Post bariatric surgery, have you also noticed that alcohol affects you differently? If before you went under the knife you felt comfortable with 2-3 pegs of your favorite scotch, now even one peg makes you feel the same as 2-3?
You can take a moment to find some comfort in the fact that you are not the only one who feels this way!
One survey found that nearly 90 percent of patients who had gastric bypass or gastric sleeve surgery are now found to be more sensitive to alcohol. They, just like you, can feel the effects of alcohol after taking a few sips. Many also claimed that they lose muscle coordination after one or two drinks and cannot regain their balance even after two or three hours.
If you think there is something wrong with bariatric surgery, we assure you that it is just a myth. It is important to understand that the body goes through many changes after bariatric surgery and in the end it all comes down to how the body absorbs alcohol and metabolizes it in a bariatric patient.
When you drink alcohol, or any alcoholic beverage with normal intestinal anatomy, it first enters the stomach and is metabolized through a process called gastric alcohol metabolism, where the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase works its magic. However, gender, age, medications, etc. can all affect blood alcohol levels and their effects here. Alcohol absorption also depends on the rate at which alcohol is emptied from the intestines. Another factor that affects the whole process is food. Having food in the stomach slows gastric emptying and eventually reduces the rate of absorption of alcohol by the intestines. Conversely, an empty stomach improves absorption and also increases the risk of poisoning.
Nearly 95 percent of the stomach is bypassed in patients undergoing gastric bypass, and this includes the pylorus. In such a condition, alcohol passes directly from the stomach to the intestines, where it is rapidly absorbed by the intestines due to its increased surface area. Add to this the postoperative rule of not eating while drinking, and you can imagine the rate at which alcohol is absorbed in bariatric patients.
In addition, the liver also plays a role in the metabolism of alcohol that enters the body. But conditions relatively common among morbidly obese people, such as steatosis and fatty liver disease, make alcohol metabolism a bit more difficult. Also, bariatric patients follow a low-carbohydrate diet, which means they have a low amount of glycogen. When alcohol enters the body, it further depletes the body of glycogen and also lowers glucose homeostasis. This puts the bariatric patient at a higher risk of hypoglycemia.
Although all of this may seem scary to you, however, simply consult a bariatric surgeon before planning to drink alcohol again. A thorough understanding and a few precautions can help you enjoy your drink without affecting your health.
