WARNING: ALCOHOL INTAKE AFTER GASTRIC BYPASS CAN BE DANGEROUS UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES
When a person ingests alcohol after gastric bypass surgery it is transferred to the blood stream at a much faster rate than usual. This occurs for 2 reasons: 1) the small intestine has the capacity to take up alcohol much faster than the stomach, and 2) the alcohol is not mixed well with a larger amount of food. Because of this, the blood alcohol level rises at a much faster rate in someone with a gastric bypass. If the person has several drinks in a row he or she could suffer alcohol toxicity. Also, it would be much easier to become legally drunk, and therefore, impaired if that person intends to drive an automobile. Even 1 drink can result in a person with a gastric bypass being “legally drunk.”
Our recommendations are the following:
1) Take alcohol in moderation. Limit drinking to much less, at a slower rate, than before the operation.
2) Do not drink alcohol before driving.
3) Do not take alcohol with any medications
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