Alcohol intake is a persistent poser that many bariatric patients are yet to come to terms with. It is a truism that weight loss surgery (WLS) alters the traditional setting of the body system, and forces patients to live a whole “new life” afterward.
In spite of this, there are stages in the recovery process. At certain points, foods which had hitherto been placed on “ban’ are reintroduced. Despite the fact that the usual intake might be altered and a new mode introduced, bariatric patients still have the opportunity to consume them.
On the contrary, the same cannot be said of alcohol. From the foregoing, patients are advised to desist from alcohol. Even after they might have recovered, there is a tendency that the restriction will still be extended. At this juncture, it is important to note that the consumption of alcohol after bariatric surgery has some negative effects on the body system.
Weight Loss Riga's Patient Community on Facebook is a great place to meet and engage with others who are undergoing gastric bypass surgery or who have had other bariatric procedures.
You have to drink carefully
We are sure that you are familiar with the anthem of “keeping drinks away during meal intake”. Aside from this development, it is pertinent to call the shots when it comes to liquid intake after weight loss surgery.
It is preferable to consume water (in the right quantity) throughout and after the recovery process than to try your hands on other liquid variations (such as alcohol). The stipulations of bariatric surgeries such as the gastric bypass surgery opine that liquid intake should be consumed with caution.
It is vital to keep water away while you are eating. On the other hand, make sure you attain the 64 ounces per day (8 glasses of water) to reach a sustainable goal for weight loss. Back t the question: is alcohol intake essential after gastric bypass surgery?
You will get drunk
If you are wondering how possible this can be, it becomes pertinent to take a look at the gastric bypass surgery. Just like every weight loss surgical procedure, it entails alterations in the digestive metabolism of the human body. Hence the small intestine is either out or will not perform its function in full.
Note that this is the actual point where digestion takes places. In the light that the functions are altered or the intestine gets removed, it will be very hard to control not alcohol intake but food as well. Different studies have taken a look at the effect of alcohol in the body system and the results seem to be pointing to the same direction – alcohol intake after gastric bypass surgery is a risky affair.
Be Ready for the Changes
Our clinic has been performing bariatric surgeries for years and we must attest to the fact that patients are prone to have negative effects in the body. The quest to consume alcohol after gastric bypass surgery is quite high. Only a few patients are able to suppress the urge; bearing in mind that the body is being exposed to drastic changes
As a bariatric patient that underwent the gastric bypass surgery, it is important to prepare for the changes that come with it. Some of the downsides you will be battling are the negative effects of alcohol consumption. We’ll be taking you through the factors you need to take note before gulping down that glass of wine.
1. Be Mindful when drinking alcohol
The first point to note is that gastric bypass surgery triggers changes in the metabolic state of the human body. Apart from altering the small intestine in particular and food consumption in general, it triggers the urge to eat.
However, patients are confined within the ambient of a few amounts of food intake each day. Given the fact that liquid intake is a bit higher than food, patients are inclined to consume any drink that comes their way.
Despite the fact that you are not allowed to consume alcohol soon after the procedure, you can still consume it later on – but with caution! The last phrase is what most patients are not willing to take.
2. There is a high rate of drunkenness
Before gulping that bottle of wine down your throat, have in mind that you could be triggering yourself to a state of drunkenness. According to a study by the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (ASMBS), weight loss patients are at the risk of developing more Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) after the procedure. This implies that they are at a higher risk of getting drunk than obese individuals who are yet to pass through the knife.
3. Gastric Bypass Surgery could be dangerous
Bariatric surgery is a life-changing process that alters the lifestyle of patients. However, there are risks they have to cope with for a longer period. It is a truism that the procedure has the capacity to cast away many obesity-related diseases. On the contrary, patients have to deal with the growing rate of alcohol use disorders (AUDs).
To this end, is it really safe to have the surgery? The answer is a resounding “yes”. Gastric bypass surgery remains one of the most efficient and low-risk weight loss surgeries. The only issue to deal with is the incessant cravings for liquid intake. Most times, patients resort to alcohol intake than sticking to daily water intake.
4. A Drink can give you away
Have in mind that what you have after the gastric bypass surgery can be deemed “a new life”. Hence, strive to take a walk from consumptions that can factor in more problems for the body system.
Sequel to the report by ASMBS, there were other researches that pointed out major downsides with alcohol consumption. First, there was an analysis that specified the impossibility of the blood level to return to normalcy after the intake of alcohol.
In addition to this, most patients do not have the inclination to consume more food as they would with alcohol. Thus, alcohol becomes the “new food” and the trend tends to disrupt the body system. To this end, make sure you stay away from alcohol intake, as a glass of wine can trigger you to a state of drunkenness.
5. Longer timeframe to Snap out of Drunk State
It is worth noting that you cannot get sober immediately or as soon as you expect. In the hay days before the surgery, there is a likelihood that you will return to normalcy a few hours after alcohol intake, or after taking some sleep.
