I am hoping that somebody out there can tell me if they are having or have experienced the same problem as me. I was banded in September of 07 and I have lost over 70 pounds...about a year and a half ago I started having this pain in and around my gallbladder on the right side. It would come about one to two weeks BEFORE my period and it would be continuous up until I got my period. I went to my doctor who sent me to a surgeon who was so sure that it was my gallbladder.....Well, it wasn't.....All test came back fine. He checked my band because then he was so sure that my band had slipped and everything was fine there too. Another doctor said it was gas...this is absolutely NOT gas. I get this like clockwork every month for one to two weeks and it suddenly resolves after I get my period. It hurts to breath sometimes and I can only describe it as like a side stitch (but in the gallbladder area) that you get from running where when you take a deep breath the pain goes into my ribs. When I sit, it is difficult sometimes to stand upright....I am at a loss as to what this is. I am almost ready to throw the towel in and have my band removed because I did not have this before I got the band. Does anbody else have these symptoms??? This pain also is not associated with eating....meaning that I can eat or not and I still have it. I sometimes have to take pain pills so that I can sleep at night. The thing that bugs me is that it seems to revolve around my menstrual cycle, but it seems too high up to be reproductive related. I would appreciate any input I can get.

Thank You!

If you are experiencing pain, something is NOT right. You need to have EVERYTHING checked out and get to the bottom of it.

Sorry your are experiencing discomfort.

Hi Shiela,

For 3 years I got the same pain (I was not banded then). It would be so painful that I couldn't move for days. Sometimes eating helped, but if I ate too much, I would throw up. I went for every test in the book and no one could figure it out. Finally, one day it happened and I went to another doctor and explained everything (when it happens, the tests I took, what was ruled out, etc) and it was gas, plain and simple. Caused by a fluctuation in my hormone levels, causing my stomach to tighten up and not let the air pass through. (This actually made me think maybe I shouldn't get banded.). The doctor started massaging my stomach for about 5 minutes, and air just started flying out of me. I started hormone replacement therapy and the pain went away. Then, my hormone levels dipped (because I'm at that magical time in my life :thumbup:( )and it came back after about 1 year. It's very painful, and I feel sorry for you.

I would check out to make sure that nothing is wrong with the band, and if everything is ok, then think about how to get rid of the gas. I notice now with the band, if I'm stressed out, I get similar gas pains, but they are not anywhere as painful and they don't last as long.

Good luck!

OH MY GOSH!! While reading this It sounded like me telling my story seriously. I have had the same prob. First my surgeon said gallbladder, got tested, and it was fine. Then got tested for band slippage, came back fine. I started noticing the correlation with my period. a week/2 for my period the pains would come and go away right when I started. I tested this correlation for 3 months and it always happened the same. Now, the pains are super small and not as intense as before. The gas explaination would make sense seeing than my pain has subsided. WOW thanks for posting this!! I have been at a MAJOR loss and knew something had to be wrong due to the intensity of the pains. SERIOUSLY THANK YOU GUYS!

First off, I want to thank you Festivus, for answering my post. I guess I just did not want to believe that something as simple (or maybe complex) as gas could be causing me continuous misery. PLUS, the whole menstrual thing. That is why I was so sure that it could not be gas...how could anybody have gas that long. Now, when you had your pain did that area become tender almost like you were working your abs and they were sore? That is also how I describe it....like I had a really rough ab workout and my muscles are sore. The whole hormonal thing makes sense and thank you so much for responding. I will have to figure out a way to relieve the gas. Do you have any suggestions? It is pretty sad when you pray for your period to start... but that is what life has begun to be like for me. I guess having an idea of what it is makes me feel better and also to have other people say that they are experiencing the same thing....makes me feel like I am not going crazy. Hopefully this post will help other people who are suffering. If anybody has any tips or suggestions....please post. I find that exercise makes me feel better, but does not make it go away. That would also make sense with gas because they tell you to move more after surgery to get the gas moving.

I hope other people respond and maybe there is some tips to help deal with this.

I've always described my pain as having gotten kicked in the stomach, over and over again. I used to take advil which helped for about 2 hours. But that can be a problem taking it every 2 hours, and now you can only take the liquid form. My doctor had given me a muscle relaxer for my stomach. It really dries you out and makes you sleep. And then, when most of it is over, it does feel like you've overworked your ab muscles.

Since I've been banded, I feel a milder version of this pain, and I know it's gas. It scares me as I think I'm about to have a full episode, so I'm careful not to eat too much fiber as sometimes that can cause you to have gas.

I hope it gets better for you. I know how miserable I get when it happens.

Good luck!