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Booze?!?

Prior to surgery I never drank much for personal reasons but I had a crazy high tolerance. I could out drink my of my friends that "power" drank every weekend and I never had a hang over.

Since surgery it's all over the place. There is no rhyme or reason to intoxication lever with me. I can not figure out what's an OK amount because it really depends on what I ate, when I ate it ec. Last weekend I had my first hang over ever....im 37 and thanks to siblings probably started drinking around age 12. My tastes have changed there for I have been drinking truelys but have actually switched to vodka mixed with either V8 or propel. I really only drink on weekends in the summer. Very rarely outside of that. I think its more difficult post surgery because I can find a pattern to follow to know a reasonable limit.
 
Tokash said:
Prior to surgery I never drank much for personal reasons but I had a crazy high tolerance. I could out drink my of my friends that "power" drank every weekend and I never had a hang over.

Since surgery it's all over the place. There is no rhyme or reason to intoxication lever with me. I can not figure out what's an OK amount because it really depends on what I ate, when I ate it ec. Last weekend I had my first hang over ever....im 37 and thanks to siblings probably started drinking around age 12. My tastes have changed there for I have been drinking truelys but have actually switched to vodka mixed with either V8 or propel. I really only drink on weekends in the summer. Very rarely outside of that. I think its more difficult post surgery because I can find a pattern to follow to know a reasonable limit.
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I feel this. It is really all over the place for me too. Sometimes, I can have a glass of wine and feel no effects. Others, I get 2 or 3 sips in and have to stop cuz I'm already feeling the buzz. And if I do get a buzz, it's gone super fast. The whole situation is weird, actually. I love a nice Chianti if we're out for Italian, otherwise I mostly skip the booze altogether.
 
I will be sober 21 years, 1 week from today. AA works for me as it not about the substance it is between the ears. I clearly have the more is better disease. Alcohol I can abstain from food compulsion is a problem for me. I will have surgery next month & know it will not be easy but am willing to do what it takes.
In the meetings we have had a number of people who have transferred addictions. It is not uncommon for people who have had WLS to show up at the AA meetings. No one else can diagnose you but I ask anyone who thinks it might a problem to be honest with yourself. I have done enough justifying and rationalizing for 2 life times and have learned to be more honest with myself.
Best,
J
 
Jniz said:
I will be sober 21 years, 1 week from today. AA works for me as it not about the substance it is between the ears. I clearly have the more is better disease. Alcohol I can abstain from food compulsion is a problem for me. I will have surgery next month & know it will not be easy but am willing to do what it takes.
In the meetings we have had a number of people who have transferred addictions. It is not uncommon for people who have had WLS to show up at the AA meetings. No one else can diagnose you but I ask anyone who thinks it might a problem to be honest with yourself. I have done enough justifying and rationalizing for 2 life times and have learned to be more honest with myself.
Best,
J
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Congratulations on your sobriety James. 21 years is quite an accomplishment. I do believe transfer addiction is a thing so it is good for you to point that out. Being honest with ourselves is the key.
 
Jniz said:
I will be sober 21 years, 1 week from today. AA works for me as it not about the substance it is between the ears. I clearly have the more is better disease. Alcohol I can abstain from food compulsion is a problem for me. I will have surgery next month & know it will not be easy but am willing to do what it takes.
In the meetings we have had a number of people who have transferred addictions. It is not uncommon for people who have had WLS to show up at the AA meetings. No one else can diagnose you but I ask anyone who thinks it might a problem to be honest with yourself. I have done enough justifying and rationalizing for 2 life times and have learned to be more honest with myself.
Best,
J
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Congratulations on your sobriety! Thank you for opening up about your past as well as your current struggles with weight (as we all are experiencing or did before surgery). I too have wondered about the connection between addictions to alcohol & food. I stopped drinking about 8 years ago after feeling it was becoming a problem. Living with a now newly recovered alcoholic really helped me maintain my sobriety. But did I replace my need for alcohol with food? Probably true. I gained 40-50 lbs in the years following no drinking. I didn't really make that connection, but now I wonder if that was a transferrence of addiction. Hmmmm Hopefully it won't make losing weight after my upcoming surgery more difficult.
 
Congrats on your sobriety, James. I think that is excellent advice. I think being honest with yourself is one of the hardest things to do. We tend to excuse our worst behaviors or beat ourselves up over them, while making no effort to improve them. It's always admirable to see someone who makes a permanent change for the better. And also good luck on your upcoming surgery!
 
