Gas pain- help!

[paxie 0]

omg i am so glad you asked this question - just had my surgery tuesday and I'm in the same painful boat.

[PharmaGirl 0]

Most people posting appear to have had a pretty good recovery after surgery but it is important for people to realise that things are not so straightforward for some other people and gas pain can be very bad and may not pass altogether quickly. This can be normal and therefore don't panic (which makes things worse) if your gas is not subsiding as quickly as everybody else says it will. What works for one person may not work for another. Everyone is different.

Post-op recovery has not been such a fun ride for my partner who was banded on the 9th April. She did ok for the first day or two (when only nights were difficult with discomfort from gas and consequent nausea). However, the last two days she experienced extreme bloating and had not been able to keep anything (not even water) down for two days from the nausea and consequent heaving. She has taken a simethicone preparation (like Gas-X), an antacid, metoclopramide for nausea, pain relievers. She is also walking regularly, using heat packs, doing the exercises, having gentle stomach massage (clockwise circles) with lavendar oil - you name it, she's been using it but nothing really took the pain away. As everyone else seemed to be doing it easy, I was really worried. I was particularly frightened that she'd get severely dehydrated. We did what everyone in her shoes should do when things don't feel right - go and see the surgeon.

We saw her surgeon today who checked everything out and reassured her that everything is ok with the band and that the gas problem would eventually pass (when pressed for how long - he replied it varied across people but that in some people it can persist for "weeks"). Lisa is apparently an "air-swallower" (evidenced by the fact that she did a lot of burping before the procedure). It is harder to burp once the band is in and it is this that is causing her extreme discomfort. Our surgeon (who is wonderful) gave her a couple of shots and she managed to keep Water down again before we left is office. She is now resting comfortably and having a sleep. I have everything crossed (even my eyes!) that she'll be feeling better after a good sleep (which has not been possible due to all the heaving she was doing through the night).

[Aurelia 2]

You guys are wasting money on gas x. The the gas you're experiencing is from the gas that was pumped into your body cavity during surgery. You need to walk and get that gas moving out of your body cavity. Use a heating pad if necessary, drink some warm caffeine free tea or have someone use a massager on your back and shoulder. I promise if you keep moving the gas well find it's way out.

I wish people would stop perpetuating the myth of gas x being the best way to rid your body cavity of gas.

[Kimber7 1]

PharmaGirl, you are doing everything right. Gas pain is very serious and for me and was more painful than all of my incisions.

I would agree that drinking fluids is tough, especially when you are so tight. It was murder for me. Some days I'd take only a few sips, then I graduated to half a cup. But I recognized that some of the difficulty with drinking for me was FEAR. I was so bloated that I was afraid to drink anything. I could not bear anything else in my stomach because I was inflated with so much gas!

But ask your partner to try and sip hot beverages. Sipping hot tea will give her some liquid in her system to keep her hydrated and comfort her gassy belly. The liquids also helps break up her empty stomach that is swimming in nothing but gas. Give your stomach something to do to offset the gas. It has helped me a bit and I am now tooting and belching all over the place. I know her pain and I pray she feels better very, very soon.

Edited April 17, 2009 by Kimber7

[paxie 0]

good advice Kimber, thanks.

Best wishes to Lisa, sorry to hear she is in pain like that. I hope it passes soon.

[PharmaGirl 0]

Thanks to everyone for your concern for Lisa. Kimber, you're right - gas pains can be very serious. Lisa really had gotten into a bad cycle - nausea, heaving, which made her swallow more air, the constant heaving meant she not being able to keep fluids down, which made her dehydrated and weak, which meant that she didn't have enough energy to walk long distances, which meant gas was harder to get rid of, which meant more pain and more nausea and more heaving ...

For anyone else who gets into this cycle, go and see your surgeon or any doctor as soon as you can. Lisa saw the surgeon on Friday who gave her a shot of Maxolon and that was enough to settle the constant retching. Our surgeon has a recovery room at his rooms so we sat in there until the shot took effect and Lisa was able to swallow sips of Water. Once we got home, we made sure she kept Maxolon on board (by taking the tabs) and pain relief (acetominophen worked well). Then started with charcoal tablets (which absorb the gas) - she found these light years better than the simethicone preparations. That night Lisa had her first night without heaving and it was heaven (for both of us!). Yesterday she was back to nutritious fluids (Soups, Protein drinks, etc) and has therefore got some of her energy back and so she is now back to walking, so by last night she was feeling her old self (10 days after surgery!). So all is good here again.

Thanks again to everyone for their support. It has been invaluable.

Edited April 19, 2009 by PharmaGirl

[paxie 0]

i am so sorry she had to go through all that but am totally releived to hear she finally got relief!! WHEW!!