On the contrary, expecting the same after taking alcohol soon after the gastric bypass surgery may not be possible. Recall that you have a “fragile weight” and only a regular and healthy diet can stabilize you. When you skip food at some points (as most bariatric patients would), the body becomes too feeble and cannot sustain the reactions of alcohol in the system.
Moreover, the gastric bypass surgery shrinks the size of the stomach and triggers faster weight loss. The combination of the surgery and the rapid weight loss could factor in a lot of issues such as changing the way alcohol interacts with the body.
Note that most alcoholic absorptions take place in the small intestine. Not that by bypassing the stomach, you are creating an opening for faster alcohol penetration. This is because some of the enzymes that metabolize alcohol are located in the region.
In the event that much food is not present in the body at the time of consuming alcohol, there is a tendency that it will gain faster access to the small intestine. To this end, do not anticipate an “immediate” sober mood after consuming alcohol. This is because you tend to feel intoxicated after a few glasses and the alcoholic contents that made their way into the small intestine will take a longer period to get flushed out of the system.
Addiction Transfer: A look at Oprah Winfrey’s “Suddenly Skinny”
Oprah Winfrey, the American talk show has extended her tentacles to the medical field. In a bid to seek out the correlation between the gastric bypass surgery and getting drunk, she, through her segment titled “Suddenly Skinny”, was able to come to a logical conclusion on the subject matter.
Before looking at the outcome of the research, it is pertinent to understand what “addiction transfer “implies. Before making the choice of the gastric bypass surgery as a means to lose weight, patients must have factored why they got obese in the first place. Many factors point to this. There is a craving for carbohydrates and other abnormalities such as “binge eating”. In the same vein, it is possible to “transfer aggression” to another food. This is where the concept of addiction transfer took root. Alcohol is one of the major recipients of such a transfer of addiction.
During the show hosted by Oprah Winfrey, the medical team headed by Morton established that people who had gastric bypass surgery have a higher timeframe to stabilize than those who did not. In addition, the study looked at how long it took each individual (that participated in the study) to reach breath alcohol levels, which is a correlation of the blood alcohol levels. This implies that it took people that underwent the gastric bypass surgery a long period of time to get sober.
This triggers the next question, which establishes the fact that alcohol intake after gastric bypass surgery may not be good for your health.
The Link between Gastric Bypass and Alcohol Addiction
A number of factors can trigger gastric bypass’ patients’ addiction to alcohol. It is important to put these into consideration to avoid getting yourself into a web of intricacies after taking some glasses of wine.
- The Urge to Drink: Patients are more inclined to consume liquid than food. In the event of transferring addiction from food to alcohol, the latter becomes the preferred liquid intake. The transfer is hinged on the fact that the gastric bypass surgery reduced the initial size of the stomach. Hence, only a few amounts of food can be consumed in a day. This necessitates the need to find some other “thing of interest” – a move that ropes alcohol into the web of addiction transfer.
- Reduced size of the Stomach: The new stomach, which is small in size, cannot contain a lot of food. Apart from this, dehydrogenase,one of the enzymes that facilitate alcohol metabolism cannot perform its function to the fullest because of the reduced size of the stomach.
- Glycogen Depletion: Faster weight loss and low intake of carbohydrates tend to trigger reductions in glycogen in the body. Furthermore, consuming alcohol causes a massive drop in the blood sugar levels, which in turn, triggers low blood sugar.
What can I do?
Avoiding the gastric bypass surgery is not the best way to avoid the negative incidents that tag along with alcohol consumption. The best method is staying away from alcohol intake for at least, six (6) months after the gastric bypass surgery. Apart from this, we have other clues that will be of help to you.
- Avoid alcohol intake for the first six (6) months after the gastric bypass surgery
- If you must drink, go for alcohol that has a lower calorie content
- Do not drink while driving. Apart from the safety risks, there is a likelihood that you will drink beyond the given level you ought to consume
- If you can, avoid drinking at all. Remember that every drop of alcohol counts and you tend to get intoxicated without notice
- Always consult your doctor before taking any actions.
- Nutritional supplements play a vital role in the stabilization of your health. Make sure you stick to them; especially, if you are taking alcohol
- Eat when drinking. Do not give room for the stomach to be empty, as this might trigger faster intoxication when you consume alcohol
Stay Away from Alcohol
Take alcohol in small quantities when you cannot control the urge. But if you have your way, it will be a good idea to strike total abstinence. On the other hand, make sure you have enough food in your system before taking a glass of wine.
Moreover, stick to your aftercare services. If you need relevant information that will make your gastric bypass surgery a success, do not hesitate to establish contacts with us. Our team of professionals in the field of bariatric surgeries is ever-ready to offer you professional advice. If you choose to have the gastric bypass surgery in our clinic, you can be sure that your safety is sure and you will be having the procedure in a safe and risk-free environment. Contact Weight Loss Riga for more information on gastric bypass surgery and other bariatric procedures.
