Strange back pain post op out of nowhere

[GracefullyInsane 8]

Hello all.

My surgery was Feb. 22, and since the operation, I've noticed some back pain that I've never experienced before. It a dull ache, and it usually lasts all day, and it only affects the muscles on either side of my spine.

I spoke to my PA about it and she suggested that sometimes, as our posture changes, there can be back pain.

But I've only lost 25 lbs. or so, so I can't imagine that would be it. I've always had good posture, too. I wonder if I'm not understanding her remark?

She referred me to my primary care doc for further investigation if it persists.

Anyone else experience this or something similar to it? What helped? What caused it? Did it finally go away?

This is going on nearly every day, so I'd appreciate any feedback on the matter.

Thanks!

[grandmaofone 411]

After I lost about 25 pounds I went to the chiropractor and got adjusted and I go about every 20-30 pounds. It helps instantly and I have not had any other issues. I just go when I start to feel the pain start and then it goes away. Hope this helps you:)

[swizzle 120]

I get this too! In my lower back. I feel like it might have something to do with losing muscle? I feel a lot less strong, especially in that part of my back. I also get muscle soreness now even when I haven't exercised much. Like today my thighs feel like yesterday was leg day, and it's even hard to squat down to tie my shoes!

[Djmohr 6,965]

I have had severe back problems and my orthopedic spine surgeon told me it is very common post weight loss. I am very sad to say mine has gotten progressively worse over the last 18 months.

I did have skeletal spine problems before my weight loss but after it got drastically worse very quickly. I had to have 3 level cervical fusion in June and following that started to have severe pain in my mid back radiating to my rib cage. They haven't figured out the cause yet but I cannot function well at all due to severe pain. They finally put me on a fentanyl patch for pain relief and it is barely touching the pain. I cannot work at this time at all.

What I don't know is if this would have happened had I stayed heavy. I suspect it would have as I had this pain but it was more tolerable.

I am down 146lbs and at goal. I am so thankful I am not carrying around all that extra weight and I suspect I simply waited to long doing severe damage to my spine.

I hope that your back pain is simply muscular and will go away quickly.

I have had severe back problems and my orthopedic spine surgeon told me it is very common post weight loss. I am very sad to say mine has gotten progressively worse over the last 18 months.

I did have skeletal spine problems before my weight loss but after it got drastically worse very quickly. I had to have 3 level cervical fusion in June and following that started to have severe pain in my mid back radiating to my rib cage. They haven't figured out the cause yet but I cannot function well at all due to severe pain. They finally put me on a fentanyl patch for pain relief and it is barely touching the pain. I cannot work at this time at all.

What I don't know is if this would have happened had I stayed heavy. I suspect it would have as I had this pain but it was more tolerable.

I am down 146lbs and at goal. I am so thankful I am not carrying around all that extra weight and I suspect I simply waited to long doing severe damage to my spine.

I hope that your back pain is simply muscular and will go away quickly.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

I had an increase in my already existing back pain. It's back to the normal amount now. I experience many benefits of massive weight loss but eliminating back and joint pain was not one of them.

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[cherri2082 149]

At first I thought I had a kidney infection - it gets so uncomfortable I need to stretch out to relieve. Gas? Gasx isnt real successful if that is what it is

[Daisee68 2,493]

I hate to bring this up in light of @@CowgirlJane 's recent experience but any chance it is a kidney stone? That is the kind of ache I get when I have a stone moving.

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[GracefullyInsane 8]

Thanks for all of your responses. Djmohr, you poor thing! I'm so sorry you've suffered. I guess this could be kidney pain, although it doesn't seem low enough for that. However, I'm scheduling an appointment with my primary care doc to look into it further. I used to see a chiropracter and get get massages/adjustments following a car wreck years ago. That would be a simple solution. We'll see what my doc says. Thanks again for sharing your experiences. I'll try to remember to post again when I learn what's going on.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

O, I think you know when it's a kidney stone...think pain of childbirth..think of pain so bad you vomit uncontrollably....think emergency room...think the kind of pain that as your grown child is driving you to ER you think...." I should have called 911, how traumatic would it be for my dear child to actually die en route?"

