HELP ! Stomach Pain Since Surgery (3 Months Post Op)

[Guest BikiniBeachy]

I am completely miserable...I have been in constant stomach pain since surgery and it flares up every once in a while. I've posted about this several times. It feels like a severe gas pain but it never passes. It is sore to the touch...and I don't have a gallbladder. Could this be something to do with the enzymes from my gallblader? This is not a food allergy, I have it all the time...they tested me for a hernia (cat scan) and I dont have one, the band is placed right and I've been treated for an ulcer (Carafate) and it's still there. The pain is in my lower abs, like my intestines. I have a colonoscopy in a few weeks, but I am starting to panic...

Please, I am totally desperate! I am so happy about my band, but it's bittersweet. I wake up in the middle of the night from the pain and no one seems to know anything, not my surgeon or ER doctors I've been to...any advice...

I am getting ready to write a more structured email and try and send it to some different bariatric surgeons. I'd do anything to get this to stop and live a semi-normal life again...If you have any ideas, please e-mail me.

Could this have anything to do with my galbladder?

[RestlessMonkey 7]

I don't have a gall bladder and don't have those issues. I have to say if your surgeon can't find anything, odds are we all won't be able to help you either. I'm sorry you're hurting; other than keeping a food/activity diary and trying to see what may cause it, (could be life stressors) I can't be much help either.

Just will say from what little I know about the gall bladder (am not a doc) I don't see how having it removed could cause you such anguish. Sounds like trapped gas....have you asked your internist about that?

[packmiss 0]

I have a pain as well but mine is gas. right after i eat or something i get it . It is right under my chest but it goes and comes.. Im sorry you feel this way take care ..

[kelli130 0]

I'm sorry for all your pain. I don't have a gallbladder either, but I'm not having any issues because of it. I agree that you need to keep a food journal and let a nutritionist look it over. Are you consuming any carbonation?

A girl I work with now has food allergies. She didn't use to. But now if she eats something that she is allergic too, she gets the severe pains in her stomach. Just because you never had them doesn't mean you can't get them.

Good luck and let us know what you find out.

[gentylwind 1]

My doctor mentioned diverticulitis when I was having tummy pain. Have you had a colonoscopy?

Also I personally have become gluten and lactose intolerant since surgery. Doc also said its not uncommon for banding to "unmask" those intolerances. Gluten in particular gives me SEVERE stomach pain. I avoid it now completely.

[susan1961 0]

The list of things that can cause abdominal pain is very long. The posters above have mentioned a few (celiac disease and diverticulitis). You can add pancreatitis, appendicitis, ovarian cyst, irritable bowel, and more. If your surgeon feels he's ruled out a band-related problem then an internist or gastroenterologist should be able to help you sort it out.

Gallbladder- shouldn't cause pain after removal. The enzymes still get dumped into your gut, only difference now is that that is not so well timed with meals. Every once in a while a stone is left behind in the biliary tract and can cause trouble. They would usually see something on a blood test to indicate a blockage.

Good luck getting it figured out.

[Guest BikiniBeachy]

Well, My hope here is not that I will miraculously find someone who knows more than my doctor, the reason I keep posting and trying is that I am hoping I can find someone who is going through what I am. At that point, I can chat with them and we can figure out why it's going on - what we have in common etc to trying and solve the mystery together and help eachother out in the process. I'm ultimately just looking for a new face who signed up to try and figure out their stomach problems and happened apon my post. Hasn't happened yet, but surgeons and dr's don't know everything, all though they have helped me a lot, I am still going to do my own research and put the word out there so I can hopefully chat with someone who does understand and knows what I'm going through.

But I'm glad to hear of so many with no gallbladder, that makes me rest a little easier than you are not having issues. Could this be trapped gas from the surgery 3 months out? Does that happen?

Genty - I've checked the lactose but I really will look into gluten, it's in a lot right?

My colonscopy is the 2nd, and I am so so grateful you all have replied and your kind words, I hope to get this worked out soon!

[CHI-Girl 1]

I used to get pain like that (I'm not banded either) but it was because I was consuming to much splenda. And it was terrible. I stopped eating anything with splenda and I felt better. I would also get a lot of infections in kidneys because of the splenda...

:scared2: hope you figure it out.

[skinnymommy 0]

Good luck with your colonoscopy. I hope they will find something. I had similar pain before I was banded and they never found a cause but I changed my diet and things got better.Let us know how the test goes.

[prurep 0]

I am almost two years post op and my abdominal pain started in Dec 2008. I ended up hospitalized before they decided my band needed to be deflated. The doctor did that and I got some temporary relief but now the pain is worsening again. It feels like gas pain but there is no relief with any medication. I can correlate it with any specific food. When it comes it stays for hours...sometimes 10 or 12 hours or more and I can't even take a drink of Water while it is hurting. It is straight across my belly button so it is well below my band. My endoscopy and upper gi's have shown nothing. I have appointment with bariatric doctor today in hopes of some clue to resolving this.

[HeatherO 7]

I am sorry you are going through this and I hope they can find the cause soon so that you can address it. There is nothing worse than having an undiagnosed problem that causes you to suffer.

Abdominal pain can be caused by sooo many different reasons, I just hope you get an answer quickly. Good luck.

[alleycia 0]

I am having pain in the lower part of the front of my stomach and it only hurts right after I eat. I not sure if it is gas or something else but I do know right after I eat I'm in pain. It only last about 3 hours so I'm not sure what it is. However, If i eat before my stomach starts howling like a wolf i tend not to get the pains.