Left shoulder throbbing pain . Getting worse

still awaiting insurance approval for revision due to severe gerd and lots of other issues....I'm completely unfilled but my left shoulder pain is getting worse . Any advice ? 

Sheri, I can't even tell you how much I feel for you. 

I still get referred left shoulder pain from band damage and it's been 11 years since removal. Those nerves get so angry once they're irritated. Okay, so the only advice I can give is to stretch... slowly... kind of bend backward a bit in a very slow, controlled manner. This might help move things just enough to get some of the pressure off the Vagus nerve. Heat always helped me at least a little. I'd use those peel n' stick patches or a heating pad, ho****er bottle... something like that. Or I'd lie as still as possible in a fairly deep bath. I'd use the heat on both my shoulder and abdomen. 

You might want to try flapping your arms like you're chicken dancing and then breathe as deeply as you can... in and out for a bit. Sometimes it helps to relax the diaphragm enough to lessen some of the pain at least somewhat. 

Other than those things, nothing else I did worked to alleviate the pain. No medications helped, not even strong pain meds. 

I hope your insurance approves removal VERY soon so you can start to heal up and feel better. 

Thank you Nic I was hoping you would read this and help me with some pain relief I know that you have suffered from the same left referred shoulder pain. It's so crazy that doctors look at you like it has nothing to do with your laugh and when the information is all over the Internet. So so so frustrating.

Oh my God, the left shoulder pain with banding is SO ridiculously common. Any doctor who knows anything about anatomy should advise against the band just for that reason alone. I've had the post-surgical left shoulder pain, but the "damage to the Vagus nerve" shoulder pain was a hundred times more intense and severe. It's just not the same as "gas pain," as you know! 

When the pain got so intense that it was debilitating, I pretty much had to eat nothing. Food was an impossibility. Do you find this to be the case, too? It's like just the body digesting food was enough to cause such severe pain. 

While you're waiting for insurance approval for band removal, maybe you should look into acupuncture. Sometimes that can really help with pain relief. I don't know what else to even suggest. The left shoulder pain is such a rotten thing. 

I know, it's frustrating to think about the way they act like its nothing . I woke up saying my left shoulder hurt and I knew after 2 weeks post op that it was not gas like they were saying. The pain used to be there when I ate to much with out realizing it, now I don't even have to eat and it's throbbing, does get worse with eating and it's crazy .... But just this week the nerve pain seems to be going on into my left ear .  

I know the lap band Drs know there can be vagus nerve pain because the first dr to tell me it was band related was a primary care dr and he said " hmmm I'm not sure why it's been hard for them to figure out that the band can be irritating and damaging your vagus nerve .." 

I live In a small town but will check out lying bigger cities to see if I can find an accupuncture place. 

I can't wait until the council meeting to receive my answer about this approval. I have gotten the United States department of labor involved and I believe the council is nervous about the way they have handled my case. 

Boy I'm no help either, heat helps mine but mine has never been as painful as yours and Nic's! I hope the meeting goes well for you!! Good luck!

Sheri, how are you feeling today? Been thinking of you, hoping that the pain subsided at least somewhat. I hope you've gotten good news from your insurance company. Or, if you haven't, I hope it comes very soon.