I'm only a few days past surgery and ever since, I've had these crazy pains in my chest area (not heart, don't worry!). It feels like a burp that's stuck inside.

During my banding, they repaired a hernia... and post-surgery i did have a lot of trouble with gas pains.

Is this GERD? Years ago I had a few bouts with heartburn but nothing like this. In fact it doesn't feel heart-burny at all -- it's more like trapped air???

My post-op appt is next week, I figure if it's still happening I will talk to my surgeon about it. Just curious if anyone had a similar experience or knew what it was.

It happens at random times, too - when I walk/inhale, when I drink, when I don't drink... so weird! and OUCH! :eek:

Hey laura. It sounds like you're having trapped air. When the band goes around the upper part of your stomach, it creates a false stoma (or "hole") to slow down the digestion of food. Unfortunately, that same stoma makes it very difficult to burp. That's one of the reason that bandsters have to eat and drink very slowly and cautiously, especially before they have some experience living that "banded" life.

So....certainly relay this info to your doc's office when you see them again, but it really sounds like a case of gas pains to me.

I'm only a few days past surgery and ever since, I've had these crazy pains in my chest area (not heart, don't worry!). It feels like a burp that's stuck inside.

Yep, this happened to me for a few days after surgery as well. I told my husband if I could just give one good burp I'd feel better. Never happened, but it finally went away.

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Sounds like trapped air.. try, Gas-X-strips. Take like 4 of them otherwise they wont work.. They dissolve on your tongue.. And Walk gets the intestines moving.. and hopefully the gas passing.

thanks all!!!!

it kinda feels like gas pains but i didn't expect them so strong up in my upper body like this!

i know i'm still healing so i'm not panicked... it's just great to have a forum like this to ask some peeps who've been here!

Laura,

I have had a similar pain twice before and I disagree with the others. I do NOT thing it is gas. This is almost a "pulled muscle" sensation and like you, I was concerned about a hiatal hernia repair problem. I don't feel it is a gas pain issue and in both cases when I felt the pain, it was prior to eating. I wondered if it could be a response from a muslcle strain from the hernia repair. My pain is deep in the upper right quadrant of my rib cage, close enough to the heart to THINK it may be related, but it isn't.

I have a call in to my physician. I didn't call after the first episode, but called an RN friend. After the episode yesterday I have called. Good luck with your pain.

interesting...

i get them so often and at such random times -- when i drink, don't drink, breath in deep, sit still -- don't seem to get the pains (or notice them at least) when i sleep.

the frequency feels like burps, gas or heartburn but i can see where you'd describe it like a muscle thing.

i remember when i was pregnant years ago and asked my ob how i'd know a real contraction. she said, "the pain will take your breath away." she was right! and even though these pains are short (and frequent), they, for a moment, hurt so bad and take my breath away too!

I had the same feeling and I was banded 11/17/09. For several days I just had a pain up under my heart. Finally at a store I had a huge- huge manly burp come out! It felt so good but it was very noticed by other shoppers. Now when I have to burp -it just comes on no warning and they are loud. All I can do is cover my mouth and hope no one is around. It really relieves that pressure under the heart.

Laura,

I have had a similar pain twice before and I disagree with the others. I do NOT thing it is gas. This is almost a "pulled muscle" sensation and like you, I was concerned about a hiatal hernia repair problem. I don't feel it is a gas pain issue and in both cases when I felt the pain, it was prior to eating. I wondered if it could be a response from a muslcle strain from the hernia repair. My pain is deep in the upper right quadrant of my rib cage, close enough to the heart to THINK it may be related, but it isn't.

I have a call in to my physician. I didn't call after the first episode, but called an RN friend. After the episode yesterday I have called. Good luck with your pain.

Hey guys. I had a horrible pain near my heart and as it turned it it was the band rubbing on my diaphragm. It was so terribly painful!

I had a hernia repaired at the same time the band was placed and this resulted in extra swelling. So, when my stomach swelled, it pushed the band into the path of my diaphragm. It wouldn't hurt all the time, just most of the time and it started to feel like my innards were turning into raw meat!

So, now when it starts to happen, I take some ibuprofen and my husband, who is a doctor, actually "adjusts" my stomach to move the band away from my diaphragm.

I only wish I had trouble burping! I sound like a lumberjack drinking/belching beer, most of the time. My burps are loud and mostly unexpected when they come. It's not fun when you're in a store and out comes this giant sound. If I just had a warning, it wouldn't be so bad.