What are the effects of alcohol after gastric bypass?

Answer 1

Alcohol is quite dangerous to people who have have gastric bypass surgery. Because the surgery bypasses the pyloric valve in the stomach, any alcohol that is consumed does not have the chance to mix with digestive juices in the stomach. Therefore, the "raw" alcohol flows directly into the small intestines (just as any fluid or food that is consumed after gastric bypass).

This has several negative effects for the bypassed individual.

First, this unprocessed alcohol is absorbed very quickly by the intestines. People report feeling an almost instant "rush" of intoxication (or that buzzed feeling) after drinking alcohol. It has been shown in studies that a bypassed person's blood alcohol level (BAL) goes up higher and quicker than their non-bypassed counterparts. A higher BAL has many poor effects on such things as judgement, emotional control, and motor control. If someone could drink one drink and be "fine" before their surgery, this may not be true at all after their surgery.

Second, the unprocessed alcohol hits a person's liver like a ton of bricks. The liver can only process about 1 oz of alcohol per hour whether it hits it fast or hits it slow. This means that the quickly absorbed "raw" alcohol just hangs around in a person's liver waiting its turn to be processed. While this is happening alcohol is doing the damage that alcohol does to ones liver, just at a quicker pace.

Last (at least for this answer), the alcohol that goes to the brain so quickly, doesn't get cleared out nearly as quickly as normal because the liver is working so hard. Therefore, a person's brain can be damaged much sooner than a non-bypassed person's brain. Intoxication literally has the word "toxic" in it for a reason. Alcohol is a toxin to the brain, the liver, and many other organs in the body.

I think that alcohol is a source of empty calories that a gastric bypass patient should simply bypass permanently. People have a gastric bypass to improve their health. Throwing alcohol into the mix does not help a person work toward that goal of a healthier overall quality of life.

Answer 2

Alcohol prevents the body from absorbing essential nutrients. Because the body is rebuilding itself and recovering from stress and trauma after surgery, it is not a good idea to do anything to interfere with the process.

If you are on pain medication, it may interact with the alcohol and increase the effects of both. There are some specialists who believe that drinking while taking pain medication increases the likelihood of becoming addicted to the pain meds. The jury is out on that one.

Answer 3

It depends on the surgery. You do not say whether your gall bladder was removed or whether you had gall stones removed. If you no longer have your gall bladder it would pay you to refrain from alcohol for a few months to allow your body to adapt to life without its gall bladder. Either way when it comes to alcohol proceed with caution, you may find less is best these days, don't overdo it because you will regret it. Consider those days over, you'll adapt very quickly and prefer it.

Answer 4

If you have always been an ocasional and moderate drinker and you stay that way, it might be ok. If the transplant was required due to abuse, its extremely irresponsible.

Answer 5

It will have the same affect as it had before bypass surgery

Answer 6

If u didn’t have a problem work