Need Advice: Cough + One Week Post-Band

LisaD1111 · May 30, 2009

I got the band a week ago and I've recently come down with a cold and persistant cough. Thankfully there are plenty of liquid medicines, so that's not a problem. I'm mostly worried by the cough and constant nose-blowing and whether this is causing trauma to any area of the band. I know we're talking about different pipes, but there is some general aching in the area when I cough. The problem is that I don't know if this is because it's causing trauma or I'm still experiencing post-surgery pain.

I'll give my doctor a call on Monday, but thought I'd come here first to see if any of y'all had advice or similar experience!

ParrotheadCathy · May 30, 2009

Basic anatomy....your heart and lungs are separated from your abdomen by the diaphragm. When you cough, the diaphragm is involved. Since the esophagus passes through the diaphragm (that's where hiatal hernias are located, where the esophagus passes through the diaphragm), you feel the effort in the general area of your stomach, but your stomach isn't making you cough. Botton line: a chronic cough is miserable but it shouldn't hurt your band.

LisaD1111 · May 30, 2009

Good to know, thanks. Maybe the above average pain is because the surgeon repaired a hernia in my diaphragm during the band surgery.

ParrotheadCathy · May 30, 2009

The hernia repair would explain a great deal! You already had a bit more pain that a lap band patient who didn't have a hernia. Add a cough to that and, yeah, it would hurt! You might ask your doc for a more potent cough medicine for night time, at least. There are several with codeine in the Syrup that really surpress a cough.