I just got banded on 2/6/08 and I have been experiencing a lot of pain in my left shoulder! My surgeon said that it has to do with my diaphram and how it distributes the pain, plus the fact that our bellies get filled with CO2 during surgery. Has anyone else been experiencing this strange pain? Have you found anything that helps it go away??

Lily :confused2:

OH MY GOSH!!!! I WENT ON THIS SITE TONITE TO SEE IF SOMEONE ELSE WAS HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM!! Mine is intermittent but I do find when I can "release" the air, it does get better for a short period of time. My question is.......how long is it going to last??? HELP!!!! By the way, my surgeon said the SAME THING so it must be the culprit!!!

TRODMOM

I was banded on Jan 16 08 and had the same problem. I used a heating pad on the area and it seemed to relieve some of the pain. I haven't had the pain in about 2 weeks now. Good luck I hope it helps.

Hi, My name is Syndy and I just got banded on 2-8-08, I too was experiencing a lot of shoulder pain. My husband put a heat pad on my upper back for about 15 minutes every so often and it has helped some. I still have a little pain but it is bearable now.

I hope this will help you.

hi i was banded on nov 7th 2007. i had the same pain it is gas. try a heating pad and i also took gas x the thin strips,they work well. hope this helps it will not last more than a few days.

sue

I asked my surgeon if I would have it and he completely blew it off! That scared me since it seems to be such a common theme on here! Many rec gas-x. Mine did go away with time.

Gas-x will only help with gas in the intestinal tract, not gas in your abdomen. For the CO2 gas you need to get up and walk and use heat. That will help. I got up and walked every time I woke up after surgery (last Thursday) and had very little to no gas at all.

One more thing, if you had a hiatal hernia repair along with your lap band that will also increase the pain in your left shoulder. Take pain medication as prescribed for that. If that makes you too groggy or nauseous, take liquid tylenol.

You will find a lot of threads about this if you do a quick search on:

"shoulder pain diaphragm"

Unfortunately, for very few of us, shoulder pain can permanent. That is rare though.

Chances are it will gradually ease. I had a large hernia and the shoulder pain. On day 11 now and feel mild shoulder or clavicle (front) sensations a few times daily and at night. Not anything like those first days for me.

Knowing that the pain actually comes from the diaphragm and not the shoulder, I discovered that putting the heating pad across my BELLY helps.

Best!

Thanks everyone!! I feel somewhat encouraged. It does seem to be getting a little better with time. Thanks for the advice!

I walked like crazy and still had the left shoulder pain. I was banded on 02/07/08 and I had some gas pains, but I also think that the left shoulder pain was more than gas. I do think it is muscle pain and has some to do with the diaphragm, because I still hurt under my left rib and sternum with deep breathing, though it is getting better. So far I haven't met anyone who hasn't experienced this same pain. Hang in there.

I had the same problem, and it was just delightful *sarcasm*!!! But it does go away, and it is just a side effect of the surgery. The gas causes it. I thought it was never going away, but it did, and now it is a distant memory. I did have to have a minor resurgery on my port, and I tell ya, I was praying I would have not left shoulder pain, and I didn't.

I had the horrific shoulder pain that comes with banding plus repair of a hiatal hernia. It was just lovely! It finally went away when I went back to work on day 4 after my surgery. (I sit at a desk all day, so it's ok) Anyway, I guess sitting up made all of the difference, because the next day, the shoulder pain was gone. Oh, and also, I bought a percussion massager and beat the hell out of my shoulder! It hurt, but it felt so good at the same time. LOL! Don't know if that made the difference, but the heating pad and gas-x strips did nothing for me.

I am one of the unfortunate ones to still have shoulder pains after a month of the surgery. What REALLY helps me is to lie on my LEFT side. Try it! Good luck.

I didn't have any tummy pain, but my left should ached for weeks. Rubbing it helped more than anything for me. It does pass, but it took a while for me.

i hate to tell you i am 4 mos out and i stilll have shoulder pain the more fills i get the worse it is so im thinking it might be permanent im hoping not does anyone had it go awaY?