How Long After VSG Can You Drink Alcohol?

Can you drink alcohol after a gastric sleeve?

The NIH’s MedlinePlus guide to life after weight-loss surgery says: do not drink alcohol. It contains a lot of calories and does not provide nutrition. The guide gives no date after which alcohol becomes fine, so the decision belongs to your bariatric surgeon and dietitian.

How your sleeve changes drinking

• Soon after surgery the sleeve holds only a small amount; even later it may not hold more than about 1 cup (240 ml) of chewed food, compared with up to 4 cups in a normal stomach.
• You drink up to 8 glasses a day of water or other liquids that have no calories, in small sips, without gulping.
• You avoid drinking anything while eating and for 60 minutes before or after a meal.

Alcohol does not fit this plan: it has calories, gives no nutrition, and would take the place of the fluids and protein your body needs.

Pain medicine is the other reason to wait. The NIAAA lists opioid pain relievers such as Percocet and Vicodin as causing drowsiness, dizziness, slowed or difficult breathing and an increased risk of overdose with alcohol, and says over-the-counter pain relievers with alcohol can cause stomach upset, bleeding and ulcers, and liver damage with acetaminophen (Tylenol).

What to ask your bariatric team

• When, if ever, alcohol is OK for you, and how much.
• Whether your medicines or vitamins interact with alcohol.
• What to do if you find you want to drink more than before surgery.

Count calories and alcohol in a drink with our alcohol calorie calculator.