Severe gas pain nearly two weeks after surgery

Hi, I am here for my husband, but just wanted to say that you might want to go to doctor again , some good Internist, perhaps. That reflex to shoulder could be worrisome. It can be just gas, that is for sure, I watched video where nurse stated that gas after RP can be so strong that one can fall on their knees - but perhaps they could do some other tests. ER guys are very busy and can overlook things. Did they run test for cardiac enzymes ? Also, can you try some anti-gass OTC medications , like Mylanta etc. ?

I did think about the “ER style” of medicine. But I was basically the only one there this morning. It was quiet. I was well-attended to by lots of docs. And it’s at the same health complex where I had my surgery. So they contacted my surgeon’s team and that was the on-call urologist that saw me. So I feel comfortable in that regard. So far, pain has really died down. I’m hoping it’s gone by the time I wake up tomorrow.

Those are wonderful news 🙂 ! Wishing you good and restful night.

Everything in that zip code is pretty shocked, after two weeks it's not unusual. I'm a bit over six weeks out and get it sometimes. I think it's the pressure on the perineum, which can be sore for quite a while, so I've read. You can always try Gas X to help.

Hi,
Hopping onto your comment because you mention pressure on the perineum.
I am just a week past surgery; August 26th. Terrible gas occurring.
However, more to my point...question, really...has any experienced "swelling of the anus and perineum" areas from having the excessive gas after surgery?
I am. And, it also causing some pain and slight itchiness.
It's all surface, nothing internal.
It's as though the "gas" is causing the outer skin areas to become irritated and swollen via the quick contact.
I was recalling this happened the last time I had surgery as well.
Very odd. Maybe I'm having some kind of small allergic reaction.

Hello,
I just did a search on your symptoms, and fortunately an "AI" response popped up. This is what it said:

"Gas-like pain in the abdomen two weeks after prostatectomy can be common. This discomfort may arise from several factors:
Post-Surgical Effects
Gas Buildup: Surgery can lead to gas accumulation in the intestines, causing pain.
Inflammation: The surgical area may still be inflamed, contributing to discomfort.
Digestive Changes
Dietary Adjustments: Changes in diet post-surgery can affect digestion and gas production.
Constipation: Pain may also result from constipation, which is common after surgery.
When to Seek Help
If the pain worsens, is accompanied by fever, or shows signs of infection, medical attention is necessary.
Always consult a healthcare provider for personalized advice and to rule out complications.

My question is: are you on a narcotic pain killer like Percocet? Percocet and all narcotics slow down the activity of the "smooth muscle" tissue-type in your digestive tract. In other words, you become constipated...quite badly, and that will cause you abdominal pain. The odd thing is that the Percocet should help alleviate that pain, but...nature and the need to "poop" may override the Percocet. When was your last bowel movement...how many days? a week perhaps". I don't want to give medical advice, but..."IF" you have not had a bowel movement in several days because you are on a narcotic-based painkiller like the Percocet, and..."if" you feel "feces impacted", you might try a Fleet enema to loosen things up and get things moving out of you. I would consult with your urologist first though. He might prescribe or suggest an OTC aid like Ex-Lax. Good luck.
I had severe shoulder and upper back pain several days after my RP surgery. Nothing was written about it in my pre-op/post-op "what to expect" instructions, but I was quickly told by my urologist's nurse that such pain is caused by the gas that they inject into your abdomen to raise/elevate/distend your belly for the surgery. The added "space" makes it easier for the urologist to manipulate the single-incision DaVinci Robotic apparatus or other "tools" if you had the older 5-incision surgical RP procedure. That gas stays in your body for several days putting pressure on your back and shoulders (since gas rises).

I am 4 weeks out from surgery tomorrow. I think the worst pain I had was on day 5 or 6 of recovery, and I believe it was gas. Luckily, I still had an oxy, and the pain was back to normal the next morning (I would have gone back in if it wasn't). Subsequently, I would feel it again, but it was never as bad as that and would resolve. I think it may be just a blending of all the pain since everything is upset down there, but the gas makes everything much worse. I tried some warm compresses on my abdomen, walking around, getting in different positions and gas x. No silver bullet but all of those seemed to help at various times. Even 4 weeks out, I am having regular bowel movements, but gas pain is worse than pre-surgery. I do see gradual improvement every day. I don't want to say "nothing to worry about" because what do I know, but I can say the gas pain was a significant component of my pain and it is easy for me to imagine others have it much worse.

I was curious. Since your 4 wks out are you having pain or discomfort in lower extremity.

No. I am 5 weeks out now and did not have that. My ass will still hurt if I sit a long time on a harder surface and my gut and bowel movements are still different. Gas pain still is uncomfortable at times. Everything is tolerable,much better than what it was and now more gradually getting better. I don't have anything on lower extremely although I know they have us in weird positions during surgery and a nerve may be upset. But that does seem unusual.

I was told I can start doing kegels a week ago from urologist.Once I did 4 hrs later had a littleblood in urine.I contacted the dr.and he said wait a week.But I'm cautious about any thing now.