Shoulder pain

Does anyone get shoulder pain that they can relate to the band?? 
I have been having issues for a few months now, the pain is closer to my colerbone and breastbone. It comes and goes no rhyme to them but the pain is very bad and will last for 5-4 hours. I go tomorrow for x-ray to see if they can see anything, but I do not think they will find anything.

Hi Kidplay,

Referred left shoulder pain is fairly common with banding from what I've seen over the years. I had a severe problem with it, myself.

It's usually due to the band irritating the diaphragm, from what I've been told. The diaphragm and the Vagus nerves are the culprits... and it refers the pain to the left shoulder, sometimes radiating into the jaw, back and around the collarbone.

I would apply heat to my abdomen and it would sometimes help relieve it. Having the band removed is the thing that worked for me, but I still get the pain on occasion due to diaphragmatic damage.

Here's a thread that will show you how common it is:
http://www.lapbandtalk.com/topic/35169-left-shoulder-pain/


And you can see by the complications forum that it's a fairly common phenomenon.

http://www.lapbandtalk.com/forum/70-lap-band-complications/


I agree, an Xray is most likely not going to help in this situation. If your doctor appears to not know anything about the left shoulder pain with banding, may I suggest finding a specialist who can help you? I waited around too long and I'm pretty sure that's why I still have the left shoulder pain today, in spite of not having a band anymore.

Good luck. Hope you get some answers.
Nicci

 Thank you! I have a scheduled appointment with my surgon next Monday will ask and see what they say, did not think it could be band related till this weekend. I am going to look at the info you gave. Thanks Melissa!

My original surgeon kept telling me I was nuts when I told him that I had horrible, chronic left shoulder pain and it got MUCH worse when I'd get constipated. Then I found a specialist in Chicago who diagnosed me with diaphragmatic damage. Now, I'm not saying that you have diaphragmatic damage, but sometimes the band just irritates the bejeepers outta your nerves, anyway.

If you have your band filled, maybe try getting it unfilled for awhile to see if it helps lessen the amount of irritation to your nerves. Try a heating pad or ho****er bottle and see if it helps, too.

I really feel for you! I hated that left shoulder pain so much! 

I am freakin dying right now Nicci My left shoulder is on fire and the pain is so intense. I saw my pain management Dr today and he agreed with me that the band is likely the culprit. He did an xray today which showed the band pressing up against something ( can't remember the name " which is causing pressure on my spine.

Aww, I'm sorry, Pump.    Have you tried applying heat to your upper abdomen? Sometimes that really helped me. What helped even more was sitting in as hot as I could handle water for as long as I could stand it.
Is it the Vagus nerve? Or Phrenic nerve? I think they're part of the same system and cause that pain to radiate up into the shoulder-neck-back area.

I had that pain every single freaking day from morning til night and it made me want to just fall down and die. I REALLY feel for you.  I hate that you're going through it.


Nicci

I'll try the heating pad right now. The Dr gave me Gabapentin and Cymbalta for the nerve pain. I'm assuming it's the vagus nerve. He said the band is putting indirect pressure on my spine. He is also requesting more epidural injections at T-11.

Blech. I hope the stuff he gave you works. They put me on Fentanyl patches and I couldn't even crawl out of bed for days, I was so doped up. And I still had the pain, which was the worst part! 

Don't let them talk you into having corticosteroid injections into your shoulder joint, OK?! That's what the chronic pain clinic did for me, even though I TOLD them it wasn't orthopedic in nature. And the injection hurt like hell and did NOTHING for the shoulder pain. I was told they couldn't do a nerve  block because the diaphragm regulates breathing, so hopefully the epidural helps you.

Feel better. Gawd, I wish you could get that band removed yesterday.

xoxo
Nic

Thanks Nicci

The heating pad seems to be easing some of the pain. Sometimes it helps if I can sleep it off.

YES!   I had alot of it post op and it continued...especially when I had restriction.   Now 2 months post op I have no restriction and it hasn't happened as much.  My surgeon just said keep walking it off....but it hurt so much that you didnt feel like moving much.   But it did go away.  Hang in there.  I have heard other people say that that is their sign of fullness.   But it certainly would be uncomfortable if that continued all of the time