Mistory5 said:
Look up the Facebook group transfer of additions after wls. You might change your mind about drinking any kind of alchohol. Also there has been quite a bit of research done on the issue and it's not pretty.
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Mistory you are on point with this. In my journey pre-op the surgeons used to have guest speakers come in and talk to us about their experiences and struggles post WLS. Two of the people that were courageous enough to speak to a room full of strangers talked about the effect of alcohol post surgery and how alcohol became their new addiction post surgery and basically replaced their food addiction with alcohol. Both had said that prior to surgery they did not drink often and what started off with a few drinks here and there after surgery became full fledged alcoholics. One of them ended up in rehab and runs AA meetings while the other stated that rock bottom was receiving a call from her childs school saying that no one had picked up the child when school was let out. She had been drinking all day and did not/could not pick up the child due to the drinking. That was painful to hear.
 
I agree that the majority of the population will not have a problem with addictions. I don’t get into semantics is it a disease ect. However, what I can speak of is a good friend of mine did not have a problem with alcohol until after WLS. He was always able to drink a few beers with his friends and then quit. In his own words he became a cheap drunk and he said he was no longer able to stuff his issues with food. Several years after surgery we called me and admitted he had a problem with alcohol and has been going to AA meetings every since.

He has a fairly decent connection with the support group who had WLS in the same geographical area. He doesn’t give specifics but said that the people in his group have a much higher rate of addictions after surgery than what is considered average.

The psychologist I met with several times as part of my pre WLS was very concerned about the transfer of addictions after surgery. Especially for anyone with self-admitted addiction issues. She has been working with obese patients for over 25 years. And, she told me many if not most would benefit from more counseling after WLS in her opinion. However, It is very difficult to find any counseling due to covid with all the mental health issues during this difficult time.

I agree with Diane we may suspect that someone has an issue with substance abuse and want to rescue them but, it is not up to anyone but the individual to come to terms with and decide to seek outside help. If you are in a relationship with someone with addictions I would encourage you to seek outside help. Tough love is often the only course of action that works!!

I have been around addictions all my life family, friends and myself. Is my relationship with food an addiction or a disease I frankly don’t care? But, anyone like myself who eats to the point of misery over & over again W/O medical issues being the contributing factor may have issues. I certainly have a poor relationship with food.

What many people don’t understand is a 12-step program is not about the substance as much as it is about addressing and dealing with life on life’s terms. It is very much a common-sense program and ask each and every one of us to examine ourselves and work on making changes. Of course, there is more to the 12 step programs. If it might be a fit for you check it out. When I came to the doors, of AA (pushed by my wife who was ready to leave me). I thought the alcoholic was the skid row bum. How little did I know?

J
 
Thank-you to everyone for there words of encouragement.

And, congrats to anyone who has gone through WLS surgery and working on being a better you.

Wow, 15 years post op and having your level of success that is fantastic. Way to go Diane!

I know this support group is going to be extremely important to me post surgery and I may not post as often as others but need you on this journey to garner a sane relationship with food.

J
 
missyinacage said:
I am wondering how liquor affects everyone. I have had a small glass of wine with absolutely no effects at all. Saturday, I drank about half of a bottle of champagne. I did end up with a slight buzz for less than an hour and then it was just GONE. I had heard that liquor affects you more quickly and is more potent after WLS, so I have really been avoiding it. But I'm finding it doesn't affect me much at all. It still has too many empty calories to have regularly and I'm more of a special occasion drinker anyway. But I'm curious if that is something anyone else has experienced.
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How long after surgery did you wait to start drinking again?
 
missyinacage said:
I am wondering how liquor affects everyone. I have had a small glass of wine with absolutely no effects at all. Saturday, I drank about half of a bottle of champagne. I did end up with a slight buzz for less than an hour and then it was just GONE. I had heard that liquor affects you more quickly and is more potent after WLS, so I have really been avoiding it. But I'm finding it doesn't affect me much at all. It still has too many empty calories to have regularly and I'm more of a special occasion drinker anyway. But I'm curious if that is something anyone else has experienced.
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I personally found out that sence surgery I can not touch vodka as after one drink I black out but it takes about 10 beers and I have a good buzz going. I did find that my food addiction turned to alcohol after surgery. I was up to a 30 pack a night for about 4 years but now I very rarely touch a drink and when I do I don't even finish it.
 
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