Newly Banded--Similar Pain Anyone?

[tommaney 0]

I was just banded yesterday afternoon and left the hospital by 10:30pm. I've been able to consistently walk :phanvan:phanvanand take in Water but I'm worried about using too much of my pain meds, even though they really work!

I'm on liquid Vicadin and I see a lot of people here on liquid Tylenol so I think I'm being a sissy about my incisions hurting/soreness. Without the full dose of meds, it hurts to breathe deeply and be in most sitting positions.

Anyone else experienced this? My Dr. also told me that I did have a lot of abdominal fat, which meant that my port had to be placed deeply in the tissue and he'd have to use a long needle to fill me--eep!

In pain and nervous!

[chubbydiva 0]

I just posted somewhere else on the forum. I was banded yesterday and I am miserable today. The gas pains are unbearable. I've been taking Tylenol but I may have switch over to my liquid Vicodin. I'd been hesitant taking it because several years ago I thought it made my head feel funny but I'm going to have to risk it I guess. I hope I haven't made a mistake. I'm starving also. Good grief.

[judy2291 0]

I understand someone not wanting to take pain killers but this is not the time to be brave. Take your drugs and enjoy them. This is why they were given to you.

The surgery pain should go away within a few days. Yes, I also felt pain when breathing deeply. I couldn't even get out of the reclining chair without crawling over the raised foot rest. I didn't have the strength to push the foot rest down with my legs. I had no strength in my abdomen muscles and it was all very sore.

I went to Tylenol on day 3 and have been prefectly fine.

I hope you both feel better soon,

Judy

[tommaney 0]

Thank you for your quick replies! It's so good to know that others have struggled/are struggling with me. I went ahead and took my full dose of liquid Vicodin along with the Prevacid and ant-nausea pill he prescribed. After all, it is still only my first full day of recovery. Chubby Diva, it must be the gas pains that are bothering me most! Hope you feel some relief soon.

Thanks again!

[chubbydiva 0]

I'm going to take a full dose of Vicodin as well. I've got to get some relief. I'll check in tomorrow. Thanks everyone.

[cindyg1212 0]

Hi fellow new banders,

I was banded last week, 11/1. The gas pains the first few days were excrutiating. The vicodan was the only thing that worked. Question tommaney, are you taking prevacid pills or did you find chewables? My doc said not to try to swallow anything bigger than a tic tac ever. But I've been finding that he is stricter than a lot of the other doctors.

[Dave01 0]

Hi fellow new banders,

My doc said not to try to swallow anything bigger than a tic tac ever. But I've been finding that he is stricter than a lot of the other doctors.

Cindy, I was given everything in pill form and had no problems with any of them. The only chewable I took was Centrum multi-Vitamin. Some of my pills are rather large too, like Magnesium Oxide.

[gyfts 0]

I was banded on 8/15 and the gas pains from the CO2 that was blown into me during surgery hurt the worse. Any type of gas pain will get better with walking. also if you have bad gas pains in your belly, try the gas x strips. you put them on your tongue and they dissolve. They work great!! Good luck to you both on your recovery, and welcome to the losers side!!

[kacee 3]

Take your pain meds!!!! That is what they are THERE for! I LIVED on mine for the first week, and it really helped me get through. Take them on a regular basis why you are still in a lot of discomfort....don't wait until you are aching all over to take something...take it at the end of the four hours, or whatever, based on the drug you are using. I too had liquid vicodin. I knew the times of the day when I would be feeling worse and I would set my alarm if I was asleep, get up and take my meds and then go back to bed. When I woke up, instead of being in agony because I had slept all night without anything and gotten so sore, it kept the pain to a minimum. There's no such thing as being a sissy. Everyone has a different threshold of pain. It doesn't pay to be a martyr.

[tommaney 0]

Hi fellow new banders,

I was banded last week, 11/1. The gas pains the first few days were excrutiating. The vicodan was the only thing that worked. Question tommaney, are you taking prevacid pills or did you find chewables? My doc said not to try to swallow anything bigger than a tic tac ever. But I've been finding that he is stricter than a lot of the other doctors.

Cindy, My Dr. gave me the chewable Prevacid--very easy to take because it melts on your tongue and doesn't taste too bad at all. I do have a regular pill for anti-nausea though--but I think it's smaller than a tic tac and I take it with warm tea to help it go down. No problems so far.

[morningoasis811 1]

I was banded on 10/25, and I have to say that the gas pain was probably about 60% of my total discomfort. In the hospital they gave me milk of magnesia, and I took gas-x chewables when I got home. Lots of walking helped too. I started passing gas finally around day 4-5 and I was in heaven.

On the pain meds... before surgery I was able to take vicodin no problem! However, that liquid stuff made me throw up all day my first day home from the hospital. I couldn't stomach it. One ounce every 4 hours, that filled my little pouch, I couldn't get any other liquids down. After the first vomit session the surgons told me to switch to tylenol but I couldn't keep that down either. I ended up back in the hospital for 3 days on IV's because I was in so much pain and dehydrated. I just couldn't take the pain medicine on an empty stomach. They switched me to Oxycodone, I just put a drop under my tongue ever two hours. It worked reallly well for me.

Now since I'm over 2 weeks post op, I'm taking Tylenol rapid release pills, as directed by my Dr. I take them about 5-10 min a part.

Take the pain medicine you can while it's prescribed. take advantage and use as directed, you'll feel so much better.

[chubbydiva 0]

I'm feeling sooooo much better. I took the Vicodin and I'm like a new woman. I suffered needlessly yesterday. Yahooo I'm back on track.:whoo:

[mnicholas53 0]

I was banded on 11/7. i think i am doing very well so far. Last night slept good without pain meds. Still having gas pains to left shoulder and feel pressure in chest at times. Walking does help me . Did anyone newly banded feel ? Muscles constrict when laying down ? I am worried about this as it maybe a hernia?

[Ginaki 0]

i was banded on 30th Oct, must say i tolerate pain very well, i came home without medication, Funny thing i got billed the other day for 3 sort of medication from the hospital ,called them to sort it out, i told them i left hospital with none, they said they forgot to give them to me! i think i took liquid panamax (tylenol) once a day for the first 4 days and that was it, havent experienced much pain, and thankgod no shoulder pain.. the only pain i had was a stitch under my left rib whenever i coughed, laughed or yawned it hurt, but the pain has gone now..........

[miztrniceguy 1]

boy, do i have gas pains, too! and i didnt even think about using gas-x or something...i think i'll ask my wife to go get me some. i was banded fri 11/9 and can barely have a few sips of Water, and had a little yogurt today and 3 spoons of Jello. mostly dont feel hungry, feels like a baloon is in my chest.