I understand that we can't have any caffeine before, during and immediately after surgery. I am trying to give it up or wean myself off (don't have a surgery date yet). Any suggestions? More importantly, how long do I really need to be off the stuff? The withdrawal symptoms are monstros...I feel for drug addicts who are in withdrawal. :thumbup:

I had to switch to decaf before surgery and my program recommends I stay off for at least one month after banding. Since I was on a 6 month supervised diet prior to surgery I used that time to slowly withdraw. For my coffee made at home I just replaced one scoop of "caffed" coffee Beans with a scoop of decaffed beans when I brewed and drank "1/2 caffs" outside the house. Once I was down to all decaf at home I switched to decaf outside the house too. I miss the kick but overall the withdrawal was manageable. I am thinking of staying decaf now as long as I have gone through this.

What have you done so far?

I LOVE MY coffee TOO :frown:........I'm not saying you should do what I have done, :thumbup: but I was told the same because caffeine causes hunger.

I drank coffee up to the day before my band and I gave caffeine up for two days after my band and it wasn't hard because your not hungry after you wake up and to be honest I did not even want to drink coffee at all and day two I did have decaf because I was constipated and coffee helps that with me, so I took a couple of sips and had no desire to drink anymore. At about 4 days out I started drinking regular coffee, washing it down with a Protein shake or Water so it would not sit on my stomach, but now 6 days out from surgery I am back to drinking a cup or two in the morning just like I did before surgery and I haven’t had a problem. I don’t care for decaf so I am just sticking with good old Folders and I will deal with the hunger if that becomes a problem.

My doctor didn't instruct me to give up coffee, but I gave it up during the pre-op liquid diet phase, and for the first week or so after surgery (May 15th). I've had my usual one cup of coffee every morning since. As tired as I am today though, I'm really thinking about having that rare mid-morning cup!

:sad:I was a big coffee drinker prior to being banded-6-8cups per day.My doctor said I could have a few sips a day right after surgery. I was banded on 5/28/08 and still cannot drink even a cup just upsets my stomache too much. So the few sips is working for me right now- I'm not as perky/wired but realized dont really need that much coffee.Loving the band lost 12 lbs already and not hungry:)

I still drink my coffee but in a Iced Lattee. 2 cups, ff milk = 18 gr Protein, with sugar free sweetner, ice and coffee.

Gets me through the morning just fine.

Ollie

:sad:I was a big coffee drinker prior to being banded-6-8cups per day.My doctor said I could have a few sips a day right after surgery. I was banded on 5/28/08 and still cannot drink even a cup just upsets my stomache too much. So the few sips is working for me right now- I'm not as perky/wired but realized dont really need that much coffee.Loving the band lost 12 lbs already and not hungry:)

Hi - don't give up on your coffee completely if you love it. I tried coffee twice during the first month and it really upset my stomach too. However, I am now a month out and tried coffee again yesterday and it was just fine! I had it again today. My dr. allowed me one cup a day and I am very happy to be able to have it again. As long as you use skim milk and splenda! :thumbup: Good Luck.

I'm a one cup a day drinker too. I'm being banded this Friday so on Sunday I only drank 1/2 cup instead of my usual 20oz cup. Then I took an Advil for the headache. I felt sluggish that day but kept myself busy so that I would not think about it too much. Yesterday I did a little less than 1/2 cup and was fine. Today I'm a little tired and missing the caffine kick but I've given up coffee twice before ( while pregnant) so maybe this time I'll give it up for good.

Wean yourself slowly to avoid headaches and other such related effects. I'd also recommend doing the 1/2 reg and 1/2 decaf for a week then totally switch over to full decaf. Good luck :thumbup:

I was drinking herbal tea in place of my one (big cup) at home early a.m. and then another cup of reg. once I got to work. That was ok M-F but by noon on Saturday I guzzled a diet coke. Then on Sunday after church I couldn't understand why I had a sickening headache. I chugging another diet coke at 9pm Sunday night!! I won't do that again. So, I'm going to dry the 1/2 caf 1/2 reg and gradually go 100% decaf and ultimately 0 caffeine. Prayerfully, once I lose the weight I won't need a fake engergy booster. Thanks everybody for you kind and helpful feedback.

My surgeon requires you to stop drinking all caffeine prior to surgery, and none after surgery for several weeks. Giving up caffeine was one of the hardest things I've done! I used to drink a 20oz black coffee in am and 40-60oz of Diet Coke a day! I took one week to reduce that and then stopped completely. The headaches were horrible! I was moody and sleepy all the time. I was in bed everynight for that first week by 8pm. It was terrible!

But...let me tell you how much better I feel now! I used to blame not sleeping well at night on being a Mom and listening for my kids during the night. I now know that it was the caffeine. I used to wake up 4-5 times a night when drinking caffeine. I never had problems falling asleep, just staying asleep. Not anymore though, I now sleep through the night. Also, if I didn't have caffeine in by 10am at the latest, I would get a really bad headache. Not anymore! Even after surgery I will never go back to drinking caffeine. It's just too addictive for me. Trust me, if I can stop drinking it, so can you. It's one of the hardest things I've done, but just set your mind to it and do it!:thumbup: