Shoulder pain 8 months out?

mistybreezes · August 26, 2005

Hi everyone. Well it has been since January 2005 that I had my surgery. I really had a rough time with severe shoulder pain after surgery. Well, it has been all these months and my shoulder pain is still pretty bad on and off, comes and goes. What gives with this? I told the doctor about this and he said after a year what you see is what you get after surgery whatever point you are at at that time with side effects. He said to take Motrin. Okay, well, did that and soaked in a hot tub, nothing helps. It is the exact same pain I had from surgery in the same spot and feels very uncomfortable. Has anyone else continued to have this as a side effect of the band or postop surgery? Any suggestions on how to get rid of this? Miserable!

Jessiebear · August 26, 2005

Is it like joint or muscle pain? I think I would go to my family doc & ask about x-rays & possible MRI.

Texblueyes · August 27, 2005

Mistybreezes:

Where is the pain?? I have it where my shoulder blades are and it comes and goes. I asked my band doctor about it and he did hear about anything like that. It has been 4 months out for me. And this has been a few weeks.

dylansmom · August 27, 2005

Not to get you paranoid, but you should go have it checked out. I thought that I was having shoulder pains just like when I had my WLS, and here it was Pericarditis (fluid around my heart).

I'm not trying to scare you, or even say that you have Pericarditis. I'm simply saying to please be cautious and have it checked out. I'd personally rather be safe than sorry.

nygrl · August 27, 2005

I get shoulder pain when i am gassy ....If i feel the pain i usually had eaten something gassy which is alot of things since my surgery...I dont know how often you are getting it but maybe it is gas... i know thats what it was for me right after surgery and it is the same pain now!!

mistybreezes · August 27, 2005

I really don't think it is anything to do with my heart. It has been in the same spot ever since the day I had surgery. It just never totally went away and the last couple of months it is really severe almost daily during certain times of the day, usually afternoon and evening. It could be gas I suppose, but it doesn't really feel like it. I just wondered if this could be a long term side effect from the band itself. It is in the same spot where you have the surgical shoulder pain and every time I breathe I feel it, sharp pain. I did go see the doctor about it and he said he had never heard of this before and if it was still there a year out from surgery, that is just the way it would be. I had it really severe right after surgery for about three weeks, was on pain meds for it then. I just was hoping someone might tell me they had the same thing and it eventually did go away. Never had it before surgery so I am sure it has something to do with it. I had another laparoscopic surgery before I had the band and I didn't have this probelm at all the shoulder pain, so maybe this one was different, I don't know.

ReneBean · August 28, 2005

My understanding is that the surgical shoulder pain is a result of gas - they puff you up so they can get to all the parts during surgery. It takes a while to get it all out of there, and that's part of why they want you to get up and walk after the surgery.

For a short term solution, you could try Gas X or something. I would still have the doc check it out, though.

Hope you feel better, soon.

Jessiebear · August 28, 2005

It could be gas. But it might possibly be something to do with your lungs too. I still think I would go to my family doc & get it checked out.

vinesqueen · August 28, 2005

Please get a second opionion, talk to your PCP. Keep pushing because his answer is NOT Good Enough. You deserve to be pain free!

Pathworker · August 28, 2005

I have been experiencing similar shoulder pain. I had my surgery on 5/19/05 and didn't really have bad shoulder pain at that time. The past several weeks I have been noticing that it comes on from time to time....it is not a constant thing but is very uncomfortable when I get it. I have been attributing it to gas pain...Do you get it in one shoulder or both??

mistybreezes · August 28, 2005

Pathworker: I get it only on the same side I have after surgery, my left side, kind of in that collarbone area, very sharp, annoying pain, just like after surgery. I wondered if it still might be trapped air in my diaphragm but you would think after exercise and all the running around I do daily it would not still be a problem. Mine also comes and goes and usually worse in the afternoon/evenings.

Thanks for your thoughts everyone. I will see how it goes with the Motrin for another week and then may call the doctor back.

leatha_g · August 28, 2005

Ask for a gallbladder ultrasound. When I wound up having my gallbladder removed 6 weeks after my surgery. The pain it caused me, was simply the very same shoulder pain I had post-lapband. I never had the symptoms, abdominally - only shoulder and upper back. Course, if you have NO gallbladder, this would not apply to you...

Bright · August 29, 2005

Shoulder pain in banded-kind is usually caused by overeating - it is referred pain from the diaphragm - can also be caused by chewing gum a lot....

just info from my experience and research - according to two of the surgeons I have consulted....

Teresita · August 29, 2005

I had shoulder pain about 4 days after surgery for a few weeks. It went away, came back and it is gone again. I think it may have been gas also. Definately see your doctor about it because each person is diffrent. Also, check your pillows, you may need new pillows.