Alcohol sensitivity is a side effect of gastric bypass

AORN Journal, August, 2007 by Byron L. Burlingame

Patients who undergo gastric bypass surgery will become inebriated more quickly and take Longer to become sober than people who have not had bariatric surgery, according to a June 14, 2007, news release from the Stanford School of Medicine, California. This finding is significant for the approximately 150,000 US patients who undergo gastric bypass surgery every year.

Researchers were inspired to investigate the effects of alcohol consumption on post-bariatric surgery patients after The Oprah Winfrey Show episode "Suddenly Skinny" aired in October 2006. This episode Led numerous patients to ask their bariatric surgeons, "What happens when I drink alcohol?" Because little research had been done on the effects of alcohol consumption in this patient population, researchers at the Stanford School of Medicine decided to conduct a study on this topic.

The researchers measured the breath-alcohol Levels of 19 participants who had undergone gastric bypass surgery and 17 control participants. After the participants drank five ounces of red wine within 15 minutes, their breath-alcohol levels were measured at five-minute intervals until the levels reached zero. The participants who had undergone gastric bypass surgery had higher average peak breath-alcohol levels (ie, 0.08% versus 0.05% in the control group) and took significantly Longer to return to zero (ie, 108 minutes versus 72 minutes in the control group).

The researchers concluded that a side effect of this procedure is a fundamentally altered alcohol metabolism. Of additional concern, patients who were addicted to binge eating before undergoing gastric bypass surgery may be more prone to transfer their addiction to alcohol Patients who are considering gastric bypass surgery or who have undergone the procedure, therefore, need to be made aware of the potential increased risks associated with alcohol consumption after recovery.

Bariatric surgery can make more people sensitive to alcohol, Stanford surgeon finds [news release]. Stanford, CA: Stanford School of Medicine; dune 14, 2007. http://med.stan ford.edu/news_releases/2007/june/bariatric.html. Accessed July 10, 2002.