A WOMAN who swapped her addiction to food with a booze habit after gastric bypass surgery "drank herself to death," her family said.
Nicole Wilson, 44, lost 120 pounds after the procedure but eventually replaced her disordered eating with excessive drinking, dying from alcohol poisoning in 2018.
Nicole had a binge eating disorder since childhood and used food as a comfort, causing her to become obese.
As an adult, Nicole, who had a successful career in marketing, came to weigh over 300 pounds.
In April 2013, she underwent gastric bypass surgery, in which surgical staples are used to create a small pouch at the top of the stomach.
After the surgery, she dropped 120 pounds, getting down to 196 pounds.
But though she didn't drink much alcohol before the operation, about a year later, Nicole had developed a drinking problem.
Her sister Amanda Wilson, 46, said it became "excessive and concerning."
Soon she was drinking every day, and after being in and out of rehab for two and a half years, Nicole died from alcohol poisoning in November 2018.
Amanda, from Indianapolis, Indiana, said she thinks her sister suffered from transfer addiction — when people trade food addiction for another dependence.
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The Bariatric Centers of America recently restated a warning that up to 30 percent of people may experience transfer addiction after surgery.
Around one in five people become addicted to alcohol, according to Tranquil Shores, a Florida drug and alcohol addiction rehab center.
"I am angry patients are not being properly screened or properly educated," Amanda said.
"I know she was in a Facebook support group for transfer addiction but I don't know how many times she went but I know she was involved.
"I believe there should have been counseling for Nicole.
"When you are obese your entire life the adjustment to how people treat you is huge.
"You go from being told you are not good enough, to people fancying you and wanting to take you for a drink.
"The mental health aspect and realizing how differently you have been treated your whole life — there needs to be support for that."
Before gastric bypass surgeries, patients are screened and receive a psychological assessment, Nichole's sister said.
Nicole passed the screening, had surgery, started exercising, and dropped to 196 pounds.
She didn't drink at all for a year but started in early 2015.
Amanda said: "It wasn't any excessive — probably one or two beers.
"When you have this surgery your stomach is smaller so it changes the way you absorb alcohol.
"Nicole started dating, being social, and going out to see friends.
"It started off with a beer here and there, then it moved onto mixed drinks, and then she would drink vodka straight from the bottle.
"I do believe in my sister's case that she had a binge eating disorder and it was undiagnosed and untreated, yes I do.
"When you can't go to your usual comfort, you replace it with something else. In this case, it was alcohol."
Amanda and her father were so concerned with Nicole's behavior that they staged an intervention.
Amanda wrote down that she felt Nicole needed to get help and said there would be family consequences if she didn't.
Five years post-surgery, after years of alcohol addiction, Nicole died in November 2018.
Amanda said: "She died at night. I live pretty close and I got a call from her boyfriend and I went around.
"My father blames himself. He had been at the house about two hours before she passed away.
"He thinks that if he had stayed that she wouldn't have drank more but if it wasn't that night, it would have been a different night."
Reflecting on the life of her sister, she said: "She didn't have a large circle of friends but the ones she was friends with she was very close with.
"She was my best friend. She was quiet, but at the same time, she used her words to let you know exactly what she was thinking.
"She was also funny, we loved traveling together. We would go traveling at least twice a year.
"She was outgoing, funny, and enjoyed life."
Amanda is calling on more support for people who have life-changing surgery.
She said: "The longest she was sober was 30 to 35 days, and then she drank herself to death.
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"Her blood alcohol level was 0.46 and the legal limit [for driving] is 0.08.
"She tried to get sober — she was so happy when she was sober — but the addition just took over."
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