Pain under ribs after eating

For the most part I have never had much of a problem with breads since I was banded almost 2 years ago.  It's weird though because some times I tolerate foods better than other times.  When I do eat breads, I try to take smaller bites and chew really good. 

Last night I had a bagel late in the evening and I think it just sat there through the night.  It caused me a little bit of discomfort, but I never felt like I needed to PB or anything.  This morning I had an egg and one piece of wheat toast for breakfast, and right after I felt some pain underneath my ribs, especially on the left side, and a little bit around my back, and it felt like it took a little longer for it to digest.  Once it did, the pain subsided.  Has anyone ever experienced this?

Should I be concerned about this?  Should I maybe stay on softer foods for the rest of the day?  I made some homemade chicken salad last night for my lunch today and I'm really looking forward to it, lol!  I'm wondering if maybe I'm getting a little too comfortable with my band and an unconsciously eating too big of bites and not chewing as well.  I guess I need to pay more attention to this. 

Thanks for any advice you can give me.

This sounds kind of like my gall bladder symptoms. L sided pain is atypical but does occur. If it continues, you may want to call your doc.

The only time I've had pain like that, I've been constipated.  It was especially worse after eating because the food had nowhere to go.  Is there any chance you could be "backed up"?

Bagels are so dense I bet it was still in your pouch when you tried to eat over it.  If I over-fill my pouch I sometimes get pain in the rib cage like I need to adjust how I'm sitting or laying to make room for the food in my stomach.  Be careful that you are not creating a pouch dialation.

Why do you still eat bread?  Aside from liking it, there's really no nutritional value unless you're eating whole grain for fiber.  It's really tough on your band AND carb cravings. I have toast maybe 1x every 6-8 weeks if we go out to breakfast, but otherwise I avoid bread like the plague.  I've learned to use whole grain Wasa crackers in place of bread if I want a sandwich type substitute.

Of course, it's totally up to you, but that might be why you had the pain last night. 

Hang in there and take it easy today.  Soft foods if not liquids,
If the pain continues, see your doctor.

Take care!

Lisa O.

I agree with Lisa, it sounds like you were over full. I usually get that pain when I have eaten too much. It is different from being stuck, where as you get the pain in your chest. This is under your rib cage on the left side. To me it feels like a pinching pain. I have never had it from an issue of not chewing enough either, just overload. To help it I usually have to lay or lean to the left for a few minutes to help things digest through my stomach. Sometimes all that can help is time to let your stomach do its thing. It just sounds like you still had that bagel in there from the night before and you added to it with breakfast and was just too much for your stomach to hold. I would stick with simple liquids or mushies until tomorrow just to give your tummy a break from all the hard work.

is the pain a pinching pain? if so, it could be your tubing. after i lost about 100 pounds, i started to experience the pain under my ribs on the left side, which was like a pinching uncomfortable pain. if i stretch my body i can usually 'roll' the tubing back out from under my ribcage (gross, lol) and the pain is instantly gone. i asked my doctor about the pain and she just said that there is so much excess tubing from the band to the port, because it used to have to travel so much further and now my body is smaller, so there is just a bunch in there that i can have removed. just a thought.

Thank you everyone for your replies, and congratulations to you all on your success!  What an inspiration!  The pain is in the area where the port is, so I'll have to remember what you said about the tubing when it happens again!  When I do eat bread, I usually always try to have a healthy whole wheat bread; however, the bagel was not that and it's something I rarely eat, so I'm guessing it just upset my system.  I think I need to refocus on my chewing and bite-size habits and I hope that will solve the problem.  I think I will refrain from bread or at least minimize it to see if that makes a difference as well. 

I get the same pain when I have eaten too much. 

I just had lunch.  I did have the chicken salad and took tiny bites and chewed until mush, and I felt no pain on the left side, just a little bit right around where I assume the band is placed and it felt like the food sat there for a second before going through (just what it felt like).  I am guessing that maybe I'm just a little swollen, so I'm going to rest it and just eat some soup or something for dinner. 

Yep - sounds like the pain that tells my brain I just over did it again and to go back to following the rules!   I so wish they had banded my brain instead!

Regards,
Matt