Pain after surgery

[Happy Stylist 86]

I had my surgery on Tuesday 4/26. I'm in awful pain in my shoulders, neck and rib cage. How long does it take for the gas to leave your body. I'm walking a lot to help. I just can get comfortable any where. I'm not able to get up from a chair if I sit back to far. I can not lay down in bed. The pain is horrible. I knew I would hurt but I never thought I couldn't get comfortable.

[liveaboard15 1,293]

3 minutes ago, Robz said:

I had my surgery on Tuesday 4/26. I'm in awful pain in my shoulders, neck and rib cage. How long does it take for the gas to leave your body. I'm walking a lot to help. I just can get comfortable any where. I'm not able to get up from a chair if I sit back to far. I can not lay down in bed. The pain is horrible. I knew I would hurt but I never thought I couldn't get comfortable.

I had surgery on April 18th. For me the gas pains lasted about 3 days. I needed help to get out of chairs for about a week. I still cant lay in my bed. I have been sleeping sitting up in a recliner and sofa.

[Happy Stylist 86]

1 minute ago, liveaboard15 said:

I had surgery on April 18th. For me the gas pains lasted about 3 days. I needed help to get out of chairs for about a week. I still cant lay in my bed. I have been sleeping sitting up in a recliner and sofa.

I figured that where I'll be sleeping tonight.

[Vsgbethany22 5]

sleeved 4/25. Awful pins in shoulders neck collar bones chest too. I honestly thought maybe I got dropped but nope all that gas I guess. Lol I have been taking gas x chewable, heating pad, and walking to help. It comes and go but the first night was unbearable. Also I noticed sleeping with a pillow under my butt helped not get those pains at night.

[Happy Stylist 86]

2 minutes ago, Vsgbethany22 said:

sleeved 4/25. Awful pins in shoulders neck collar bones chest too. I honestly thought maybe I got dropped but nope all that gas I guess. Lol I have been taking gas x chewable, heating pad, and walking to help. It comes and go but the first night was unbearable. Also I noticed sleeping with a pillow under my butt helped not get those pains at night.

I actually said the same thing. I felt like I had been dropped. I know I wasn't but the pain is unbearable. My chest doesn't hurt. But under my rib cage does. Even when my husband ups me up. The pain is horrible. I feel like im going to rip open my new stomach.

[Grider 92]

chewable gas ex. Sipping Warm/ hot Water, peppermint tea, and walking. I liked warm showers, make sure you protect the areas around the wounds. I used plastic wrap n surgical tape. That warm water on your back feels great. No tub. I had to do this for lap band in, then gall bladder removal, lap band out, and now setting up for gastric sleeve. Are they no longer giving out anything for pain? Maybe the type of surgery makes the difference. Good luck.

Edited April 28, 2022 by Grider

[MistySkye 181]

Walk, walk, walk! It helps.

[Happy Stylist 86]

9 minutes ago, Grider said:

chewable gas ex. Sipping Warm/ hot Water, peppermint tea, and walking. I liked warm showers, make sure you protect the areas around the wounds. I used plastic wrap n surgical tape. That warm Water on your back feels great. No tub. I had to do this for lap band in, then gall bladder removal, lap band out, and now setting up for gastric sleeve. Are they no longer giving out anything for pain? Maybe the type of surgery makes the difference. Good luck.

They said that there's nothing they can do for gas pain. I was given pain meds right after I woke up from surgery. I asked twice for pain medicine. They gave me Benadryl the first time 🤷🏼‍♀️ And the second time they finally gave me a pain pill. But honestly it didn't help. My surgeon did fill a pain pill prescription. But so far it just makes me sleepy. The pain is still there.

Edited April 28, 2022 by Robz

[Happy Stylist 86]

3 minutes ago, MistySkye said:

Walk, walk, walk! It helps.

I have been. While in the hospital I just started walking on my own. I thought someone would make me walk but no one ever came to say you need to go walk. I walked a lot in my room and since I've gotten home I'm walking every where in the house. If I hadn't walked on my own. I can only imagine how bad the pain would be.

[Grider 92]

I mentioned the pain pills because in some other forums, I’ve heard Drs don’t like them and are not prescribing for this type of surgery.

[sleever425 2]

I had my gastric sleeve surgery on the morning of 4/25. Most of the gas pain has now largely dissipated. I am trying to walk around as I can. I took som chewable GasX the evening of my surgery but I didn’t notice it helped. I ended up vomiting for about 24 hours straight, every 30-60 minutes starting at midnight after my surgery. That was not pleasant at all and because of it I had to stop taking almost all medication, including the pain meds and GasX. I am also having a hard time getting comfortable and can’t lay flat in my bed or on either side. I’m thankful the vomiting finally stopped but I am in quite a bit of pain still from the surgery. I have been rotating thru a recliner, couch and bed all sitting pretty propped up. Rest is only coming in small increments right now. About 1-2 hours at a time.

By the way, I did get 4 different pain meds while I was in recovery, but once they sent me home (about 5 hours after surgery), they only prescribed 5 total pills (Norco).

[Happy Stylist 86]

12 minutes ago, Grider said:

I mentioned the pain pills because in some other forums, I’ve heard Drs don’t like them and are not prescribing for this type of surgery.

The nurses acted as if there was no reason to get pain meds. They are probably correct be nothing is helping me.

[Happy Stylist 86]

6 minutes ago, sleever425 said:

I had my gastric sleeve surgery on the morning of 4/25. Most of the gas pain has now largely dissipated. I am trying to walk around as I can. I took som chewable GasX the evening of my surgery but I didn’t notice it helped. I ended up vomiting for about 24 hours straight, every 30-60 minutes starting at midnight after my surgery. That was not pleasant at all and because of it I had to stop taking almost all medication, including the pain meds and GasX. I am also having a hard time getting comfortable and can’t lay flat in my bed or on either side. I’m thankful the vomiting finally stopped but I am in quite a bit of pain still from the surgery. I have been rotating thru a recliner, couch and bed all sitting pretty propped up. Rest is only coming in small increments right now. About 1-2 hours at a time.

By the way, I did get 4 different pain meds while I was in recovery, but once they sent me home (about 5 hours after surgery), they only prescribed 5 total pills (Norco).

Tomorrow will be day 3 from for me. So I pray I wake up and the gas pains be gone.

[idk4w 22]

I had hoped that by day 3 or 4 that pain would diminish, and for me, the first turning point was at about day 6 or 7. Til then I was a mess! I couldn't even inhale. (For me it was more at the incision sites than gas pains.) The very strong pain meds really helped, especially at night when I just needed to sleep. Don't expect it to be gone by day 4, but by next week this time you will be amazed at the difference!!!! I know that doesn't help now, but maybe emotionally it will help...

Please make sure you have a really good pain reliever, like Tylenol with codeine (which my surgeon prescribed). it made all the difference the first few days. Best of luck, and please hang in there!

[Arabesque 7,240]

It should be gone within a week at most. Some find it’s gone in less time. It just depends on how much they used & how you process it out of your body. Walk, heat compresses, long slow deep breaths, gasx, warm drinks can offer relief. I used to stretch my arms up & down to sort of try to pump the gas out 😁. Pain meds don’t seem to help the gas pain just the surgical pain.

Edited April 28, 2022 by Arabesque