Hello everyone, I'm 3 months post-op, (no fills yet) and all of a sudden, I got this pain in the upper left side of my chest and shoulder. It started after having a hard time trying to eat a buffalo wind last monday, I did not eat it. The next day I could not eat at all, so I went on liquids for 2 days. I can swallow easer now, but the pain is still there. I know is gas, because it is exactly like after the surgery, I can fell the gas moving. I try to eat some solid food last night and the pain increase, it fells all the way to my throat. I have had 2 o 3 PB's, but nothing that serious. Did I hurt my band? I have to go on a trip today, so I hate not felling well. I tried, milanta, maalox, pepcid complete, tums, hot pads, ice, but nothing seen to help so far, any suggestions? Any thing is appreciate.

Thank you my angels. :help:

Letty, sorry about your pain. I am almost a year out and I still occassionally get left shoulder pain. When I woke up, from surgery, I had gas pains (on on my left shoulder). It soon dissipated (sp?). For several months no pain.

About the 6 months point, post banded, I started getting occasional left shoulder pain in which nothing would relieve it. Much like yours.

As you know, our bands can have a mind of their own. This is what I've noticed.

1) The pain often occurs when I am very hungry.

2) Also, if I haven't chewed well enough, it will also sometimes occur.

3) Stress can also be a factor alongside with the hunger.

To relieve:

1) I eat. It needs to be solid, as liquids don't get rid of the pain.

2) Of course, I try to eat slower and chew wiser.

My surgeon said this is probably referred pain. Much like he sees in his gallbladder patients, where there right should will hurt. There are nerves that might be agitated with the band, at times.

This past month, I have noticed a decrease in the amount of left-shoulder pain that I get. Is this temporary? Only the band will tell.

Good luck. Hope you get to feeling better. It's pretty annoying.

Shawn

Thank you CC (you remain me CC Blue, the character Beth Miller plays in the movie Beaches, I love it)

It makes me fell good al ready, just knowing that I'm not alone in this journey. It make sense what you said about liquids. Last night as I was eating some solids, I notice that the pain keep traveling toward my throat, I burp a lot, hip cups, and I do fell a little better this morning.

Have a nice weekend!

Hi everyone - Thank GOD I found someone else that has this same pain. I've just hit my 6th month post-op and I have excrutiating pain in my left shoulder that goes up my neck. It sometimes happens after I eat lunch and ALWAYS after dinner in the evenings. Putting heat on it used to help but now that doesn't help too much. I tried peppermint oil and that doesn't help, I've tried massage oils that put off heat and that doesn't help. When I've gone in for my fills they said it was my band pushing on my diaphram sending pain up to my neck. "OK I got that, but what do I do for it?". I don't eat too much because I don't want this pain to come back but, sometimes I just have to suck it up and eat because I'm starving. I'm in so much pain after I eat and I don't know what to do for it? Does anyone have any suggestions. I've been living with this since I had this surgery. Other than that, I feel really good and have lost 30lbs in 6 months. My restriction is 2.4 cc's so, it's not too tight, it's actually just right for me.....:help:

I am totally interested in this thread. I had surgery on Weds, so not even a week out, but the shoulder pain is UNBEARABLE! I am still on pain meds and litterally 2 hours on the dot after taking them the pain returns. Its unreal. I am seriously hoping it will get better, but hasnt eased up at all since last week. I thought I was losing my mind till I read this. The meds I take are only for the shoulder, not even for my inscions! The pain is sometimes in my chest and moves into my arm/shoulder like I am having a hear attack!

So gald to read I am not crazy!!

Hello everyone. I'm back!! Still in pain though.

It has ben a week of hell. I went to visit some friends in Dallas for the weekend, and I was so miserable with the pain, reflux, gas, swollen, not able to eat at all, that I have end it up explaining my surgery to everyone. I swallowing fine last friday, but after the flight, all I could take was warm liquids, milk and tea. Aparantly I had a "real" PB last Monday on those stupid buffalo wings, so that was the cause of the pain. I was able to have some lunch today, and the pain was minimum, but I just get home, have a sip of aloe vera juice and PB on it. It was so bad, that I had to vomit (this the second time in three months) Was is wrong? I'm gona send a email to my Dr, see what He said, because this is freaking me out.

Terez and Scribby. Sorry to hear that you are in the same situation as me, I can't give much help, but I'm sure somebody else will. Hope we all can fell better soon

I am not a doctor, so take this with a grain of salt..lol Gas pains as in "gas" left in the abdomen after surgery is normal for a few weeks after surgery, but if you havent had that sort of pain for a while like you Letty I honestly dont think its anything do do with the gas that your tummy is blown up with during surgery. I think you had a blockage, and it didnt go down or only some of it went down, and yo may even have a bit of bruising there if it was a bad one.

Terez, same with you, if you get this kind of pain in the shoulder its probably food that is pressing on the band trying to pass, I used to get a pain when this happened between my shoulder blades. Some ppl get it on their chest

Scribby, yours is most probably gas left from the op, since its only been a short while, heat packs sometimes help, others actually have to take pain killers.

