Nerve pain

carolb447

I had segmendectomy 3 weeks ago. I started to have side pain on my right side that I had the surgery. The surgeon said this is due to intercostal nerve being affected. He said to give it another month and if it persists he would start me on gabapentin, which I don’t want to start. Anyone out there have a similar situation , what did you do to minimize the pain and how long did it last.

eDivebuddy

Intercostal nerve pain is really common after any type of thoracic surgery . It can feel sharp, burning, or like a constant soreness. I would say waiting 4 to 6 weeks seems to be a fairly typical amount of time for it to pass. Ggabapentin for some people works great, but for others, including myself, it doesn't help at all. It’s not addictive in the traditional sense, and if you do decide to try it, you’ll know pretty quickly whether it’s worth continuing.

In the meantime, a few things that help:
Hug a pillow to your side when coughing or sneezing. It really softens the blow to those nerves.

Topical lidocaine patches or creams can help take the edge off.

Gentle movement and stretching can actually help prevent it from getting worse.

Warm compresses or heat pads can feel good—but avoid if you have numbness in the area.

And one thing that people rarely mention is nerves can heal. I had a nerve that was completely severed,took nearly a year, but it did heal. So even if it lingers for a while, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s permanent.

You’re not alone in this. Unfortunately it’s a really common part of recovery. Let us know how you’re doing as things progress.

carolb447

Thank you for your reply. I have tried the lidocaine patch, doesn’t do anything. I am doing gentle stretching exercises that I researched may help.