HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Nissen Fundoplication And Beer

Support Forums
>
GERD & Acid Reflux
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 2/12/2015 5:01 PM (GMT 0)
Hello everyone,   I am a homebrewer and it is something I am very passionate about .  I am actually the president of my local homebrew club and have a four tap kegerator in my garage filled with all of my own beer that I make regularly.   I am sure I need the surgery, but I am not sure that I am willing to give up something I love so much.  Can someone give me some reassurance here about being able to drink craft beer regularly again after the procedure?   Tom Post Edited (tom t) : 2/12/2015 11:32:57 AM (GMT-7)
Posted 2/12/2015 5:18 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Tom!

I've had the Nissen procedure, and I've never had a problem drinking beer. The bubbles can get the best of you sometimes if you have too much of it too quickly as you'll feel bloated and uncomfortable until the gas passes. A proper Nissen wrap will make it virtually impossible to let out a good, hearty belch. But that shouldn't stop you from pursuing your passion.

Brew on!

-TonyG-
Posted 2/12/2015 5:23 PM (GMT 0)
What Tony says, except for a few to several months. While the swelling is still there it might make you horribly uncomfortable while you are very unable to burp.

I could burp for a few days after surgery, then couldn't at all for months, but after several months it gradually got better. After 5 years I still don't burp like I used to and I still can't vomit at all.
Posted 2/12/2015 7:16 PM (GMT 0)
Hiya Tom, Ive had a partial wrap and can drink beer ok but it does cause a lot of bloating,i can only drink two or three bottles im afraid. I can burp ok but just not the way I did before the surgery.
Im happy with the trade though, the reflux was just hellish.
What about moving ove r to the wine? Barry
Posted 2/12/2015 9:28 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Tony, i appreciate your input!

Alice, thank you for sharing.

Baza, I like wine too! It's a little pricey though and my brewery was built for beer. It's quite elaborate.
Posted 2/13/2015 3:42 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Tom,

As a fellow craft/beer lover, I also worried that I wouldn't be able to drink it post-Nissen. In fact, I can drink and enjoy beer as much as I like. As Alcie said, when swelling is still an issue during recovery, you'll want to drink it sparingly, but once you're healed, you'll do just fine. Just take it slow, and increase your amounts gradually, as you can tolerate it. During recovery, eating and drinking is trial and error anyway.

The only thing I had trouble with, was champagne...way too bubbly!

Never fear...you'll be able to continue to enjoy that delicious home-brew!

Best wishes,
Denise
Posted 2/13/2015 11:32 AM (GMT 0)
Tom-

As the rest have said, a lot of bubbles can be problematic. I find that on tap domestic beer doesn't work well for me, but bottled is fine. Now I can't drink it the way I did in my 20s, but I don't think I would now anyway.

While tings are healing and settling in it will be tough. I did have a beer or 2 about a month after my 1st nissen and it wasn't to bad. Due to other issues I did wait about 3 or 4 months after my redoes and things were great.


Take care,
Bill
Posted 2/24/2015 2:13 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you all for your feedback! I will take it slow and try to under carbonate my beers with a little less CO2. I will give it a good 3-6 months before attempting to drink a beer and when I do I'll keep it to one or less. I am sure that someone else will eventually have the same concern so I will be sure to check back in with updates as I heal. My procedure is about two weeks from now so I'm about to join the club.
Posted 2/24/2015 7:37 PM (GMT 0)
Good luck Tom!
You and I will be having surgery about the same time!
When you are enjoying your beer I will be enjoying a glass of red wine in a few months time!
Posted 2/26/2015 1:56 AM (GMT 0)
I had my HH repair and a 360 floppy NF in March of 2013. In just a few days it will be two years. I had resigned myself to give up many things in order to be able to sleep without reflux. However few of the things that I read about on the internet came to pass. I can eat or drink anything. Whether those things are beer, soft drinks, cocktails, foods etc. they no longer have any effect on my digestion.

My own advice to anybody contemplating having the operation is to do your homework and study up on all of the advice you can find here in HealingWell and on a Facebook site that is listed in the references here for Nissen Fundaplication.

But you have to remember that there is no single universal experience--even mine! If you want some priviate insight, feel free to contact me at the Email address listed in my profile and I will try to answer.
Posted 3/2/2015 9:18 PM (GMT 0)
Retired Saebee,

That is the best thing I have ever heard... Truly. well except for when my wife said yes, and then later on said she was prego. And then prego again after that. But outside of those three thrings, you have made my day/week. I go in for pre-op on Wednesday and my surgery is next Wednesday. Thank you all so much for your feedback, I'm feeling really good about this!
Posted 3/14/2015 11:25 AM (GMT 0)
Did you have your surgery Tom?
I'm recovering now - had my surgery on Thursday - so early days - but glad I had a partial wrap rather than the full nissen. Hoping to have some wine in a few weeks time! Long way to go yet - and I'm still needing to take pain killers for my shoulders, but otherwise I'm OK.
Posted 3/30/2015 4:27 PM (GMT 0)
Hey there Sweetie UK,

Yes I had my procedure back on 3/11 and i can't believe the difference. I have had a fantastic experience thus far. Granted the first week was pretty uncomfortable espcially trying to use the restroom (number 1) and my shoulders. I'm progressig through the diet much faster than expected. The hardest thing for me to consume thus far has been protien shakes, but I believe that is mostly because I take large drinks when I should be sipping. So far I have lost 21 pounds but i had extra to lose anyway so I'm complaining at all.