I know that fizzy drinks are not recommended by most doctors, but when I get a blockage and only when I have a blockage I will have some coke, it will either make the stuck food go down or up.

HIH

Thanks Wheeler..I went to the doc today for my post op and he really didnt have much to say. He just prescribed some more pain killers. I guess he is playing the waiting game like I am. We will see! As each day goes by I am hoping for some changes..

Thanks everyone for the concern. Oh man....last night was unbearable. It hurt to even breath in........I forgot to mention that when I went in for my last fill, it showed that I still have a Gas pocket from the surgery. I really feel like it's a combination of eating in the evenings and the band pressing against something like Wheeler said and the gas pocket. I was reading something on the internet about "referred pain" and it said to try ice packs so I'm going to do that tonight because I know the little bastard will be back tonight so I want to be prepared!! My neck is starting to have a crick in it so hopfully the ice packs will relieve that as well.........Good Grief, can you believe!?

I'll try that and let you know how that works out for me. I still think I need to call a doctor and have them check this out......talk to you tomorrow!

Scribby - I forgot to tell you, don't get worried about this happening to you and staying with you as long as it has with me. Not everyone that is banded has this happen to them. My friend that got banded a year ago, she only had it for the first 2 months and then it's gone away and stayed away. Hopefully mine will too as soon as my body gets used to the Band. I sure hope that's all it is.......

Hi Girls, sorry it took me so long to answer.

I fell better today, after been in Clear liquids for 2 days.

My Dr said to do that y and take maalox or tums, so I did that, I think I gona be like that for another day, and then move to soft food, is like staring the journey again.

Wheleer thanks for your advice, It was well appreciated. I'll keep that in mind, because I tried it yesterday, I don't want to became a hobbit, but somehow it did help a little.

Scribbi and Terez, good luck!

Hey guys -- just wanted to post here because I experience this STILL on OCCASION and I am almost 3 years out from my surgery. It doesn't happen all the time and I haven't related it to anything in particular (eg. eating certain foods, getting something stuck). I generally take a gas relief pill/chewable and it helps. Sometimes it will last for a couple days and is bothersome. The only other thing that can grant some relief for me if it's bothering me really bad is the same thing that generally helps me to get food down when it's "stuck" and that is to bend forward. I stand and then lean forward placing my hands on a chair or the bed or something. Your abdomen has to be tilted forward I think, moreso than just parallel to the floor. That generally helps me get SOME relief. We're all different -- who knows! I'm sorry to hear you guys are in pain -- hope you find something to make you feel better!

Thank you Banded, I did all of that and more, I walked on my hands and knees too, plus the push ups, and something must to help, because I'm a lot better now. Right now, the thing is that I'm very swollen, so I'm in liquids, and I plan to stay like that a little longer, at least until tomorrow. That was provably the problem last week, that I went back to 'normal' food to soon after a PB.

I hope this can help some others.

This is my NO NO list so far.

Foods

Buffalo winds

refried black Beans (pinto beans are ok, don't ask why)

tamales.

hard sugar candy.

And no drinking any kind of liquids right after I eat any solid foods.

This are things, that I was told before not to do, but did not listen. I'll now of course.

Blessings to all.

Hi Everyone!!

Well, I'm feeling a little better and I found a solution that definitley helps ease the pain. Instead of using heat, I use ice packs. I stopped drinking sodas and I never drink with a straw. I've been eating less and stopped snacking in between meals and that has helped. The pain is still there but not so bad as it was before! Thanks everyone for helping and suggesting remedies. I'm going to try the pushups and see if that helps even more.

Take care!

Scribby - I forgot to tell you, don't get worried about this happening to you and staying with you as long as it has with me. Not everyone that is banded has this happen to them. My friend that got banded a year ago, she only had it for the first 2 months and then it's gone away and stayed away. Hopefully mine will too as soon as my body gets used to the Band. I sure hope that's all it is.......

I've never had a gas pain since my surgery, but I was part of a testing program at Vanderbilt, and part of that program was a new procedure to remove the gas they put into your stomach during surgery. I have never had a single gas pain and I was banded on July 19. I may be a success story, and whatever they are doing, I hope they spread the word so that no one has to suffer gas pains any longer. This is still an experimental program but it sure worked for me. I am definitely not the average bandster and have trouble relating to the pain, so I'm glad someone else is not experiencing any, and very sorry for those that are. I wish you all the best. This program I'm in is supposed to make lapbanding better and better, so I'm thrilled to be part of the program. I probably will have 5 interns present for my first fill, but the fill is always done by the surgeon. I'm glad there are so many interns out there interested in learning the lapbanding technique and improving it.

what date did you have your surgery? Are you have with it? I am finishing up my last doctor's requirement next week but I am ready for the surgery. After the you have done all the doctor wants you to do how long is the wait or how long was your wait?