Left Shoulder Pain After Lap Band Surgery

[CPRISCILLA@MSN.COM 0]

the only real problem i have had lately is the pain in my left shoulder that seems to get worse if i eat too much. It also hurts at times to raise my left arm over my head for too long. It feels like a pinched nerve. My doc offered to do an mri but says that this is very common. I am just wondering if anyone else has this problem.

yes i know what you mean. I can't sleep on my left side at all. I am going to a chiropractic and that is helping. Now i can move it a little more i'm going for a massage. My chiro. Told me if i would have gone sooner it wouldn't be as bad as it is now. I am also left handed. I would suggest going to get a massage first. Are you taking anything for the pain? PRISCILLA

Edited October 29, 2009 by CPRISCILLA@MSN.COM

[CPRISCILLA@MSN.COM 0]

yes i know what you mean. I can't sleep on my left side at all. I am going to a chiropractic and that is helping. Now i can move it a little more i'm going for a massage. My chiro. Told me if i would have gone sooner it wouldn't be as bad as it is now. I am also left handed. I would suggest going to get a massage first. Are you taking anything for the pain? PRISCILLA

[CPRISCILLA@MSN.COM 0]

yes i know what you mean. I can't sleep on my left side at all. I am going to a chiropractic and that is helping. Now i can move it a little more i'm going for a massage. My chiro. Told me if i would have gone sooner it wouldn't be as bad as it is now. I am also left handed. I would suggest going to get a massage first. Are you taking anything for the pain?

[CPRISCILLA@MSN.COM 0]

hey, what's up with this left shoulder pain? I am soon to be banded and i am concerned. How many others have this pain?

yes i to have a great deal of pain in my left shoulder i am also left handed. I'm going to a chiropratic and will go for a massage this week. For me i would still have the surgury. I hate being fat. That alone made my body hurt. I have lost 50 and need have a ways to go but boy i do feel better already. Good luck and god bless listen to your inner self. Priscilla

[CPRISCILLA@MSN.COM 0]

yes i know what you mean. I can't sleep on my left side at all. I am going to a chiropractic and that is helping. Now i can move it a little more i'm going for a massage. My chiro. Told me if i would have gone sooner it wouldn't be as bad as it is now. I am also left handed. I would suggest going to get a massage first. PRISCILLA

[SallyRide 0]

I hope this reaches folks going through left shoulder pain. There seems to be a very big difference between the left shoulder pain you get immediately after surgery and the kind that hangs on month after month and potentially year after year. It AMAZES and frustrates me that my surgeon and apparently many others have no clue what to do about this or even able to diagnose if properly! They're making the money and we are left with constant pain. My surgeon (TJ) said a few patients are prescribed LYRICA for a nerve problem. THat's rich. LYRICA causes you to gain weight! What are we guinea pigs? The very best thing we can do is talk to each other and figure out what the pattern is. I get the pain either when I haven't eaten, or drink liquids too fast. Eating sometimes makes it better! Shouldn't we be able to get some answers here?

Open to any thoughts you have. I'm going to visit here much more often and hope you'll write me with any thoughts you have. Same screen name at AOL.

[JAMIEINGOLD 16]

wow! I had no idea this was a problem a lot of people were having. I just got my first fill last wednesday (4.5cc in a 10 cc band). I felt fine after the fill until i woke up the next morning. My left shoulder blade was killing me. It's been unrelenting since then. I'm wondering if i should call my doc and see what he has to say or tough it out for a while. I'm losing again since the fill so i hesitate to get an unfill. I can live with the pain for a couple more days but if it doesn't let up, i'll have to do something.

So for those of you that experienced this shoulder pain after fills, did the pain ease up after a few weeks and the band loosened?

i have the pain all the time and ive had my band for 1year 2 months i going to try the B12

[Fort Bend Band 0]

I haver been banded for over two years now. In the beginning my left shoulder pain was really bad for a few monthe and then would act up from time to time. Now it only gets triggered when I eat too fast, too much, or something gets stuck. I do belive exercise helps even thought it hurts at first. I think most people's shoulder pain decreases as time passes and as your weight comes off. I have heard that since the port is sewn in place in puts some weight on a nerve sheath that goes all the way up to your shoulder. I have had some hardships on the way of my lapband journey and I can tell all of you it has been completely worth any of it. I look better, feel better, and have escaped Diabetes and high blood pressure that was heading my way. I have heard that some suffer long term with shoulder pain but I do think it is the exception and not the norm but when you are going through it...it does feel like it is lasting forever!

