I had surgury 09-18 my port is still very sore ( I cant bend over and have trouble getting out of bed) I have really bad shoulder pains especially when I have my full liiquids. My doctor said this shoulder problems only happen with some lapband patients and that it should subside. She said it is gas trying to escape but it has been 8 days! Has anyone else had these issues? When should I expect some relief? My two c-sections where easier than this surgury.

Jennifer

the heating pad is my best friend

I'm so sorry you're struggling through this--I had the tough gas pains, too. It's no fun.

My left shoulder pain was partly due to constipation after sugery (barium + liquid diet - Fiber supplements ). My post-op instructions said I could use Milk of Magnesia after the first week. Let me tell you, that's when the gas pains finally went away for good!

M.O.M. doesn't cause any abdominal cramping, loose stool, or urgency. It works by bringing more liquid into the intestinal tract. It just....er....well.....hm..... it's like wetting your "Slip 'N Slide"!

Anyone remember those? Yes, I too was a child of the Sixties...

I had surgury 09-18 my port is still very sore ( I cant bend over and have trouble getting out of bed) I have really bad shoulder pains especially when I have my full liiquids. My doctor said this shoulder problems only happen with some lapband patients and that it should subside. She said it is gas trying to escape but it has been 8 days! Has anyone else had these issues? When should I expect some relief? My two c-sections where easier than this surgury.

Jennifer

the heating pad is my best friend

Jennifer,

I think it was three weeks before my shoulder pain finally went away. It wasn't always as intense, but it was there. At the end of the 3 weeks there were somedays I felt nothing then the next day it would hurt. Go figure! It does get better....hang in there!

Jennifer,

I think it was three weeks before my shoulder pain finally went away. It wasn't always as intense, but it was there. At the end of the 3 weeks there were somedays I felt nothing then the next day it would hurt. Go figure! It does get better....hang in there!

3 weeks? I'm not sure I can last 3 weeks. I had my surgery on 9/20 and I was hoping it would go away any day. Yesterday was the worst by far. Nothing else hurts except my shoulder, particularly after I've been up for a few hours. The pain goes away if I lie down on my left side but I can't stay in bed all day...I'm back at work already and have 3 kids when I get home. Did anything give you relief during those 3 weeks?

i am going to try the milk of magnesia at this point anything would help. I went back to work yesterday only to have to leave because I could not take the pain. I am not sure when I will be able to go back. I hope this is not a nerve that was hit during surgury. It only comes evrytime I have my full liquids not water. WEIRD

i had shoulder pain for 3-4 months and it was explained to me that sometime the port and swelling from the surgery can bother a nerve in the diaphram causing pain to radiate to the shouldermi think the nerve is the vaga nerve. the heating pad was the best thing i found to help.

3 weeks? I'm not sure I can last 3 weeks. I had my surgery on 9/20 and I was hoping it would go away any day. Yesterday was the worst by far. Nothing else hurts except my shoulder, particularly after I've been up for a few hours. The pain goes away if I lie down on my left side but I can't stay in bed all day...I'm back at work already and have 3 kids when I get home. Did anything give you relief during those 3 weeks?

Yeaah! The meds the doc prescribed when I came home! The pain did subside during those 3 weeks though not something I felt everyday...hang in there!

The shoulder pain will fade away very soon. I had it, too, and it finally left between one and two weeks post-op. I mentioned it to my surgeon when I went back for my post-op check up and he reassured me that it would stop. And it did.

Hi All

Just wanted to let you know it has been 9 days since my surgury and there is still no relief with this shoulder pain. I have tried milk of magnesia, I sleep with a heating pad on my shoulder, pain killers and walking. I am going nuts it looks like I will have to delay going back to work a little longer. Please tell me this was all woth it because the way I have been feeling I am thinking maybe I should have not done the surgury. Also my port still aches everytime I cough or sneeze it kills me is this normal??

Jennifer

banded 09-18-07

Dr Bertha

New Brunswick, NJ

Just wanted to let you know it has been 9 days since my surgury and there is still no relief with this shoulder pain. I have tried milk of magnesia, I sleep with a heating pad on my shoulder, pain killers and walking. I am going nuts it looks like I will have to delay going back to work a little longer. Please tell me this was all woth it because the way I have been feeling I am thinking maybe I should have not done the surgury. Also my port still aches everytime I cough or sneeze it kills me is this normal??

Hi there...I was banded on 9/5 and I was in pain for the first couple of weeks. My port burned and I twisted funny once and it felt like I had ripped something out. I never took the pain meds because I really don't like being on medication. But, the gas pain and port pain were terrible. I, too, felt that maybe I shouldn't have done it. I even said that to my bf, that if I'd known this I wouldn't have done it.

But then it just went away. One day I woke up and everything was just better. Not 100%, but definitely I was at 95%. I took Wed the 5th through Friday the 14th off of work, returning on the 17th. I was a little stiff and HUNGRY! But overall, the pain was gone.

I know everyone's different, but it's only been 9 days for you, so just give it time. Next week, you may be telling everyone: I LOVE MY BAND!

I know I do every time I step on the scale!

Hang in there. I was banded on the 10th and by the 21st the shoulder pain was gone. I did a ton of walking. My mother dragged me to the outlet mall and about 10 other places last week. So my gas escaped.

I still do have that port pain though, but it seems to be going down as I heal. I even managed to bike 6 1/2 miles today so I know I'm recovering. I still can't sleep on my stomach yet, but I can bend over.

I do have a pinched nerve, which goes to my outer thigh and it's asleep. I'm hoping that will go away soon too.

Hang in there,

Leena

Hello, I had the same shoulder pain too. I took about two weeks to go away. I even had a CT scan becasue I was in so much pain. You just need to walk more so the gas can escape your shoulder. I know now that it doesn't seem like there is no end but just wait alittle longer.

omg i have gas everywhere in my body from shoulder to neck between my chest stomach everywhere its been 4 days this is miserable the pain of surgery is fine its the fricken gas!!!!!!! can you really take milk of magnesia?

I hate to say it but I still, over two months later get the occasional shoulder pain. My primary care physician warned me that he has had patients dealing with the gas pains for up to a year after any kind of lap. surgery.

Hi jpalaia..I've read a couple of other people's posts where they have explained that shoulder pain is caused by over eating or getting things stuck in the lap band. Someone on this site said its because there are nerve endings in the oesophagus leading up to the shoulder... if this is the case then it probably will settle once you get settled with your new eating habits?

i had surgery on Aug 2nd, 2007 and I still have occasional shoulder pains,, sometimes it's almost unbearable.. i was told by fellow bandsters at the support group that it's normal to have that with the band for quite some time,,, hang in there give yourself a couple of weeks and you will be so happy that you stuck it out..