Agnonizing stomach/back pain. Went to ER

[Shrinkerbell 0]

Long story, but I'm really worried. I've had my band for 3 months and had one fill about a month and a half ago and have had no problems.

Today though, something really scary happened. I was sitting at my computer and out of no where I got this crippling pain in my back. I had put strain on it at work so didn't panic, but then I went to lay down and all of a sudden the pain extended to my stomach. All day my stomach has felt like it's being twisted and rinsed out like the way you would with a washcloth whenever I so much as breathe. I've had that same sensation like when you first get out of Lapband surgery and your every move is torture, but even more severe.

My lower back too has been so unbelievably sore and the pain seems to shift from one to another in waves. For some reason it settled down for about half an hour so I went to go catch up on some sleep (seeing as thanks to the pain I've been lucky to get only 3 hours). It was ok at first but after about half an hour of laying down it flaired back up and flaired bad! I could hardly catch my breath, I felt like I was going to pass out and I just didn't know where to put myself. Every position was agnoizing! I've been groaning and even crying it was just so painful. I have never experienced pain like this my whole life.It seems to be more on my right side where the port is. Any pressure put on my stomach above my bellybutton is torture.

I rang my lapband dr. who said to come over for an un-fill as I may have had something stuck at the top of the band. When I got there, the dr. felt my port and said it's all its normal position, but couldn't get any liquid out after 4 attempts and gave up. She sent me home and told me I'm probably bound up (it's true I hadn't really had a decent um...meeting with the toliet for a few days) so I know this is disgusting, but I went to the pharmacy to get an, oh, we'll call it a , do it yourself shit provoker. Even that didn't seem to help or relieve me in the slightest. The pain was still so incredible I inisisted on going straight to hospital.

There they thought I might have a gallbladder problem or a stomach ulcer. They did blood tests and took urine samples but everything was 'normal'. Tommorow I'm going for an ultrasound so I hope it gives me a better understanding. I've been on strong painkillers which have relieved me a fair bit, although not 100%.

Does anyone have any ideas what this could be or any similar experiences? Do you think it's nececessarily band related?

Edited August 19, 2009 by Shrinkerbell

[MrsWiseguy 0]

Oh, you poor thing! I really hope they're able to figure out what's wrong and get you comfortable soon!!!

I was banded just this past Friday, and have been experiencing the same type of symptoms you are describing. I called my doc this morning, and he said he thinks it's esophageal spasms. He wants me to up my Prilosec to twice per day (anti-acid med) and take a Gas-X as well. I have a post op apt. with him on Friday. I've been doing research on Esophageal Spasm, and the symptoms they describe are exactly what I'm experiencing. I'm hoping that this is a temporary problem, can be easily and quickly alleviated with some medicine, and I will go back to "normal" soon. If not, I will be requesting that he remove the band. I'm in far too much pain to be able to function normally.

Good luck to you!!!

[Fordgal88 7]

Get your gall bladder checked. I had the same thing happen to me. I thought it was my band too. Easy fix they just take it out. =)

[Jachut 487]

I'd say you need a liver ultrasound to check for gallstones - but also, I've known/heard of a couple of people whose tubing has been touching their diaphragm, causing agonising pain and difficulty breathing. One of them that I know had another very quick surgery to shorten the tubing.

[frankie6 0]

I am 2 years out. I am having the same pains you have listed. This is a scary feeling. I had an upper GI today today and should know something hopfull within the next couple of days.

[NJMOMof2 17]

GET your butt to the ER. I was banded 7/29 and I just got out of the hospital today. Had to have it removed. My band slipped and my stomach went through the band. I pain was an OUT OF BODY experience. I had surgery to remove it and I am disgusted about it but it was the only option. I found on the LapBand website that in a US study 25% of 288 people studied had to have band removed within 1st 3 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If I would have found this earlier, I would have saved myself the now TEN HOLES IN MY STOMACH. Yes I lost 60 pounds and will do the rest on my own but I the pain I went through was no worth it. Good luck.

