Rib/side pain

[Lifeisgood1]

Hi all,

Let me start by saying what a great source of help and inspiration this forum is.

I am male, 73 years old and 1 year post Ivor Lewis. I’m getting there with the food thing but of course still have quite a few bad days.

The worst thing at the moment is the pain in my right chest/ribs and the scar on my back. It has improved slightly over the year. Wondering how long it lasts.

[kev57]

I had the Ivor Lewis procedure 7 years ago and still suffer with this pain usually when I've been mobile for a while it never seems to go away for more than a day or so, I just learn to live with it and rest when I can.

[Lifeisgood1 in reply to kev57]

Thank you.

[liz_crisp]

hi I have the same pain 12 years on. It did get better when they deadened the nerves for a while but it did come back. Happens like Kev says when I'm mobile. I take pain killers at the start of the day and throughout if I know I'm doing something. It's manageable and sometimes a week or 2 can go by before it kicks in again

[Lifeisgood1 in reply to liz_crisp]

Thanks for your reply.

[petercaron]

I am 5 years post esophagectomy and every once in a while now I get some discomfort in what they call here in the states the shark bite incision. It’s usually when I sit in a hard back chair like at a dinner table. In fact I have it tonight after sitting for our Thanksgiving dinner this evening.

For the first 1 1/2 years since the surgery, I was given Gabapentin while the nerves were regenerating in the back where they were cut. It may have helped a little, but it did take time. It does really decrease in pain level over the years but never entirely for me.

As they say, you do learn to live with the occasional dull pain. Otherwise, life is pretty good now 5 years later. Just had my 5 year Cat Scan and an Endoscopy, All is good.

[champagnelover]

I am 13 and a half years post op and still get nerve pain mostly in my ribs and sometimes in my back but I have learned to live with it! I am just so happy to be still here and around to see my four grandchildren born. Like others it is usually worse after either sitting too long or too much lifting and carrying (usually a grandchild) So I guess it is a small price to pay.

[purplekey]

hi I’m 18 months post op and had a lot of discomfort in my back and side for 15 months but didn’t take painkillers only a bedtime for the first 6months. The discomfort has greatly lessened in the past 3 months. I too need a soft chair back when out praise I’m too uncomfortable to sit. I have to be careful not overdoing things in the garden otherwise I suffer. I have just started hoovering but needed a new light weight one. The numbness of a deep scar lasts forever in my experience I had a mastectomy 25 years and my chest is always tender and numb, but no pain. Drs don’t tell you this as they’ve never had the op!

Like you bad and good days but things are slowly getting better and I’m starting to socialise a bit now. Still trying to live with my new unpredictable body, diet regime, dumping syndrome etc. so find these conversation of great value in moving forward. Keep up the good work!

[Janashlin]

well mine was quite a bit better after two years but with lots of stretching and Pilates.

I am 4 years out now and still get sore but only after a bit of exercise .

Keep going!

[AussiePeterInLondon]

I'm 8 years post Ivor Lewis and my experience is broadly in line with what's been said above.

The pain remains - my GP calls it a chronic condition. Short of having the nerves completely "deadened" I suspect its more about managing the pain.

I find accupuncture helps. I also apply lidocaine patches (NHS provided) along the incision line and where the pain appears to be more present - typically,

* around the base of my right shoulder blade

* at the location of the two drainage sites on my right hand rib cage

* at the end of ribs 6 & 7 immediately under and to the right (from top view) of my sternum

I've also used a 5% lidocaine cream along the incision line.

From a medication perspective, I've been prescribed Pregabalin (200mg, twice a day) as well as Tepandatol (100mg Slow Release, twice a day). These two medications help a LOT - I was initially on 300mg BD of the Pregabbalin and have triturated down to 200mg. If I go any lower the pain becomes so bad I literally can not move.

I find hold my right arm up above my head can help to relieve the pain a little. I also find lying on my right hand side on a hard surface (timber floor) can help.

I also think there's a correlation with certain foods and the pain - which is kind of weird but, too much oily/fatty food makes the pain infinitely worse.