Agnonizing stomach/back pain. Went to ER

Shrinkerbell · 08-19-2009, 08:39 AM

Long story, but I'm really worried. I've had my band for 3 months and had one fill about a month and a half ago and have had no problems.

Today though, something really scary happened. I was sitting at my computer and out of no where I got this crippling pain in my back. I had put strain on it at work so didn't panic, but then I went to lay down and all of a sudden the pain extended to my stomach. All day my stomach has felt like it's being twisted and rinsed out like the way you would with a washcloth whenever I so much as breathe. I've had that same sensation like when you first get out of LAP-BAND® surgery and your every move is torture, but even more severe.

My lower back too has been so unbelievably sore and the pain seems to shift from one to another in waves. For some reason it settled down for about half an hour so I went to go catch up on some sleep (seeing as thanks to the pain I've been lucky to get only 3 hours). It was ok at first but after about half an hour of laying down it flaired back up and flaired bad! I could hardly catch my breath, I felt like I was going to pass out and I just didn't know where to put myself. Every position was agnoizing! I've been groaning and even crying it was just so painful. I have never experienced pain like this my whole life.It seems to be more on my right side where the port is. Any pressure put on my stomach above my bellybutton is torture.

I rang my LAP-BAND® dr. who said to come over for an un-fill as I may have had something stuck at the top of the band. When I got there, the dr. felt my port and said it's all its normal position, but couldn't get any liquid out after 4 attempts and gave up. She sent me home and told me I'm probably bound up (it's true I hadn't really had a decent um...meeting with the toliet for a few days) so I know this is disgusting, but I went to the pharmacy to get an, oh, we'll call it a , do it yourself shit provoker. Even that didn't seem to help or relieve me in the slightest. The pain was still so incredible I inisisted on going straight to hospital.

There they thought I might have a gallbladder problem or a stomach ulcer. They did blood tests and took urine samples but everything was 'normal'. Tommorow I'm going for an ultrasound so I hope it gives me a better understanding. I've been on strong painkillers which have relieved me a fair bit, although not 100%.

Does anyone have any ideas what this could be or any similar experiences? Do you think it's nececessarily band related?

MrsWiseguy · 08-19-2009, 09:38 PM

Oh, you poor thing! I really hope they're able to figure out what's wrong and get you comfortable soon!!!

I was banded just this past Friday, and have been experiencing the same type of symptoms you are describing. I called my doc this morning, and he said he thinks it's esophageal spasms. He wants me to up my Prilosec to twice per day (anti-acid med) and take a Gas-X as well. I have a post op apt. with him on Friday. I've been doing research on Esophageal Spasm, and the symptoms they describe are exactly what I'm experiencing. I'm hoping that this is a temporary problem, can be easily and quickly alleviated with some medicine, and I will go back to "normal" soon. If not, I will be requesting that he remove the band. I'm in far too much pain to be able to function normally.

Good luck to you!!!

Fordgal88 · 08-19-2009, 10:33 PM

Get your gall bladder checked. I had the same thing happen to me. I thought it was my band too. Easy fix they just take it out. =)

Jachut · 08-20-2009, 12:01 AM

I'd say you need a liver ultrasound to check for gallstones - but also, I've known/heard of a couple of people whose tubing has been touching their diaphragm, causing agonising pain and difficulty breathing. One of them that I know had another very quick surgery to shorten the tubing.

frankie6 · 10-23-2009, 05:32 PM

I am 2 years out. I am having the same pains you have listed. This is a scary feeling. I had an upper GI today today and should know something hopfull within the next couple of days.

NM1970 · 10-27-2009, 06:58 PM

GET your butt to the ER. I was banded 7/29 and I just got out of the hospital today. Had to have it removed. My band slipped and my stomach went through the band. I pain was an OUT OF BODY experience. I had surgery to remove it and I am disgusted about it but it was the only option. I found on the LAP-BAND® website that in a US study 25% of 288 people studied had to have band removed within 1st 3 years!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
If I would have found this earlier, I would have saved myself the now TEN HOLES IN MY STOMACH. Yes I lost 60 pounds and will do the rest on my own but I the pain I went through was no worth it. Good luck.

ForMyBoys · 11-02-2009, 10:38 AM

I spent over a month in and out of the hospital this past May through June. It started out with constipation and then cramping in my back and stomach. The cramping was not just in my lower stomach and back but all the way up into my chest. The constipation got so bad I had to take 3 enimas at a time along with laxatives just to pass something. The pain was so bad I kept going to the emergency room. They gave me several Scans with contrast(IV) but it showed nothing. I had x-rays , bloodwork, a colonoscopy, you name it and they did it. The pain was so bad at times I could not stand up . My husband felt so helpless because I would scream in pain and the doctors would just say they don't see anything. They were going to take my appendix out then they thought stones but none of that showed up. I went to a gastro specialist, my primary doctor and my lab band surgeon and no one had a clue. Finally they decided they were just going to have to open me up and look around. I was in so much pain I didn't care what they did. I also felt like they thought I may be making it up. When they did the exploratory surgery they found a huge ball of scar tissue from my LAP-BAND® surgery had wrapped itself around my intestine and closed it off. It actually formed like a growth around my intestine. Also the tubing was wrapped up in it. This did not show up on any of the scans or x-rays because it just looked like skin and tubing which was suppose to be inside me just not in that way so this did not tip them off as to anything being wrong. Because I was constipated for so long my colin has stretched and will never work properly again. I will be on laxitives every day for the rest of my life and may need another surgery.