Abdominal Pain spreading to my back?

Hi Everyone,

this is my first post here...

I'm a little over one year out, Lap RNY in July of 2008. Recently (this past week) whenever I eat or drink anything, I have abodominal pain for about an hour, which spreads to my back. After that hour it tapers off, but still hurts.. Motrin seems to cut the pain for a few hours, but today, after eating soup of all things (it wasn't even thick!), I was in agony, and I've decided that something can't be right.

Has anyone else had this problem? What was it? I'm going to a clinic in about an hour or so.. but really want to be prepared as I don't know what these people have experience with. I would call my surgeon, but he closed his practice shortly after I had surgery, and I don't know where/how to locate him.

 Have you had your gall bladder out?  Was your pouch transected or does it have a staple line?  How often do you take NSAIDS?   Motrin is one of them and NSAIDS is something RNYers should avoid.  It can cause ulcers in the lining of the pouch.  I would suggest finding a doctor/PCP who is familiar with bariatric patients and request an endoscopy and an upper GI to see what is going on.  There could be several things going on with your pouch/stomach.

I hope you feel better soon and things turn out well for you.  Good luck.

My husband had  the same thing sounds like a hernia.

It could be anything and it is very important to find A. A bariatric surgeon to follow up with you and B. a gastronologist.

What you explained sound like what I am experiencing.  I just had my third EDG done today and they found my orginal ulcer to be larger and bleeding and another ulcer that is penetrating deep into my intestnal wall.  My gastro Dr is having me go back to my surgeon because he can not do anymore for me.  I can not eat or frink without sharp pains radiating into my back.  My pain is located mid adomen above my belly button.

My ulcer, from my Gastro Dr is most likely surgically related.  The only other cause would be taking NSAIDs (advil motrin) which I have not touched since prior to surgery.  You need to stop the motrin and take tylenol until you can be seen.  It can worsen your condition.

Again, the this problem you are having can be a number of things and the best thing you can do is to find another Bariatric surgeon.

When I was two years out I had the same symptoms.  I thought it was a backache so I started taking aspirin.  Huge mistake.  It was an ulcer and the aspirin was making it worse.  I stopped taking the aspirin and ate an "ulcer diet" and it healed on its own.  I never take NSAIDs anymore. 


I hope your problem is as easily cured!  Good luck.

What side is your pain on?  I know that pain in the upper right abdominal area can be a signal of gallbladder trouble.  I have pain in my upper left abdominal area, that radiates to the back.  But wasn't triggered by eating.  I just found out, after a year of horrible pain, that it's a pinched nerve issue that can be solved by cortisone injections into the nerves to deaden the area. www.endonurse.com/hotnews/4ah1413038.html