I was banded last Thursday and everything has been tolerable except for this intense sharp pain on the top of my left shoulder and it gets worse after i've eaten. i've tried a heating pad and walking and walking and it keeps coming back and it seems worse every time, it's HORRIBLE and brings tears to my eyes. Does anyone have suggestions and could explain why gas is in my shoulder!?!?!?!??!?!?!:thumbup::scared2::ohmy:

Yeah, the diarrhea sucks! You may just now be flushing some stuff from the anesthesia out of your system...I am just one week postop, and I am all done with the constant diarrhea. Still drinking liquids so still having, well, you know....but its not so often now. Just once or twice a day.

I just hate having it while I'm at work. That's the worst!

I was banded on 11/24 and also have the intense shoulder pain. It is annoying and it hurts! I notice that it starts as soon as I even start to sip water and have the protein drink. Massaging helps it a little.

My doctor told me that it is from the hiatel hernia repair I had also during my banding. I am now nervous that this is going to last a month or longer reading all the posts...ahhh!!:thumbup:

I had that shooting pain on my left shoulder the first night, but thankfully not since, because that was unbearable! I was almost in tears with it. Now, I find the main problem seems to be my diaphragm and back and everything hurting when it moves - breathing, drinking water, etc. I didn't have a hiatal hernia repaired, but I remember when I came out of the surgery I had a hard time breathing because it hurt the incision area. I hope it goes away, because it makes it hard to drink water and move around.

I was banded last Thursday and everything has been tolerable except for this intense sharp pain on the top of my left shoulder and it gets worse after i've eaten. i've tried a heating pad and walking and walking and it keeps coming back and it seems worse every time, it's HORRIBLE and brings tears to my eyes. Does anyone have suggestions and could explain why gas is in my shoulder!?!?!?!??!?!?!:thumbup::scared2::wink2:

I found the pain was eased when i put a hot pack on my shoulder

You know I can't help crowing here - I've had practically no pain since my op on Monday 24th, just feel like I've been kicked by a small donkey - but no sharp pain. And because the incisions are across the top of my spare tyre, no lower, I'm not having the pulling sensations when I get up from a chair or bed, etc.

I am getting just a little discomfort in my left shoulder, but the night before surgery my anaesthetist told me to breathe deeply a few times if there was any pain, and it really does help to get rid of the gas pain - try it for yourself. Hope it helps you like it does me...

Liza in wet, windy, cold Western France...

...working my weigh down...

try some mint tea that seemed to help. Also besides walking just moving the upper part of your body seemed to work a little for me. This will pass. I hope you feel better soon.

I was banded on 11/24 and also have the intense shoulder pain. It is annoying and it hurts! I notice that it starts as soon as I even start to sip water and have the protein drink. Massaging helps it a little.

My doctor told me that it is from the hiatel hernia repair I had also during my banding. I am now nervous that this is going to last a month or longer reading all the posts...ahhh!!:cursing:

I noticed that over the weekend, the pain wasn't as bad but was it because I was home resting alot? It feels better when I lie down and I can't do that when I'm working. I know they keep saying it's from the hernia repairs but I can feel the gas going from my stomach right up to my left shoulder.

My surg was the 25th and the shoulder pain has been horrible!! no pain in my stomach at all. ice pain meds massage and walking help enough to help me sleep..

:thumbup: What annoys me most is that i did some reading on laproscopic surgery and shoulder pain turns out that research shows it can be prevented IF the surgeon removes the CO 2 they use to inflate your abdomen or IF they heat and hydrate the CO 2 when they insert it. they're also starting to use internal mechanical lifting instead of co 2. it's too late for us but please ask your dr.s why they don't do these things to decrease our pain and suffering. i will never undergo abdominal laproscopic surgery again without specifically finding a surgeon who is willing to do one of those seemingly simple things to prevent this kind of agony. if you know anyone considering lap band please encourage them to advocate that the surgeon remove the CO2, it can cause damage to the cells which is why it's taking some of you longer for the pain to go away.

I was banded 11-20 and now that I can take medications. I have found that a little Tylenol relieves the pain when it becomes unbearable.

My surg was the 25th and the shoulder pain has been horrible!! no pain in my stomach at all. ice pain meds massage and walking help enough to help me sleep..

:thumbup: What annoys me most is that i did some reading on laproscopic surgery and shoulder pain turns out that research shows it can be prevented IF the surgeon removes the CO 2 they use to inflate your abdomen or IF they heat and hydrate the CO 2 when they insert it. they're also starting to use internal mechanical lifting instead of co 2. it's too late for us but please ask your dr.s why they don't do these things to decrease our pain and suffering. i will never undergo abdominal laproscopic surgery again without specifically finding a surgeon who is willing to do one of those seemingly simple things to prevent this kind of agony. if you know anyone considering lap band please encourage them to advocate that the surgeon remove the CO2, it can cause damage to the cells which is why it's taking some of you longer for the pain to go away.

It's most likely because its cheaper to use CO2 for the surgeons, which makes their cost less as well as ours/insurances.

However, I'm not sure where this rumor started that the gasses used cause the shoulder pain that SOME (not all) individuals feel. It is not true at all.

Actually, the reason we have shoulder pain is because when we have the lap band surgery (or any abdominal area/reproductive area surgery) performed, our stomach swells which irritates our diaphram. Our diaphram also swells somewhat from the irritation and pressure, which causes it to contract and expand. When it does this, it pinches a nerve that directly effects one or both shoulders. There really is no cure for it, if your pain goes away it is becuase your diaphram has relaxed. You can TRY to take deep, slow breaths to prevent your diaphram from contracting and expanding so much, but theres no guarantee it will help.

I was banded on the 25th of this month and I had REALLY bad shoulder pains in my right shoulder. It sucked!! But you just have to deal with it.. :wink2:

look up shoulder pain following laparoscopy and www.hcgresources.com/shoulderpain.html you'll find an article by Dr. Larry Demco "a renonowned Laparascopic pioneer" You can also go to link on "How can Laparoscopy be less painful?". It talks about how the CO 2 gas irritates the diaphragmatic nerves causing the pain and that there are ways to prevent it. I don't believe everything on I find online but this looks like a credible medical resource.

I remember that awful pain.

The thing that got rid of my pain was a huge ice pack that I purchased from a chiropractor for $12.00.

My dr. told me that most people use a heating pad because it helps a little but the trick is ice. He said the heating pad only mask the problem the ice gets rid of the problem. I used it constantly and it did go away.

hi

I was banded 13 months ago ,, and still have the pain ,, today it's at a point where I can't take a deep breathe,,, I notice it starts if I get hungry , and the times when I drink a shake or a glass of milk , the pain will go away,, if I actually eat ,,,it's hit or miss,,, but once the pain hits a certain threshold,,,,,ibuprophen/heat pad and rest are about the only things that help. I wish I had known had much this referral pain would hurt. It hurts enough to really make me cranky !

Since I know it's referral pain,, I try silly solutions,, I lie on my stomach on the ottoman ,, trying to make the pouch move ..? is that even possible ??? who knows,, but sometimes that seems to work ! ,,,,,, like calming a crying baby,, just keep trying stuff til something works ! ,,,

long and short of it ,, I don't see a future without the pain,,,

but I am down to a size I like,, SO ?,,,at what cost ?

I had read, I think on this board, that it helps to move the shoulder up and down repeatedly and then in a circular motion. Maybe it doesn't make sense if it is referred pain, but it does work for me!!!

looks like you just had surgery,,, I was good in the beginning between pain meds and nitetime pain relievers,,,,,,but after a year ? ,,,,, my doc looks at me like he's never heard this before , but does say it's referral pain,,,,,,,but YES,, if my husband massages the area for me it does feel better ,, and so does a heat pad ,,,,,,,,, So I'm at a loss....... like I said,, just like a crying baby , you just keep trying different approaches til one works. The pain is mostly gone right now,,,, and my stomach is growling,,, I think anything that irritates the actual pouch, makes it move closer to the diaphram and then ,,,pain,,,

well,, I guess it's a good indicator that if I ever DO have a heart attack,, I'll have pain to alert me ! ,, ( is that a positive ? :biggrin: )