Question:
2 months post-op, and still have left shoulder pain!

I am 2 months post-op ( Lap band), and right after surgery I felt a sharp pain in my left shoulder. Now after 2 months I still have the pain. Does anybody else have this problem?    — Nina A. (posted on July 8, 2007)

July 8, 2007
Yes. I have experienced the same pain. My doctor rold me that the pain comes from excerting the newly created stomach/pouch. Either over eating or too much pressure. I notice the pain after I have either eaten too much or if I walk too much or for too long. But I will suggest that you contact your doctor....Neakia
   — eternal_purpos

July 9, 2007
Pain in the left shoulder/armpit region is a well known indicator of a heart problem. The pain you are experiencing may be unrelated to your bariatric surgery. Such pain persisting for two months post surgery deserves *competent* medical diagnosis by a specialist.
   — [Deactivated Member]

July 9, 2007
Yes, you should see your doctor, definitely. I had left shoulder pain for about 2 weeks after surgery. My doctor kept telling me it should be gone 48 hours after surgery (the bubbles from surgery...), so I wound up back in the ER for CT scan 2 days after surgery, which just showed I had a ton of gas in my stomach and colon. When I went to see her for my 2 week follow-up, I still had pain. here is an article that talks about this: http://www.core.monash.org/assets/documents/research-papers/2005-52.pdf As you can see, they're not too clear on exactly why it happens. However, it's pretty clear that diaphragm pain is referred to the left shoulder (mine was dead center in the joint, and then radiated to the neck). Some of the situations I discovered (in my Google-based research) caused this: - there was some damage to the diaphragm during the surgery - you may have gas - the tubing may be moving against the diaphragm My advice: - see your doctor - try to log when you get the pain - is it after you eat, or when you're really hungry? When you lay down in a certain way? - if you think it's related to gas, then try some gas-x (simethicone). It won't hurt you, it's not addictive, etc. It never worked for me, but some people swear by it. I haven't had shoulder pain in 4 weeks, (I'm 6 weeks out). The first 8-10 days, I had it off and on, mostly right after I starting drinking anything other than water. Then it went away for a few days, and on the 14th day after surgery it came back with a vengence. I realized my stomach was really grumbly with hunger since I only had had water and one protein shake that day, so at 3:00 I drank some milk and 5 minutes later my pain was gone. From then on, I was careful to not let myself get too hungry. Good luck to you! Beth
   — Beth F.

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