Best way to help with the gas/pain after laparoscopy

[katielou45]

Hi,

I've got my diagnostic laparoscopy tomorrow and I'm looking for possible ways to help with the gas pain as I've heard that is the worst part of recovery, I have a low pain tolerance and already know I'm going to struggle with the whole recovery stage.

Also any tips to help with the overall pain other than taking pain killers?

Any help would be appreciated.

thanks x

[missm87]

Hi,

I had my lap on 16th December and the gas pain was unbelievable. I had to stay in hosp over night because i developed a temperature and my gas pain was so bad i couldn't lie down, i don't know why but the pain of lying down was unbearable, so i had to sleep in the chair next to the bed (i managed 2 hours). I got up in the middle of the night and begged the nurses for something to help and they totally understood, they gave me peppermint tea and some peppermint capsules and then heated a heat pack up for me. The heat pack was the most effective. My gas lasted a good 5 days and i had to sleep in my recliner at home because i still couldn't lie down, i also couldn't laugh, laughing used to cripple me.

However the nurses told me a lot of people don't suffer from the gas pain its the odd few who get it extreme (obviously had to be me), so hopefully you will be fine

[katielou45 in reply to missm87]

Thank you, knowing my luck I have had this week so far (got a kidney infection on Monday) I will probably end up being one of the odd few people that get it

[missm87 in reply to katielou45]

Yeah I got a water infection 2 weeks after my Lap as well so I'm not very lucky either!! I agree with what Fraser1 said it really helps to walk around, even though when you're knackered it's hard. Also try and bite your tongue at all the people who say to you just fart it out .... the amount of times i had to explain its in my shoulders and in my chest, I think it's just when you mention the word gas lol.

[Pink_Moon]

Hi, I had my first laparoscopy on Saturday and I didn’t suffer with any gas pain at all and I was worried about this too. Hoping the same happens to you too xx

[katielou45 in reply to Pink_Moon]

Thank you fingers crossed I don't get it x

[Lulububs]

I have had two and i didnt get it either times as i ate ginger biscuits( gluten free) and took peppermint capsules high strength from Holland & Barrett and started that a couple days before the lap.

If u do that u may get away with it... also u will b in discomfort but try to move about .. get ur body moving abit as if u lay down it will just stay in ur body and wont move it .. ie farting and burping lol

[kate24601]

Warm peppermint cordial. Tastes grim but really shifts things, my sister said the midwife recommended it to her after her c section for the wind (called it an windy cocktail) and it worked wonders, I can second that!

[Fraser1]

I agree with missm87 the heat was the best thing, I had two wheat bags which I draped over each shoulder. I had a laparoscopy and hysteroscopy on 6th January and I'm not going to lie the gas pain as unbearable at times.

I slept sitting up because the pain as too bad lying down. When I came around from theatre they gave me a heated blanket for my shoulder because despite having morphine in theatre I could still feel the shoulder pain.

I walked around the house and I already drink peppermint tea so I was drinking that regularly.

My pain lasted about 5 days, the worst was trying to get comfortable to go to sleep.

I hope you are a lucky one who doesn't get the pain! Good luck x

[Whisking1]

Peppermint water or peppermint tea helped me Loads when I had my hystorectomy last week

Good luck 😊

[Samaher87]

I had my first laparoscopy ten days ago and the gas pain lasted two days because peppermint tea was basically almost all I drank. Wish you all the best