[Daisee68 2,493]

@@CowgirlJane - I actually didn't have the same kind of pain you did. I had bad lower back pain and then eventually bright red urine (blood) which is why I finally went to a Dr suspecting a kidney infection. They didn't even suggest stones. They gave me an antibiotic and sent me on my way. My pain was off and on for several weeks before I saw a urologist and she sent me for a CT scan "just in case" and it turned out I had a 20mm and 9mm stone in my left kidney and 8mm and 9mm stone in my right kidney. They had not moved into the ureter yet as yours had so the pain was different. Even now (at least 100 stones passed later) I do not have typical pain. I only vomited from pain twice - once from the pain of the stents and once from a 5mm stone that was moving and came on very suddenly (2 nights before I left for vacation in Hawaii because somehow my stones ALWAYS know!). The morning after I came home from my bypass , I kept thinking "man this gas pain is no joke". I even called the Dr to see if she could prescribe something other than liquid hydrocodone. A few hours later I passed a 4mm stone. You would think after all the stones I have had and passed in the last 5 years that I would recognize the pain, but I don't always because it seems different each time. I also often get my pain up high in my back (often thinking it is just a muscle spasm but lasts for many days - as I have been experiencing the last few days in fact). All to say, symptoms seem to really vary for each person which is why I mentioned it. Low back pain (even like period cramp back pain) could be kidneys (or at least it was for me).

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[CowgirlJane 14,259]

@@Daisee68 very interesting! You have had so many stones!!! Any prevention ideas from urologist?

[Daisee68 2,493]

@@CowgirlJane - mine are all Calcium oxolate stones and are somehow related to how my body processes Calcium and my Graves Disease (thyroid). I am actually at my endocrinologist office now for a checkup. He took me off calcium supplements post-op which my bariatric surgeon is none too happy about. (Makes sure I eat cheese and get about 2000mg calcium in food per day.). Seems to be a fine balance. Will know more after under the Dr with my lab results today hopefully. Otherwise he also has me taking as little Vitamin D as I can get in a Multi-Vitamin (currently 800IU per day). I am also supposed to avoid high oxolate foods such as black tea, spinach, and some others. Then I am supposed to also do a 24 hour urine test (gross) eating all I normally do to then analyze what I am getting in food. I need to do that test soon but didn't want to do it until my diet was more stabilized - which it now is. It is an expensive test and I was without good insurance after being laid off at the end of the year. New insurance kicked in April 1 so catching up on all my appointments and test!

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[RJC5197 282]

@@CowgirlJane - mine are all Calcium oxolate stones and are somehow related to how my body processes calcium and my Graves Disease (thyroid). I am actually at my endocrinologist office now for a checkup. He took me off calcium supplements post-op which my bariatric surgeon is none too happy about. (Makes sure I eat cheese and get about 2000mg calcium in food per day.). Seems to be a fine balance. Will know more after under the Dr with my lab results today hopefully. Otherwise he also has me taking as little Vitamin D as I can get in a Multi-Vitamin (currently 800IU per day). I am also supposed to avoid high oxolate foods such as black tea, spinach, and some others. Then I am supposed to also do a 24 hour urine test (gross) eating all I normally do to then analyze what I am getting in food. I need to do that test soon but didn't want to do it until my diet was more stabilized - which it now is. It is an expensive test and I was without good insurance after being laid off at the end of the year. New insurance kicked in April 1 so catching up on all my appointments and test!

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THX

I am going thru the same thing. I passed all my stones except 1 big one and concerned with the high Protein diet I will have after bypass that will cause more. I took the 24 hr. test recently and Dr. is not really sure why I made any, but they are not fun at all, and I hope diet change will not support producing more.

[CowgirlJane 14,259]

urologist recommended I do the 24 urine test too... because of concern that due to gastric sleeve perhaps altering my system. I am not sure it is needed since I have only had 1. Does your urologist think this is related to sleeve?

[RJC5197 282]

My Dr. said once your body begins making stones it will be easier and something we will have to deal with the rest of our lives. I wish they were Diamond or Ruby stones, then I would not mind so much.