3 weeks post op pain

Hi everybody. I had a revision to an rny along with hiatal hernia repair on January 13, 2014. I'm still have a lot of pain in the centre of my abdomen, just above my belly button. It feels like a stabbing pain that is moving up to my left shoulder. I know that post op gas pain hurts this way, but it has been almost 3 weeks. I've tried Advil, Tylenol, gravol, etc and nothing is easing the pain. I'm pleading with everybody to help me find something that will work. My surgeon has been absent since the surgery and he only occasionally answers his emails. I feel almost abandoned by him to deal with this alone. 

Isn't Advil an NSAID? That is a big no-no. How about calling your PCP? 

I had lingering stabbing and pulling pain for about 6 weeks due to a hematoma (bruise) on my abdominal muscle at the site where they did the most work. My surgeon recommended using a heating pad (max of 20 minutes at a time) and he continued to give me pain meds throughout the duration because he said "the pain is excruciating."

I wouldn't think it would still be gas pains. I would be calling my surgeon and speaking to his nurse or going to see my PCP if I couldn't get any resolve with the surgeon. Advil is a NSAID and isn't Gravol used for nausea or motion sickness?

Hope you feel better soon!

Hi thanks for responding. I'm using Advil as an anti inflammatory and the gravol is because the pain is so intense that I'm puking. I'm trying to keep everything in.

Heidi,  RNY patients are to "never" use Advil, Motrin, Ibuprofen.  These all are NSAID drugs.  We are allowed Tylenol which isn't. You need to check all pain medications from now on to ensure they are not an NSAID.  It's one of the things we give up due to the surgery.  I strongly suggest you phone your surgeons office and speak with the nurse or who ever is on call for problems during your surgeons absence.  I'm sorry you are having this problem and trust you can get sine help.

I am so sorry you are hurting so bad that you are vomiting...no wonder you're using gravol. As others have said, we are encouraged to stay away from NSAID use because it increases your risk of developing ulcers; from what I've been told and have read they can be very painful and hard to treat at times. 

If you are in this amount of pain, I think a trip to a doctor is in order.

Try some liquid Lortab--it's Tylenol and codeine.  I found it very helpful.

Oh my goodness! He never said anything to me about Advil! I think I'm a little upset about this. :( thank you everybody! I guess I'm going to need to research everything in my own, since he told me nothing.

Really???  Your surgeon didn't say anything to you about Advil??  That is so crazy!  The only pain medication we can take (besides perscription) is Tylenol, which doesn't always do much for your pain.  Try to really pay attention to this.  Ulcers are very painful.

They didn't send you home with prescription pain reliever after the RNY? That is insane, OTC stuff is not enough imho, although some find they have little to no pain after, many do. Percocet is probably what you need, but you need to be seen to make sure nothing else is going on. I was still in pain at 3 weeks out, but I did go back to ensure nothing else was going on because it felt like a long time to me, I was off the pain meds by around mid week 3/4. Good luck!