its been almost 8 weeks since my surgery. I'm really craving coffee. And no, decaf will not cut it. my dr says no caffeine for the first three months. Please remind me why I cant have it. I quite frankly dont rember why. Anyone else out there able to drink coffee after the surgery?

My surgeon doesn't like coffee either. He says it is an appetite stimulant. That being said, I drink coffee all the time. I didn't for the first week after banding, but I have since then. It doesn't stimulate my appetite. I have been drinking it since I was 2 yrs old, so maybe I'm immune to its effects. Heck, I would walk around with a caffeine IV if I could.

Call your surgeon and ask WHY they say no coffee.

I was never a coffee person, love the smell hate the taste.

Now Diet Mt Dew was for me, I drank 2 two liter bottles a day thats tons of caffein. I have been so happy I quit the day befor my band and have not had caffein in almost a month and feel so much better and I thank God I dont crave it

I say hang in there and try to quit coffee, Water is so much better and its free.

So this is one area where I may not be able to follow my surgeons orders. I talked about it with my psychologist and she said she did not see why I should not be able to have coffee after surgery. (I know she is not a nutritionist and probably does not have any business giving advice in this area.) I only drink one 12-16oz cup a day which is not a lot, however if I don't have it I get a terrible migraine by about 10am. I know that is some kind of addiction, so I will stay away from coffee as long as I am on the pain med. and I don't get a headache, but after I don't need pain med anymore all bets are off for the coffee.

My doctor has never said anything about coffee or any other kind of caffeine. As a matter of fact, coffee was one of the only things I could get down the first couple days after surgery. I drank it all day. I drink coffee and tea now. No soda, but that's mostly b/c of the carbonation. I would say drink it and feel better before you go crazy!!

i have a cup or 2 of coffee every AM - if not it's ice tea (not the sweet kind..LOL). both were on my post op liquid diet......i gave up my diet coke & diet mt dew..., if i couldn't have some caffeine - i might hurt someone:tongue:

I like my caffeine carbonated . . . and was told no carbonated beverages after surgery. I call it "insubordination" or refusal to follow the rules:mad2:.

I started with sips of diet coke or diet pepsi . . . worked my way up to those cute little shorty cans (8 oz.) and now I am able to tolerate a 20 oz. bottle once a day.

I think we are all different and each of can handle things that others of us cannot. I agree that all of our doctors vary so much in their instructions to patients.

I was not about to give up my carbonated caffeine and therefore I did not. I don't abuse it . . . but I am able to enjoy my caffeine when I desire to.

Odd! .... Since banded, I have no taste for coffee any more ... isn't that strange? And, I was a coffee hound!!! It just taste nasty to me now.

I have switched to decaf and now that I am used to it, it is not bad. I also feel better without all of the extra caffeine. I've even made the switch to sugar free creamer.

I have only drank decaf tea and coffee for several years now. On the odd occasion that I drink normal coffee (in meetings), I can certainly feel its effects, so have no doubts about these.

If the issue is the caffeine, why not just try decaf coffee?

The more I talk to people on this boards, the more I realize that my surgeon must be exceptionally cautious. Both caffeine and alcohol are on his "never again" list. I gave up my 5-7 cup of coffee per day habit about two months before surgery, and now four weeks past surgery I still haven't had any. I also haven't had a drink of alcohol since the second week of August. Having said that, I don't anticipate being a tee-totaller on either caffeine or alcohol. I won't be drinking either in excess, but I can't accept that I can never have these things again.

Having said this, the one thing that is nice is not feeling like I have to have coffee first thing in the morning. It's nice to know that I can survive without it, which I didn't necessarily feel was the case before I gave up caffeine.

I've learned with this process, whenever I hear "NEVER" I always ask WHY?

Their reason may or may not be valid. And never is a LOOOONG time! :biggrin:

I have been drinking coffee since day 1 - Ice Tea too (just not with meals) - My doc didn't have any caffine restrictions (if he did - I would have just boohoo'd them an drank it anyway - makes no sense to me - things have to be logical for me) - and as far as drinking liquor - no problem - 1 glass of wine is good for you (per my doc)- it's when you drink the whole bottle that it becomes a problem - Just like 1 slice of cake isn't going to make you fat - but eating the whole darn thing will.

It's all about moderation !!!!

Were we not supposed to have coffee? Oopsie :-)

I have coffee and tea about twice a month as a treat and I'm still alive. :biggrin:

(I've heard that caffene is okay 3 months post op.)

That was the only thing I did not do. I had my coffee all the way through the process - except for the first few days after the surgery. I did have a caffeine withdrawal though... I was pretty bitchy. I don't drink as much now though. You do become lots more sensitive to the effects of the caffeine afterwards.

Hang in there!

Barbara

I was told caffeine is an appetitie stimulant by my doc's nutritionist. Maybe it does that for some, but doesn't for me at all. Furthermore, although I drank tea (unsweetened) by the bucket and a cup or 2 (12 ounce mugs) of coffee a day, I never have a headache or withdrawal when I pass on it. So lucky me, no caffeine addiction!

BUT I am having my 1-2 cups of coffee each morning and then my tea and I'm fine. I DO make sure I get in 64 ounces of pure plain Water and then tea if I'm still thirsty, because plain old water does things for you that tea does not. (odd but true)

IMHO if you are getting your water in, have coffee or tea as adjuncts. You'll know if it makes you hungry, and can pass on it.