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Left Shoulder Pain



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I am currently 1 month post surgery and am experiencing left shoulder pain after I eat. Has anyone else experienced this? Any suggestions?

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Don't eat so fast or so much. A lot of people get shoulder pain as one of their new "I'm already full so stop shovelling it in" signals that most of us never had before surgery.

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I've read on the forum here that it could be trapped gas. IDK how on that one but should it persist or get worse, call your dr. just to be sure pls. Best of luck!

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This is interesting. I've seen several people post that shoulder pain is a sign that they are full. Does anyone know WHY this happens? The stomach seems so far away from the shoulder. I'm not questioning the answer, only why it happens.

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I am currently 1 month post surgery and am experiencing left shoulder pain after I eat. Has anyone else experienced this? Any suggestions?

I get this a lot. The doctor said it was trapped gas but personally I think mine is related to digestive gas. Usually I push on the area, apply a heating pad and move myself around. I also pray no one is listening because its about to get loud. There's nerves by the stomach that cause referred pain to the shoulder. If you feel like crap or the pain doesn't ease up call the surgeon ASAP.

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I have had episodes of left shoulder since my lap band surgery in 2003. The phrenic nerve is usually to blame, and is somewhat common to be irritated after the band, and I assume the same holds true wih the sleeve, since the surgical areas are the same. The pain has gone down in intensity and frequency; I can't even remember the last time it happened.

Definately check with your surgeon, but if it is phrenic nerve pain, just know it will get better in time.

Revision to sleeve on Nov 6! Can't wait!

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i too was banded in 08' and was revised to the sleeve, on October 3rd. I began having that left shoulder pain and had heard it was common to bariatric surgery period. It had eased and become rare, however i seem to experience it most when I'm sitting for a long period of time or especially when I'm flying... I have never seem to notice it while eating though.

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    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. LeighaTR

        I hope your surgery on Wednesday goes well. You will be able to do all sorts of new things as you find your new normal after surgery. I don't know this from experience yet, but I am seeing a lot of positive things from people who have had it done. Best of luck!

    • Alisa_S

      On day 4 of the 2 week liquid pre-op diet. Surgery scheduled for June 11th.
      Soooo I am coming to a realization
      of something and I'm not sure what to do about it. For years the only thing I've enjoyed is eating. We rarely do anything or go anywhere and if we do it always includes food. Family comes over? Big family dinner! Go camping? Food! Take a short ride or trip? Food! Holiday? Food! Go out of town for a Dr appointment? Food! When we go to a new town we don't look for any attractions, we look for restaurants we haven't been to. Heck, I look forward to getting off work because that means it's almost supper time. Now that I'm drinking these pre-op shakes for breakfast, lunch, and supper I have nothing to look forward to.  And once I have surgery on June 11th it'll be more of the same shakes. Even after pureed stage, soft food stage, and finally regular food stage, it's going to be a drastic change for the rest of my life. I'm giving up the one thing that really brings me joy. Eating. How do you cope with that? What do you do to fill that void? Wow. Now I'm sad.
      · 1 reply
      1. summerseeker

        Life as a big person had limited my life to what I knew I could manage to do each day. That was eat. I hadn't anything else to look forward to. So my eating choices were the best I could dream up. I planned the cooking in managable lots in my head and filled my day with and around it.

        Now I have a whole new big, bigger, biggest, best days ever. I am out there with those skinny people doing stuff i could never have dreamt of. Food is now an after thought. It doesn't consume my day. I still enjoy the good home cooked food but I eat smaller portions. I leave food on my plate when I am full. I can no longer hear my mother's voice saying eat it all up, ther are starving children in Africa who would want that!

        I still cook for family feasts, I love cooking. I still do holidays but I have changed from the All inclusive drinking and eating everything everyday kind to Self catering accommodation. This gives me the choice of cooking or eating out as I choose. I rarely drink anymore as I usually travel alone now and I feel I need to keep aware of my surroundings.

        I don't know at what point my life expanded, was it when I lost 100 pounds? Was it when I left my walking stick at home ? Was it when I said yes to an outing instead of finding an excuse to stay home ? i look back at my last five years and wonder how loosing weight has made such a difference. Be ready to amaze yourself.

        BTW, the liquid diet sucks, one more day and you are over the worst. You can do it.

    • CaseyP1011

      Officially here for a long time, not just a good time💪
      · 0 replies
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