I'm just about 3 weeks post-op and I started having the back/shoulder/neck pain on the left side again. Is this normal to have it return?

Yes, it is normal. You may experience this for weeks. I would use a heating pad. That should help.

I'm just about 3 weeks post-op and I started having the back/shoulder/neck pain on the left side again. Is this normal to have it return?

I happens to me if I eat or drink to much.

Shoulder pain can be a sign of gas pain for anyone, band or no band. Are you eating things that make you gassy?

I'm just about 3 weeks post-op and I started having the back/shoulder/neck pain on the left side again. Is this normal to have it return?

Me TOO! I was just about to start the exact same thread/question.

I am at exactly the same stage you are, about 3 weeks out and thought the shoulder/gas pain should be a thing of the past, but I am noticing even more now than I did right after the surgery. I am a big fan of the heating pad and am doing the GasX strips and walking routine, but I did wonder how long this takes to go away. I have been eating pureed Beans, but thought that kind of gas was unrelated to shoulder pain. Maybe I have been eating or drinking too much, I will have to watch that.

amrdmr

While I'm at it, asking about the neck/shoulder pain from the gas that was used to insufflate the abdomen during surgery, when does the abdominal bloating go away? Soon, I hope.

Banded 3/20/2007

Dr. Ortiz TJ MX

I also experienced it about 3 weeks out and it was so severe I had to go to an urgent care clinic. I read an explanation for it on another board which I will share. Apparently the vagus nerve is very close, if not right on top of the sutures used to keep the band in place. With certain body positions it causes irritation to the nerve. It resolves as scar tissue is developed around the sutures. The shoulder and neck pain are actually referred pain from this, not gas. This surgeon's explanation makes sense to me since I never got any relief from gas remedies and it didn't seem to be directly related to eating. Anyway, that was his explanation.

Susan

Thanks Susan! I probably slept in a weird position and irritated it (the vagus nerve), 'cause it's giving me jolts today and Gas-X, which worked early on, is doing nothing. I keep on waking up on my left side, where my port is, I hope I'm not doing anything damaging to any stitches anywhere. One more thing to worry about, trying to control how you sleep. Oh well, we do what we can to protect our investment.

AMRDMR

I was banded in Belgium last week (Tuesday 3rd April) and feel great except for this pain in my shoulder - it's terrible!! Sounds bad but I am so pleased that others have / have had it. My Surgeon explained straight after surgery that the pain was a possibility, I had the pain but was too drowsy to think about asking 'how long for?'

I go back to work tomorrow and am already 6kilos down (since the weigh in I did 7 days pre-op) 6 down, about 25 to go but feeling so positive!!

Love

I also get it if I eat or drink too much!!!

I'm 12 weeks post-op and seem to be getting the shoulder pain more frequently as time goes on. For me, it's usually later in the day when I'm tired and hungry. It goes away as soon as I eat.