Upper left pain

I have had the band fo 2.5 yrs. I started to develop intermmitent upper left pain beneath my ribs about a year ago. It is off and on. It especially hurts when I breath in. It's like a sharp pain.

I went to my pcp. She ordered some tests to rule out spleen and pancreas. Nothing showed up so she said it must be muscular.

I don't have a gall bladder.

Now I am thinking it might be band related.
My port is on the opposite side of where the pain is.

Have you ever had this pain?

Yes, I had that pain the whole time I was banded... to a very severe degree. It was from diaphragmatic damage in my case. The band seems to aggravate the nerves (Vagus) around the diaphragm.

I had all the test to rule out yada yada... turned out to be completely due to the band. It's very common, actually. I've known a lot of people with bands who've had referred left shoulder pain to varying degrees.

Tell your doctor that she should check the band placement. I had a doctor insist that it was muscular, too. It wasn't.  I also had a doctor insist that it was orthopedic in nature and he injected me in my shoulder joint with steroids. The pain stems from the diaphragm, but travels up into the left shoulder.

Thank you for the input. Just one more reason to get this horrible band out! I can't take much more of band struggles. I have a feeling the fda will be putting an end to this surgery in the next few years. Way too many complications!

What tests did they do to diagnose you? I've been having pains in my left shoulder for over 2 years. Just had another upper GI yesterday and my Dr. said (once again) that it's not my band.  He took out the little fill I had left and within a half hour all the pain in my shoulder, throat and chest went away. How can it NOT be my band?!

My first doctor told me categorically that it was NOT the band... but that's total BS. It's a common denominator amongst banding patients... the referred left shoulder pain. It occurs A LOT.


Two subsequent docs told me that the band or the tubing can irritate the diaphragm, referring the pain to your left shoulder. Gas in your gut can cause the band to kind of press up toward the diaphragm, too.

I hope you never have that pain again. I feel for you!

I had another appt with my surgeon today. After talking for awhile he FINALLY agreed with me that it's my band. He's submitting my insurance for the VSG sometime this week. Yay!!!

I had an ultrasound and blood work from my pcp. When I go to my band dr. Next week I'm going to request more tests.
Who knows what test will identify it though?

My PCP says it's my band, but the administrative part of my HMO says it's not. I've had an ultrasound and am scheduled for an upper GI and an endoscopy next week.

I second to what N.M. said.
I had the exact problem you and she are talking about, the pain was pretty much gone once the band was gone.

I get the left shoulder pain to.  Immediately after surgery it was the worst but ever since I had the band I get that pain from time to time as well.   Hurts like hell.  I have noticed mine more however when I feel like I've eaten a little too much.  One bite more than I should have had can put me over the edge with shoulder pain. In a weird way it does feel muscular but I'm sure it is totally band related.  One more side affect to add to the list....