OK....thanks for all the suggestions for constipation!!! I however still have GAS, so bad that it's still in my chest area. How long does this take to go away? Any suggestions? I am desperate!!!! Thanks for all you answers...this place is awesome!

Are you asking about post-op gas or just regular gas? I'm on day 3 post- op and I'm just now feeling like the gas is leaving. I just had to walk and walk and walk. Since I got discharged from the hospital, I probably paced about 20 miles around the inside of my house. When I didn't feel like walking, I just stood and shifted my weight from one foot to the other. Nothing passed then, but I think it helped to push it down, because when I finally lied down, it started to pass. Who knew such a crass bodily function could provide such relief! And I thought peeing was pure heaven!

Usually the first few days the gas is being absorbed by the GI system so GasX works. But after a few days you are experiencing the effects of the gas that was there.

Remember, when you have surgery they fill your gut with gas so they can see what they are doing. This pushes and pulls on things inside and it can cause a bruising type effect as well as irritating a nerve in your diaphragm that extends to referred pain in your shoulder.

Walking, GasX (for 3-4 days), a heating pad, rocking in a rocking chair... they all seem to help.

I too had a terrible time with the gas. The heating pad really worked for me. I propped myself upright in bed with lots of pillows and moved the heating pad from my upper back to middle back and it really eased the gas pain. Walking helped, as did the Gas X.

I'm 8 days Post-op and I think day 3 was the worst. I was hungry and felt terribly bloated, a miserable combination. But by day 6, I was feeling great. Now I'm feeling very normal, only a tiny tender at my port site, but no gas thank goodness.

It gets better really quickly! Hang in there and congrats on your new band. :eek:

Hubby found that 1 teaspoon of Milk of Magnesia in the morning beginning on day 2 was very helpful. Also, infant Gas-X (only liquid we could find), adjusted the dose for adult but it causes burping not ... you know.

Plus, walk, walk, walk and the breathing exercises (the spirometer) also helped move the gas along.