[ForMyBoys 0]

I spent over a month in and out of the hospital this past May through June. It started out with Constipation and then cramping in my back and stomach. The cramping was not just in my lower stomach and back but all the way up into my chest. The constipation got so bad I had to take 3 enimas at a time along with laxatives just to pass something. The pain was so bad I kept going to the emergency room. They gave me several Scans with contrast(IV) but it showed nothing. I had x-rays , bloodwork, a colonoscopy, you name it and they did it. The pain was so bad at times I could not stand up . My husband felt so helpless because I would scream in pain and the doctors would just say they don't see anything. They were going to take my appendix out then they thought stones but none of that showed up. I went to a gastro specialist, my primary doctor and my lab band surgeon and no one had a clue. Finally they decided they were just going to have to open me up and look around. I was in so much pain I didn't care what they did. I also felt like they thought I may be making it up. When they did the exploratory surgery they found a huge ball of scar tissue from my lap band surgery had wrapped itself around my intestine and closed it off. It actually formed like a growth around my intestine. Also the tubing was wrapped up in it. This did not show up on any of the scans or x-rays because it just looked like skin and tubing which was suppose to be inside me just not in that way so this did not tip them off as to anything being wrong. Because I was constipated for so long my colin has stretched and will never work properly again. I will be on laxitives every day for the rest of my life and may need another surgery.

[dyingtobethin 0]

Fordgal88 you look wonderful you look like a model. What an inspiration you are to us that are waiting to be banded.

[mnieves 0]

Hi. Yes I think I can relate. I am a little over two months out from surgery and have had two fills. On December 13th, 2009 I was overcome with horrible pains in my stomach, (almost under my ribs and my whole stomach) almost like a REALLY bad stomach flu pain. This continued for about a week and suddenly stopped. I just figured I had a stomach bug or something because I did have a pretty bad head cold. Two days ago it came back and has not stopped. It is the exact feeling as before. It is weird... It hurts more when I am up walking around or even just get up from a sitting position.And I also notice it right after I eat something. All though it still hurts when I am sittting. Today was the first time my lower back started to ache and then I got a sharp pain higher up on my bcak. Does this sound like what you are feeling? Any ideas of what this could be? I am worried that I may be having problems with the band. I am so worried and tired of the pain. It is so bad that I don't even want to excersise, let alone get up and move around. I called the Dr. and he has scheduled me an Upper GI and bowel follow through, as well as, to check for the band placement.Thank you!

[Julie* 0]

mnieves: It sounds like you are having gall bladder attacks. The telltale sign for me was sharp pain in my back up between my shoulder blades. I also felt like a vice grip was wrapped around my whole stomach and pressing on my rib cage. Turns out my gall bladder was infected and I had stones the size of golf balls- my surgeon said it was 8 times its normal size when they removed it.

The good news is that my band is just fine. It didn't affect it at all. I would get yourself to the doc and insist on an abdominal u/s as well as bloodwork to see if it's your gall bladder.

good luck.

Julie

[mnieves 0]

Thanks for your reply. Can the symptoms come and go? I had it for a week last month, then it disappeared, and then a few days ago I had it start up again, to just stop again after two days. Thanks so much!

Michelle

[Leifysmom 0]

I could describe the pain you guys are describing BEFORE my lap band surgery, I did indeed have gallstones, and would pass them before they would do the ultrasounds, they couldn't find them. I then had a more advance test, a HIDA scan, and that too was normal. After serveral ER trips, (morphine was a GODSEND), and finally a random comment to my lapban surgeon during my preop, he did another ultrasound and finally caught the stones before I had another attack and passed another stone. Out came my gallbladder at the same time as I had my lapband placed. Significant weight loss can induce gallstones. Be persistant and call you docs again, it can progress to inflamamation or infection and be worse.

Good luck.

Crystal

[BroncosGalAndrea 0]

It seems to me that I find out more information on these boards than I do going to the doctor.

I've been having severe to excruciating pain over the past month in the gall bladder area. The pain is all too familiar, because I had it when I had gall stones, so needless to say, it's not gall stones. But it IS the exact pain. Happens after I eat just about anything. Very frustrating. I've had CT's, xrays, 2 endoscopys and they cannot find anything. PLUS I'm severely anemic. Now they are talking colonoscopy. UGH! I dont know if that's a band slippage issue or not, but I do have another appointment on Tuesday.

Anyone familiar with these issues? Help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[Mimilou2004 13]

Andrea, see you other post. I do have a suggestion of what condition to ask the doc about.

Mimi

[nbcleveland 0]

Hi. I am new to the lapband, day 10 only. But I was experiencing such severe gas pain I thought I was going to die. I actually called the surgeon about returning to the hospital to have the band removed. But I stuck it out. Then I remembered that I was Lactose Intolerant. ALL of the Meal Replacements have "creamer" as the second ingredient. This was what was causing my severe discomfort. Now I take my lactose enzymes with every Meal Replacement and have had no major gas pains at all. You may not have known that you were lactose intolerant before but the introduction of the cream heavy supplements may be causing your issues. Try Laictaid or any generic lactose enzyme. They can be bought over the counter. Good luck!