TMI... But I have to know

[eyoung 47]

So I dont hve a date yet, getting close. Doing research still and I hear about the horrible gas pains. So.. I must know, is it gas or do u poop and have relief for a bit? Is it ongoing like u wanna die? Or is it like spasms and contractions? I heard 1 girl say she used a firm smll pillow to rest her incisions on. Wondering if that would while u tried to use the bathroom..

Please, any feedback is much appreciated thank u

[Arts137 1,811]

Great question.

First some have gas discomfort, some don't. I had VERY LITTLE discomfort of any kind, gas or otherwise!

OK, think of the body... The "gas" is NOT in the GI tract, so burping or farting does nothing to resolve (though the doctors and nurses will be happy with burps and farts, since it means your GI tract is working OK after surgery). (full disclosure -- there could be VERY MINIMAL gas added to the stomach during the sleeve procedure, but not much.

SO, what is this "gas"? When they do surgery, they "blow up" your abdominal cavity like a baloon so that the surgical team can work around in there. They do take the gas out, but some is left. This excess gass will be reabsorbed into the body and blood and expelled over a few days.

Walking is the best medicine, and you will be walking from the very first day!

[McButterpants 2,846]

Initially my gas pain was in my stomach from the surgery (they pump air in your abdominal cavity during surgery). I also had pain my left shoulder, which I understand is normal. The pain wasn't unbearable, but wasn't relieved with pain killers - the best thing for it was walking, walking and more walking (I was pacing around the condo the first couple of days, then was able to venture outside for walks).

About 4 days out, I had gas because I wasn't having a bowel movement - I needed to have one, but couldn't. On day 5, I took some Metamucil and a probiotic to get things moving.

The pain I felt was uncomfortable, but nothing really bad. The pain in my stomach felt like I had done 1000 sit ups; the pain in my shoulder felt like I just slept wrong on it; the BM pain was no more than regular Constipation. I only took 4 pain pills after surgery.

[rivergirl 12]

The pain from the surgery gas can radiate anywhere - especially in the chest, shoulders or upper arms. When I woke up in recovery, the worst of it was in my collar bones. Morphine mellowed it a bit, but not entirely. I was up walking within 2 hours of being in my room post-op and would continue to walk every 2-3 hours just to get that pinch in my collarbone gone. By 24-36 hours postop, it was mostly gone. Just keep walking!!

[hopeliveshere 294]

So I dont hve a date yet, getting close. Doing research still and I hear about the horrible gas pains. So.. I must know, is it gas or do u poop and have relief for a bit? Is it ongoing like u wanna die? Or is it like spasms and contractions? I heard 1 girl say she used a firm smll pillow to rest her incisions on. Wondering if that would while u tried to use the bathroom..

Please, any feedback is much appreciated thank u

your talking to the queen of gas pain after surgery here lol. its ironic b/c i am not a gassy person regularly at all. i rarely burp or fart. i had them 2 weeks straight from the minute i woke up. morphine gave me 2 to 3 hrs of relief and i was given tylenol with codeine to go home with for pain. they were horrible and radiated up to my left shoulder and they brought me to tears quite a few times. No amount of walking of gas x strips took them away. and honestly i was kinda afraid to poop or fart for the first week and a half at least lol. although my experience was bad with them some people to have them at all. hope you are one of the lucky ones

[eyoung 47]

Thank you so much! I get gas pains regularly and wake up with massive BM. Yes yes tmi..

So im wondering if it will get worse. Lord I hope not!

Thank you for all the great info. Walking it is! Did u guys start a workout regiment before surgery? Or did u just start after?

[endless80 697]

So I dont hve a date yet, getting close. Doing research still and I hear about the horrible gas pains. So.. I must know, is it gas or do u poop and have relief for a bit? Is it ongoing like u wanna die? Or is it like spasms and contractions? I heard 1 girl say she used a firm smll pillow to rest her incisions on. Wondering if that would while u tried to use the bathroom..

Please, any feedback is much appreciated thank u

I had no gas pains at all. Some do though.

Your incision pain is bad for the first couple weeks but it goes away. Nobody is doubled over in pain from it really. A pillow never worked for me but just holding my hand there did.

[endless80 697]

Thank you so much! I get gas pains regularly and wake up with massive BM. Yes yes tmi..

So im wondering if it will get worse. Lord I hope not!

Thank you for all the great info. Walking it is! Did u guys start a workout regiment before surgery? Or did u just start after?

Besides walking you shouldn't work out for at least a month. My surgeon cleared me after 5 weeks but I still haven't worked out at all because I'm lazy. lol

[hbeasley 19]

I can say that the gas pains were the only real source of frustrating pain I have had with this entire process and I am 9 days post op today. However, it lasted total about 4 days. Two days of nonstop gas pains and two days of intermittent and all good now!

I went from someone having a minimum of two BM's a day to having one every three days. VERY strange for me but not painful really. The biggest post op frustration now is not being able to sleep on my stomach. Weird how much it miss it!

[hatters 47]

I thought I was in the clear and one of the lucky ones until 5 day after surgery. For me the pain was pretty bad. I thought my appendix must be bursting b/c I have had gas in my life and nothing ever felt like this before. My father had hernia surgery before and he said gas pain was an problem with him too since your stomach may have weak spots from surgery. My gas was on and off over 3 days. Walking does help I also tried some crazy positions to help motivate it. For me I find the pinching/pulling of my internal stitches more painful. But with all that said it really isn’t that bad, take some of the pain killers if you get gas pain and walk around.

As far as the bathroom I didn’t go to the bathroom for the first time until about 10 days after surgery.

Edited December 18, 2013 by hatters

[MouseOnTheMile 186]

I only had one instance of gas pain, for about ten minutes in my left shoulder, two days after surgery. Again, has nothing to do with BMs or farting, the gas pain is in your body tissue and is completely separate from your GI tract.

Edited December 18, 2013 by MouseOnTheMile

[livvsmum 2,368]

I guess everyone is different. I never once had any gas pain. The pain from my surgery was very minimal. The biggest thing for me was some pain in my arm from the way it was during the surgery and that wasn't even related to what you are talking about...lol.