CoolSculpting: Stories

I'm sorry you are having this experience. Prior to your next treatment, check with your doctor's office to see if the doctor or the physician's assistant's or nurse practitioners are able to call in a prescription of Nerontin should you have pain like this in the future. During the CoolSculpting procedure, there will be intense cooling for a few minutes. Some people find this uncomfortable, but the area soon becomes numb and people can relax and feel quite comfortable during a treatment. Following the treatment most people continue with their day normally with little to no discomfort. Over the course of a few days, some people feel mild discomfort similar to the feeling one might have after a workout. On occasion, significant discomfort has been reported. The patients who experience significant discomfort are almost always patients who have had treatment with a single large applicator administered to the lower abdomen area. In my practice, we offer compression garments like the ones we use for patients following tummy tucks or liposuction. This has seemed to provide additional comfort and support to patients. On occasion, a patient might find relief with a non-narcotic pain medication called Neurontin. This can be prescribed by the doctor or the physician assistants and nurse practitioners in the practice. However, most patients do not require medication following a CoolSculpting procedure. Web reference: http://www.michaellawmd.com/coolsculpting.html

Stefany - please respond bc I too am in Michigan and am having identical experience. Dr seems impatient and short - I was prescribed vicodin after calling and told this almost never happens. Its day 7 and I've been in excruciating pain for third night now. Vicodin not helping and afraid I may be overdosing because I just keep taking more and feeling very drugged. Last call w dr was this afternoon when he said his med asst might prescribe neurontin then he basically hung up on me. I called back and left message for med asst because the scrip still was not called in. No return call but she did call it in only to have my husband told by pharmacist that she cannot fill the scrip bc I am on wellbutrin and they both are used to treat seizures. I am in tears and have no idea what to do!

Hey everyone,

I had this same procedure done and I'm on day 5. Same thing with the shooting pain, but I' have found that putting ICE PACKS on it really helps the pain. My doctor told me that it's fine to do that and is actually very common. So I've been falling asleep with ice packs on my stomach and waking up in the middle of the night to change it out for a new one.

The most important advice I can give anyone who is thinking about getting this procedure done is EAT BEFORE your appointment because if you don't, your pain tolerances goes down due to hypoglycemia (aka: low blood sugar). Everyone's pain tolerance is different so for some, the procedure will hurt and others it wont. It's worth it if it'll make you happy and doctors usually say that the pain, swelling, and bruising can last up to 2 weeks. I remind myself everyday that this pain is not permanent and that the results will totally be worth it.

i had coolsculpt done on my abdomen with the large applicator and my inner thighs with the small one 8 days ago.. My thighs are a little numb but no pain.. my stomach hurts badly. right above my belly button. My general abdomen hurts but there is one spot in particular that is really bad. I have been taking Advil which is taking the edge off but I haven't been able to sleep at night. The doctor I saw is a trusted physician that I know and trust.. although he wasn't the one doing the actual procedure.. its in his office and he oversees it. The girl who did the procedure has actually had the coolsculpt done on her abdomen herself. I really wish she would have said something about the pain. I wonder if it has anything to do with how much tissue someone has? I am not very big.. I just have the mom pooch going on... any thoughts anyone?

I had this procedure done in livona 7 days agoe. I never even seen a doctor. The office was in a hospital on 7 mile rd. I though it would be a good place to have this done. I should have had second thoughts when the young girl was pretty chubby herself. As i said before i never seen a doc. They never even took blood pressure... no health questions... nothing. I was so misinformation from the commercials on t.v i just thought i wanted coolsculping done. I have been in so much pain it feels like i have been stung by hundreds of bees in the stomach. The nerve blocker did nothing for me.i had last week off work so i thought it was a good time to do ut. I am back ro work this week an i am in so much pain i cant sleep. I would never do this again.

Nerve damage. Take Neurontin, it's a nerve-blocker. Some say Lidocaine patches help, too.

I just had the procedure done 4 days ago and I'm in so much pain it feels like I'm going to lose my mind. This is torture and it makes me wonder what is happening on the inside and why is it causing this much pain?

Neurontin and lidoderm patches!