Regarding Beer, I was planning to give a it a couple of months before trying anything but over this past weekend i on two seperate occasions I enjoyed about 2 ounces of beer without issue. Tasting the beer was strange I will admit, both batches might have been a little overcarbonated so I struggled to really enjoy the flavor like I did in the past. So the good news is that already in very small amounts I can at least consume beer. I will continue to update this thread as I progress, but I am extremely confident that after time I will have no issues and will be able to enjoy Beer as I have in the past albeit, in more moderation than I might want.

Thanks again to everyone who has responded, I am sure there have been and will be others who will have this same question/concern. All in all a wonderful success from my perspective and as others have stated, I wish I had done it sooner.
Posted 3/30/2015 5:57 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Tom sounds like you are doing great, but continue to be careful on the foods, chewing really well-- whatever the doc told you to do. How did the follow-up visit go with the surgeon. I think I read on the forum about letting the beer go flat (I know-- how dare me).
Thanks for writing under the 'successful fundoplication site'. We need to keep it going -- Be Well! Pat
Posted 3/30/2015 7:05 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Tom,
You had surgery the day before me! I've not tried beer yet - but I have been able to eat somethings that I couldn't before the op without getting bad acid - and I've not taken anything for my stomach since the op on the 12th!
I'm going to wait a couple more weeks before I indulge in some wine, I'm still having to take quite strong pain killers on and off due to a complication I had during surgery. The great thing is the wrap is fine and working well !
Posted 3/31/2015 6:56 PM (GMT 0)
Chiming in to say that at almost 8 months post surgery for a full wrap, I have no problems with delicious craft beers or carbonated beverages, and I'm able to burp (almost) normally again. :)
Posted 4/2/2015 4:17 PM (GMT 0)
Update. Last night I drank an entire beer with no issues. I drank a Ciger City Jai Lai which is a delicious 7.5% ABV double IPA. It took me about two hours to drink it but I didn't have any issue and I am only 3 weeks post surgery. Obviously this isn't a license to go chug 8 beers but I'm thrilled to report the update to you guys!
Posted 3/13/2017 3:16 AM (GMT 0)
Hey, folks. I found this thread in a Google search and jumped on-board. I'm scheduled for surgery in 8 days. Probably my biggest concern is not being able to drink beer. I'm a professional brewer, beer is kinda my life (part of it), and I'm only 37. Been suffering since I was around 13. How is everyone doing? Any updates? I wanted to share, also, that you can use a sonic jewelry cleaner (sonicator) to place a glass of carbonated beer inside. It shoots sounds waves through a water bath, transfers them into the beer and drives co2 out of solution. You can adjust your carbonation accordingly. If you are a homebrewer, this is a huge plus because you can still impart the appropriate amounts of carbonic acid per style. I look forward to hearing anything regarding individual experiences with drinking the good Lord's nectar. Thanks!!
Posted 3/13/2017 2:19 PM (GMT 0)
Coldrice:

This is something you need to discuss with your surgeon, and everyone is different. There are things that you need to sacrifice during your recovery, and surgery is quite a commitment. I have given up carbonation and alcohol, since I still have issues with it three years later. But, my surgery was a huge success and I guess, in my situation, alcohol wasn't very important to me.

Good Luck with your surgery!

Sharon
Posted 3/13/2017 2:30 PM (GMT 0)
He has basically said that around two months I can have beer again, but not "binge drinking", which is fine by me. Wine and liquor won't be a problem, apparently. Just carbonation. What is it about alcohol that gives you issues, exactly? What are the issues?
Posted 3/13/2017 3:07 PM (GMT 0)
As you'll discover after surgery, gas and bloating become an issue post-surgery. I no longer have the ability to belch, or vomit, so I avoid anything that causes excessive symptoms. You may find that there are certain things that may cause you issues well after the surgery. In my experience, the surgery will never give you the ability to eat and drink in excess, but the trade-off is worth it for me.
Posted 3/13/2017 3:31 PM (GMT 0)
You said alcohol 'still gives you trouble three years later ". Are you saying it was always a problem? It's not for me, but only in the sense that everything troubles me equally and I just live with it. At this point, I'm getting surgery just to get off of ppi's, as I feel pretty strongly that after 11 years they are destroying my health and overall sense of well-being. Probably my biggest fear is still being on them after surgery...
Posted 3/13/2017 4:56 PM (GMT 0)
Alcohol only gave me problems post surgery. I would still get waves of nausea and bloating from it, so I avoid it because I don't need it and it's not worth the symptoms to me. You may also find foods that will cause difficulty after surgery, it depends. I suffered from GERD for most of my adult life (had surgery at 52). Everyone is different in their recovery and limitations, and yes some people still have symptoms that require PPIs post-surgery.

Post Edited (SharonZ) : 3/13/2017 11:02:21 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 3/13/2017 7:06 PM (GMT 0)
I definitely don't want to discourage anyone but do want to offer a differing perspective. I'm 11 months post-op after a full Nissen and hernia repair. I've had a very easy recovery for the most part.

I am unable to comfortably enjoy a beer of any kind. More than a careful sip of draft beer and I have pretty severe gas pains to the point that I can feel upward pressure in my upper abdomen. I can not/do not burp with the exception of a comically tiny escape of air when I get a hiccup. (Not even sure I'd call that a proper belch, haha.)

It's still very much been worth it but I sure do miss a Shandy at the ball park!
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply