I had lap band surgery 4 days ago. I feel really good except for one area...my left shoulder is in agony. In the recovery room I told them my collar bone and shoulder was hurting, they said this was from the gas. It has now been four days and it is still very painful in the left shoulder only. I spoke with the surgeon's office yesterday. The receptionist said they hear this complaint often, she said it is the anesthesia leaving the body. Anyone else have a similar experience? How long until it subsides? What is it from gas/anesthesia?

This is the way my doc explained it.

It is not from the gas that they pump into you - that is CO2 and apparently dissapates within 4 hours. But what he said happens is that before they close you up some air gets into the body and it is this that causes the pain. Using gas pills will not help for this kind of pain as it is a different type of gas - they will help for the gas in your stomach.

You should have been given prescription painkillers after surgery to sort this out.I was given mine to bring home but was very lucky as I only had minimal pain for the first 2 days.

If you haven't been given any pain killers phone your doc and see if he/she can give you some. You shouldn't need to suffer.

Thanks for the info. I have been using the gas-X strips but they are not helping. I was given pain med which I took for the first 2 days and then stopped. Maybe I will have to take it a bit more. The funny thing is I know they go through the abdomen and I have no pain in this area, it is only in the left shoulder. I guess I should count my blessings. Overall I think I am healing well and I am overjoyed that I received my lap band. I am five days post op, not hungry at all, following the diet faithfully and already down 8lbs. Yipee!!!!! With these results it is worth some shoulder pain.

I had the same exact thing - it was in my left shoulder, close to my neck. It felt like I had a knot in my shoulder, but it really was air. It was the reason I took the pain medication after the surgery - everything else felt fine! I think it was about a week (sorry!) before the pain subsided - what really helped was a heating pad and walking. It will go away - I promise!

Ok so i wake up this morning with gas pain in my BACK!? what is that all about? I have had gas pain in my stomach for a few days since my Op but this was insane. I sat up and walked around and it seems to go away but is this normal?

It sounds crazy to me also, but after the pain I am feeling in my shoulder, I bet your back pain is gas. I thought gas pains were suppose to be in your stomach. I had no pain in my stomach just my shoulders and neck. Sorry you are feeling this pain too but I am glad I am not the only one. At first I thought maybe I feel off the OR table onto my shoulder....LOL....at least now I know what it is.

:thumbup: lol I thought the same thing too, I was thinking what did they do while i was out, drop me on the floor? lol Ok well the pain has subsided and I feel better. Im thinking that this too shall pass. no pun intended lol ok maybe a little.

It's totally gas pain. I'm 4 weeks out from surgery and I still have gas pain in my left shoulder. Try taking liquid tylenol - it's not as imparing as the liquid narcotics you might have been prescribed. The heating pad is key! Put a heating pad on where ever you have gas pain. It rocks! Gas-X won't help because the gas is not in your intestinal tract.

I had surgery on June 17th and the shoulder pain is borderline unbearable! I have slept with the heating pad on it 2 nights in a row, its on there most of the day, I walk around every 30-45 mins, I am on vicodin as well as ibuprofen, and nothing seems to help. Gas x didnt help anything. It hurts when I sit, stand, breath in, or try to burp. I'm running out of ideas and I'm real tired of sleeping sitting straight up. Any other suggestions?

I had my band done on 6/9 and am still experiencing the gas in the left shoulder. Only once in a while, not all day, mainly at night, right before going to bed.

Take your pain medicine!! That's what it's for! The medicine is your friend for this week!

The pain meds aren't doing a thing for me.

The pain meds aren't doing a thing for me.

except impairing:tongue: my ability to count my monopoly money, lol.

I had my surgey on 6-19-09 the gas is terrible the pain meds really didnt help I think really time is the best explanation for the gas I had a diagnotic lap several yrs ago the same prob, couple days it was alright

Hope you do well with yours

good luck

I've not been banded yet, but have has several laproscopic surgeries and this pain is VERY common. The best advise I was ever given was to lay on my back with my feet higher than my heart. That will help push the gas out of your shoulders. I always said that the gas pains feel like I was burnt really bad, scalded with boiling water.