Yes- physically I have no problem tolerating carbonation as long as I drink it slowly. But- I'll caution you, the "just a couple sips/bites/etc". can be a really slippery slope.

Omg - I have been battling with this. I had a sleeve in October last year and have probably had a few mouthfuls here and there so last night I decided to have some sprite........ MISTAKE!! 1 glass later and I was in sooooo much pain. Will stick to my cordial and flavoured water from now on...

My dietitian told me that having carbonated beverages such as soda after surgery would expand the new stomach/pouch and that wouldn't be a good thing. I don't think a sip here or there would expand it that much, but I don't know for sure. I pretty sure that I will be staying away from carbonation as I don't want to take any chance of the side effects (plus I was never a big soda drinker in the first place).

I can't completely quit my Diet Dr. Peppers but I indulge in them a LOT less frequently than I ever used to drink them. My advice: ignoring a craving can spiral you into other stuff, so indulging every so often will not hurt unless it's a true trigger food. With carbonated beverages, it's best to pour a set amount into a cup and then let it sit for a while (like 30-45 minutes) to lose some of the intense fizz. Basically, let it go a little flat. Then you can sip it, still get the flavor but the gas is mostly gone and won't hurt your stomach.

At some point, you have to decide if the craving is worth the hassle mentioned above for pain-free drinking and you may just decide it's not. That said, the method I mentioned above has worked pretty well for me in dealing with soda cravings. Even indulging them, I may drink a soft drink like once a week or something. It's mostly coffee, tea and water for me.

Meh. There is not enough carbonation in a soda to stretch your pouch. Try filling a balloon with soda and see how much it expands. Balloons expand easier than your stomach. I don't know why centers keep perpetuating these claims.

That being said, I don't drink carbonation OFTEN. When I do, it's never a full can and it lasts me HOURS. I hate flat drinks, they taste off. HOWEVER, the carbonation HURTS. Heh. So, I take BABY sips and sip it SLOWLY. This past weekend I had a can of diet cream soda. Had such a taste and it was $0.33...so I bought one. Had about 3/4 of a can over 3 hours.

Try it, see how it goes. I think a lot of the "slippery slope" is then mental. Giving in to a regular soda, or a few bites of fried food, or that fried sandwich, or...or...or...

My surgeon's plan says carbonation is fine after three weeks (i.e. that it doesn't "stretch the sleeve")—which has been great for me because I'm a huge seltzer drinker. I do find that it takes some technique, and I no longer like things as carbonated as I used to, which isn't a problem because I have a SodaStream machine and do my own fizzing! I've also craved Diet Coke, but haven't gone for it yet—I'm only six weeks out, so I'm giving it some time, but I anticipate that there's an occasional Diet Coke in my future. Just probably not three a day, like before surgery.

Mandy_1982 wrote: »

That is strange how some places say no carbonation and others are OK with it. My dietitian is really against it and she had me thinking I could never drink it again.

This is how I handle "definites" with ANY professional..."Why? Can you please supply me with copies of studies or names of studies so I can read the information. That way I can understand better." I deal with "shouldn't" better than "can't".

Soda and I don't mix. One cup and I'm in pain. So I avoid it. Last time I had a diet dr. pepper was over a year ago. But it's not worth the physical hurt for it.

If you just miss the occasional "fizz", those LaCroix waters are awesome. They're not as fizzy as a Coke, and have no sweeteners, etc. I've learned to like them alot.