When Is Shoulder Pain Not Gas?

[Peacock's Point 2]

I had my surgery done on Monday, June 20th. Immediately when I came out of surgery I had shoulder pain and it was very difficult for me to breathe. Both the shoulder pain and breathing subsided over the next few days. I was given very good pain relievers in the hospital. If I did have any shoulder pain, it was always assumed that it was trapped gas. With trapped gas - walk, walk, walk, heat pad and pain killers. I would then get flareups of shoulder pain at night time when trying to sleep. I couldn't sleep on my back, at all, for days. On Monday, June 27th I went to the ER where I was diagnosed with pneumonia. I had extreme shortness of breathe, pain across chest, shoulders, and neck. The interesting thing is that I did not have a fever and I was not coughing, which would be typical of pneumonia.

While in the ER they did a chest x-ray, CAT Scan, blood test, IV fluids. It was the chest x-ray and blood test that gave the doctors the answers to what was happening. I'm sure it was pretty strange to see a patient, that looked pretty ill to be sitting straight up in the gurney. I could not lie down AT ALL! When they tried to do the CAT Scan, it was miserable because you have to lie on your back. We managed by putting a couple of pillows under my head and quickly performed the procedure.

I am allergic to penicillin and when this was indicated to the ER doctor he said, "That could be trouble." Not very reassuring! The ER doctors wanted to admit me to the hospital and give me my antibiotics throught the IV. My surgeon sent me home with liquid antibiotics. I am currently taking Azithromycin and Clindamycin. Just a side note, the Clindamycin is the nastiest tasting medicine I have ever tasted.

Yes, I feel like I am on the mend, but I sure wish I could get my left shoulder pain to go away. The shoulder pain is niggling there but it's also felt when I try to take a deep breathe in. It seems when you have pneumonia that is in the lower lobe, a lot of patients will have the referred pain in that shoulder, whichever side the pneumonia is on. I'm writing this so that others who continue to have the horrible shoulder pain take another look at it to make sure that it's not pneumonia. I hope my experience will make others aware.

[apw0 7]

I had very bad shoulder pain post surgery as well. I was MISERABLE!!! I felt it as soon as I came out of recovery. It lasted for almost 2 weeks. Long story short, during the surgery, my arm was hyperextended for a relatively lengthy period of time, which is what caused the problem. It never even occurred to me that it may be something other than that.

It's a good thing you had the wherewithall to go to the ER.

I hope you get to feeling better soon, and please keep us posted.

Annette

[Nancy Rivers 24]

So sorry you are still having the pain. I hope you get feeling better soon and the antibiotics do their job. Thank you for sharing your experience.

[former_vbg 198]

I had my surgery done on Monday, June 20th. Immediately when I came out of surgery I had shoulder pain and it was very difficult for me to breathe. Both the shoulder pain and breathing subsided over the next few days. I was given very good pain relievers in the hospital. If I did have any shoulder pain, it was always assumed that it was trapped gas. With trapped gas - walk, walk, walk, heat pad and pain killers. I would then get flareups of shoulder pain at night time when trying to sleep. I couldn't sleep on my back, at all, for days. On Monday, June 27th I went to the ER where I was diagnosed with pneumonia. I had extreme shortness of breathe, pain across chest, shoulders, and neck. The interesting thing is that I did not have a fever and I was not coughing, which would be typical of pneumonia.

While in the ER they did a chest x-ray, CAT Scan, blood test, IV fluids. It was the chest x-ray and blood test that gave the doctors the answers to what was happening. I'm sure it was pretty strange to see a patient, that looked pretty ill to be sitting straight up in the gurney. I could not lie down AT ALL! When they tried to do the CAT Scan, it was miserable because you have to lie on your back. We managed by putting a couple of pillows under my head and quickly performed the procedure.

I am allergic to penicillin and when this was indicated to the ER doctor he said, "That could be trouble." Not very reassuring! The ER doctors wanted to admit me to the hospital and give me my antibiotics throught the IV. My surgeon sent me home with liquid antibiotics. I am currently taking Azithromycin and Clindamycin. Just a side note, the Clindamycin is the nastiest tasting medicine I have ever tasted.

Yes, I feel like I am on the mend, but I sure wish I could get my left shoulder pain to go away. It seems when you have pneumonia that is in the lower lobe, a lot of patients will have the referred pain in that shoulder, whichever side the pneumonia is on. I'm writing this so that others who continue to have the horrible shoulder pain take another look at it to make sure that it's not pneumonia. I hope my experience will make others aware.

Thank you so much for posting your experience. I had surgery 2 days after you and I still have left shoulder pain. It seemed to get better the day I was discharged, but then the next evening it started to flare up again, waking me up at night as well. The pain med they gave me would usually only last an hour and then the pain would come right back. I have been able to sleep on my back, but sometimes the pain was so bad I couldn't sleep. When I asked my doc, he dismissed it mostly as gas pain but said it could possibly be a blood clot- but since I wasn't exhibiting any other signs that accompany a blood clot he didn't think it was that. My surgery was down in Dallas and have been home day #2 now and the shoulder pain is still there but mostly a dull throb.

I have a check up w/my PCP next Thursday, but will keep your post in mind if this pain gets worse. I do get tired easily, but have written that off to just the recovery process.

Please do keep us posted on your recovery. I will be interested!