Alcohol use after RNY

Can someone please send me some good resource sites that explain the effects of alcohol use after WLS? I'll be honest I had a lot to drink and I shouldn't have and it had a bad effect on me to where it was like I blacked out... I just want to know if this is possible. Please don't judge me I made a mistake...... I'm just looking for answers

Being that you're two years out, your weight loss is leveled out, so no elevated risk of liver damage to be concerned about.  

The only thing left is the intensified effect alcohol has on you now, for it hits you FAST as you just found out, so YES it's possible. No judgment here, but some advice:

(1) Slow down on the drinking.  You may have plenty of fun nursing one ****tail for a good hour or more.  (I cannot feel my lips by the time I make it halfway down the glass.  It's important to learn your limits and live by them

(2) You need a wingman - someone who knows you well and that you trust will have your back in the event that you encounter another evening like you just did.

(3) Beware of transfer addictions.  This fast reward effect can be addictive like food may have once been, so be wary of that.

Take care of YOU

Was browsing around and saw your response to this post.  Can you explain what you mean by weight loss leveling and no elevated risk of liver damage? Why is that?  I was curious about that because I'd not heard that before.  I'm leveled out and drinking some red wine with friends at local wineries.  I enjoy it but was a bit worried that I was doing something to my liver.  I definitely feel the difference on the speed with which it hits but my last lab work turned out fine.  That was a few months ago though and I'm due for some more soon.  (I'm 20 months post op.)

Rapid weight loss creates a strain on the liver.  So does consuming alcohol, which doesn't change.  The last thing you want to do, thought, is double the damage to yourself, especially when many MO people suffer from fatty liver disease already.  It's really adding insult to injury, which is why they say no alcohol for a year.  After a year, "most of us" are slowing down our weight loss and starting to level off and getting close to our new established weight.  Once you're there and no longer losing much, then the standard risks still apply.  So, to be clear, alcohol is not perfectly safe for anyone, surgery or not.  We as wls patients, are susceptible to double the risks to liver damage that first year, though.

Thanks that's very helpful. I thought the additional RNY risks were permanent 

Google > Gastric bypass + alcohol will yield various results.  Read studies, find peers.  

After watching this community for 10+ years, I will say alcohol is the number one issue after food.  We self-medicate -- and alcohol is just too easy.  

Here are some results from my own blog --

 

Impaired Alcohol Metabolism after Gastric Bypass ... - Melting Mama File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat   patients' breath alcohol content (BAC) was measured every 5 minutes after ...Post-RYGB patients have much higher peak BAC after ingesting alcohol and ... www.meltingmama.net/files/impaired-alcohol-metabolism.pdf

25% Drink 16% Calories Via Alcohol Daily. - Melting Mama ...   Dec 7, 2012 ... About 25% of you drink alcohol every day -- given the normal non-weight loss surgical ... And about 16% of your daily calories come from alcohol. www.meltingmama.net/.../25-drink-16-calories-via-alcohol-daily-.html

Alcohol abuse after weight loss surgery? | Harvard Gazette - melting ...   Jul 31, 2012 ... Alcohol abuse after weight loss surgery? | Harvard Gazette. Experts on the use of bariatric surgery for the treatment of obesity gathered at the ... www.meltingmama.net/.../alcohol-abuse-after-weight-loss-surgery-harvard- gazette.html

Substance Use Following Bariatric Weight Loss Surgery - AlcoholIs ...   Oct 15, 2012 ... People who had weight loss surgery reported greater alcoholuse two years after their procedures than in the weeks beforehand, in a new ... www.meltingmama.net/.../substance-use-following-bariatric-weight-loss- surgery.html

Alcohol + WLS - We are not coping well - Las Vegas is a Sparkly ...   May 27, 2012 ... I drink because I'm lonesome, I'm lonesome 'cause I drink.” This song just came up on CMT whilst I wrote this post. Timely. Two years ago I ... www.meltingmama.net/.../las-vegas-is-a-giant-sparkly-nasty-transfer- addiction-revisited.html

Intervention - Julie - Alcoholism After Weight Loss Surgery - Gastric ...   Feb 28, 2012 ... "Julie often turned to food and alcohol to find comfort in tough times. She had gastric bypass surgery when her weight ballooned, but now she ... www.meltingmama.net/.../ interventionjuliealcoholweightlosssurgerygastricbypass.html

Bariatric Surgery = increased likelihood of ALCOHOLISM. - Melting...   May 16, 2012 ... Medium-risk alcohol consumption was greatest with gastric bypass (about 14% at 10 years and 20 years for men and women combined, ... www.meltingmama.net/.../bariatric-surgery-increased-likelihood-of- alcoholism.html

Alcoholism After Gastric Bypass - A Real Problem. - Melting Mama...   Because gastric bypass surgery shrinks the size of the stomach, alcohol hits ...Gastric bypass surgery does not lead to alcohol abuse, but Ablow said that ... www.meltingmama.net/wls/2006/07/alcoholism_afte.html

The Medicine Cabinet-Ask the Harvard Experts: Risk of alcohol ... Jun 27, 2012 ... The Medicine Cabinet-Ask the Harvard Experts: Risk of alcoholabuse increases after weight-loss surgery. The risk of alcohol use disorder was... www.meltingmama.net/.../the-medicine-cabinet-ask-the-harvard-experts-risk- of-alcohol-abuse-increases-after-weight-loss-surgery.html

Gastric bypass and alcohol, please slow it down. - Melting Mama ...   Mar 11, 2011 ... LA Times - "Alcohol can be a minefield for anyone trying to lose weight. ... Study - Download Impaired AlcoholMetabolism LA Times - Changes ... www.meltingmama.net/.../gastric-bypass-and-alcohol-please-slow-it-down. html?...

 

My experience: http://theworldaccordingtoeggface.blogspot.com/2012/06/life- after-weight-loss-surgery-q_27.html

Thank you all for your responses.... I didn't realize I had a problem when I started drinking and all but once a month turned into once a week that turned into the whole weekend and that turned into everyday.... I had a lot of things going on and just didn't realize I had a problem until I started not to remember bits and pieces to the point where I blacked out and it didn't end good at all.... I'm just feeling really lost and guess just need someone to talk to... I haven't had too much luck finding things online. I am also wondering if because of the RNY with the excessive alcohol intake does it cause black outs? ugh.....

Although I am only just under 6 weeks out from surgery, I have a friend who had it 11 years ago, and she transferred her food addiction to alcohol and in a matter of a few years was a full-blown alcoholic.  She is, thank God, sober now, with the help of a 12-step program and loving and supportive people. Don't be too hard on yourself, the RNY definitely makes us "cheap dates" as far as not being able to tolerate a lot of alcohol, but how much and how often you drink, that's another thing entirely. If you feel like  it's out of control, you might want to consider calling Alcoholics Anonymous and finding a meeting near you. It helped my friend tremendously.

 

 

There is nothing specific to RNY that's causing these blackouts except that you're extra-sensitive to the effects of alcohol.