Back Pain...

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tomswift
tomswift Member Posts: 8 Member
edited December 2022 in Esophageal Cancer #1

Getting some right upper back pain after eating. Is this common after an esophagectomy? Could the back pain be a symptom of an esophageal stricture or dumping syndrome? The pain isn't from acid reflux. I will be seeing my doctor in a couple weeks. Or should i see the doctor immediately...?

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  • paul61
    paul61 Member Posts: 1,391 Member
    edited April 2020 #2
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    Back pain is common after eating post esophagectomy

    Tom,

    I often had back pain in my upper back after eating for the first year or so after my esophagectomy. I found if I ate too much or if I did not chew food completely I would have back pain for about a hour after eating. I found if I just sat down and rested for about 20 minutes after eating it seemed to help.

    Best Regards,

    Paul

  • tomswift
    tomswift Member Posts: 8 Member
    edited April 2020 #3
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    paul61 said:

    Back pain is common after eating post esophagectomy

    Tom,

    I often had back pain in my upper back after eating for the first year or so after my esophagectomy. I found if I ate too much or if I did not chew food completely I would have back pain for about a hour after eating. I found if I just sat down and rested for about 20 minutes after eating it seemed to help.

    Best Regards,

    Paul

    Thanks, feel much better

    Thanks, feel much better hearing it got better for you. I'll concentrate more on my chewing. Its rough after lifetime of inhaling my food... Smile

  • BobHaze
    BobHaze Member Posts: 161 Member
    #4
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    Me too

    I also frequently had back pain after eating, for a year or more after my MIE.  Also alternating pain or numbness in my right ribcage.  It was weird and disconcerting, and led to a couple of consults with my surgeon and PCP.  It eventually went away...mostly...and proved to be unpleasant but medically nothing to worry about.  An esophagectomy significantly disrupts and replumbs your digestive system and this is one of the consequences that we just have to get used to.  As we used to say on this site, it beats having cancer!

  • mytoti
    mytoti Member Posts: 2 Member
    #5
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    My husband after the esophagectomy, is having a pain in his back, which is getting stronger every day, we have been told that he may have been affected by some muscle or nerve or maybe they are adhesions of the surgery, is it possible that it will happen?

  • paul61
    paul61 Member Posts: 1,391 Member
    #6
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    Hello mytoti,

    I did have back pain under my right shoulder blade and also on my chest on the right side. The pain tended to be most pronounced when I was walking or doing something that requires some effort. This pain stayed with me off and on for almost a year after my surgery.

    I am now 13 years from surgery and I still have intermittent pain in those locations. It is primarily from nerve damage and adhesions from the surgery. I take acetaminophen occasionally and some patients take gabapentin (a prescription drug for nerve pain).

    It does improve with time.

    Best Regards,

    Paul

  • mytoti
    mytoti Member Posts: 2 Member
    #7
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1701904#Comment_1701904

    Thank you very much for taking the time to get back to me. Your answer made me feel better and I’m glad to hear you are doing good. Thanks again

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