What are the pain levels to be expected after surgery? Is there anything to help reduce or manage pain without the use of pain meds?

I think positioning helps to control pain in the abdomen. But people’s pain levels vary based on what they can tolerate. I stopped pain meds after 3 days post op.

i also had back pain which a heating pad helped slightly. Lots of people sleep in a lazy boy or the couch because of their pain. After a while pain becomes soreness

Thanks I’ll remember that! And about the heating pad too. Did you ever use ice or just stick with heat?

6 minutes ago, Comissc said:

Thanks I’ll remember that! And about the heating pad too. Did you ever use ice or just stick with heat?

No ice for me but I have heard of some people using it

What are the pain levels to be expected after surgery? Is there anything to help reduce or manage pain without the use of pain meds?

Sitting in the recliner helped with gas pains.

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I can tell you that the first 6 hours or so after surgery were god damn awful. When they brought me out of anesthesia they hadn't given me any pain meds yet. It took them a few minutes to get me pain meds (they gave me a couple of shots of fentanyl after about 5-10 minutes of me coming out which helped a good bit but I can tell you that those few minutes sucked so hard. After that they controlled my pain with Norco. As I said the first six hours were pretty bad, but sleeping helped so the best advice I can give is sleep as much and as often as you are able. After the first 6 hours everything got much more bearable. IMHO body position is the key to keeping yourself out of as much pain as possible. Sometimes it is better to sit, sometimes better to recline, and sometimes it is better to lay down. All I can say is listen to your body and do what feels best. I quit taking anything but Tylenol on day 3 after surgery.

The only pain I had was at the incision the stomach came out. I don't take narcotics so Tylenol helped me somewhat. After a few days it just became sore and eventually went away. Doctor wanted me up and walking ASAP. As soon as I got to my room I was walking the halls. The worst part of the post op was no liquids at all. I was dying of thrist until the next day after the test to see if the stitches are leaking. At home I did sleep in my recliner as this was the most comfortable place for me. Good luck.

It’s my understanding soon after surgery they will have me up and walking as well. Anything to minimize pain and the use of pain meds. I’ve also heard of some people hold a pillow against there stomach area to help with pain. Anyone try this?

8 minutes ago, Comissc said:

It’s my understanding soon after surgery they will have me up and walking as well. Anything to minimize pain and the use of pain meds. I’ve also heard of some people hold a pillow against there stomach area to help with pain. Anyone try this?

When I had to cough or hiccup it helped, but otherwise finding the comfy positions is key.

Thanks all for the advise!

Honestly it varies a lot but I can tell you that going by how much some postops struggle I thought the pain was going to be much worse. Like Syntax said, the worse is waking up from anesthesia Bc you’ll be nauseous disoriented and in pain. My pain was more discomfort than pain. I felt lots of tightness under my breast bone and my pouch felt tight too. Came to find out it was just the muscle where they put in the liver instrument. As far as gas you may or may not be too bothered by it. In my case I truly believe my doctor didn’t blow me up with it or used very little because I’ve had no gas at all and my tummy feels like any other given day. In my experience everything went so well though so take everything I’m saying with a grain of salt. I know this isn’t the usual and people do suffer from lots of pain, nausea and incision soreness which hasn’t been my case. In another thread someone asked how this surgery compares to a C section and all the ladies said a C section is much worse, much painful and longer to recuperate from and women have them all the time lol so that should give you and idea. I think you’ll do fine and the pain won’t be anything you couldn’t tolerate, you’ll also be given pain meds but by day 3-4 you won’t even need it.


Yo-Yo Girl from New York City

I had seen so many people say the pain wasn't a big deal, they stopped pain meds on day 1 or 2 post-op, etc. So I was not prepared for the level of pain I had, which was tremendous. I could not walk until the afternoon of the second day post-op because simply standing made my belly feel as if it were literally ripping apart, and once I did start walking, I used a walker for the rest of that day (I was able to walk without it by the next morning).

Since then, the surgeon and I have figured out that the pain was coming from my abdominal wall where the fascia had been cut and dilated to allow the passage of tools in and out - so not an abnormal pain necessarily, just an abnormal amount of it. I have a very large belly because I carry most of my weight there - so this was likely a factor for me. I know you are concerned about using pain meds so I'll just be honest and say that I've used a dose (usually half a dose) at least once every day since surgery - and I'm post-op day 9. But the majority of people based on my reading are able to stop narcotic pain meds quickly and just rely on Tylenol, or not need any meds at all.

So my post-op pain story kinda sucks, sorry... but on the other hand, I have had very little, almost NO gas pain whatsoever. I've had a bit in my gut like when you have to pass gas, but I didn't have any of the little pockets of gas pain in shoulder, chest, side, etc. that people talk about. And I've had no incision pain, either. I also have no constipation, no vomiting, no nausea, no discomfort when taking in liquids and shakes... nothing. So I feel like maybe because I got the short stick on the pain thing, the universe blessed me with an extremely smooth recovery otherwise.

Edited May 26, 20188 yr by Little Green

I was sleeved 5/17. They had iv pain meds while coming off the anesthia, but the next day that was taken. They gave me an oxycodone which made me feel worse then the actual surgery so I’ve just been using Tylenol since day 2. I was lucky to not have too much pain. Just the left shoulder gas pains which is super uncomfortable but Tylenol doesn’t help that, just walking and things.

I didn’t go home with any pain meds and I was only in the hospital for 24 hours. Personally I didn’t need them. I used Tylenol for a couple days, but I’ve been fine since.