Problematic alcohol use in post-bariatric patients - a qualitative study

Research shows an increased risk of alcohol use disorders in post-bariatric patients. This study aims to gain insight into what post-bariatric patients receiving treatment for substance use think are the possible causes for developing problematic alcohol consumption after surgery. Ten in-depth interviews were held with post-bariatric patients receiving treatment for substance use in 2020 (six men and four women). The data material was transcribed and analysed using the stepwise deductive-inductive (SDI) method. The participants first started to experience problematic alcohol consumption after bariatric surgery. They described new, intense feelings of intoxication and how their body responded differently to alcohol. Alcohol now functioned as an appetite stimulant, pain reliever and food replacement. Most participants had positive experiences during the initial post-operative period, but they described an ambivalence towards their bodily changes and an increased mental vulnerability in the years following the surgery. The new effect and function of alcohol after the procedure may have made the participants more vulnerable to problematic alcohol consumption.