left shoulder and back pain

[em2 0]

I am 6 days post surgery and have a horrible left shoulder pain.

Sometimes it is unbearable and at other times it seems to just linger there. Today it actually seems to have moved to my lower back on the left side. I am extremely frustrated!!! This is not what I expected to feel like. The last thing on my mind is eating since the pain is so bad. It is much worse after eating and drinking but even if I try not to eat/drink...the pain is still there. My doctor gave me something for gas but that doesn't seem to be helping. I have BMs and it seems as if gas is escaping but the pain is not relieved. I just want to hear that this is a temporary thing and that I will soon feel normal. Can anyone relate or help??????

Edited July 14, 2009 by em2
forgot info

[ParrotheadCathy 0]

Oh, it's gas. It's just not gas in your digestive tract! You see, when they do laproscopic surgery, they pump carbon dioxide into your abdomen to extend your belly to give them more room to work in. After they're done, that gas has to be absorbed into your blood stream and eliminated. It doesn't happen overnight. In the meantime, any gas in your abdomen has the luxury of moving around at will -- and causing you a good bit of pain in the process. For whatever reason, the left shoulder often is where you feel it most. Gas medication won't do a thing for this.

The only things that will help are #1 (AND most important) is to keep moving. Walk as much as you feel up to. Sit in a rocking chair instead of a regular chair and ROCK. Hold your arms over your head and move them around. #2 You can put a heating pad over your shoulder (don't put it over your incisions unless you clear that with your doctor) or against your back and that will help some too.

And, finally, it will go away on its own.

[myturn0421 0]

I had TERRIBLE gas pains after surgery. They only thing that helped me was Rolaids Soft Chews antacid and antigas.

They work miracles!

[Rutiglius 0]

Oh, it's gas. It's just not gas in your digestive tract! You see, when they do laproscopic surgery, they pump carbon dioxide into your abdomen to extend your belly to give them more room to work in. After they're done, that gas has to be absorbed into your blood stream and eliminated. It doesn't happen overnight. In the meantime, any gas in your abdomen has the luxury of moving around at will -- and causing you a good bit of pain in the process. For whatever reason, the left shoulder often is where you feel it most. Gas medication won't do a thing for this.

The only things that will help are #1 (AND most important) is to keep moving. Walk as much as you feel up to. Sit in a rocking chair instead of a regular chair and ROCK. Hold your arms over your head and move them around. #2 You can put a heating pad over your shoulder (don't put it over your incisions unless you clear that with your doctor) or against your back and that will help some too.

And, finally, it will go away on its own.

To "parrot" parrothead (pun INTENDED)...the left shoulder is where that co2 gas seems to end up on a lot of us. I had relatively little surgery pain -- mine was all in my shoulder and neck. Walking did help! Good luck.

[keithf 2]

To "parrot" parrothead (pun INTENDED)...the left shoulder is where that co2 gas seems to end up on a lot of us. I had relatively little surgery pain -- mine was all in my shoulder and neck. Walking did help! Good luck.

Same here.. My gas pains only subsided in the past week.

[greytz 4]

I was banded on 06-19-09 and still experience some left shoulder pain. My surgeon explained to me that it takes different amounts of time to go away as none of us are made up the same. When I was first banded, it was really terrible and I used the pain elixer at night to help me sleep better. Right now, I use aspirin and my heating (rice bag) bag and it seems to do the trick but it is much much better than it was. Hang in there.

[RestlessMonkey 7]

The gas hasn't roamed to your shoulder. There is CO2 pumped in during surgery (the body absorbs it just fine) and sometimes it pushes against the diaphragm. The diaphragm, being pushed around by the gas, pushes against the phrenic nerve and THIS causes muscular pain/cramping in the shoulder area, usually the left.

(the gas stays in the abdominal cavity; it does not roam around the body). Time will take care of the pain...

and personally having someone RUB my shoulder (thus relieving the cramp caused by the agitated phrenic nerve) also helped. Short answer; it's referred pain from your diaphragm. I found that as I started to exercise post op (and breathe harder) it hurt worse...but it does settle down!

:scared2:

[em2 0]

Original poster here...thank you everyone for the replies! My shoulder pain did go away after about 4 or 5 days. I got worried because the doctor's pamphlet said it would only last 1 or 2 days. I thought that I was irregular and that something was wrong. I also don't have the back "pain" but my back does ache a little but I think that that is from sitting around so much. Now that I am walking more...that too is improving.

For those with future pain...a heating pad worked very well and it also helped to put it on my lower abdomen (not on incisions). I couldn't walk much but when I did, it did help get rid of some gas. I drank milk of magnesia and liquid tylenol besides the prescription pain meds. I used liquid gas-x also. Good luck...it will go away!

[MsFab1988 275]

im sufferin from left shoulder pain as we speak :thumbup: before it was pain in my abdominal area now its my shoulders..and all I do is walk but nothing works..I kno time will heal me so only thing I can really do is suffer