Alcohol & Weight Loss Surgery
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Drinking alcohol is a hot topic among weight loss surgery patients. Here are all the facts about alcohol and weight loss surgery straight from Dr. Fowler.
After weight loss surgery, your team will recommend that you abstain from drinking alcohol. For some individuals, drinking wine or other spirits is an important cultural and social activity for which abstinence seems unreasonable. If you are part of this group, please know that you should not drink for at least 6 months after surgery, should only drink small quantities on rare occasions, and that the following risks apply:
- Weight loss surgery patients have higher rates of alcoholism after surgery than do the general public. Some research has indicated a risk of “transferring addiction” to alcohol after surgery.
- Gastric Bypass patients absorb alcohol more quickly and process alcohol more slowly, which means you can become “drunk more quickly” and will be “over the legal limit for driving” much more easily and for a longer period of time.
- Alcohol can cause “dumping syndrome” symptoms.
- Alcohol has no nutritional value.
- Alcohol will slow your weight loss.