One week post op and terrible Gas pains

[hsbeach 0]

I was banded on Jan. 8th. I've been having terrible gas pains since then. Everytime I belch/burp/hiccup, it is just awful. I'm taking Gas-X strips very often but nothing seems to help. Could I be taking too many of these strips? Does anyone have any suggestions?

Thanks

[greeneyez 3]

Hi,

I live in Australia and don't think we have gas-x strips. You could try peppermint tea. I also have bad gas pains under my ribs - I am day 2 post op. I have trouble burping. I also have the occasional hiccup. I don't have any other suggestions, hope someone can suggest something you have in US.

Jen

[Done 2]

Here is what I did - heating pad, patted my chest, walked around, raised arms up and down like I was flapping...used peppermint tea.... those all helped immensely. But the #1 thing to do when I had gas pain was to sit up and walk.

HTH

[hsbeach 0]

Pepermint tea....sounds good! Thanks all!

[With His help 0]

I am 24 hrs post op and also having gas pains. I'm really confused though, I thought we were going to be passing gas - flatulence. I have yet to pass any. How does the gas dissipate?

[shortgal 5]

The gas is not the same as food gas, like in your digestive system/colon. It is from the gas they pump into your belly so they can see/work inside during surgery.

It takes time. Most people on the forum say they were helped with heating pad or walking around the house.

I had the gas pain for four days. It felt like an elephant sitting on my chest and radiated to my left shoulder. On the fifth days I felt better, pain was there but milder.

[With His help 0]

Thanks Shortgal - I realize it's CO2, just wasn't clear on how it passes. Thanks for sharing!

[shortgal 5]

I have no idea on how our body really gets rid of it either, but I found that I wasn't passing it, like food gas.

Hang in there. Each new step of the band requires an adjustment period.

I'm just over six weeks out and I find that the process is like ten steps forward and five steps back. Each fill requires me to re-evaluate what I can eat and how much.

[mamato3 1]

I understand the misery you are in. I thought the gas was the very worst part of the whole surgical experience. Nothing I tried seemed to help much. I did do a number of things and whether or not they helped, I dont know. Try the heating pad, try not to lay down too much....move around as much as possible including doing big circles with your arms, have someone massage your shoulder a little, keep using the gas-x......I dont know if they help but they sore cant hurt. It will pass soon. I had surgery on Jan. 7th and it is much better now. I still have little twinges of pain in my shoulder but they are much more bearable now.

[Wheetsin 714]

Gas pain, and post-op gas pain, are totally different things. It's like having a stabbing pain versus actually being stabbed. :pray2: From a previous post I made:

Gas-x will do nothing for surgical gas, BUT if you happen to be a gassy person, it may help with gastrointenstinal gas post-op. Post-op gas is usually CO2 pumped into your abdomen - long story short - until you look pregnant to separate what's inside of you so s/he can see and access without stuff laying all over other stuff. Not the same thing as digestive gas. Digestive gas is confined to your gastrointestinal tract. Surgery gas is "free floating" in your abdomen (hence why it can migrate into other areas of your body, while gastrointestinal gas stays within the tract). Taking a pill that stays inside of your gastrointestinal tract, and only works on the gas in it, isn't going to do much to disspate or relieve gas in, say, your shoulder or collar bone area.

OP, since your issue is internal gas, have you looked at what you're eating as a source? What are most of your meals comprised of?

Post-operative gas, what isn't removed when the procedure is finished, or able to exit if a gas drain is used (not too common), leaves the body through a process called dissipation.

[greeneyez 3]

Hi,

I am a nurse and spoke with my anaesthetist pre-op. He said that the gas is absorbed back into the blood stream. He also said it takes 6-8 hours for that to happen - he was lying! I didn't get the shoulder pain, just under my ribs. Feels like it has gone now 3 days post op.

Cheers

[LynneB 0]

Not banded yet, but I asked my Dr & he recommended Mylicon Gas drops that infants take for colic.

[hsbeach 0]

Although I was skeptical and maybe this is a coincidence, but I tried peppermint tea and it seems to work! I only used 2 Gas-X strips yesterday

[greeneyez 3]

Hey hsbeach! I'm so glad it worked for you! It is a natural aid for digestion.

Jen