Pain After Cool Sculpting

I was prescribed Neurontin for this.

Is thatb a pain med? Werte you able to go back to work the next day?

It is not a pain med, it's a nerve-blocker & will not affect your ability to work. I never was not able to work after this procedure.

Hi pufferpunk,

I'm on day 6 on having coolsculpting done on my lower abdomen and am in tremdous pain. I called the doc 2 days ago regarding the pain and she prescribed a hydrocodone mixed drug. It did nothing to help and I mentioned to her the Neurontin. She called this in yesterday and I have taken 2 so far. Feeling so deperate right now and can't get anything done due to this pain and just wondering how long it took for you to get relief from the Neurontin? I would have NEVER had this procedure done knowing the pain I am feeling now : ( Thanks for sharing!

Kapsolutions, I was in the same boat. The intense pain stopped for me at Day 12 (yesterday). I also got Neurontin and a LipoDerm patch based on others' reviews, but neither of them completely took the pain away. They took the edge off, but that was it. My doctor also recommended that I take 400mg of Advil 3 times a day in addition to the Neurontin or LipoDerm. That may work for you? I am on day 13 now, and luckily the shooting pains/razor blades/electrocution feelings are gone. :))))) There is still numbness and it still feels bruised under the skin, but that is all very manageable in comparison to the torture I felt previously. Hang in there!

Id ask for the Lidoderm patches. Its lidocaine in a patch so you get continual relief. For me it took the pain from a 9 out of 10 to a 3.

It takes about 2 weeks.for the bad pain to go away

Update: I'm now on day 11 and yesterday was the first day I didn't need anything for pain. It was the longest week and a half I've ever had. Today the swelling seems to be going down as well. I am still left with the darker skin on my abdomen that looks like a bad sunburn that is gradually peeling off in small pieces...yuck. It is still sensitive and I have occasional pain but nothing like before. I'm hoping to start seeing some improvement soon! I advised my doctor that they should make future patients more aware that this can happen. My doctor also made me feel like I was the only one that had this type of pain. The Zeltiq company needs to inform to a better degree when it comes to the pain, especially if you are treating your abdomen area. I was not expecting to be so debilitated during this time and it really put me in a bad spot with work. I don't care how good the results are...I will NEVER do that again! Good luck to those who are still suffering, hope it ends very soon.

Me Too. On day 3 and starting to experience extreme pain and now the Dr's office is closed until tomorrow morning. Almost cannot walk!

Omg...I am hopeful reading your comments...I am in so much pain and I agree with you 1000% this company and idiots or docs should be more informative when it comes to the after effects, I think we pay enough to deserve the right to be aware or this and at least not be scared...cuz I was on the verge of seeing my primary doc for this pain being so bad..I thought something was wrong...I called twice and the first call I got that crappy med for nerve pain and it ain't done squat in the 4 days I've been on it!!! The only instant relief I get is by putting an ice or coldpack on my tummy and leave it there....it's very inconvenient being in the armed forces as its bulging from my uniform but it's provides immediate relief to anyone that's suffering....the minute I take it off...I'm in tears....so I won't until the pain is gone...if anyone is interested, I put a gurdle over the ice/coldpack to hold it in place...this is the only way I have functioned/slept or worked...and I agree with you I will NEVER have this crap done again!!!

If you can get lidoderm
Rx patches it works better than the ice and they are super thin!

Dear Taffy81,
The pain will subside after day 11, but the numbness will continue for quite awhile. Life does get better. I used a girdle also. Mine was done March 20th and I'm no longer numb. Also the swelling will go down as well. I just wish that they had let me know what to expect. They were not honest with me from that respect. Good Luck.

I'm having the same problem Taffy and I too am living on ice packs, but please be careful. I've lived so much on ice packs in the past few days that I think I've given myself frost bite! My skin is now too painful to even tolerate the ice packs, so now I'm just suffering. This was my first treatment and I prepaid for THREE. Oh heck no!!!

@Naive...thx I was pain free after day 13 days..!! Thank the heavens... :)
@Robbee-girl I am laughing so hard...not at your pain, but at the "oh heck no" I completely understand your frustration with that...I think I would have to get a refund....I will never have that mess done again...I'm getting a few consults for a "mini tummy tuck" instead...I've had 4 abdominal surgeries, 2 being from carrying and delivering my 2 kids...unfortunately I don't think my abdominal walls will ever look "normal" again the regular exercising way...im in the military and work out 4x per week, so you would think I would see a drastic downsize the tummy "pooch" this is why I initially chose cool sculpting..,but after experiencing that horrific pain for 2 whole weeks...I think I'd rather be cut open than ever experience that pain again....and thank goodness I didn't get that frost bite!! You poor thing...my heart goes out...I hope it gets better and fast!!

Neurontin is actually an anti-epileptic medication and can make you drowsy. The dose they usually prescribe is 300 mg three times per day. If you've never been on this drug before, it will probably make you sleepy. For more severe pain, you can take a greater dose- check with your physician or pharmacist first and don't drive.

