Abdominal Pain

[Me1e 0]

Hi All

I'm interested in your thoughts on my current condition and to see if anyone else has had the same...

I have had my band since July 2008. I had my band completely unfilled (apart from 2mls in my 10ml band) on 6th Feb because I wasnt loosing weight with it filled and I was suffering with awful reflux. I have been loosing more weight eating a balanced diet anyway.

Everything was going great I could eat anything and was eating healthy/loosing weight until Tues 20th Feb when I started getting some mild abdominal pain in my left side of my stomach. Almost felt like mild hunger pains. This progressively got worse as the week went on.

On Thursday 23rd I couldnt barely walk anywhere cuz of the pain. I called my band doctor but couldnt get in to see him until Monday 5th March - ~I had my band private and in the UK there are not many specialsts around and I have no long term aftercare package.

Friday night i was completely double over with the pain and my chest also felt tight around my port sight. I ended up going to A&E on Saturday monring but they referred me straight around to the 'out of hours GP' - I saw a GP who examined my stomach and talked through symptoms then said he thought I may have 'Diverticulitis' which is some kind of inflamaton relating to your colon. However you dont normally get this until you are in your 60's and I am only 35!! He perscribed me two lots of strong antbiotics and sent me home and advised I see my GP in the next few days.

By Sunday the pan had reduced and was back to tues/wed pain levels.

I went to see my own GP on Monday morning and he was not happy with the level of pain i was stll in and also felt i was too young for the diagnoses given. He also thought that the unfill was probably more related so he sent me to the hospital for a surgeons opnion.

Got to A&E and they did blood tests and a chest x-ray - chest xray to look for gas under my diaphram which might indicate a perforated stomach (negative result) and Blood Tests to look for indicators of inflammations or infections (Which were also negative but he said potentially clouded by the strong antbiotics i have been taking and because I had more antibiotics the previous weeks for a throat infection). He finished the consult by saying they've ruled out life threatening stuff and they dont know anything about bands so cant look into that and I have to go private!! (Brilliant NHS!)

Since then my pain has been intermittent everyday and generally seems to be worse after i eat or if i sit upright for long periods eg, at my desk. It got really bad again yesterday evening... I've only got to wait until Monday night to see my band surgeon now but trouble is he will only be in a consult envroment with no equiptment for test so there wll be another wait.

Has anyone else had these kinds of symptoms? I can eat and am not being sick but the pain is immense at times.

thanks

[superluli 17]

Yesterday I went out for brunch and ate a lot! I was surprised I could even eat that. I got a pain on the left side of my stomach too all day. I haven't had anything to eat since, it's been 24 hrs, and I feel much better. Maybe you ate too much? Two weeks ago I was also in a lot of pain - excruciating! I even posted about it- , and my doctor said stress or a cold can make ur band tighten up a bit. Took some meds ate mushier food for a few days and now I am ok. Maybe you are stressed too? Try going on liquids for a few days and see if it still happens?

[kll724 3,055]

Well, I think that you probably need to see your surgeon, again. It sounds like you need an upper gi to iliminate gall bladder! It can be very excruiating pain. My daughter went to emergency 2x before she broke down and had removal of her gall bladder. It is said, that after loosing alot of weight, you gall bladder acts up. I don't know, I had mine removed in 2001. But, come to think of it, I had lost about 40 lbs then! Good luck, feel better soon. Karen

[armymom2012 51]

I have to agree with KLL724, about 6 years ago I had the same severe pain in that area. This was years before I had lap band. it actually came and went for over 3 years, but the last event caused excruciating pain in my gut as well as a feeling as if I was having a heart attach.I was 37 years old at the time.

When I got to the hospital they did test and realized that I had Pancreatitis and a gallbladder that needed to come out. This is not something you want to take lightly. Hope you get your answers soon.

[marfar7 1,533]

About 18mths ago I woke up with excruciating stomach pain. I tried everything I could think of before heading to urgent care. I left the urgent care on advice of the dr to the ER with a note explaining to the ER dr that I have a lapband and im a possible surgical candidate. I thought for sure my band had slipped.

After having a ct scan I found out I had diverticulitis. Im only 43. They gave me IV pain meds and sent me hoke with an rx for antibiotics and pain pills, a clear liquid diet for 3 days and instructions to see my dr the next week. I felt much better after the IV meds and finding out it want my band. I've never heard the age thing with diverticulitis. I thought anyone could have it.

Anyway, I know the feeling of being scared stomach pain is your band. Good luck

Marci

[Vicki Osbourne 5]

I haven't had pain but I did have a slipped band and I was treated on the NHS. If the pain gets worse I would suggest (if you can) go to an A &E dept at a hospital with a bariatric unit. I was advised to have a barium meal at a hospital where there was a bariatruc surgeon as only he could tell what was happening. I hit it done on NHS and was operated on by the surgeon.

If you post which area you are in I am sure someone can tell you where your nearest one is.

[Me1e 0]

Thank you for all your comments, keep them coming as I really appreciate your thoughts.

I am still in some pain but waiting for my appointment tomorrow night because the a&e made me feel like I was wasting their time and they didn't want to know.

I am in the Cheltenham area (uk) if anyone else knows of an a&e that might help somewhere near me?

If you didn't have pain, how did u know u had a slipped band?

I've still not had any sickness - do you always get sickness with a slip?

Thanks

[Cazzy 725]

It could be that you have adhesions from the surgery that are constricting your stomach or intestines a bit, which would give pain similar to diverticulitis, also if your reflux has been bad some oesophageal erosion can cause severe pain too...

From what people have said on this forum regarding slipped bands they all seem to have experienced different symptoms depending also on the severity of the slip. Some didnt even realise the band had slipped so it will need to be checked out.

Hopefully u will get some answers once u go to your appointment .. good luck !

[Vicki Osbourne 5]

I had really bad reflux. 'drowning' episodes where stomach fluids went into my lungs at night causing breathlessness and constant lung infections.

[Me1e 0]

Ohh that sounds horrible. Glad your ok.

[Kirk Von Rostock 0]

Hi there. I had my lapband fitted about 5 years ago. Until recently I had no problems with it. I lost weight initially. But have since put plenty back on. Now I get substantial pain in my abdomen. I'm no doctor. But I feel as if my weight gain is somehow pulling on my lapband around my abdomen. It almost feels like it is moving around in there. Its really uncomfortable to say the least. I can almost feel the tubing in there.

[Maddiola 0]

Sallieanne...I came across your post and was wondering what the outcome of your visit to the dr. I had surgery 3 yrs ago and for the last 3 months, I've had similar issues. My lap band dr only takes PPO insurance or cash and I can't afford to go see him..I saw my primary dr and she seemed to think it was Constipation. I told her that wasn't my problem and basically, I just decided she couldn't understand or relate. So I was curious what you found out as to why you were having pain.. Hope it all worked out for you.