[maddy 0]

I was banded 4/08 and immediately had pain. It went away for a while, but has come back with a vengeance lately. My shoulder hurts chronically down into my hands, all week this episode. Wednesday my port site hurt or was really sore to the touch(something nu). Thinking of having it removed and replaced by sleeve if it doesnt cease or continues to worsen. Im really at a loss of other options but know I cant live like this,even off/on, for a lifetime. Otherwise band is perfect and Im 10lbs out from goal.

I use heating pad and lay down when cant stand. Havent taken pain relievers. Guess I should try!

calling dr. soon, but went in for this last year and they told me 2 go 2 gp--it is the band, not chasing that rabbit only to return to home base! Ive just tried to live with it as I do like band and wloss:)

[ffesposito 0]

something to keep in mind is what types of food are you eating? i have had a lap band for 5 years i was 13 at the time of surgery. One of the youngest in the country and i was 1 of 50 kids approved by the FDA. the reason i say keep in mind of the foods is because fatty foods affect the gall bladder a common sign of problems with a gall bladder is left shoulder pain. if you are still eating fatty foods or your totally away from fatty foods your gall bladder might be acting up i have had that problem at one time and i have gall stones but i eat healthy and stay away from bad food and im fine now

[CPRISCILLA@MSN.COM 0]

Thank you so much. Yes i have been eating poorly. As a matter of fact this past friday night i had so much pain in my stomach i could hardly bear it. I almost told my husband to take me to the dr. I felt like it was going to blow up. I think i eat to much. I took alot of gas-x and that didn't help. It had been over an hour when it stated hurting. Have you had that. My yougest son just turned 19. It is so sweet of you to respond. How are you doing and have you lost all you wieght?

[CPRISCILLA@MSN.COM 0]

wow! I had no idea this was a problem a lot of people were having. I just got my first fill last wednesday (4.5cc in a 10 cc band). I felt fine after the fill until i woke up the next morning. My left shoulder blade was killing me. It's been unrelenting since then. I'm wondering if i should call my doc and see what he has to say or tough it out for a while. I'm losing again since the fill so i hesitate to get an unfill. I can live with the pain for a couple more days but if it doesn't let up, i'll have to do something.

So for those of you that experienced this shoulder pain after fills, did the pain ease up after a few weeks and the band loosened?

are you still having shoulder pain? I haven't had a fill so I'm not sure it was the fill. someone told me it could be fatty foods. the chripractor and masseges have help me soooo much.

[CPRISCILLA@MSN.COM 0]

are you still having shoulder pain? I haven't had a fill so I'm not sure it was the fill. someone told me it could be fatty foods. the chripractor and masseges have help me soooo much.

[FDS 0]

Hi

Banded the 15th May 2009. weighed 308lbs

1st fill - 8th Oct 2009

2nd fill - 3rd Dec 2009

total lost to date - 44lbs

After the opp the shoulder pain was intense but didn't stay long. Once I had the fills the pain reoccured & frequently.

It became unbearable & I started having pain in my left arm & it felt numb. So I thought this was heart related & went for test etc. Turned out it was all related to the left shoulder pain.

I had accupunture & a chinese massage (mostly bet. the left shoulder blade) once a week. WOW what a relief.

I see him once a month now.

Eating too much or not chewing properly does affect the shoulder. So I try hard not to. Also exercise helps relieve the pain...guess it helps with circulation etc.

Still happy I got the band. Taking it one step at a time. Weight loss:thumbup: and pain:thumbdown:

[mlemlr 0]

Just had my band replaced 12-17-09. My original banding was June, 07. I would get the shoulder pain after a fill, it lasted 3-5 days. Then, the last couple months its been bothering me almost constantly. I was hopeing when I got the band replaced the shoulder pain would be better, it's not. But its moved to a different place! It was always in the front of the shoulder now it runs across the top of my shoulder, weird. Like I said before, My Dr calls this pain referred pain. Tomorrow is my first post op visit, if it weren't for the shoulder, I would be doing great. I'm going to ask the Dr. if possibly an injection of some kind will help?? I'll keep you posted.