Use the lidoderm patches instead. And with ice packs you should cover them with a tshirt to protect your skin.

I'm on day 11. Extreme sharp electrical stabbing pains. I called the office and was told that it's normal and means its working. I asked about the Neurontin and was told they do not give meds for this. This sucks. I find this more painful than my hysterectomy in which I did it pain med free. Suppose to go back in 6 weeks for 2nd treatment. Not sure I want to do it without the Neurontin this time.

That is just flat out not true. You might be their first patient to have pain. I was my drs first to. They told me they have had 3 more. I called and bothered them until I finally got the meds I wanted...lido derm patches.

I admire your honesty! Day 9 for me,terrible pain! I was told that there was no "down time" after the procedure,"a woman ran a marathon the next day",It wasn't until the procedure started that the tech and trainee had me sign a consent form which did include the side effects of pain which was impossible for me to read @ that time.I think we should give the Zeltiq Company a righteous wake up call!!! Did you get the results you expected?? I hope so after all you pain & suffering!

I went to the gym afterwards & lifted weights for 1 1/2 hours.

Dr Weiner:
You should acknowledge that by now you have seen a lot of people complaining of mod-severe pain like on this post, on-line. Its not just 'some' patients any more.

I am suppose to getr this procedure done on Tuesday, but I cannot seem to get a clear answer on how much pain I will be in the next day. I need to know if I can go to work the next day.

The pain doesn't happen until you "defrost". That'll take a couple of days. Be sure you have a filled prescription for Neurontin(Gabapentin)& take it at the 1st tingle.

Yes you will be able to go to work. It will be about a week later. When the pain will begin. Mine lasted for almost two weeks. Good luck. My opinion says save your money.good luck

I agree. SAVE YOUR MONEY.

It's a different kind of pain.to me it feels like knives are in the inside scrapping the walls of were I had it done at.they did not offer no pain meds.I didn't even know then it was going to be so bad.good luck

count me as the 11th!

agree SAVE your money. I am literally dying here

I would say much more than 10..
I actually still have a physical issue on my stomach where I think they did too much..
Nd I was in assiv pain..
My husband is an attorney and he was pissed..
Did it work? I'd say parts ..but the muscle bulge that I have is questionable an the ct nobody contacted me after I told them about the pain is bothersome..

Dr. Weiner this is far more common that you and Zeltiq are claiming. Just tell the patient the truth and prescribe Gabapentin at the first inkling of pain and the patients will be fine. It is so awful as a patient to be told that this doesn't happen to many people. It makes us scared that we are some rare case that might not get better!

I was robably one of the first, if not the first to have A patient with these symptoms after coolsculpting. During clinical trials for FDA approval, there were no reports of this. I was an early user and when I called about this to the company, they stated they hadn't seen this before. At a conference in late 2010, the medical advisors stated there were about 11 cases. Obviously there are more now. My experience has been only 2 patients since I stated using it in late 2009. I would say over 1000 applications. So my experience is that this is a very low occurance. I tell everyone now it can occur, but it is self limited and low risk.

Obviously, the ones who are having problems with pain are going to be the ones posting about it. T
he successful ones with no pain (like myself) will rarely be posting about it or not nearly as much.

Dr. Weiner, it's great that you are taking notice of those of us with this issue. Please pass the message along to your colleagues at the next medical conference that there are enough of us with the extremely painful experience. It may only affect 5 or 10% of patients, but you still owe it to your patients to warn them in case they happen to be one of the unlucky ones. I really wish someone had warned me.

I am glad a doctor is on-line. I had the procedure two months ago and have not seen no results. I went to two consultations and no one ever said anything about no results. I am eating the same, I have high cholestrol so I am careful about what and when I eat. In addition, I walk at least two times per week two miles. So what happen? I am so upset. No, I am not fat in fact I weigh 128 lbs and 5'2" my problem is the stomach area. That is where I had the procedure lower and upper stomach. Again, what happen?

Coolsculpting takes 4 - 6 months. I'm surprised you didn't read that online -- that's where I got my information.

10 patients? I personally know 3. I was told that a small number of patients have nerve pain after the procedure. The nerve pain started on day 5. 800 mg of ibuprofin did little or nothing for the pain whatsoever as it is nerve pain. The doctor prescribed gabapentin (neurontin) 300 mg three times daily. I'm an RN and know that this is a fairly low dose. the pain got worse on day 8 while I was at work. I was taking 800 mg ibuprofin every six hours and gabapentin 300 mg three times daily. Also was taking generic excedrin to stay awake as the gabapentin- an anti-seizure drug- was making me very sleepy. I still felt like I was being stabbed in the abdomen by a hot poker. The pharmacist at work said I could up the gabapentin to 600 so I did. I did have some pain free periods after doing the latter. Took 600 mg of gabapentin before bed and slept for a few hours. Now up at 0230 with pain. Don't think I'll be going to work today.

One word Lidoderm. Forget advil, lortab and neurontin. Ask for an rx for them.

