol still hits everything it hit before, still has to go through everything it went through, etc. The shot rule is often true for people with malabsorptive procedures (e.g. RNY), who are often told they will be able to tolerate a thimble of alcohol at most (because their absorption is all outta whack). But for us, especially with liquids, it should be as though nothing is changed at all.

I can tell you that the shot + 30 seconds isn't a rule, absolutely not, because it doesn't apply to me. I've never been drunk before or after band (I've drank, just never get drunk) but I've had shots. And I've had large/strong drinks. So it would stand to reason that if it changed because of the band, it would have changed with me, but is has not.

(BTW, not arguing, just trying to make sense of this. I think it might be one of the BS things our surgeons tell us to help their numbers and promote better choices... kind of like the diet that we don't need to be on because of our bands, but it helps us lose weight quicker... alcohol is going to be comparable to a milkshake in that regard).

From my personal experience, I can tell you that I have not been drunk since I got my band. I drink (usually Mike's Hard Light Lemonade) and I can usually go through 5 or 6 of them and I am not drunk. So...I haven't noticed a difference in how much I can or cannot drink.

I think it's just because you're not eating as much (and then along the way, have less body weight). I used to be a glass and a half of wine girl, now half a glass is MORE than enough!

My huband just asked me about alcohol. WE go out alot with friends and drink beers. I had heard abit about this but have been thinking more about food then anything else. I better be prepared to cut it out for awhile and stay home. That is a concept. Stay home and save money.

Thanks all for the info.

Since there is no malabsorption with the band, in theory you should have no problem processing alcohol. However, since you're eating so much less, it could mess with your blood sugar levels (alcohol increases blood sugar, and higher blood sugar causes irritability, excessive thirst, and increased hunger).

I was told not to drink alcohol for 6 mos after surgery because it can irritate the stomach. At 6 mos I had lost quite a bit of weight. I had a martini and it hit me hard. Before surgery, I could drink a martini in 30 min. This one took me 90 min. and I was blitzed by it.

I avoid alcohol because it is empty calories and clouds my judgment when it comes to food.

Jean

I know I've posted this elsewhere but this is the info I was given about alcohol.

In addition to meeting with my nutritionist for an hour appointment, I had to attend a 2 hour class which discussed nutrition post surgery. We were told to avoid alcohol at all costs for the first year of losing weight. Not only does it lower your tolerance to alcohol but also puts your liver at increased risks for liver toxicity, cancer and other liver diseases. It can also contribute to hypoglycemia. ulcers and malnutrition.

It was explained that your liver is not only working overtime burning fat from your body but if it has to process alcohol then it's giving it a double wammy for having to work that it's defenses are at higher risks for getting sick.