Hi - I was just banded on Monday and am now home. Everything is going fine, EXCEPT gas pain. The pain meds take care of the actual surgery pain, but my stomach is so distended and tight with gas. It is painful and I can't seem to get rid of it. I have no problems with using the obvious methods, but my body just doesn't seem to be using them! So I am stuck and it is painful. Any hints, suggestions, etc. on what to do? I am doing so great in every other aspect, that if I could just address this issue, I'd be SOO relieved and happy!! Also, I am drinking a lot of apple juice - does that cause gas? Thanks for any help you can give me!! :thumbup:

The gas pain is very painful. I had it for almost 3 weeks and still do, if I eat something that doesn't agree with my stomach. I went through a whole box of Gas-X strips during those first couple of weeks. Make sure to walk, walk, and walk. Also using some occassional heat to that area helped me. I used a heating pad, but make sure to keep on a lower heat setting. I like high heat, but ended up with a slight burn around those delicate scar areas because of it.

Unfortunately that gas pain just takes time to get rid of. I wish you all the best.

Sincerely,

Stephanie

Walk, walk and walk some more. If Gas X doesn't work for you I have been told many get relief from maylox

I hate to break it to you, but most of the gas you are feeling isn't in your stomach, it's in your actual abdomen. You have to just wait for your body to absorb the gas because the simethicone products don't help with that. The only thing that is recommended above everything else is to walk, walk, walk. I know that doesn't seem like a very helpful suggestion, but that's all I could ever get out of any surgeon!

I had the gas pain but up in my shoulder area. Mine was so bad one night I ended up in the ER. Now, the ER doctor told me to do this and it worked. I still do it, if I get gassed up and can't get rid of it.

Get down on all fours. Then lower your upper body down till it touchs the floor. So, now your butt is up in the air and your head and chest are on the floor. This lets the gas bubbles escape somehow.

You might have to stay like that for a small amount of time before anything happens, and sometimes it doesn't happen until after you get up, but it does work great!!!

After every fill I have had, I have gotten gas that night and am in a lot of pain. I use the position and soon the gas is gone!!

Good luck and let me know if it works for you!

Thanks for the tips, guys! Areellady, I wasn't able to get in that position - it put a lot of pressure on my wound sites and hurt! So my husband suggested I try the reverse of it. So I got on my back and pushed my hips up. Then I would bring one knee into my tummy at a time. While it did help move it around and "break it up", I still couldn't get rid of it. I then went on a walk around the block and while I was up and walking it felt fine - much better actually. But the minute I came in and sat down, I felt the gas pressure again. I also tried Gas X, but as Lanakila said, it hasn't really helped. I'm sure that it will go away eventually, but this is so frustrating!!! Thank you guys for the hints - they did help a lot, even if they didn't completely solve the issue.!!!

I swear my hubby thinks I am doing the chicken dance or trying to become a butterfly!......but hey ! whatever works ...I do alot of arm circles while I'm walking around no matter where I am at

Oh I'm with you on the gas pain, and was also banded on Monday. It's less of a "pain" and more of a "discomfort" but it's annoying as heck and won't go away. I keep getting confused between "full" "gas pain" and "hungry" feelings.....please tell me it's not just me!

I'm a worryier and of course I'm worried that this pain/discomfort/weird feelings are symptoms of a larger problem (I know logically it's not but you know how anxiety goes...)...just checking in that this is all part of the process I guess :thumbup:

Will talk to the surgeon if I have any true worries about complications of course.

I am 6 days post-op and can honestly say that today is the first day my tummy isn't so sore and distended!!! Yeah!! It really is miserable having all that trapped gas in there! Hang in there guys!!

How nice to know that my discomfort is not unusual. I was getting a little concerned. I was banded Tuesday, and feel really good, except for a sore neck (I have a cervical fusion and I'm assuming it is from the position I was in to be intubated) and my shoulders hurt a lot! The incisions hurt if I move too quickly, of course, or when I laugh or cough, but this shoulder pain! That's why I'm on the computer at 4 in the morning!

I have been moving around, but not really WALKING! Just changing positions, chairs, which room I'm sitting in. I will walk today!

hey i got banded on monday as well and i have had bad gas in my stomach but i was just speaking to my dietician that said it can actually be the band making you feel gasy and bloated i hope your doing well i cant drink the apple juice cause the wind got worse, but other then that i am doing great i havnt eaten a thing i dont feel hungry but i constantly have a full feeling in my tummy but they say that is the badn unitil the swelling goes down. good luck keep in contact

susie

Hey - thanks for all the info. But I can't tell you what a relief it was so see other new banders having the same problems. You can't help but worry a little that maybe something is wrong, or maybe it's not working or whatever!! I'm a worrier.

And I was so glad to hear that other people are having the whole "hungry" "full" "pain" issue too. I am just not hungry. I don't feel full, like when you eat enough, but I also am not hungry either. So I don't know how much I should be eating or not! And with the gas pain, it makes the whole thing even more confusing. I honestly feel like there is just lots of stuff going on in the belly area. Trying to sort out what is surgery pain, what is wound pain, what is gas pain, what is tight and distended, what is hungry and what is full - that is just beyond me right now. If anyone can help out with that, I'd appreciate it!

Anyway, THANK YOU!!! :biggrin2:

I'm 3 days postop and also confused as to whether discomfort is pain, hungry or full. My "gas" occurs mostly after I drink anything. That loud abdominal 'rumbling' is rather embarassing. Any tips on how to limit swallowing air when you drink?

I'm 14 days out now and remember well how uncomfortable the gas was. The first few days I think the gas was the CO2 from surgery. The only thing that helped was to walk, stretch, anything to move it out. It didn't last long. Then I started getting gas from my stomach everytime I ate. I felt like I had to burp but couldn't. I had pain under my sternum and ribs. I took gas x for that and it helped somewhat. Then one day a big burb happened and I was thrilled. The doc's office said once the band area swelling went down it would get better and it has. As to the strange sensations in my stomach I also had a tough time identifying them at first. Mine was definitely hunger and gas pain. My doc's office told me to have as much liquids as I needed to keep from being hungry because they go "below the band" anyway. He said don't worry about losing weight, just heal.

what did you do to relieve gas after lap band. I'm 4 days out and gavubg a kit if gas pain and bloating.

I had the gas/shoulder pain for a lot longer than I want to tell you since it might scare you even more! (OK, mine lasted 5 weeks!!!) IT IS PAINFUL! BUT WORTH IT!!! Walking was the only thing, and deep breathing. Breathing will actually help your body remove the gas... respiration as it is. Walking, breathing and meditating is what worked for me. The day I realized the pains were gone were such a good day!!!!

Good luck to you all! This is just the beginning of the best thing you have ever done for yourself.... and its ALL FOR YOU!