Question:
WHAT DO YOU DO TO PREVENT SEVERE LOWER ABDOMINAL PAIN

I HAD MY SURGERY TWO WEEKS AGO. EVERYTHING WAS GOING WELL, UNTIL TWO DAYS AGO. I HOPE SOMEONE CAN ADVISE ME OF WHAT HAPPENED AND HOW TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. FOR TWELVE HOURS I HAD THE WORST PAIN IN MY LOWER ABDOMEN, BELOW MY BELLY BUTTON. THE PAIN RADIATED AROUND MY BACK. THE PAIN WAS SOOO BAD IT MADE ME VOMIT. I COULDN'T SLEEP, GET INTO ANY COMFORTABLE POSITION OR STOP CRYING AND MOANING. I WAS VERY CLOSE TO CALLING 911. I HAD BEEN WALKING A LOT AS INSTRUCTED AND I WAS EATING SMALL SERVINGS OF SOFT FOODS. MY SURGEON, DR MARY MURPHY SAID IT WAS GAS OR CONSTIPATION. MY INTERNIST SAID THIS WAS COMMON, BUT DID NOT SAY WHAT CAUSED IT. I AM BACK ON A CLEAR LIQUID DIET AND AFRAID TO EAT SOLIDS. IF ANYONE ONE HAS HAD THIS SEVERE PAIN AND KNOW HOW TO PREVENT IT PLEASE LET ME KNOW. MY EMAIL IS [email protected]    — LAUREN P. (posted on July 6, 2003)

July 6, 2003
Lauren, It sounds like gas or constipation to me. Ask your SURGEON what to take. If you stay on clear liquids, you will get even more constipated. My surgeon prescribed Miralax for me - it's not a laxative but helps prevent constipation. You are too early out to eat a lot of fiber so you need to get some advice from your surgeon.
   — Patty_Butler

July 6, 2003
I'm very surprised your surgeon dismissed this so easily. Severe pain like that needs to be evaluated in a hospital with CT scans and blood work. Yes, it may have just been gas, but it could also be an obstruction, especially considering the vomiting you had. If it happens again, I would call your surgeon and insist that she meet you at the ER and run appropriate tests. Bowel obstructions can be life-threatening, and they must be caught early. I don't mean to scare you or to criticize your doctor (perhaps she had more information than I'm aware of from your post), but I've heard too many horror stories about this issue. I just read one yesterday where a woman in my state (post-op RNY) went to the ER with severe pain and vomiting and was told it was "gas" and sent home. She died hours later from an obstruction. This is a serious risk for WLS patients (even those who are long-term post-ops), and we all have to take it seriously.
   — Tally

July 6, 2003
I am 6 days post op Lap Band. Last night I had that kind of pain and ended up going to the ER in tears and barely able to walk and to make things worse I was out of town. The Dr took an xray and it showed a huge gas bubble in my stomach and also the barium from my barium swallow has not passed yet so he recommended a gas pill and laxative and now today I feel a whole lot better especially after the BM but I know what you mean about the pain ona scale of 1-10 it was a definite 10.
   — Lisa F.

July 6, 2003
I am 16 months out and the first time this happened it was an obstruction but not from my by-pass but from my c-sections. I started hurting again and it was just constipation I now take a stool softener everyday per instructions of my doctor. Check with your dr. on what they suggest, That is always the way to go.
   — Tonjia L.

July 7, 2003
Gas from lap surgery isn't necessarily in your intestine, as we usually think of "gas". Gas can move around all over your body. I had a gas bubble in my left shoulder that KILLED me for the longest in the hospital. I also had a bubble in my side for a few days. It could be that the gas bubble was pressing on a nerve in your lower abdomen. Gas around your body is very common since they have to blow up your abdominal area to see better.
   — Michelle A.