When does the shoulder pain stop?

My shoulder pain isn't so bad during the day, but while asleep, I feel excruciating pain in my left shoulder.....when exactly does this stop? I've been getting relief with my heating pad, but any other proven remedies will be appreciated.

 Hi there, and congrats on your surgery! Mine went away within a couple of days of surgery.  I've heard that the shoulder pain may be "inferred pain" from excessive gas in the abdomen which they inject to allow them to see inside better during lap surgery.  That kind of gas isn't improved with meds like Gas-X, so the best thing to do is to get up and move around and it will gradually pass.

Hope you feel better soon!

Tami

I only had referred shoulder pain on one day, the evening of my sixth day, but it was horrible. For any type of gas pain (that is what this is) walking is the very best thing. You need to let your body expel all that surgical gas. I also took my pain meds and they helped. Warm or hot liquids felt good to me though I'm not sure they did anything or if it just soothed me in general. After my seventh day my gas was gone. For some it lasts a little longer, some sooner. Until then keep up what you are doing. Good luck.
Sue

I've been walking and will continue with that as well as the warm liquids, and heat if needed. Like I said, not so bad during the day, but it's at night that it's bad. I do notice it's lessening how many times it hurts at night

Its been two month since I got the surgery,  I don't have shoulder pains. But it feels numb at times. I asked my doctor .. he said it was normal because the lap-band is interfering with your nerves system. I do get the numbness from time to time

Okay, I'm going to just ride it out, hope it lessens

jeez...i had shoulder pain for a few months... it went from when i ate too much, or from gas to if i had a heated discussion and got upset...my shoulder..owwww!!!!...but it did go away.....

It's referred pain from the diaphragm causing the left shoulder pain. I had it morning, noon and night while I had my band. Mine was caused from massive damage to my diaphragm and the surrounding Vagal nerves.  It's pretty common with lapband, unfortunately, and it varies in degree. The left shoulder pain I had was debilitating.  I would wake up with the feeling that someone was stabbing me with a sharp knife every single day. On a bad day, it would stay the same or get worse during the course of the day. On a 'good' day, it was just constant pain.

Nothing worked to alleviate it other than band removal. I had corticosteroid injections into my shoulder joint, was put on Fentanyl patches, given Morphine and none of it relieved the pain at all.

After band removal, the pain lessened considerably. But, even 5 years since removal, I still get the referred pain to a lesser degree every now and then, especially when I eat something cold.

Sometimes bending and stretching will help to relieve some of the pressure that the band is putting on your diaphragm or the nerves.

Maybe try to sleep in a different position, if possible. Even try to sleep sitting up in a recliner and see if it affects the amount of pain. You may be sleeping in a position that exacerbates the irritation to the nerves.

Hope you feel better. I hate hearing about nice people having left shoulder pain! 

Ouch! Sorry to hear you went through so much; hope you're doing better.  I do find that when I wake up in pain I'm positioned different than when I went to sleep. Thanks for the input; just 4 days post op so I'm going to continue the excercise, and being aware of sleep positioning as much as possible

Oh, if you're only 4 days postop, it's pretty common to have the left shoulder referred pain. I'm sure it will go away in a few days. Keep walking and using your heating pad. I hope tomorrow you wake up pain-free!

I'm off to my endoscopy/colonoscopy appt. Gonna see if I can revise to the sleeve now that it's been over 5 years since I had the band removed. I pray I'm healed up enough because my butt ain't getting any smaller.

Feel better and take care!