Shoulder Pain

[jabsimmons 0]

Does anybody else experience pain in your left shoulder every time you eat or drink? It's taken me forever to put this together. It's the same pain you feel after laprascopic surgery, but less intense, thank goodness. It's becoming quite bothersome though.

[brandymarie81 108]

i have it too...mine is more like a tense pain...like how when i am suer stressed my shoulders ache.

[jabsimmons 0]

I thought it was more of a pain from stress or tension too until I realized it happens anytime I eat or drink. I have a heat pack on my shoulder now. I tried to eat a boca burger on a sandwich thin and I didn't tolerate it well at all, so the pain is more intense than usual.

[spadesmcloven 8]

15 days out and yes every morning. It hurts big time. Shooting pain then goes away.

[imanokie 3]

Yes, i notice it hurts when i eat too. I saw my surgeon and she thinks its just the food. When i slowed down on my food it started to go away. When i get more full i feel it. Try slowing down and lowering the amounts of food you in take at a time spreading them out more frequently. That has helped me a ton. Our nerves are all connected causing shoulder. that is the explanation i got.

[lisahg 9]

I felt left shoulder pain as soon as I was awake after my vsg. It was a constant pain not just when i tried to drink. It hurt more than any discomfort from my incisions actually ( so I know what you're talking about) and the only reaon I asked for pain meds while in the hospital. I was told it was a common complaint but doesnt mean something is wrong. In my case it hurt less and less each day and went after a few days.

[renee5d 13]

I am 4 1/2 months post open and still have shoulder pain when I eat. I talked to my surgeon about it at my three month appointment and he said it can take up to a year to form a protective scar tissue and the pain to go away. I can control it, however. If I eat very very slow, tiny bites and chew my food well....very easy to do at home...but going out to eat is a different story! I also stop eating for about ten minutes when I feel the first tiny twinge. Another time I notice it happens a lot is when I am too busy talking and not paying attention to the way I'm eating!

[Wheetsin 714]

I'm not nearly as far out as you guys but based on your descriptions it sounds like the food in your stomach could be somehow triggering a phrenic nerve reaction. Here is something I posted on this previously, regarding the shoulder/collar bone pain post-op. I don't know if the outward pressure of ingesting food could trigger it for sure, but if it's the same pain, it would make sense the same nerve system is involved. HTH.

Yes - your abdomen is filled with carbon dioxide to create a "cavity" to work in. The CO2 irritates the end of the phrenic nerve in your abdomen (near the diaphragm IIRC) and most likely causes a referred pain toward the other end near the shoulder (actually terminating on the sides of the neck, which is why you might also feel something similar to a "pinched nerve" along with the shoulder pain).

[Cmullinvegas 39]

Are you all telling me to stop freaking out? Last night my shoulder started to hurt for the first time and it hurts now. It feels like I slept on it funny, but I sleep on my back so that's not true. I was reading on here about complications including leaks and many people had problems starting with pain in their left shoulder. Is this not a symptom?

[Cmullinvegas 39]

My shoulder was fine until right now.I just finished a Protein Drink and I feel full. Maybe this is my body's new way of telling me. It makes sense about nerve endings wheetsin. I was thinking about a "cold headache" and when that happens I feel a wave in my forehead and shoulder blades. Maybe due to those nerves, not sure but worth looking into I think.