I'm so sorry to read here that so many Drs don't know the correct drug to prescribe for the pain caused by this! painkillers do not work. They need to prescribe a nerve-blocker, like Neurontin.

i had the zeltiq procedure done on my lower abdomen about 4 days ago and i would say i am in moderate pain. like everyone else said, the procedure itself is only uncomfortable for the first five minutes. i didnt start having pain until a day later when the sharp shooting twinges began. now i am in pain pretty much all day and all night. ive tried tylenol and celebrex to help with the pain but they are ineffective. its more of a nerve pain. the only thing ive found to be helpful is wearing a compression garment or tight shorts that completely cover the abdomen. it helps limit the movement and thus the pain. although this procedure is advertised as being non-invasive and not requiring any down time, it is still pretty rough on the body and causes a significant amount of pain afterwards. its important to realize that although most people can carry on with their lives immediately after the procedure, there is still lots of pain that must be tolerated in order to do so. just hoping the bloating and pain go away soon...

I got zeltiq five days ago and I'm also suffering thru stabbing/sharp pains. It keep me up all night and finally gave in to leftover pain killers yesterday. I'm having to massage my belly constantly to ease the pain. This pain was never explained to me and am very disappointed that it wasn't noted during my initial consultation. The actual procedure was easy and pretty painless except for the first 5 minutes. I'm hoping that all the pain is just fat cells exploding. At least that's what I'm telling myself to get me thru the next two weeks. This better be worth it. Will stay tuned.

It seems that the whole "painless" part is a huge LIE! Im in so much pain and im only on day 6.
How long did the pins and needles pain last for you? The pain started 4 days after the procedure. Nothing is helping the pain as far as Tylenol and Advil.

I just wanted to share that I had my coolsculpting treatment with the large handle 7 days ago now on my abdomen. I have been in ridiculous pain and it keeps getting worse and worse with each passing day. It is a cramping, dull shooting pain that is almost constant and radiates all around the treated area. Like other people have stated, I can't even rub my hand over my skin without pain. I expected the numbness and loss of sensation but no the pain. I was getting some relief by lying down or standing up but now I'm awake half the night with the throbbing shooting pains that are strange in that they are located in the skin and not in the muscle as you might would get after an intense abdomen workout. Its almost like I have deep and superficial tissue bruising although you can't see any bruising on the surface of my skin. I literally feel like I'm eating tylenol and advil. I am borderline from going to the Dr. or ER to make sure nothing is wrong.
I am now asking myself if it was really worth it as I'm in so much discomfort. I hope that I am lucky enough to have this all subside in 2 weeks as the person listed above. By the way, I only did the treatment as I work at the Dermatology office where it is offered and the company pushes for the treatment of employee's as a marketing tool. I spoke with our RN that administers the treatments and she says I'll be fine. I hope after all this I see results. I'm not so sure I'll have my love handles done next as scheduled. I'm just happy I didn't pay for this!
Keep in mind I say I wouldn't do this again due to the pain, but if I see results then the saying, "No pain, No gain!" may trump my current bad attitude.

RTH Face and Body in Southfield, MI highly recommended

Also live in Michigan and would like more info on your doctor and how many treatments you have had.

Although the extreme pain some are experiencing makes me think twice.

Hi Stefany..I have been online doing research on this procedure and is really considering it. I live in Michigan and wanted to know exactly where did you go for ur treatment and how many did u have to get?

It took about 10 days post procedure for the stabbing pain to go away. At about 14 days the swelling went down, and the numbness pretty much went away. My tummy is still a little tender, but NOTHING like before. I started to notice results about that time. It did work, my stomach is flatter and slightly smoother. I'm still not thinking it was worth it though, although it worked if I had known I was going to have to go through hell anyway, I would have opted for something with more dramatic results. Good luck....I hope your feeling better by now.

Oh Stefany,

I feel your pain...literally. :o( I've tried, ibuprofen and codiene (leftover from a root canal) and neither worked for me. Since you did this about 2 weeks before me, I would really appreciate it if you would let me know if the pain and swelling have gone down for you.

wishing you the best,

CMTinLALA