Shoulder pain from surgery or not???

Berry · March 25, 2007

I'm still having shoulder/neck pain, had surgery on Monday the 19th.

If I'm laying down in bed it doesn't hurt a bit. If I'm sitting in a chair, it's VERY painful like I pinched a nerve. Once it starts to hurt I can't get rid of the pain. Does this sound like it could be from the surgery or something entirely different???

GC53 · March 25, 2007

I was banded on 11th March and had terrible shoulder/neck pain. I just had to take soluble pain killers as nothing else helped. I am now 2 weeks post op and finally pain subsided about 3 days ago.

benbax · March 25, 2007

After having read a lot about shoulder pain on this site, I asked a doctor friend who said there is a nerve connection between the shoulder and the stomach and that's why people feel pain - apparently the left shoulder.

I bought a heating pad because everyone seems to say they have had relief by using one.

Good Luck!

Denise · March 25, 2007

I'm still having shoulder/neck pain, had surgery on Monday the 19th.
If I'm laying down in bed it doesn't hurt a bit. If I'm sitting in a chair, it's VERY painful like I pinched a nerve. Once it starts to hurt I can't get rid of the pain. Does this sound like it could be from the surgery or something entirely different???

This is from the carbon dioxide that they pump into your body---it is hitting a nerve in your diagphragm and it radiates to your left shoulder. Horizontal worked for me and a heating pad---when I wasn't laying down, I was walking

Take Care--this soon will pass

HarleyNana · March 25, 2007

I had shoulder pain for months after surgery, off and on of course. I didn't have much tummy pain, but the shoulder was a reminder of surgery for sure. Massaging the area helped me.

clc1968 · March 31, 2007

My left shoulder felt like I had surgery on it instead of my stomach! I called the doc and he said that it was the nerve in the diaphragm that is stitched around the band causing the pain. He said that after the stitches had healed, it should go away. This was something that he had not told me before the surgery. I wish I had of known. I am taking the pain meds for that pain, instead of my stomach.

Berry · March 31, 2007

CLC,

The shoulder pain was the worst. The doctors certainly don't warn you ahead of time and then they don't send you home with any type of possible side effects. If I got a paper describing all the possible side effects I wouldn't have been such a worry wart!!!

annieM · March 31, 2007

I had the shoulder pain too. The worst of it was gone in a week, but I still felt it for weeks afterwards. My stomach had no pain at all. Go figure.

Syrah · March 31, 2007

I was given fair warning about this from my doctor, and during my pre-op interview. I have not had a lot of trouble with this yet, but my doc said it can hit hard several days post-op.

jono201 · March 31, 2007

the shoulder and neck pain was/is way worse than any pain around my tummy. I was not warned either, but at four days pre-op it has subsided quite a bit. When I woke up they asked me how my stomach pain was and I told them all the pain was in my upper body. The nurses told me it was the anesthesia and gas and that it would be a few days before it went away. Hang in there!!!