My sister drank herself to death after a gastric bypass forced her to trade food for alcohol

A woman has spoken out about how her sister ‘drank herself to death’ after a gastric bypass – and claims the surgery caused her to trade her binge eating for a drinking habit instead.

Nicole Wilson, 44, has had an eating disorder since childhood and would eat food as a source of comfort, according to her sister Amanda Wilson, 46, of Indianapolis.

After becoming obese, Nicole decided to go under the knife to change her life and opted for gastric bypass — a procedure that uses surgical staples to create a small pouch at the top of the stomach.

She miraculously lost 120 pounds after surgery – but instead of eating she turned to alcohol.

A woman revealed her sister ‘drank herself to death’ after a gastric bypass – claiming the surgery caused her to trade her binge eating for an alcohol habit instead

Nicole Wilson (seen left before surgery and immediately after surgery), 44, has had an eating disorder since childhood and used food as a source of comfort

Making a change: After becoming obese, Nicole decided to go under the knife to change her life and opted for gastric bypass surgery. She will be seen after the operation

Although Amanda hadn’t been drinking heavily before the surgery, she said her sister’s love of alcohol soon became “exaggerated and worrying.”

She started drinking every day, and after being in and out of rehab for two and a half years, Nicole tragically died of alcohol poisoning in November 2018.

After the operation, she miraculously lost 120 pounds – but instead of eating she turned to alcohol, according to her sister Amanda Wilson, 46, from Indianapolis. Nicole is seen after the surgery

Now, Amanda believes her sister suffered from a “transfer addiction” — meaning people trade their food obsession for a different addiction instead — and she said she was “angry” that there was no further “support” for Nicole after the procedure gave.

“I’m angry that patients aren’t being properly screened or educated,” Amanda recently told SWNS.

“I know she was in a transfer addiction Facebook support group, I don’t know how many times she was there, but I know she was involved. I think there should have been counseling for Nicole.”

According to the Bariatric Centers of America, up to 30 percent of people can experience transfer addiction after surgery.

Amanda explained that Nicole had a particularly difficult time adjusting to the way “people treated her” after being “obese her entire life.”

“You expect to be told you’re not good enough to people who fancy you and want to buy you a drink,” she added.

Tragic: Although Amanda didn’t drink much before the surgery, she said her sister’s love of alcohol soon became “exaggerated and worrying”.

She started drinking every day, and after being in and out of rehab for two and a half years, Nicole (seen after surgery) tragically died of alcohol poisoning in November 2018

Now, Amanda believes her sister suffered from “transfer addiction” — meaning people trade their food obsession for another addiction instead

“The mental health aspect and realizing how differently you’ve been treated throughout your life – there has to be support for that.”

Nicole, who has had a successful career in marketing, underwent gastric bypass surgery in April 2013.

Previously, Amanda said she was screened and given a psychological evaluation, which she passed.

She started drinking in early 2015. Amanda continued, “It wasn’t over the top – probably a beer or two.

“Nicole started dating, socializing and seeing friends. It started with a beer here and there, then progressed to mixed drinks, and then she drank vodka straight from the bottle.

“When you have this surgery, your stomach is smaller, so it changes the way you absorb alcohol.”

Amanda said she believes her sister turned to alcohol since she “couldn’t go to her usual comforts,” which was food.

“I think in the case of my sister, she had binge eating disorder that was undiagnosed and untreated,” she explained.

“If you can’t go to your usual comfort level, substitute something else, in this case it was alcohol.”

Amanda and her father were so concerned about Nicole’s behavior that they intervened.

She tried rehab, but unfortunately it was unsuccessful, and five years after the surgery, Nicole died in November 2018.

“The longest she’s been sober was 30 to 35 days and then she drank herself to death,” Amanda revealed. “Her blood alcohol level was 0.46 [when she died] and the legal limit is 0.08.

“She tried to get sober — she was so happy when she was sober — but the addiction just took over.

Amanda explained that Nicole had a particularly difficult time adjusting to the way “people treated her” after being “obese her entire life.”

Amanda said she also believes her sister (seen after surgery) turned to alcohol since she “couldn’t go to her usual comfort level” which was food

Strong bond: While reflecting on her sister, Amanda called Nicole her “best friend” and gushed about how “funny” she was

“My father blames himself. He had been in the house about two hours before she died.

“He thinks if he’d stayed she wouldn’t have drunk more – but if it hadn’t been that night, it would have been a different night.”

While reflecting on her sister, Amanda called Nicole her “best friend” and gushed about how “funny” she was.

“She didn’t have a large circle of friends, but the ones she was friends with were very close,” she explained.

‘She was my best friend. She was calm but at the same time she used her words to let you know exactly what she was thinking.

“She was funny too. We loved traveling together, we went on trips at least twice a year. She was outgoing, fun and enjoying life.”