pain in left shoulder after eating

[sisterdenny]

I am a 46 year old female with a history of abdominal surgery ( laproscopic- Nissen fundu.) for GERD.  I experience left shoulder pain immediately following surgery and it last for several weeks.  The doctor stated it was caused by irritation of the diaphram nerve during the surgical procedure.   I am 16 months post surgery and again experience left shoulder pain after eating a meal(2 weeks).  It is a sharp pain in my left shoulder and radiates up the left side of my neck .  Do you have any suggestions of what may be causing the pain?  I believe it is related to my stomach some how.
Thanks
Sister Denny

[DeeMK]

Hi I too suffer with severe pain in my left shoulder usually after indulging myself in a large carvery meal. It is as most people describe a severe stabbing pain. I had a third of my small intestine removed January 2013 ( mainly my jejunum) following a benign double perforated tumour was found and I went in to total obstruction requiring emergency surgery. I have only experienced the pain since my operation but to be honest albeit painful I am just glad to be alive. I don't seem to experience as much if I only eat smaller meals. Here's hoping you find a solution.

[Yegor]

Re to DeeMK: I found that FODMAP diet, stomach exercises helped me to remove the pain in left shoulder - read my answer here below dated March 31, 2018.

[adz2015]

My wife had a full abdominal surgery last year and had ovaries, womb, gallbladder and appendix taken out in one operation. She has made a full recovery but now suffers with this intense pain in her left shoulder thats radiating up to her neck. This only happens a few minutes after she has eaten. She then has to lay down on the floor to help ease the pain. sometimes she doesn't even get to finish her meal as it sometimes starts while eating.
Her Doctor said its unrelated to her surgery but i highly doubt that, and he said its a (Referred Pain). There are 3 different  types of oral medication she has tried and so far none of them have worked which is very disappointing. So over a year has past since her operation and she has been suffering with this for over 11 months.
We hope there is something out there to cure those who have (shoulder revered pain).
So removing the gallbladder doesn't prove to cure revered shoulder pain as my wife doesn't have a gallbladder now and she get intense pains.

[Debbiej17yr]

I'm thinking maybe a nutionalist could help...But it seems like it's to long to be something like where the gas settled after a surgery...But having so much done at once. I'd diffently see a heart dr maybe answers there. Good luck

[melanngrad]

I had my gallbladder removed about 3 months ago from similar attacks and since the gallbladder has been removed I am have at least 3-4 of these attacks per week start in stomach and move up to my left shoulder, I find they come from no where I have had a small sip of water first thing of the day and a attack has come on also from a cup of tea always come on from the first bite of a meal and the food just sits at the top of my stomach I vomit sometimes get very light headed! I take buscapan 20mg sometimes I take 2 then the pain starts to ease and I get a weasy feeling which makes me cough and then the pain goes away, it's really weird and extremely annoying and frustrating, seeing dr next week hopefully can get to the bottom of this as can't put up with it for much longer! Had been great reading that I'm not alone in this.

[Debbiej17yr]

I'm thinking maybe you should see a nutritionist..I find they have been very helpful with fining out if stomach is the Problem of many things that you wouldn't even ever begin to realize

[meggie40]

I too suffer with this problem even now 2 years post colon resection for ca colon. So many people on here with sam/similar problem but no one seems to have the answer. My gp says diaphragm irritation and nerve damage from surgery but dont think she really knows and only those that surrer truly understand

[meggie40]

I too suffer with this problem even now 2 years post colon resection for ca colon. So many people on here with sam/similar problem but no one seems to have the answer. My gp says diaphragm irritation and nerve damage from surgery but dont think she really knows and only those that surrer truly understand

[PeachBlossom1953]

Well I am another who thought it was just me.  I'm a 61 year old female, overweight, no surgeries, long history of GERD.  I only noticed this pain in the last couple of years, and it used to be only after lunch!  Never breakfast or dinner.  Tonight, I got it while eating dinner in a Mexican restaurant and decided to check it out online.  I was astonished to see so many other people with the same complaint!  Mine is more in my collarbone on the left side, though it does radiate out to the shoulder.  It's a very uncomfortable ache and I tend to rub or massage from the collarbone outward trying to get relief.  Generally this passes in 15 minutes or so, but until now I've never had a clue why it comes, nor why it goes. Since I take ranitidine or Tums fairly often anyway, I wouldn't have known if the cessation came from the medication or not.  Interesting!