After reading comments from this site, I did go back to my physician and ask for the Lidoderm patches. Worked like a charm. My doc had never prescribed them but was willing to give it a try. He had the procedure himself and did not have this type of nerve pain. I do believe that I'm in the minority- however, if even 5-10% of patients ( or any patient ) have this pain the physician needs to know how to effectively treat it. If I ever have this done again I'll have the Neurontin and Lidoderm at the ready!

you will be numb for the first maybe 5 days, and then the pain hits. It is not unbearable, just need to have meds to take around the clock. i have been going through my daily routine just fine, i am on day 8 right now. i would not worry too much about work the next day, i felt no pian, like i said, till day 5. I would get a prescription though for pain, i am taking about 800 mgs of acetaminophen, and i could prob use something a little stronger. Good luck, it will all be worth it, that's what i keep saying! :)

I would have them call in a prescription for lidoderm patches and Tylenol #3 if you're not allergic before you leave after your treatment.

I just had my coolsculpting on July 30, 12 & felt fine until friday. the pain is unbearable. ive taken advil but no relief. i am definitely not one to complain but it is non stop sharp shooting pains that feel like contractions. i will be calling my dr. in the am 4 a rx. I was told it would feel like cramps, ugh wrong.. Never going through this pain again

I am on day 11 and still reeling with pain! Saw my doc yesterday and told him this 100 times worse than my hysterectomy! That was only 2 days of pain! My doc told me to take Motrin 600 mg 3 times a day - has barely taken the edge off and is messing up my stomach - very nauseous! I am terrified this pain is never going to stop! It even hurts under my rib cage - cant sleep - everyday I pray for relief!

Seabreez. I am 17 days out & I feel good. No stabbing pains but still have numbness but still cant take my daily run. I would ask your Dr. to prescribe Neurontin! Take it at bedtime cause it will help you sleep! Have him also prescribe a Lidopatch....this takes the edge off during the day! I totally know what you're going through! If your Dr. is hesitant about doing that tell him to call the Coolsculpting Rep & they will say YES its the right medications! Let me know if I can help you with anything else.

My doc told me that there are some things that can't be fixed without a surgical abdomenoplasty. After two pregnancies, I have a rectus diastasis, which is a separation of the abdominal muscles from the midline. All the extra skin and fascia that was necessary to fit a huge uterus in my short torso just can't shrink down again. I used coolsculpting to decrease the amount of fat underlying all that extra skin, but was told pretty clearly what the limitations of this are.

so true! amen to that! it’s definitely painful after 3rd day of treatment. feels like constant burning sensation in addition to sharp pains...

I'm also 8 days post cool sculpting and have very bad pain. I was told there would be NO after effects, only tingling. I'm at a loss as to what to do for the pain. I was told to take Tylenol but have now resorted to hydrocodone. Help!!!

It will get better. I am on my two weeks today. Still hurts but not like it did.I hope you feel better soon

Hi This is my day seven and I have been in mayor pain too. It only gets somewhat better when I put some ice packs for a little while. This is horrible.

Danielle thank you for the info about your pain level. I am going to put this surgery off until I have a couple days off of work. I have a very physically demanding job, so I could not do my jib if the pain is bad.

I have not had it done yet. But since I have a very physically job, based on comments I think I will get this done when I have a few days off in a row. @Danielle most folks said they DO experience pain, it is just not advertised this way.

This is not surgery at all. Completely non-invasive.

I did this search because I am worried about how much pain I am in!! Like so many others's reviews I am reading (thank God for your all) I am 8 days post-treatment and my pain has INCREASED over the last several days. While the numbness has largely worn off, I feel like I want to jump out of my skin! I can't bear to sit for very long, and any waistband or fabric touching my abdomen is intolerable. The literature my MD provided me with did not at all prepare me for this, basically just discussed the (minimal) pain during the procedure. I am very upset and feel misled. I would never have signed on for this--even if I do see some results a few months from now, this is just NOT worth it.

Miss Libby,
I am so sorry to hear that you are also experiencing the same s*** as most of us have with this terrible procedure....just like you, I felt misled and the pain you are describing sounds exactly like what I went through...I called my MD up very angry and highly upset that she didn't tell me this stuff..and the nerve medicine I was given was pathetic and useless...please hang in there, the only comfort I had was from an ICE pack I bought from Walmart and I alternated them around the clock...even at work...my pain started at day 6 and was over by day 13 and it was the longest 8 days of my life. I recently had lipoAbdominoplasty (Tummytuck) and that pain was far more tolerable after day 2 and over sooner than the cool sculpting treatment pain...I wouldn't advise anyone to have this done...just like you said its just not worth it to me, I am 12 days post-op and my tummy is flatter than ever...I guess we get what we pay for...hang in there!!

Get a rx for lidoderm patches. Its the only thing, along with ice, that helped. My understanding is lidocaine in the patches blocks calcium involved in the nerve pain. Lidocaine gel did nothing. The patches took it almost all away.